Silent case Suggestions
- Thread starter smogsy
- Start date
Soldato
- Joined
- 16 Jan 2003
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- 10,856
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- Nottingham
Fractal Define C if you want a smaller case.
You've pretty much nailed the two options, Define R or BeQuiet... my preference would be the BeQuiet Pure Base 600 or Dark Base Pro 900 with tempered glass panels, as I just can't abide acrylic. Fractal don't seem too bothered about going the glass route themselves, but if this is of no concern to you then they are still great cases. Almost any case can be made quiet though, with the right component selection and sound deadening foam.
I just moved my system to a Define R5 blackout. It's gorgeous! near silent when idle or doing day to day browsing or watching things unless you really listen and there's no other noise in the room.
Using it with a Kuhler 620 with two Vipers in push pull and the case stock fans as intake at the front.
Love the case!
Using it with a Kuhler 620 with two Vipers in push pull and the case stock fans as intake at the front.
Love the case!
Considered the Corsair 400Q?
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/cors...aming-case-black-cc-9011100-ww-pj-000-cs.html
I'm in a similar decision myself. Hadn't looked at the BeQuiet though (I don't have the need for external bays).
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/cors...aming-case-black-cc-9011100-ww-pj-000-cs.html
I'm in a similar decision myself. Hadn't looked at the BeQuiet though (I don't have the need for external bays).
i don't want a window, im going for extreme silence, barely a whisper at Gaming Load. cant have that + Window.
so far
Fractel Design S
Corsair 600Q/400Q
i dont need any drive cages either. nor SSD mounts. going full NVME only storage
trouble is if i Need watercooling for my CPU (going for a 10/12 core intel/AMD) then i cannot use the 400Q as their be no intakes for the GPU (1080Ti)
and the design S has no top filter if i need to watercool either.
@David_VI
can you remove both cages?, this edition has the top covers allowing me to watercool later if required. but do not need any drive cages
i don't want a window, im going for extreme silence, barely a whisper at Gaming Load. cant have that + Window.
so far
Fractel Design S
Corsair 600Q/400Q
i dont need any drive cages either. nor SSD mounts. going full NVME only storage
trouble is if i Need watercooling for my CPU (going for a 10/12 core intel/AMD) then i cannot use the 400Q as their be no intakes for the GPU (1080Ti)
and the design S has no top filter if i need to watercool either.
@David_VI
can you remove both cages?, this edition has the top covers allowing me to watercool later if required. but do not need any drive cages
You can have silence and a window, far more so with glass than acrylic though. It has good sound deadening properties. Component choice is the key, and if you're watercooling then you really won't have any trouble if you do it right. Sounds like you don't need a big case if you don't need optical bays or even SSD/HD storage, although if you are WC'ing the GPU as well then you would need more rad space than if just CPU.
Have you checked out the Cooltek/Jonsbo range of cases? OCUK don't sell them, but they have some great options worth looking at.
Don't want to water-cooling at all, but cooling a 12 core on air might be little on loud side don't you think?
Won't be watercooling the gpu but blocking any holes where noise can escape (1080TI) AORUS
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You can get near silence from a Noctua NH-D15, Dark Rock Pro 3 or Cryorig R1. If you're not WC'ing GPU, the benefits of CPU only are negligible, especially when cost is factored in vs a top end air cooler. If you watercool your CPU only, I guarantee you WILL find your GPU the noisiest part of your system simply by virtue of everything else being so quiet. A CPU only loop is really a waste of money if silence is your goal, as pretty much ANY GPU under load is going to be noisier than a top end CPU air cooler anyway... so why spend all that money trying to quiet the component that's less noisy in the first place, leaving the noisier one lol?! Would be better to watercool the GPU if you can only choose one, but personally I'd do both if silence is the primary goal. As a bonus, you will get the best temps that way also.
Not sure what you mean by holes where noise can escape? All cases need to allow air out. You will always hear a GPU under load in almost any case, but the Define S is probably your best bet and it has plenty of height clearance for all the air coolers mentioned above. If it still turns out to be too noisy for you, then watercool the whole lot... having CPU and GPU under water will always net you the quietest system if done correctly (i.e correct fan choice, rads etc.).
To be honest if i was watercooling it would be AI & i dont even want to do that, due to pump noise.
My current case Fratel Design XL R2 i cannot hear the GPU at gaming load only the CPU Cooler (Noctua) The case will be 5M away too.
My aim is to only have Fan holes open that required (eg blocking any unnecessary holes)
my current thought is this:
Put an 140MM AIO in the front of this case, thus allowing 1 more 140mm Intake & 120mm Outake & not allowing the GPU to Heat up the CPU cooler, which it does not in my current case. my GPu ads good 15c to my temperature which of course increases Fan Speed
Using an AIO is NOT proper watercooling. Don't use a 140mm AIO, just don't. Noisier as you suggest from pump noise, and worse performance than the air coolers I listed.
You're overthinking this. If custom loop watercooling is off the table, just get one of those coolers I mentioned, the Fractal Define S, the quietest GPU you can get, and some good fans such as the BeQuiet Silent Wings. That will net you a very quiet system.
There is always going to be SOME trade off and compromise between silence and temps... no way round that unless you go full water.