Need a quiet case.

Rick Martel

Rick Martel

Rick Martel

Associate
Joined
2 Mar 2004
Posts
222
Location
North London
been looking at the antec sonataIII, coolermaster ones.

will be using asus P5q mobo and e8500 aswell as a 4870 G card.

i wont be overclocking, so temperatures dont seem to be that important, any ideas?
 
Or any decent case and buy soundproofing kits.

I sound proofed my old Antec p160 and it was really quiet. My new Silverstone TJ-09 case is very noisy in comparison (I can actually hear my hard drives again :()

Even though the Silverstone is meant to be a quiet case, it just goes to show how good my old case was.

Guess I will be buying another soundproofing kit again.
 
All cases are quiet - it's the stuff you put inside it that makes the noise.

Steel cases are best, but a high quality aluminium one can also work very well.
Your looking for features that isolate vibrations (reduce the hum/rattle) and cases with good cooling paths (minimise fan speed = reduced noise)

The stock 4870 cooler will be the noisiest item - think about an aftermarket cooler maybe
Next will be the stock E8500 HSF at load - AC 7 pro is a inexpensive quiet option.
(giving some OC'ing cooling for the future)
Stock case fans would most likely be next - use speedfan/bios/other to get them down to 7v or replace with alternatives (visit the cooling section for details as I don't use fans any more ;)
Decuple your HHD - bungee mod/but rubber mounts.
Noisey psu fan can be a problem, but the earthwatts in the sonataIII is quiet good.

- SonataIII
Steel (check)
Controllable case fans (check) Triccol fans are ok on low speed noisy at high
Quiet psu (check) also 80+ so efficient too
Rubber HHD mounts (check) bungee mod is better but a good start
Air flow (reasonable) - many cases are better, but at stock timings not an issue
Drive bay door - does have some acoustic advantage as contains system noise

With the included power supply it good value for money, not an OC'ing case but a millions times better that a office pc case.
 
Last edited:
Depends where your case is really on the noise.. I have mine level with my head on my desk, and its fairly noisy though I game in a headset so dont notice it. If your case is tucked away in a cubby/on the floor, then probably all cases you wouldnt notice.
 
Antec P182...


I have a P180 atm, and about to get the updated case for the new PC. The sides are thick to absorb noice.
 
Not really they are just the best looking and overall the best because of their looks.
 
Antec P180 is silencing "classic" because of silencing aimed design:
- PSU on bottom > isn't warmed by other components > lower fan RPM.
- Soft HDD mounting to prevent HDD vibration from getting to case.
- Thick enough construction (also lot mass) > doesn't resonate/vibrate easily.
- Door blocking direct noise escape path.

Higher performance graphic cards tend to be noisy because of insane heat production so door would help to muffle its noise. (like noise of any internal component)
Aftermarket coolers again leave all that heat inside case so neither are they perfect solutions. (Lian Li's accessory cooler included in A10/A20 would help to that)


Greebo said:
Or any decent case and buy soundproofing kits.
Click to expand...
You can't make noisy case quiet unless components don't produce any noise to start with. Total is as good as weakest link.

My new Silverstone TJ-09 case is very noisy in comparison (I can actually hear my hard drives again :()
Click to expand...
Lack of soft HDD mounting is quilty for that, also direct noise escape paths don't help any.
 
Build quality and quietness seems to be good with Lian-lis IMO. But their cooling is not the best (not the worst either).
 
Not attempting to hijack the thread, but I wonder about the P182's PSU area. Any trouble fitting modular PSU's here? With my Wave Master I had to cut a chunk of the frame away inside to get it to fit. As I'm thinking of replacing this old thing soon I don't want these kind of problems again with my next chassis. PSU is a Tagan TG500-BZ modular which has metal screw-on things to hold the cables securely, and this means it needs a little extra space.
 
Dee! said:
Not attempting to hijack the thread, but I wonder about the P182's PSU area. Any trouble fitting modular PSU's here? With my Wave Master I had to cut a chunk of the frame away inside to get it to fit. As I'm thinking of replacing this old thing soon I don't want these kind of problems again with my next chassis. PSU is a Tagan TG500-BZ modular which has metal screw-on things to hold the cables securely, and this means it needs a little extra space.
Click to expand...

I have a P180 with modular Seasonic 600w PSU, fits in no problems. So happy with it, I've just bought the updated P182 tonight for my new build. :D
 
My lian li looks a lot better than the antec1200 and is MUCH lighter, but it doesnt cool as well and makes more noise. I really like the look of those silverstone cases with the really thick aluminium.
 
Rick Martel said:
the lian li's look like the most popular cases in this forum? are they regarded as the best quality cases?
Click to expand...

They are too flimsy IMO and the black ones scratch at the drop of a hat. I like the designs though, but the quality is poor.

*runs off and hides*
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom