Alternatives to silverstone FT02?

[stingy]

I have a few set ups at home and at work that includes the following enclosures:

1. Antec P180
2. P182
3. Corsair 700D

They have their own pros/cons. And would want to try something new for my next setup - the silverstone FT02. I like the idea of having all the ports located on the top, but i don't really like how it looks, and its a bit bigger than i prefer.

so i'm wondering if there are alternatives to FT02? and are there any design concerns?

[markanini]

I have a few set ups at home and at work that includes the following enclosures:

1. Antec P180
2. P182
3. Corsair 700D

They have their own pros/cons. And would want to try something new for my next setup - the silverstone FT02. I like the idea of having all the ports located on the top, but i don't really like how it looks, and its a bit bigger than i prefer.

so i'm wondering if there are alternatives to FT02? and are there any design concerns?

Not similar to FT02 but different from the cases you list is the upcoming Antec P280.

[quest_for_silence]

so i'm wondering if there are alternatives to FT02?

If you mean with a rotated mobo, there are the Ravens.

and are there any design concerns

It depends of your proposed setup: Fortress/Raven seems do not work at their best using those GPU heatsinks with heatpipes parallel to the mobo, due to gravity concerns; moreover their 180mm AirPenetrators aren't as quiet as most hardcore silencers desire.

[quest_for_silence]

Not similar to FT02 but different from the cases you list is the upcoming Antec P280.

It would look like a mixup of the original Antec Performance design and Corsair Obsidians.

[markanini]

Not similar to FT02 but different from the cases you list is the upcoming Antec P280.

It would look like a mixup of the original Antec Performance design and Corsair Obsidians.

You mean the P160? That one looks like a nice roomy vanilla-ATX case save for the garish looks.

[quest_for_silence]

You mean the P160?

No, I was referring to the P180: the P280 looks like almost a 650D made up as a P180.

[stingy]

Thanks for the suggestions! but i've made my own instead





made a few calculation and assumption mistakes, i will probably build another one based on my old P180.

[garryd]

I went with a CoolerMaster Silencio 550 because it looks pretty much like what you've built - clean lines and understated. I just need to work up the bravery to make a few mods before I use it - primarily more cable exits along the edge of the motherboard tray to improve cable management and cut out the fixed lower drive caddy so I can mount a smaller 2-drive unit front-to-back facing to allow for a second front fan.

[markanini]

That's a slick looking case you built, stingy. Looks like it will be a joy to build a system around it.

[khaakon]

Thanks for the suggestions! but i've made my own instead

!!...and a really nice make it seems, too. I do like the looks of that project a lot, any pictures w/hardware inside ? Pretty please..? U might also tell more about your experiences while making this - what went wrong, what went well.

Håx

[stingy]

Thanks guys!

It does look good from the outside. I considered the first prototype as a failure.

1. cable management is a nightmare.
2. The hardware/fan/cpu etc are identical to my previous set up inside my Corsair and P180, but it somehow it is a lot noiser in my DIY case; I believe MDF produces more resonance/sound leakage than Metal or Aluminum.
3. wrapping fabric around the MDF is very very very tricky.
4. I'm from Hong Kong, thus accessing the construction parts are very easy and cheap.


So, I built another one with my old p180 in it:



again, it suffers identical problems from my Prototype 1.

Lesson learned. Creating a case is much harder than it looks, especially when it comes to the attention to details. The total cost would/can be similar to some nicer cases available in the market. It is also extremely time consuming to research/prepare/sourcing/built the whole thing.

So, after all, I will be getting a FT02 soon

[nanu]

@stingy:
Bummer about the prototype failure, but it looked so nice wrapped in cloth your post inspired me to build my own FT02 copy in early December (but I was without Internet access then, so I forgot to check in until now).

I doubt that MDF is the reason there's noise emission. It's due to the open nature of the case design letting sound out. I find that the AP181s are loud even on low, so for now I am probably breaking positive pressure some by only enabling the middle fan for now.

My execution is flawed too but for now I'll deal with it. Also, I agree with you about cost and effort.