Antec Solo build/review

Enclosures and acoustic damping to help quiet them.

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eoctanker
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Antec Solo build/review

Post by eoctanker » Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:32 am

I did a lot of research on this site and many others looking for the "perfect" enclosure to build my next system in. While researching on this site I became a silent enthusiast. My goal was to find an enclosure that I could place on my desktop, minimize its footprint, blend in with its surroundings (i.e., not be a monolith or ziggurat :roll: ) and also just as important, cool efficiently and be designed for silent running. To be fair, I haven't built a computer in 6 yrs and back then, cooling was not really an issue (PIII 550mhz). Well to get to it, I initially really liked the Antec P150, but like a lot of you, did not like the white case, the rumors about the snapping bands in the HDD suspension system, and the problems with the PSU with some mobo (specifically Asus which is what I wanted to put in it). I did not want a case with a front door to open and close all the time either. Let’s just say that I found the Antec Solo to be the best case for me. I completed the initial build and software upload over the weekend and will be doing some more modding over the next week when I have time. Here is my review on this wonderful enclosure.

First off, it is hugely silent! I am only running the exhaust, ninja, PSU and GPU fans currently. I have not put in the Nexus 120mm exhaust fan, the 92mm intake fans or modded my 7900GT fan with a Zalman VF900 yet. I have those parts and like I said, those are my next mods. The case is a beautiful design, elegant with its piano black finish and aluminum/silver colored front panel. It adds a touch of class to my desktop without drawing attention to it’s larger than monitor size (19" flat). With the stock fan running at low I cannot hear anything other than a very light airflow sound. At medium setting I can hear the large amount of air that is being sucked out of the case, but no motor noises. The case also cuts the sound of the dreaded GPU stock HS fan noise almost to zero. When the card is under 2d load, it is silent because of the case, at 3d load I can hear it, but it is hidden by the sounds of the game. The front panel comes off with no issues and the access to the HDD bay is easy and intelligent. The air filter is a bit dubious; I will see how much dust it traps over time though. If you don't want to use the HDD suspension system, the trays are pretty silent with the soft grommets also. The suspension straps are flat with the elastic inside of a nylon fabric which will not allow the HD to drop if the elastic breaks. I wonder if the airflow noises can be minimized by cutting out the grill on the exhaust fan…

Installation issues: Some initial issues that I have had with my installation in this case. First, when you install your CPU and CPU HS on the mobo prior to mounting it in the case, put the PSU in the case first! I tried to follow the directions so I would not have to backup and redo tasks and with the ninja CPU HS, you cannot put the PSU in with the mobo in first. I had to take the mobo back out and start over to mount the PSU. Second, when you start running your cables, take off both sides of the case so you can route the wires around the back of the case. There is plenty of room on the back side for almost all cable routing and storing of the other cables. And finally, the LED cables get plugged in backwards on my mobo. The power and reset wires have their labels facing up while the LED labels face down. When I first mounted them, I had no lights, so I reversed them and now have the blue LEDs working like a charm.

I will post pictures of my system in the gallery this week and show how I have set up this system and follow up with some numbers for temperatures. Right now, at idle, my CPU runs at 27C and my mobo runs at 31C! Just wait until I mod the GPU and put in the front fans… 8)

RDaneel
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Post by RDaneel » Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:01 am

Great review - glad to hear you're loving the Solo. It's at the top of my list right now for a late fall rebuild. I like my Sonata, but the Solo has some very nice features...

Please do post pics, especially when you have the Zalman and Nexus items installed!

eoctanker
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Pictures say a thousand words.

Post by eoctanker » Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:51 pm

Here are the pictures that I promised. The Ninja and mobo inside the case.
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Mobo inside the Solo
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Ninja HS clearance inside case. Plenty of room...
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And finally the classy Solo on my desk :D I Have more, but I will be adding them when I build the gallery link. Let me know if anyone has any specific pictures that they want to see.

RDaneel
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Post by RDaneel » Tue Jul 11, 2006 2:10 pm

Looking GREAT, thanks for the pics. I think I'll end up with a similar fan/hsf setup when I build into my SOLO in the fall, and I'm happy to see even the ninja fits well. What's up with the beige/silver DVD-ROM drive, though? ;) ;) ;)

korsch
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Post by korsch » Tue Jul 11, 2006 5:57 pm

RDaneel wrote:Looking GREAT, thanks for the pics. I think I'll end up with a similar fan/hsf setup when I build into my SOLO in the fall, and I'm happy to see even the ninja fits well. What's up with the beige/silver DVD-ROM drive, though? ;) ;) ;)
It does look great, nice pix.

