Another guy stuck on a case

[eXocet]

Hi there, I would appreciate some help on choosing a case if you guys would. It will be for an i7 build in the future (but mainly for silencing this noisey tin next to me) most likely using a R2E mobo. The requirements would be to be quiet in general use (aside from using fan controllers) but also have the opportunity to expand into WCing down the line.
I would prefer clean designs. Not the 'gamer' types of HAF, antec 9,12s and so forth. Prices I would prefer would be sub £200 really although can be adjusted depending. I would also prefer a full tower with an aluminium build.

Case will be storing atleast 3 hard-drives for storage also and an SSD.

Cases i've been looking at so far are:

Lian Li A70F - Large, chance for wcing, sleek design. Good cable management opportunities. - cons: top harddrive cages could be too far for PSU (Corsair HX1000), open front (possibly to much noise leakage?)
http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=337&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=61

Lian Li P80 - Huge, great opportunity for watercooling, Sleek (not like haf imo), Cable management opportunities. - cons: expensive, i've also read it can be quite loud.
http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=131&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=61

Coolermaster ATCS840 - Large, again can be watercooled, cable management, cons: plastic parts, flimsy panels (apparantly) and also can be loud with vibration, window is also hard to come by so looks to be a daring mod on myself.
http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?category_id=18&product_id=5777

TJ07 - Massive, opportunities are great for watercooling and cable management, easily dismanteled - cons: Expensive, requires modding for true potential (just being picky)
http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/p_contents.php?pno=tj07&area=usa

TJ9 / 10 - Seems a good case, made from alu, window, opportunity for WC. cons: the door, mixed reviews on thermal efficiency
http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/p_contents.php?pno=tj10&area=usa

A couple mid-towers have also caught my eyes aswell these being the

Silverstone FT01 - Great air cooling, full alu build, good cable management, black internal, window - Only main problem is mismatched bezel colour to shell.
http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/p_contents.php?pno=FT01&area=usa

Lian Li PC7FNW - Sleek, tidy indented window flush with side, basic cable management, looks to have good storage although restrictive airflow. Very cheap for quality mind.
http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=393&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=62

Lian Li B25F - http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=366&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=62

Seems all require a bit of modding so i'm not really fussed on that front as eventually i'd plan to spray the internals black if required. Any further knowledge and recommendations on these cases will be fully appreticated because i've read that many reviews and such, i'm now more confused than when i started haha.

Kind regards,
Kev.

P.S. sorry for the sheer essay size of this haha

 

[Seneker]

Just a heads-up; R2E won't fit in FT01. TJ07 would be best really if you want water down the line. Can't go wrong with the Lian Li full towers - plenty of room. Whichever one you choose though, just make sure it takes E-ATX.

 

[EsaT]

(but mainly for silencing this noisey tin next to me)

Then you should avoid direct noise escape paths because if noise can leak out directly only thing you can do to it is having very slow speed fans with naturally less cooling power while noise containing case (+some lining) allows keeping heatsinks fans running at notably higher speed for same noise level.
Hard HDD mountings are another thing to avoid because contact to any non-elastic/soft materials amplifies noise of HDD very easily. Fully elastic suspension (~rubber bands) would be naturally best but physically quite insecure so simple rubber grommets between drive and case structure are best compromise. (along with easy to do mass damping)
Also as fans create noise getting most cooling with least noise requires controlled simple airflow concentrated to right places.

And for watercooling option best design is such in which you can put radiator to such place where heat from it can be blown directly out from the case.

So now let's start checking options.

LL A70F: Soft HDD mounting, simple front in back out airflow and top can take triple rad. (I would expect Lian Li to make ready top covers for A7xF and B7x cases) But open front will leak noise out, A71F with door is acoustically much better.

LL P80: Bling bling... Soft HDD mounting but fully noise leaking front. Intake fans between mesh in both side of blades which ain't good thing for airflow per RPM ratio. Top fan just distracts airflow away from components and PSU is in hottest available place also blocking possibility of putting radiator to top.

CM ATCS 840: Front "closed", quite a lot of cooling power and possiblity of putting radiator to top but fashionable plastic HDD caddies/trays and airflow control needs work. Adding 12cm fans behind HDD cage and controlling airflow to top fans could direct airflow more to components. (top holes always present rather direct noise escape path if you keep case on floor)

TJ07: For air cooling very misconfigured/directed airflow with only airflow shortcircuit in main heat production area but two fans just for hard mounted HDDs along with direct noise escape path for them. With space for big radiator in lower chamber would be great for watercooling but at most mediocre for air cooling.

TJ09/10: Ugh... Just plain horrible HDD system, one fine mesh limited intake fan for main heat production area. Design by marketdroids for marketdroids!


In those mid towers you can pretty much forget water cooling option and they simply don't have real working space so I would suggest discarding them as options.

 

[eXocet]

Thank you very much for your detailed info there. The LLa70f seems the most appealing for the moment as I don't think I can justify the price just yet on the TJ07 for just using air for the price although I very much believe it is probably the most applicable case out of the lot. Also the extra panels available hit the nail on the head I think.

Also another case by Lian Li I've clocked is the A70 what would you think about this?

 

[EsaT]

Also another case by Lian Li I've clocked is the A70 what would you think about this?

A70 is base (/predecessor) for A70F.
Lacks tool-less fashion gimmicks but has removable motherboard tray. (latest ones might have hole for changing CPU heatsink's back plate like B70/71) Also support pillar for long graphics cards is there and there are fans behind HDD cage for push-pull configuration for full airflow to rear regardless of few HDDs enroute.
Similarly to A70F it doesn't have door for blocking direct noise escaping path. Insides are same as in A71... that damping mat lining being my addition.
(don't have anything to measure it but by listening effect of closing the door to noise is like lowering speed of fans by nearly couple hundred RPM)

Looks like Lian Li is starting to add modded top covers for newer models.
http://www.lian-li.com.tw/v2/en/product/product04.php?cl_index=2&sc_index=10&ss_index=74&num=3