Need suggestions for Silent MiniITX case
Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 9:55 am
I have the following ready for a build, and just need a case suggestion:
Core i3 3225, 55w
8GB ram
Asus H77 MiniITX
Corsair 120GB SSD
To reference of what I consider "silent," I have an ISK 300-65 fitted with a Noctua 80mm fan like performed in the SPCR review:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article959-page6.html
Noctua on low with an Asus Fanxpert custom fan profile (stock Intel HSF) makes my 35w Core i3 2100t silent even at full load!
But this system I'm building may not necessarily need to be silent at full load, as it will be used for light gaming. But it does need to be silent at idle/video playback, and very quiet at full-load.
I'd also like to keep the cost of case + PSU under $150, and I'd like to have at least 100-125w power delivery (in case I want a dedicated GPU later). Must have an expansion slot. Don't care about optical. I'd like to keep the size down as well (BitFenix Prodigy is wayyyy too big).
Here are some cases I've researched, but I'm not sure about:
ISK 300-150 - same case I already have but with less space. Also, the PSU fan is suspect. Have there been any successful attempts to quiet this noise? I could replace it with a PicoPSU, but that would stretch my budget.
Sugo SG06 - the SPCR review was very encouraging, but they made the note that the PSU overwhelms as the noise source for the case. Is there really a problem with this PSU noise? Are there better low-noise SFX PSUs I could use s a replacement?
Fractal Design Node 304 - very large, and I'm not sure it's wise to stuff a full-sized ATX PSU into that chassis, although it makes finding a quiet model easier (but still expensive). Also, no official SPCR review makes me hesitant.
Any other suggestions that fit my needs that I missed?
Thanks!
Core i3 3225, 55w
8GB ram
Asus H77 MiniITX
Corsair 120GB SSD
To reference of what I consider "silent," I have an ISK 300-65 fitted with a Noctua 80mm fan like performed in the SPCR review:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article959-page6.html
Noctua on low with an Asus Fanxpert custom fan profile (stock Intel HSF) makes my 35w Core i3 2100t silent even at full load!
But this system I'm building may not necessarily need to be silent at full load, as it will be used for light gaming. But it does need to be silent at idle/video playback, and very quiet at full-load.
I'd also like to keep the cost of case + PSU under $150, and I'd like to have at least 100-125w power delivery (in case I want a dedicated GPU later). Must have an expansion slot. Don't care about optical. I'd like to keep the size down as well (BitFenix Prodigy is wayyyy too big).
Here are some cases I've researched, but I'm not sure about:
ISK 300-150 - same case I already have but with less space. Also, the PSU fan is suspect. Have there been any successful attempts to quiet this noise? I could replace it with a PicoPSU, but that would stretch my budget.
Sugo SG06 - the SPCR review was very encouraging, but they made the note that the PSU overwhelms as the noise source for the case. Is there really a problem with this PSU noise? Are there better low-noise SFX PSUs I could use s a replacement?
Fractal Design Node 304 - very large, and I'm not sure it's wise to stuff a full-sized ATX PSU into that chassis, although it makes finding a quiet model easier (but still expensive). Also, no official SPCR review makes me hesitant.
Any other suggestions that fit my needs that I missed?
Thanks!