Which case would be best for this build - oppinons plz?

[silencelover]

Hello Everybody!

I am in the process of upgrading an older computer to become more powerful, and you could say that I will be building a new computer using both new and old parts.
The system that I currently have I consider to be so quiet as to keep me very happy. The ventilation in my apartment actually makes more noise than the computer.

The parts that will be in the new system build will be:

* CPU: Intel Core i7 2600K _or_ 2700K (w/ Zalman CNPS9900LED CPU cooler which I intend to run in silent mode)
* MB: Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD4
* RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8 GB PC3-12800
* PWR: Corsair AX850
* GFX: ASUS Geforce 560Ti TOP (Overclocked from factory with DirectCU II cooler) - I already have this in the old system and will move it to the new build)
* AUDIO: M-Audio Audiophile 2496 PCI soundcard
* DVD: Plextor-something (very quiet so not a problem)
* HDD: 2x Seagate 7200.12 1 TB drives (very very quiet IMHO so not seeing a problem here either)
* HDD: Internal HDD Caddy for 1x SATA drive (not mounted all the time and noise signature will vary depending on what is in there)

... now to the real question here...

I am considering for my case either an Antec P183 V3 case (I have friends that have or has had the P182-183 and they've been extremely quiet even with noisy components in them),
OR I am considering buying an Antec Solo case (not the Solo II since it has room for only 2x 5.25" in the front which is not good enough for me, and also it lacks any 3.5" space in front.

The question here is: Will/could the Antec Solo be as quiet as the P183 case taking into consideration the components that will be in this build, or would I be better off with the P183 after all?
Also, IF I can get the Solo to be nice and quiet same as P183 (or very close to it) - will this graphics card Geforce 560Ti TOP from ASUS be able to fit inside the Solo case?

http://www.asus.com/Graphics_Cards/NVID ... TOP2DI1GD5

I would very much appreciate ALL help and suggestions I can get. I am looking to make this build happen pretty soon. But I need input from people that knows these things.

Thank you in advance for suggestions and help!

Best regards,
Silence Lover.

[Arbutus]

not the Solo II since it has room for only 2x 5.25" in the front which is not good enough for me, and also it lacks any 3.5" space in front

I'll bite....
Your parts list shows that you only need 2 external drive bays....
and what about the p280?

[silencelover]

Yes you may be right that I only have NEED for two 5.25" slots in the case right now, but I don't want to have things set in stone if in the future I decide to add another something-or-other, and Ithink its quite worrysome how the newer cases are doing away with most of the external slots for optical drives, as well as any external 3.5" slots. Not something I am too crazy about to be honest.... If I could have the cake eat it too so to speak I would like to see the motherboards still retain backwards compatibility with legacy hardware, and the cases being able to accomodate these.

Crazy as it may sound I still have some things on old media like floppies (both 5.25 and 3.5), Travan backup tapes, QIC-80 tapes, and Zip disks from way back. But I'll say it before you do, maybe its better to just move the data I have stored on these to newer media while I still can... it would probably be the sensible thing to do.

Thank you for the suggestion regarding the P280, I did look into that case (after I just now found out that it is coming) and from what I have been able to find out about it - it may just be exactly what I have been looking for....

Thank you.

[Abula]

I second the Antec P280, it should fit better with your bay needs,

11 drive bays, 3 x 5.25" external, 6 x 3.5"/2.5"drive trays with preinstalled grommets, 2 x 2.5" drive bays (dedicated)

I would probably just change the fans, and close to top vents. Maybe also drop the zalman cooler for Thermalright HR02 Macho.

[Arbutus]

You could build a quiet positive pressure system with an Antec 280 if you block the fan positions on the top and leave the door closed. Scythe 120mm PWM fans don't use very much power and you can safely run 3 of them, 2 fans on the front of the chassis and a fan on the CPU heat sink, from the CPU fan header using PWM Y-splitters. The air will exit out all the unblocked holes on the back of the chassis.

[silencelover]

Hello again everybody!

I am very happy and thankful for all the useful input you're giving me, but the more I look into the details of things the more nuts I think I am going!

To explain to you where I am going and what I want to accomplish maybe I should start out by telling you about my CURRENT rig.