While I am not really one for color matching computer gear, would black optical drives look better than silver ones given the shiny black paint used on the SOLO?

eoctanker
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Post by eoctanker » Wed Jul 12, 2006 6:39 am

You caught me... :oops: I got my BenQ DVD burner in on Monday, my Nexus fans come in today (I hope). I was using an old DVD-ROM drive to upload the software, I will be putting in the black one by this weekend and I will post another pic of the front with the new drive to show that it is even classier with an all black front. I believe becuase that area is black, you don't really need the stealth drives, it blends in great.

L3thal
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Post by L3thal » Thu Jul 13, 2006 2:50 pm

I think this will be my next case also. I have the 3000B and love it, but the Solo has good looks and some great features. Only thing I don't really like about this case is the high gloss paint job...which means lots of fingerprints and dust. My 3000B (along with most Antec cases) also has the support rail that runs across the chassis...it makes the case sturdier, but also can be a PITA if you want to remove the power supply...wish they would add a hinge or make it easily removable.

eoctanker
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Post by eoctanker » Thu Jul 13, 2006 3:10 pm

That is exactly what my first attempt was. I tried to see if the support beam was bolted in place (like other cases) but it is in permanently, so I had to start over again.

L3thal
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Post by L3thal » Thu Jul 13, 2006 4:50 pm

eoctanker wrote:That is exactly what my first attempt was. I tried to see if the support beam was bolted in place (like other cases) but it is in permanently, so I had to start over again.
Yes, I think it is riveted in place. I also thought about drilling out the rivets and putting some regular screws in, but I think it would be more work than what it's worth. I think a good idea would be to add a slot to lock it into place, and add a thumb screw on each end to hold it tight.

MasterWerk
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Post by MasterWerk » Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:07 pm

nice temps! i've got a similar rig but with a zalman 9500 and i usually idle at 36-38 with qfan running.

i love, love, love this case. far easier build than the p180 and plenty of room for just about anything.

eoctanker
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Post by eoctanker » Fri Jul 14, 2006 1:27 am

Have you tried different fanc controllers yet? I have tried Asus Probe II, speedfan 4.28, fanpro and n-tune. They all give slightly different temp readings, some by as much as 10C... Anyway, this weekend, I will mount the BenQ drive and the other fans and see what temps I can drop my system down to :)

CoolZone
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Post by CoolZone » Fri Jul 14, 2006 8:47 pm

how do video cards like 6800 ultra,7900 gtx (single,not sli) fit in and will they be cooled ok?

eoctanker
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Post by eoctanker » Sat Jul 15, 2006 6:11 am

I currently have a Evga 7900 GT KO installed and there is plenty of room. No problem with the northbridge on the Asus mobo due to the fact that it has a heat pipe config. I am still running the stock cooling fan on it and there is no noise from it in 2d and only a slight noise when it ramps up in 3d during games, but I don't hear it due to the sound of the game. It runs 50' above ambient which means that it is at 58C right now. I plan on modding it with a Zalman 9500 that I have but haven't put on yet. This case handles everything I have put in it with ease. :D

eoctanker
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New Photos

Post by eoctanker » Sun Jul 16, 2006 3:26 pm

Well, I had a rookie mistake this weekend. I went to install the front 92mm Nexus fans and realized that they didn't have any mounting hardware with them. For those of you who are getting ready to buy the Solo, It comes with every screw you could ever need except the ones for mounting the optional front 92mm fans... So I took the time to reroute the cables and make a cleaner airflow across the motherboard. Here are the results.
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I also did some research and came up with a way to mount my first Nexus 92mm. Zip ties and door weather stripping! Here is how it looked.
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and before snipping the tags...
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It works great and now I have a fan mounted with no vibration through the case. The door weather stripping is a soft silicone and damps any vibration that the nexus would create. I have also changed out the DVD with the BenQ and for those who were upset with the ivory drive, No more. An all black and silver beauty!!! Take a Look :D
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Anyone with any comments or questions, let me here them and I will try to help you out. I will post again when I mod the 7900 GT KO.

jozi
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Post by jozi » Mon Jul 17, 2006 5:04 am

No gromets for the front fans :(

Me just after ordering the case and fans, but not the gromets :( Zips ties like above it is.

Case looks nice, tidy inside from the pics. Mush hasle doing the build?
Is it imposible to put in the psu last? I have to rma mine and was going to use a old one till i get the replacement. I've managed to get my psu in/out in my sonata case, i think the Solo/P150 is slightly taller?

