Hi,

So I went for a P150 last time around and the suspensions that held my HDD's up failed though luckily the drives seem to have survived. That and the size of my new computer would indicate I should go for a larger board as I'm going SLI GTX 670.

I function in an absolutes manner insofar as I am relatively decided to go for Antec P183 P193 or P280. The 280 is so much cheaper that I feel like an idiot but,
i. what is it that warrants so much cheaper of a unit?
ii. And then the P183 vs P193, the P193 has an eSata port on the front. Other than that what separates the two?
iii.Should I expand my criteria because I liked my 150 but can't fit two graphics cards in it to more than just Antec P***?

The P280 is really nothing special, compared to the majority of the cases on the market - it does away with the divided zones of the P183, does away with support for the CP PSUs, does away with the more solid, removable drive cages and does away with the multi-ply construction of the side panels. In return it's lighter and has better ventilation. Check http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1229-page1.html for more.

P193 versus P183 - the P193 has a larger side fan and an extra top 120mm fan. The P193 also supports EATX motherboards so is a bit longer and heavier. My P183 had an eSATA port on the front too.

If you're planning on buying the "normal" short-PCB GTX670s, they would fit fine in your P150, or indeed in any ATX case, as the cards are only 9.5 inches long, so fit inside the footprint of an ATX motherboard. I'd be a little concerned about ventilation issues using a pair of them in a P150 though - you probably want a case with a side intake of some sort to make sure the graphics cards aren't starved for air, although this of course will allow noise to escape more easily.

What other hardware are you planning on installing?

Not necessarily. A case with good front to back airflow would be better as this provides a better exit path for hot air. A mid mounted fan in one of the P series cases would have this effect.

Meh, my P183 always struggled to provide sufficient intake air until I bought a second side panel from Antec and put a slow 120mm over the GPU area. And that was only with a single GTX670. The thought of SLIing them with that limited airflow frightens me a little

Correct, but it does have 9 slots, which is unusual.

Yes, but that is different from a passive intake. Just having a vent in the side of case is hit and miss compared to fans driving air in/out. It also depends on the GPU heatsink configuration. With longitudinal fins as most have you are better driving air front to back rather than in from the side and then who knows where.

So I take it I want to go p193 or p183 and there is a limited cooling setup with the P183 that my SLI (and though I've installed a custom heatsink to a GPU before I would prefer to at least try stock coolers) may be a cause for pause. As I understand it then, the extra fan on the P193 doesn't do the noise justice (as in don't just take it as a writeoff).

I would then presume I should go for a different case. The CP power supply series is probably what I'll go for if I go for the 193 or 183.

How much is the cooling going to lack in a p193 for SLI 670s? Is it possible to do some basic work on the case as in a DIY air supply solution?

Thanks. Oh and if the CP power supplies aren't good please let me know! I know that PSU is a big deal when it comes to noisemakers.

http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_ ... 8_WS/#CPUS

go w/ the giant P193. There is an review that some1 manage to squeeze the above motherboard,

EEB Form Factor
12 inch x 13 inch ( 30.5 cm x 33 cm )

eventhough the P193 doesn't officially support EEB

you have to expect some day you could sell your case, & the guy who wants it can have a giant motherboard

EEB is the same size as E-ATX and the P193 supports E-ATX so its no surprise. There are also a lot of cases where some extended ATX motherboards will fit but not all - many E-ATX motherboards are not the full size of the specification. I have a dual processor SuperMicro board inside an old Lian-Li and it only fits because this motherboard isn't a perfect rectangle - there is a cutout on one corner which allows it to clear the 5.25" drive cage.

I would avoid an E-ATX case unless you need the motherboard size in particular. You're spending more for a start. I would also think that if you were later on going to try and sell a case 2nd hand that a guy who was potentially going to buy an E-ATX motherboard would also have the money for an E-ATX case without resorting to Ebay.

Hoping that enough people will read this thread to keep me from dualposting, if eatx is so bad what's the smallest recommended quiet case presuming that two video cards is a must? Mini ITX?

what about 1 video w/ 2 dual link DVI port? Or 1 video card that has 1 x display port, 1 x dual link DVI, w/ either card capable of supporting 2560 x 1600. Then you can get by w/ 1 video card

As we all know, EEB has different drill holes than E-ATX. So, I was told that I need to "get a 6/32 tap, drill out the backplate, tap the holes, and install the standoffs where you need", I have been eagerly looking for video or photo of the above, some sort of step by step, but I can't find it in the search engine

Is the general consensus that the p193 is too large in terms of what I actually need it for? I am looking at this because I remember when I bought my p150 that the p180 was a larger but nicer option. I don't want extra space if I don't need it though maybe I'm missing something.

The parts left for me to buy are case mobo and psu. I want a quiet case/psu with a mobo where I would spend extra to get an asus because I liked the last asus board I had and the fan controls.

I get the impression that Micro-ATX or Mini-ATX is better. No idea how to find a new great combo of hardware plus price and my hard drive suspensions broke so can't really use the p150.

Anyone have any suggestions as I have SLI PNY GTX670s to make sure fits. If I don't go off of the case then I maybe don't know how to build a quiet PC and would like to.

Thanks

I went to Fry's hoping to find a P183, since Newegg was out of stock.
They stopped carrying P183 quite awhile back. "Too old" was the reason given.

I looked at the P280 a few minutes and decided it was not for me.
As noted in the SPCR review, I was also put off by the flimsy feel and excessive amount of plastic.

I did find one online at Superbiiz.com for a competitive price.
They delivered very quickly.

This will be my 3rd P183, and I note minor changes with each release.
The new P183 front USB connectors are USB 3.0 types.
My use for this chassis is an ESXi 5.1 host with a P8Z77V-LE board, so I doubt there will be driver support for USB 3.0

I am delighted (again) with the new P183, and really appreciate how nice these cases are.

Now as I see it these cases are all just 'too old' and superbizz is OOS. I would use one if I could find it. 280 doesn't sound all that great.