Case suggestions - small, quiet, cool

BlastRadius · 16 Oct 2006 at 15:48

Hi all, my first post here so please bare with me...

I am currently planning a new build, I have all the internals sorted, the case is giving me a massive headache though - too much choice.

I have read all the threads giving some insight into case selection but i am now even more confused.

I need primarily a Cool case for O/C on my E6600, secondly quiet as it is in my lounge and my missus has a penchant for watching the telly, thirdly I would like this in the smallest cse possible.

I will list the parts I am going to slide gracefully into the case:

E6600
Asus P5W DH Deluxe WiFi
2 G ram (undecided as yet - maybe the Geil that seems so cheap and popular)
1 GPU (Undecided, leaning towards 7900GTO)
TT Big Typhoon (not overly sure on this but want COOL)
Antec trupower 2 550W (which i unfortunately already inherited)
2 HDDs (Whatever I can order cheap from work)

So what case would you recommend with the overriding thoughts on Cool and Quiet.

Sorry it's another one of these threads... be interested to hear from anybody with a similar set up.

Cheers in advance for the loan of your wisdom.

Jay

WJA96 · 16 Oct 2006 at 19:57

Probably a PC7+ with Akasa Amber's fans 7v modded. I would recommend the Lian-Li V600 but you would need a Thermaltake Blue Orb II cooler for that. And it would run a few degrees hotter than the PC7+. Antec Lanboy is pretty small, but you may not like the look. Also Arctic Cooling Silentium T1 or T2 would probably do you - small, very quiet and with only 1 graphics card, the PSU will be powerful enough.

BlastRadius · 16 Oct 2006 at 22:22

Thanks for the reply WJA96. I know it's probably the same old threads started by newbs again and again so I appreciate the input.

I am not a huge fan of the Lian-Li label, but the PC7+ does seem like the best bet for my needs. Will the TT big typhoon fit in there ok?

I had a look at the Lanboy and that seems fine also, it's a bit Fugly but then so am I in a certain light - like any light at all

Trouble is will the lanboy have good cooling? (It's been a while since I did a build, I created life instead - blood sucker!) ATM I am still stuck on an AMD 3000+ and a Gainward Bliss 7800GS 512mb.

Any thoughts on the TT Tsunami? I guess it's quite large but how is the cooling.

Cheers again.

WJA96 · 16 Oct 2006 at 22:32

BlastRadius said:
I am not a huge fan of the Lian-Li label

That's heresy round these parts you know!

BlastRadius said:
Will the TT big typhoon fit in there ok?

Yes.

BlastRadius said:
Trouble is will the lanboy have good cooling?

Yes - 2 x 120mm fans in a very small case makes for excellent air movement.

BlastRadius said:
Any thoughts on the TT Tsunami?

Lots, most of them unprintable here. I wouldn't do it, to be honest.

BlastRadius said:
it's quite large but how is the cooling.

Well, for the size and the money, you're almost into Akasa Eclipse territory and I have 4 of those, so you're not going to get me recommending anything else.

As an afterthought - the Akasa Zen is lovely. Not too big, very cheap and quite well made. I have built several white ones and people compare them very favourably to Mac's. Nice and quiet too.

BlastRadius · 17 Oct 2006 at 13:31

Thanks again.

I think the Lian-Li is still taking the crown for me. The eclipse does look nice but the clean lines of the Lian-Li keep luring me back. The lanboy is out now as I am not keen on the styling.

Just have to wait for the cheque now aarrrgh!!

And yeah the Zen does look a bit like a Mac!

Lol just noticed the Antec 900.... nah!

hyper_piper45 · 17 Oct 2006 at 14:03

I would go for the pc7. The styling is great, not to mention the performance.

gt_junkie · 17 Oct 2006 at 15:25

PC7 here too! :cool:

gt

Zen8 · 17 Oct 2006 at 19:42

Being alu cases, especially with no hdd damping, both the Eclipse and PC7+ have the potential to be noisy. See here: http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17639190 http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17622415

Arctic Cooling Silentium gets toasty.

Zen has very restricted front air intake, which isn’t going to do cooling any favours.

The Antec Solo would be better for your needs. Two methods of hdd damping: Full elastic ring suspension and/or trays c/w silicone grommets. Bomb-proof 1mm steel construction through-out, plus additional acoustic damping sheets on side panels. Superbly slick/sturdy side panel removal/retention. Silicone feet.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Antec_Cases.html

WJA96 · 17 Oct 2006 at 20:59

Mike_T said:
Being alu cases, especially with no hdd damping, both the Eclipse and PC7+ have the potential to be noisy. See here: http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17639190 http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17622415

Or not noisy at all.

Mike_T said:
Arctic Cooling Silentium gets toasty.

Define toasty please!

Mike_T said:
Zen has very restricted front air intake, which isn’t going to do cooling any favours.

Cooling isn't a problem with the Zen at all.

Mike_T said:
The Antec Solo would be better for your needs. Two methods of hdd damping: Full elastic ring suspension and/or trays c/w silicone grommets. Bomb-proof 1mm steel construction through-out, plus additional acoustic damping sheets on side panels. Superbly slick/sturdy side panel removal/retention. Silicone feet.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Antec_Cases.html

The Solo doesn't seem to have a gaping maw at the front for cooling either?