What I have right now is the following:

CASE: Antec Sonata III (original version with "silver" strip and E-SATA in the front.
PSU: OCZ ModXStream http://www.ocztechnology.com/ocz-500w-7 ... upply.html
MOBO: Gigabyte P35-DS4
CPU: Intel Core2Quad 2.5 Ghz Q8300
HSF: Zalman CNPS-9500LED (lowest speed setting on fanmate)
GPU: Used to be a XFX Geforce 9600GT 512 MB with Zalman VGA cooler with lowest speed on fanmate
FANS: 1x 120mm Tricool (Similar to the one that came with the case but a replacement I got when the old one got worn out)

No additional silencing efforts with acousticase mats or anything like that in this machine. It is very silent as is - even with the new ASUS Geforce 560Ti TOP graphics card it is quieter than the ventilation in my apartment, so very happy with it (and no it does not run hot).

Now for the NEW build that I am looking to do - the specifics are as I stated above - in the initial post, but I am very much unsure exactly which route I am to take to build the quietest possible computer system based on the components I have choosen...

As for the case right now it stands between the P183-V3 and the new P280, but then there's the issue of the P183 V3 having more room for stuff like DVD/BD-drives, Harddrive docks and it also has room for a memory card reader or fan controller in the front (1x 3.5" slot) whereas the P280 does not have this. Also with the P183 V3 the sides of the case seem better dampened with a 3-layer approach - which would make the case more silent(?) than the P280. Plus the load of fans that they've fitted in the P280 which I would be very afraid should make the case noisy.

Having read the review of the P280 on the SPCR site it seems that especially the top fans are noisy. So as it stands now it looks as if I want to go with the P183. I am thinking maybe the P280 would be fine if it would be possible to replace the fans with quieter counterparts than what the case ships with. But then there would be the issue of "what fans should I get"? Also with the P183 V3 I have read that you have to run a cable out the back of the case to hook up the USB 3.0 port on the front of the case... if this is the case (no pun intended) would it be possible somehow to manage it internally with some sort of adapter?

Then there's the issue of Heatsink fan. And this would be for a Core i7 2600K or 2700K. I have considered the CNPS-9900LED from Zalman but have read about it that it is quite noisy and that it doesn't cool too well. I also considered getting a CNPS-9700LED but I am very unsure IF these support 1155 socket - and also how well they would cool the CPU (the TDP seems to be the same for both Core2Quad Q8300 and the Core i7 2600K/2700K... been also considering Noctua as well as the CPU cooler used in the Puget Systems Serenity build (Gelid something) but Noctua I don't know because I hear some people say its too loud (?) and then for the Gelid HSF I haven't found anyone selling it in Europe/Scandinavia... So I am kinda lost here.... question basically is *what should I get for a HSF that will be SILENT* ....

Please keep in mind that to me silence is key and that I DO NOT intend to ever overclock or push the computer beyond its specifications. It really is frustrating when I don't know what to do. Any help regarding my planned build is greatly appreciated. I do not want to rush this thing but be able to plan it out so that it will turn out just right, after all I see myself using the new computer for 5-6 years so it has to be done right!

Kind regards,
Silencelover.

[silencelover]

Maybe also drop the zalman cooler for Thermalright HR02 Macho.

Oookay, I know this is going to sound really stupid, but when you say Thermaltake I shiver a bit inside.
It brings back memories of the Dragon Orb coolers for me, something that I don't like very much to think
about, but I guess that things has changed at this point in time though.

[Abula]

Maybe also drop the zalman cooler for Thermalright HR02 Macho.

Oookay, I know this is going to sound really stupid, but when you say Thermaltake I shiver a bit inside.
It brings back memories of the Dragon Orb coolers for me, something that I don't like very much to think
about, but I guess that things has changed at this point in time though.

Thermalright not Thermaltake, different company. Thermalright has been in the CPU cooling market for a long time, and most of the time they have come with the best coolers around, now a days there is more options, like Noctua, Prolimatech, Scythe, among a lot of others. But their coolers were expensive most of the time, since Artic Freezer 9 (if i recall correctly) a new cheap line has come from a lot of manufacturers like Coolermaster with 212, Xigatech 1238, so i think Thermalright is trying to get some of this market, and they used the HR02 for that, imo at $40 is the best cooler you can get. That said be careful since you build around Asus, the HR02 Macho has some incompatibilities with a lot of Asus/AsRock mobos, i think you need an extra bracket/top holder, but its best for you to check before committing to it. Another good option is Scythe Mugen 3, its not the best performer, but it comes with a Slipstream PWM fan that can go down 300rpm and as high as 1600rpm, if you bios can control PWM fan, imo its a good choice also.

On the case.... i think either choice is good, P183v3 has some good background of builds where it has worked really good, if you go this route i would probably go with Antec CP850 really nice combo, check this build, Boring but silent. The P280 is new... but seems good, there are some people that like it others think its not worth the P title... i just went with a Solo II, im probably going to finish the build over the weekend, i really like most of the case, after buidling with lian li and silverstone, i think both are great but they dont have the solid feel of the Antecs, im really pleased with it, but im not fitting top end stuff in there is more a HTPC, and idk how it will end up as still buidling. But i think between the two.... if you are not sure, then for me the tie breaker would be that 183 has a history of working good, but this is more something for you to decide.

