Recommended replacement for Antec 900?

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Hellooo.

While since I posted here. Nice to see OCUK on the up and up.

I've kept the same Antec 900 since ~2010.

Its served me well but its in a sorry state now and I'd like something with:
  • better airflow
  • dust filters
  • more space (hard drive cage optional or located on the floor)
  • enough space for a big air cooler (back when i bought the 900 there were maybe 5 cases with a hole or a removable motherboard tray to make fitting a cooler easier so all i have is stock)
  • space for 2x 5.25" optical drives, 2x 3.5" drives, 2x 2.5" drives (I run W8.1 and Ubuntu on different SSDs)
  • PWR/RST cables long enough to comfortably reach the bottom of my motherboard
  • Big side window
  • Thumb screws
Optional:
  • Fan speed controller built in and on the top / IO panel in the 5.25" bay. Doesn't need to be complicated, just cba with taking the side panel off to change speed.
All for <£100 please. Ideally much lower as I might put it on my Christmas list! :D

Cheers
 
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My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £440.50 (includes shipping: £33.54)

  • Fractal and be quiet! cases both have fan controllers on the front.
  • Corsair case probably has best airflow.
  • Fractal/be quiet! would be most quiet.
How tall is the CPU air cooler? As the be quiet! and Corsair have tighter clearance (only 165mm) than the other two (Fractal 180mm, Phanteks 193mm).​
 
Last edited:
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  • Fractal and be quiet! cases both have fan controllers on the front.
  • Corsair case probably has best airflow.
  • Fractal/be quiet! would be most quiet.
How tall is the CPU air cooler? As the be quiet! and Corsair have tighter clearance (only 165mm) than the other two (Fractal 180mm, Phanteks 193mm).​

Cheers guys. Not picked an air cooler yet. Still using stock. Used to use an Arctic F7 Pro that lasted through 939 and LGA775.. Anything like that (<£25) around now?
 
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Awesome. That 130mm fan should bring my temps down some.. Think I'll go for the Enthoo unless there's something a bit cheaper out there? Not bothered about noise reduction.
 
Soldato
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Awesome. That 130mm fan should bring my temps down some..
That heatsink is for 120mm fan instead of 92mm which makes the difference.
Bigger than heatsink fan doesn't really increase efficiency at least if it means at the same time larger motor hub diameter.
Though it can give more airflow for VRM.

Another important thing is to have proper secure attachment of heatsink instead of those flimsy push pins.
With any bigger heatsink those pins aren't secure against anykind bumps and also even pressure is important for good heat transfer.


I've kept the same Antec 900 since ~2010.

Its served me well but its in a sorry state now
Does it have plastics parts which are breaking?
My Lian Li case is from 2008 and still in same shape as new...
(except for improved/modded and upgraded parts)

When choosing remember that up to two 2.5" drives can be attached to one 3.5" bay with adapter:
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/lian...2.5-hdd-ssd-mounting-kit-black-ca-355-ll.html
So adding SSDs to any case isn't problem for as long as there are free 3.5" bays.
 
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That heatsink is for 120mm fan instead of 92mm which makes the difference.
Bigger than heatsink fan doesn't really increase efficiency at least if it means at the same time larger motor hub diameter.
Though it can give more airflow for VRM.

Another important thing is to have proper secure attachment of heatsink instead of those flimsy push pins.
With any bigger heatsink those pins aren't secure against anykind bumps and also even pressure is important for good heat transfer.


Does it have plastics parts which are breaking?
My Lian Li case is from 2008 and still in same shape as new...
(except for improved/modded and upgraded parts)

When choosing remember that up to two 2.5" drives can be attached to one 3.5" bay with adapter:
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/lian...2.5-hdd-ssd-mounting-kit-black-ca-355-ll.html
So adding SSDs to any case isn't problem for as long as there are free 3.5" bays.

The right side panel was lost in a house move (though it was bowed from trying fit cables behind it anyway). Otherwise its still a case.. it does bother me to consume unnecessarily but in this instance I want a 5 year old mobo/cpu/ram to last me a couple years longer, which means enhancing air flow, cable management so I can remove / add hard drives more easily (and improve airflow) and reduce dust build up - all so I can stick a more modern gpu in (1060/70 most likely) rather than trying to replace the lot (which seems to be an endeavour that's doubled in cost since I last built thanks to BTC and greedy ram companies).

Not sure about cases now. Too much choice. Same re: coolers. Water/sealed fluid coolers are remarkably inexpensive.
 
Soldato
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Not sure about cases now. Too much choice. Same re: coolers. Water/sealed fluid coolers are remarkably inexpensive.
Basic "water pipe" coolers aren't that much more expensive, because they have small radiators...
Which don't have any more surface area for dissipating heat than bigger dual tower heatpipe heatsinks.

Anyway in heatsinks for roughly same weight level of heatsink cooling power differences (for same fan and airflow) are usually rather small.
Some brands just charge lot more than others, like Noctua for NH-U12S...
Vs. Thermalright whose TRUE and Macho 120 basically perform as well.