HDD damping? Made up by someone at QuietPC desperate to add a few features is more like it. Acoustic damping? Silicone feet? Superbly slick/sturdy side panel removal/retention?

It's a pretty ordinary plastic and steel box with some bits and bobs chucked in to justify the huge price. The PC7+ eats this for breakfast, lunch and dinner then regurgitates it part digested for it's little brother, the V300 to finish off.

BlastRadius · 17 Oct 2006 at 21:48

Easy gentlemen.

Have decided on a PC7 after visiting a local shop and having a poke around, they wanted almost double the price so they can whistle. Will order this as soon as they money is in the bank..

So excited..

Thanks to WJA96 for all the help..

... you realise my missus will hold you personally resonsible if it is noisy lol!

WJA96 · 17 Oct 2006 at 21:56

BlastRadius said:
Easy gentlemen.

Yeah, I'm chewing mouthfuls of Lithium right now....

BlastRadius said:
... you realise my missus will hold you personally responsible if it is noisy lol!

I'm very cool with responsibility.

nolimit · 18 Oct 2006 at 22:00

I would recommend

Antec Solo Quiet Mini Tower Case
Akasa Ultra Quiet 500W Paxpower Active PFC ATX2.2 PSU
Scythe Ninja Plus Rev.B Heatpipe CPU Cooler
OCUK MSI 7900GTO Silent or OcUK Galaxy GeForce 7900 GS OC SILENT 512MB GDDR3
Western Digital SATA

I have the above Case, PSU with Passively Cooled Asus Geforce 7300GT, Zalman CNPS8000 Ultra Quiet CPU Cooler, Western Digital Sata and Intel Core 2 Duo 6300.

My setup runs Silent and Cool. Not sure how it will run with faster graphics card.

Zen8 · 19 Oct 2006 at 21:21

WJA96 said:
The PC7+ eats this for breakfast, lunch and dinner then regurgitates it part digested for it's little brother, the V300 to finish off.

Yep, just read some V300 reviews, and you’re right, it can sound like it’s regurgitating, or “VERY NOISEY” as one reviewer put it.

WJA96 said:
HDD damping? Made up by someone at QuietPC desperate to add a few features is more like it. Acoustic damping? Silicone feet? Superbly slick/sturdy side panel removal/retention?

It’s not rocket science you’re querying, just basic techniques for noise reduction. You can add to that list front air intakes allowing good airflow while minimizing noise escaping – something else...

WJA96 said:
The Solo doesn't seem to have a gaping maw at the front for cooling either?

...you appear not to appreciate. The hdd damping options were made by Antec, not a competitor to OcUK, and are well proven.

WJA96 said:
It's a pretty ordinary plastic and steel box with some bits and bobs chucked in to justify the huge price.

Much cheaper than an Eclipse. £64 is no way a huge price, especially for one of the best cases on the market, and that’s why it’s popular.

BR, I sincerely hope your PC7+ is everything you hope, but at least you’re now aware it might not be so quiet. If so, make WAJ96 pay the extra £8 for the Solo

WJA96 · 19 Oct 2006 at 22:37

Mike_T said:
Yep, just read some V300 reviews, and you’re right, it can sound like it’s regurgitating, or “VERY NOISEY” as one reviewer put it.

Yes, but he wasn't a reviewer who could spell, let alone fit a pair of 120mm Akasa Ambers so we'll never know just how noisy he actually thought it was with Ambers at 7V fitted to it.

Mike_T said:
It’s not rocket science you’re querying, just basic techniques for noise reduction. You can add to that list front air intakes allowing good airflow while minimizing noise escaping – something else... ...you appear not to appreciate. The hdd damping options were made by Antec, not a competitor to OcUK, and are well proven.

A decent case with good components doesn't need all those features to be cool and quiet. A case with nothing in it is perfectly quiet. Put quiet fans in it and it's still quiet. Add a quiet HDD and a quiet processor cooler and you've got a quiet PC. Good, quiet components are not any more expensive, you do need to choose carefully, but if you're at the stage that you're needing silicone feet to damp vibration, then you've got something in there that's just wrong.

Mike_T said:
Much cheaper than an Eclipse. £64 is no way a huge price, especially for one of the best cases on the market, and that’s why it’s popular.

It's £16 less than a PC7+ with Ambers and it's £44 less than an Amber equipped Eclipse which is the cooling case. There are dozens, if not hundreds of happy PC7+ and Eclipse users on these forums, I'll bet you can count the Antec Solo users on your fingers, never mind the happy Antec Solo users. You like your Antec Solo - fine - but in terms of popularity it's nowhere against the truly popular, very highly recommended, cases like the PC7+ and the Eclipse.

Mike_T said:
BR, I sincerely hope your PC7+ is everything you hope, but at least you’re now aware it might not be so quiet. If so, make WAJ96 pay the extra £8 for the Solo

If you're not happy, I'll cheerfully buy the PC7+ and the ambers from you. No worries. If you recommend quality, you've nothing to fear.

BlastRadius · 20 Oct 2006 at 20:07

Lol you gotta love WJA's insistance.

Having seen one running I would say I would be very happy with the Lian-Li. Not sure on the silver or black yet.

Things took a turn for the worse today when I found out the insurance company is letting a company called The Source handle my claim, was hoping for cash. Very unhappy.

By the time I get a rig the Lian-Li will probably be outdated :eek:

Cheers for the heads up on the fans, hopefully will replace anyway.