CoolGav
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Post by CoolGav » Mon Jul 17, 2006 7:17 am

I moved my P4 system to a Solo (from a Lian Li PC7) yesterday. What a wonderful case! Perhaps in places inside not quite finished (rough edges), but the design is great! APart from fitting the PSU. I put in the motherboard first (complete with Ninja) and then couldn't get my Seasonic in!

I've suspended 3 drives (2 SP1614N's and a MP0804H), which works well (and having it ready done saves so much time). I've done some cablegami (sorry, no pics yet!). I fitted 2 92mm fans at the front (I've had them a while, got them from Dorothy), initally at 12v. When I powered it on I was concerned! As soon as I tried them at 5V (I have a cable that offers 2x12v and 2x5v) then I was impressed. I left off the fan on the Ninja, and found with a Seasonic above and 120mm exhaust the 2.53GHz P4 doesn't need it, runing at ~44 degrees (and it's hot for the UK at present!)

Even with the 2 front fans on at 5v, compared to my Lian Li with no front fans (but 1x80mm exhaust and 120mm on the Ninja - both AcousticFans), and the Seasonic, and the 3 drives (the 2 SP1614N's came out of enclosures) it's quieter. Until the evening when I closed my SLK3000B based Athlon in its cupboard, I though it was almost silent. A definate improvement, and that's with it pretty much stock! The Lian Li has passed down to my PIII, allowing me to dump a steel full tower case.

eoctanker:
- The USB cables can be wrapped around on the right hand side when the other side is off, to reduce thier appreance on the case floor.
- On my build (again 1 optical, no floppy) I removed the floppy cutout so that the front would be that little bit cleaner. I guess if you're not bothered (hasstled to get a black drive!) then it's a moot point, but for me it adds the finshing touches...

eoctanker
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Post by eoctanker » Mon Jul 17, 2006 11:04 am

So did you take the optical drive cutout and place it where the floppy cutout is currently? That sounds like a good Idea.

I am running my ninja with the scythe fan on it and it is keeping my AMD X2 4400 (35W ADV :wink: ) idleing at 27C and running full out at 36C... Something to look at, because the fan runs at 1220RPM and is totally silent. I am running the front fan (single 92mm nexus) at 12 volts, but I still don't hear it because it is running at 1500rmp... The only sound I have when my 7900GT KO stock fan is not running is the whoosh of air over the grill at the back of the case. I am really thinking about cutting the grill out to cut down that noise also. That, along with the 7900 GT stock fan swap with the Zalman will be my next two modds to this case.

MasterWerk
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Post by MasterWerk » Wed Jul 19, 2006 7:37 pm

very nice looking system, eco.

i just snagged a ninja for super cheap from a friend. he couldn't fit it in his case so mine'll bee looking alot like yours.

darkwingduck
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Post by darkwingduck » Thu Jul 20, 2006 11:28 am

its unfair that antec didnt make the stealth optical driver mode for solo just for p150

eoctanker
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Post by eoctanker » Thu Jul 20, 2006 12:34 pm

I think with the black panels, it is too easy to match the optical drives to this color. It looks good and now you don't have to worry if your optical driver doesn't line up or if the stealth panel breaks. I like it, but that is a personal preference. I also don't like cases with doors either... Tonight or tomorrow night I will mod my 7900GT and will post those pictures and the new temps...

eoctanker
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Post by eoctanker » Thu Jul 20, 2006 5:01 pm

Well I did it! Modded the Evga 7900 GT KO with the Zalman V900. This was sooooo easy! Anyone out there that is concerned about modding a graphics card, Evga's 7900 GT KO does not use thermal tape. Four screws and the stock cooler comes right off. A little Alcohol to clean off the TIM and you are on your way! Sorry for sounding so excited, but the Zalman has dropped my idle temp from 52C to 42C!! Ten degrees at idle and this is at somewhere close to 5V! Here are some pictures.
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This is the card after the stock cooler has been removed and all but 2 ram sinks attached (this is when I remembered to take pics)
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All ram sinks attached.
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Zalman with nipples and rubber washers attached.
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Card with Zalman attached (drop card onto nipples to make it easy)
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And finally card back in Solo with everything plugged in.

Like I said Quiet, Easy and one mod task complete on the Solo. A great case, easy to work with and boy o boy is it quiet!

MasterWerk
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Post by MasterWerk » Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:36 pm

hey eco - still curious if the grills are causing some noise? I cut mine out and things quieted down quite a bit.

now bust out the dremel and get cutting!!!

JimpsEd
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Post by JimpsEd » Wed Jul 26, 2006 12:38 am

The front fans are not in the case - they are outside, under the front cover aren't they?

