Hi guys,

Currently have an Antec 900 which I would like to move away from.
Reasons: LED lights make it hard for me to sleep (I know I can just snip the LEDs) & it is a bit loud for my liking.

This is what I will probably have in my PC (I think it is quite simplistic, and this may affect what case will suit me)
- i5 3470
- Asrock Z77-Extreme4 motherboard
- Power supply / 16GB Ram
- Small PCI-e sound card
- 250GB SSD
- 2TB HDD (potentially 2, but for now 1)
- ATI 1GB 5770
- Optical drive

I don't plan to overclock or have an aftermarket heat-sink.
Also I sleep with my PC on quite a bit so noise is a big factor.

I have read the forum and countless reviews but I'm wondering if there is a case MORE suitable for me because I don't need that 'much' (i.e. lots of HDD spots) in my PC?

I really like the look of the Corsair 650D (as well as cable management) - but my mate told me that it doesn't have that great air flow management?
Was really locked in to getting the Silverstone FT02 - but now thinking it may be overkill for me...
Don't really like alien looking cases (e.g. Raven)

This is what I'm looking for (in order of my preferences)
- As quiet as possible
- Cable management
- Air flow management
- Looks
- Cost

Is there anything else I should consider?
Thanks!

Welcome to SPCR!

Any proper case with sound insulation and less gaping holes in it should beat the 900 sound wise. The SPCR Recommended List and Reviews are the first places to start your search. The 900 is a 47-48 litre case with a price tag of roughly 120 EUR, so going by that I'd start the search at the SPCR Recommended Fractal Design R3, now superceded by the R4. Might find an R3 on clearance sale if you're lucky.

The R line of cases has modular airpaths, solid construction and sufficient cable management. The Corsair Obsidian 550D is another SPCR Recommended case, if their looks are more to your taste, but it has some HDD vibration issues AFAIK. The 650D has a hole in the side in the form of a window, not really a good thing for silence.

You should mention your CPU cooler, video card and HDD makes and models so people can give their opinion on whether replacing those might be a better investment than a new case. Silent parts make the silent PC, the case is just icing on the cake.

PS. I noticed you're using the stock CPU cooler. That should be the first item on the list before you start looking for a case, if you ask me. Stock/reference coolers are usually pretty terrible from a silence perspective.

PPS. Easy first aid is just leaving the LEDs unplugged (from mobo). No need to maim the case!

PPPS. What's your case fan setup? Besides coolers, fans are probably the second biggest noise source in the average case with no prior silencing effort.

Having the right components (i.e. quiet components) is key to having a quiet computer. So you have to consider whether changing the case is the best way to reduce the overall noise level.

Since the only add-on cards you have is a sound card and a video card, why not consider a mATX case? (unless you've already bought an ATX motherboard). I found it very practical to have an mATX case because they're simply smaller.

I am looking for led lights. Can you share some pics?