On the fans.... i like Scythe Slipstreams PWM, but research more about the mobo you are planning into how many PWM 4pin connectors it has, and if it can control the fans via BIOS/Software, its a cheap good pwm, that can go very low, but its going to depend on the mobo to be able to.

[ntavlas]

You can build a very quiet system in either of the three cases mentioned so far. The Solo might be at a slight disadvantage, being more cramped and also lacking a little in airflow compared to the others though it does have a handy hard drive suspension system. I like the layout of the new p280 case, especially the fact that you can mount the two intake fans behind the drive cage, making it great at cooling the gpu. The power button is also more easily accessible, not being hidden behind the door (at last!). Having said that, I think I would be leaning towards the p183. It`s probably the best case out there at blocking noise with a really solid construction that`s hard to find on other cases. It also has more 5,25 inch bays which I like though for slightly different reasons (the ability to suspend hards drives in there). If you go for the most recent revision you get usb 3 ports too, so it should have all the bases covered.

[silencelover]

I'm sorry to mix up the companies like that. Basically I will go with any cooler that would provide me with the same low noise (or even more silent) than the Zalman CNPS-9500LED on the very lowest setting. Regarding the case it is leaning more and more towards the P183 v3 now because of the superior(?) dampening that it has over the P280.

About cooling, I am thinking of switching out/putting in the Antec TrueQuiet 120mm fans in the build I am planning, would there be a problem with this?

I am currenly trying to find a place that will ship a fan mount cover for the top fan in the case so that I can cover up that hole since I probably will not be using a fan up there, due to having read lots about it being quite noisy. I did contact Puget Systems in the U.S about the covers that they are using in their builds based on the P183 but so far they have told me they do not ship outside of the U.S/Canada so if I can't find a way to get a hold of one of their covers, maybe someone here has some suggestion as to a place to order something similar from that will in fact ship to Europe.

Also once again: Is it correct that the latest P183 (v3) requires a cable running outside the case to get the USB 3.0 ports on the front functioning or can something be done to actually have all the cabling on the inside of the case?

[sa_345]

Hi everyone.

Hope you don't mind me hijacking your thread silencelover, but I'm in practically the same situation as you and didn't think it was worth starting a new thread - plus hopefully any answers will be of help to us both.

I'm picking the parts for my first self-build which I'll mainly be using for recording music, so I'm hoping to make it as quiet as possible. My component list is virtually the same except I'll be using an external sound card and probably a more basic passive graphics card as I don't do any gaming or anything like that. I've made myself dizzy going between those three cases as well. I'd really be grateful for any help and suggestions.

I'm wondering if the HDD suspension system in the Solo II would make enough difference noise-wise to compensate for it probably being a good bit trickier to build in for a first-timer? I'll be using one SSD and a couple of HDDs so don't need room for any more. If not I think I'd be leaning towards the P280, but there's the noise created by the top-mounted fans that's been mentioned. Do you think it'd be necessary to use them in the kind of set-up I'd be using, or would it probably bring up to the P183's level of quietness by disabling/removing them and having two installed in the front?

Like I said, this'll be my first build so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

P.S. Thanks also to the guys running the site - it's been a big big help in trying to figure out what bits and pieces I'll need.

[Abula]

Also once again: Is it correct that the latest P183 (v3) requires a cable running outside the case to get the USB 3.0 ports on the front functioning or can something be done to actually have all the cabling on the inside of the case?

I think all the early USB3 cases had cables going to the back for USB3, there were no internal plugs, i think this is the case with the P183, in my solo II it does have the internal plug (but my intel mobo doesnt have the heather for it ), but check your mobo first see if it has one, Gene Z has one and works fine on my TJ08E, i know there are other Asus that do, not all. As a side note to this, there are converters that can make a USB male connectors into USB3 internal mobo plugs, like Lian Li 2-Port USB 3.0 A Female to 20 PIN Adapter or Silverstone Tek 19 Pin USB3.0 Adapter Cable - External to Internal (CP09)

I'm sorry to mix up the companies like that. Basically I will go with any cooler that would provide me with the same low noise (or even more silent) than the Zalman CNPS-9500LED on the very lowest setting. Regarding the case it is leaning more and more towards the P183 v3 now because of the superior(?) dampening that it has over the P280.