Does it make the system a lot nosier?

eoctanker
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Post by eoctanker » Wed Jul 26, 2006 1:38 am

MasterWerk, Don't worry, I have made the decision to do the cutting. I have to go and get the tin snips and will knock this out over the weekend. I won't use the dremmel becuase I don't want to dissassembel the whole computer to get this done. I can use the snips and not worry about any metal pieces getting near the Mobo.

JimpsEd, The front fans are attached to a swing out cage that is mounted on the frame right behind the front bezel. This cage is like a door with two thumbs screws that hold it closed. It has the same grill pattern as the exhaust grill on the back but it also has a removeable filter that snaps onto it for dust blockage. Both grills will have to go...

JimpsEd
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Post by JimpsEd » Wed Jul 26, 2006 1:52 am

good stuff!

Could you point out to me the exact CPU heatsink and fan you are using, so I know what fits?

eoctanker
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Post by eoctanker » Wed Jul 26, 2006 3:43 am

CPU HS is the Scythe Ninja plus with packaged scythe 120mm fan. Keep in mind that I am using the 35w X2 4400 instead of the higher wattage CPU (no difference in performance, just less resistance I think). On my Asus board I did not have to replace the back plate. I just changed out the mounting bracket using scythe included screws.

jimmyzaas
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Post by jimmyzaas » Wed Jul 26, 2006 10:00 pm

eoctanker wrote:So did you take the optical drive cutout and place it where the floppy cutout is currently? That sounds like a good Idea.

I am running my ninja with the scythe fan on it and it is keeping my AMD X2 4400 (35W ADV :wink: ) idleing at 27C and running full out at 36C... Something to look at, because the fan runs at 1220RPM and is totally silent. I am running the front fan (single 92mm nexus) at 12 volts, but I still don't hear it because it is running at 1500rmp... The only sound I have when my 7900GT KO stock fan is not running is the whoosh of air over the grill at the back of the case. I am really thinking about cutting the grill out to cut down that noise also. That, along with the 7900 GT stock fan swap with the Zalman will be my next two modds to this case.
are those CPU temps? if so, they are seriously low.. what is your ambient temperature? I plan to get one for a hot environment based on a similar build as yours.. the ambient temps there is around 30-32 degrees. I'm just wondering which would provide better cooling.. nsk6500, p150 solo or the slk 3000b

also i noticed you mentioned a 35w 4400+ x2.. are you sure it is 35w?

because according to AMD, only the AM2 version of the 3800+ x2 is 35w.. all of the 939 x2s are 89w

eoctanker
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Post by eoctanker » Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:06 am

Those are CPU Temps. The AMD X2 4400 has two versions. ADA and ADV are the scu's for them. The ADA is an 89W processor and the ADV is a 35W processor. You will find some discussion about them in the CPU forum. Newegg has both, you have to look for it, and the ADV version is only $7 more.

My CPU temps run from (after more use) 27C at idle and the highest it has run while gaming has been 36C. This is one cool processor. I have messed around with my fans and can actually run the Scythe Ninja passive with this chip. I don't cause I now PWM my fan on the HS to 700 RPM and I cannot even tell it is on unless I open the case and look. My ambient temperature outside the computer runs between 75 and 80F, outside the house it has been in the 100's this week. Motherboard temps run 35C to 40-45C'ish.

As you can see from this thread, I love the Solo, the air flow is great, working with this case is easy. This is my first mod/serious build and the only piece I would change about this case would be the grills. I will cut them out this weekend to lower airflow.

jimmyzaas
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Post by jimmyzaas » Thu Jul 27, 2006 8:29 pm

Those are REALLY good temps... most x2 threads i've seen mention that their load temps were in the 55 celsiuis region.. which to me is no better than my amd thunderbird computer which the x2 would replace.

if your ambient is really 23 C to 26 C, then that setup should work very well for me.. thanks for your input! :)

eoctanker
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Post by eoctanker » Fri Jul 28, 2006 1:47 am

Yea, I am very happy with the temps. I have a digital thermometer right next to the case that is telling me the outside case amient temperature. It shouldn't be picking up the exhaust temp and in the morning it is 76F and by nighttime it is 79-80F. I will start keeping track of the temps throught the day and post the idle and gaming temps to give you some exact readings. I will also post if there is any difference tempwise when I cut out the grills this weekend.

I used artic silver ceramique as my TIM for the CPU HS and the GPU HS. I am still amazed that my GPU dropped by 10C with the changeout of the stock to the Zalman vf900. I downloaded the latest Ntune last night to verify the temps that it is reading on the GPU and it is still a constant 41C...

Oh, also, I should let you know, I have not done any folding or serious loading on my system, so maybe my temps will go up if I did that. Idle is idle and for load I am playing RTCW Platinum and HL2...

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