For keeping dust away from components cheese grater cases are definitely harder than controlled airflow cases.
Until couple weeks ago I still had GTX680 graphics card (bought when it was new) and looking into heatsink fins there's barely any dust in there.
Despite of many years worth of power on time and hence lots of air having gone through heatsink.
(though having case on desk no doubt helps)


Also while not having as many holes for airflow, more closed noise dampening case can allow keeping heatsink fans at higher speed for same heard noise.
So little lower possible case airflow doesn't necessarily lead to higher CPU/GPU temperature.
For as long as heat of those isn't left to circle inside case.

From listed cases that Corsair definitely has airflow advantage from more open design than say BeQuiet or Fractal's Define R5.
At default two intakes fans makes sure of that by big margin.
But at the same time if you have case near you any noises of CPU/GPU fans leak out unmuffled.
So after adding second intake fan to Define, it wouldn't be anymore simple to say, if Corsair can keep CPU temperature lower for same noise.


That BeQuiet case again doesn't have real sound dampening.
While Fractal Design uses dense bitumen or similar material, which absorpts vibrations from panel and helps to dampen some airborne noise BeQuiet uses light foam...
Which can never prevent panels from vibrating because of lack of mass, while absorpting airborne sound for significant amount would need many centimeters of thickness.
Surprisingly Google translate can basically make understandable translation for those parts:
https://www.io-tech.fi/artikkelit/testissa-quiet-pure-base-600-window-miditornikotelo/#2

Such shame, because BeQuiet at the same time makes very good combination mat of mass damping layer and foam:
https://www.bequiet.com/en/accessories/62
(Silverstone's mat is useless "lighter than air" foam without enough thickness for anything)
 
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Thanks EsaT.

I'm going for the Enthoo Pro M I think. Not so bothered about noise. The case is below my desk and to my right - currently with two intake 120mm and two exhaust (1x 120mm, 1x 200mm) - and the noise with fans on medium isn't intrusive. Dust might be a problem but I don't think I'll water/liquid cool for the cost/faff so airflow is key if I don't want fans whirring at high speeds. Appreciate what you say about temperature not necessarily being commanded by airflow though.

Think I'll add the Alpenfohn Matterhorn 120mm and then oc to 4.5ghz and add a GTX1070 when I find £400 down the back of my sofa. That'll keep this whole upgrade to ~£100.

Cheers guys.
 

Stu

Stu

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That BeQuiet case again doesn't have real sound dampening.
While Fractal Design uses dense bitumen or similar material, which absorpts vibrations from panel and helps to dampen some airborne noise BeQuiet uses light foam...
Which can never prevent panels from vibrating because of lack of mass, while absorpting airborne sound for significant amount would need many centimeters of thickness.
Surprisingly Google translate can basically make understandable translation for those parts:
https://www.io-tech.fi/artikkelit/testissa-quiet-pure-base-600-window-miditornikotelo/#2

Such shame, because BeQuiet at the same time makes very good combination mat of mass damping layer and foam:
https://www.bequiet.com/en/accessories/62
(Silverstone's mat is useless "lighter than air" foam without enough thickness for anything)


Is the poor sound dampening material used by Be Quiet just in this model, or all of them? Personally, I don't regard their Pure Base line to be sound dampening, hence differentiating it from the Silent Base and Dark Base lines. I've got my eye on the Dark Base, but I'm wrestling with my conscience over the price and whether I REALLY need to replace my current case.
 
Soldato
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Location
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Is the poor sound dampening material used by Be Quiet just in this model, or all of them? Personally, I don't regard their Pure Base line to be sound dampening, hence differentiating it from the Silent Base and Dark Base lines. I've got my eye on the Dark Base, but I'm wrestling with my conscience over the price and whether I REALLY need to replace my current case.
Silent Base seems to use same fabric surfaced foam:
https://www.anandtech.com/show/10837/the-be-quiet-silent-base-600-atx-case-review/2
https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/leo-waldock/be-quiet-silent-base-600-windowed-review/
In design Silent Base isn't really that different, biggest difference looks to be 5.25" bays being behind door.
If it had proper mass damping+thicker foam Pure Base would be quite decent by not having much direct noise leaking holes.
Though those front panel's "side" holes are somewhat in front of hole behind them with just some angling meaning front fan soudn has easier time in escaping.

Ideal is more like in Antec P280 or in Define R5 where those front intake holes are in sides of door/toward sides forcing sound waves to bounce:
If you can see to inside the case through holes, so can sound get directly out from those same holes.
 
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Feel like a noobie at this point - took me the better part of a day to finish transplanting into my beautiful new case - has sound deadening become a thing because of water / liquid cooling? There's now 6 fans (8 including the teeny 60/80mm ones on the gpu) in my case and its barely audible. Is the deadening because pumps whine?
 
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