No need to apologize the names are fairly similar and easy to mix up. Scythe Mugen 3 or Thermalright HR-02 Macho is what i would recommend, both are good options for quiet setup, i would give the slight advantage in performance to the HR02 but the fan wont go as low as the Slipstream on the mugen, so i would give the advantage on sound to the mugen3, it really comes down to whats more important to you. Again warning you about the Macho not bieng fully compatible with a lot of asus mobos, so check this before.

About cooling, I am thinking of switching out/putting in the Antec TrueQuiet 120mm fans in the build I am planning, would there be a problem with this?

Should be fine, but do research on the fans you are planning to use and how you will use them, if you are going to use them from the mobo or connected to fan controller, etc. PWM fans are very nice, specially Scythe slipstreams as they can go very low (200rpm to 1300rpm on the widely available version, there was one that was 300rpm 1600rpm i think thats what comes with the mugen3), but depends on the mobo to control it, so in here its best to research the mobo and how it does it and if there are any restriction. For example my Asus Gene Z has a bios restriction of 60% minimum for case fans 4pin connectors, but on the CPU fan headers it can go down to 30%, but in most cases with Asus AI Suite / Fan Xpert you can lower them down below this (at least case fans), but i dont use AI Suite, it conflicts with other monitor software so i relay only on bios to control them, this is where the Asus has the restrictions disadvantage. On both of my intel sandy bridge mobos the fans are less restricted, 20% for CPU fan and 30% for case fan connectors, this makes scythe PWM fans able to go lower than asus without using any extra software, check my mini mi build you will see the Scythe Kama Flex moving at 300rpm where its inaudible, this i haven't been able to do with Asus on pure bios. For pure quiet build with Scythe PWM fans and no OC intended, i would probably build around Intel mobo, if there is a plan to OC and you are fine with using AI suite, then i would build with Asus, just a last remark, i seen people not able to lower then fans below 60% until they tried multiple versions of the AI Suite, some work others dont, as i said before this is something that i haven't tested personally as i dont like AI SUITE.

[silencelover]

Thank you once again for your valuable input!

As for motherboard that I will use, I am not - no matter what - going to go with ASUS. When it comes to graphics cards I think that ASUS are fantastic and would probably always go ASUS there, but as for motherboards I am a Gigabyte fan. I had a P35-DS4 in the current computer and looking at the Z68XP-UD4 (I think it was called this) for the new computer that I am planning right now...

I think that at least Gigabyte has PWM support for the fans, but I'm not sure. However the reason why I wouldn't consider ASUS motherboards is because I have seen them act so flaky and unstable at times on friends computers. Memory not being properly detected, random restarts, dropping BIOS settings because it thinks an overclock was attempted when in fact it wasn't.... Just .... spare me those issues. But then again I may have been extremely lucky with the Gigabyte board that I have had till now. But it has never done anything but work for me. Never a single issue, never so much as a hiccup.....

However there is a new issue that has come to my attention that right now has me quite stressed to be honest. The power supply that I bought - Corsair AX850 80+ Gold is said to have serious issues with coil whine. I read numerous reviews of the power supply that praised it and raised it to the skies, but now this has me really worried because I had a graphics card before that had coil whine and it was painful to say the least - I ended up swapping it out for something else in that build.

The thing is I bought the AX850 a good while ago now and haven't plugged it into the old computer after I got it but now I'm starting to think that maybe I should look into connecting it up to a computer and doing testruns on it to see if it will exhibit the coilwhine, because if it does then it has to be taken care of. Wouldn't want for to find out it whines AFTER the fact of building the new machine and hooking everything up. So I'll probably have to take a look at that soon.

[Abula]

Thank you once again for your valuable input!

Your welcome,

As for motherboard that I will use, I am not - no matter what - going to go with ASUS. When it comes to graphics cards I think that ASUS are fantastic and would probably always go ASUS there, but as for motherboards I am a Gigabyte fan. I had a P35-DS4 in the current computer and looking at the Z68XP-UD4 (I think it was called this) for the new computer that I am planning right now...

I think that at least Gigabyte has PWM support for the fans, but I'm not sure. However the reason why I wouldn't consider ASUS motherboards is because I have seen them act so flaky and unstable at times on friends computers. Memory not being properly detected, random restarts, dropping BIOS settings because it thinks an overclock was attempted when in fact it wasn't.... Just .... spare me those issues. But then again I may have been extremely lucky with the Gigabyte board that I have had till now. But it has never done anything but work for me. Never a single issue, never so much as a hiccup.....

Im not a fan of Gigabyte, i had so many issues with X58-UD3R, ramdon restarts, not stable OC, even lost bios twice upon restarts, if it hadnt dual bios i would have randomly bricked the mobo, but this is just personal experiences and preferences.

Just as a warning i have read (havent experience directly myself) that Gigabyte mobo dont have good PWM fan control or its very limited, in most of their mobos they only include one or two PWM fan connectors, i think their higher end has more but not sure. If i were to build on gigbyte, i would probably avoid PWM fans (unless you research and find good info about it being good) and just add a fancontroller and undervolt them to your personal preference or just get lower rpm fans that you plan on running at the stock speed, slipstream 500 or 800rpm could be a good option.

Checking the mobo you want, Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD4, seems it has 2x 4pin pwm fan headers (CPU and System fan2) and 2x 3pin (System fan 1 and PWR fan). You probably will use a PWM fan connector for your CPU cooler, and you are left with 1 for all others if you go with PWM fans, there is an option that will allow you to connect up to 5 pwm fan to this header without overloading it as it takes power from 4pin molex and uses the 4pin mobo connector just for RPM and PWM signals, Akasa Flexa FP5 PWM 5-Way Splitter - Smart Fan Cable (AK-CBFA03-45), but i would recommend to research on the Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD4 into what restriction has on bios on that connector, before committing to PWM fans.

However there is a new issue that has come to my attention that right now has me quite stressed to be honest. The power supply that I bought - Corsair AX850 80+ Gold is said to have serious issues with coil whine. I read numerous reviews of the power supply that praised it and raised it to the skies, but now this has me really worried because I had a graphics card before that had coil whine and it was painful to say the least - I ended up swapping it out for something else in that build.

The thing is I bought the AX850 a good while ago now and haven't plugged it into the old computer after I got it but now I'm starting to think that maybe I should look into connecting it up to a computer and doing testruns on it to see if it will exhibit the coilwhine, because if it does then it has to be taken care of. Wouldn't want for to find out it whines AFTER the fact of building the new machine and hooking everything up. So I'll probably have to take a look at that soon.

On the PSU i have good experience with my X660 no coil whine, but i read some that have with different seasonic models, and AX line is done and very similar to seasonic X series, i yet to try the X 400 as im still finishing the build. But if you decide to change the PSU, and if you go with P183v3, get the Antec CP-850, its a very nice combo together.

[MikeC]

I'm wondering if the HDD suspension system in the Solo II would make enough difference noise-wise to compensate for it probably being a good bit trickier to build in for a first-timer?

P.S. Thanks also to the guys running the site - it's been a big big help in trying to figure out what bits and pieces I'll need.

You're welcome.

The Solo II is no trickier than any other case to build a system in. If it is your first time, you want to go slow and steady with any case, plan out the sequence so you don't waste time backtracking (like whether the HSF needs to go on the board before mounting the board in the case, routing cables first or later, etc).

There's no question the Solo suspension is the most effective at reducing seek noise... and idle, too, if vibration is a big component of the HDD noise. Just how important this is depends on you. With very quiet drives like the WD Greens, I am now OK with decent rubber grommets in a sturdy heavy case, even tho it's still more audible than elastic suspension.

[sa_345]

Hi Mike,

Thanks - I did a bit more reading up and you're right, the difference with decent quiet HDDs is going to be negligable. I actually decided to go with the P183 in the end - the extra drive bays are nice to have as an option for the future.

And planning out the sequence is something I hadn't even considered. I think that can wait till tomorrow though - I'm dizzy from all the reading I've done today. Thanks again Mike!

And I'll butt out now silencelover - best of luck with your build!

[silencelover]

Thanks - I did a bit more reading up and you're right, the difference with decent quiet HDDs is going to be negligable. I actually decided to go with the P183 in the end - the extra drive bays are nice to have as an option for the future. ...
And I'll butt out now silencelover - best of luck with your build!

You're more than welcome to use my thread here if you like. And I couldn't agree more with you that there are a lot of things to consider when building a new computer. The previous build that I did, I didn't do research like this on, it was just supposed to be a cheap secondary computer for toying around with Mac OS X on so that was the primary concern with that build - as cheap as possible and able to run Mac OS X. Then when I moved to my own place I had intended for to build a better computer but I ended up sticking with that "cheap" computer and putting stuff in to upgrade it.

But now that I have actually had that computer for a number of years, and wanting to build a good computer for myself I just want for it to turn out just right from the beginning.
I think I may have made a mistake with the choice of PSU though since I have read of it having issues with coil whine (at least a number of units), so I am hooking that new PSU up to a spare computer today to see if it exhibits the whine.... Joy Joy ....