So I really like the upper and lower rails on the cosmos style cases, and I've pretty much decided to replace my current cm stacker 810 with one of the cosmos cases. Now the question is, which one to get, the 1000 or the S? They both have some pros and cons from silencing and performance perspectives.
1000 pros:
steel chassis
soundproofed side panels
cheaper
1000 cons:
poorly ventilated hd area
hard to suspend hard drives
poor ventilation through front panel
S pros:
big side panel fan
mesh front panel for more air flow
easier to suspend hard drives (or use hard drive fan box)
S cons:
aluminum chassis
no soundproofing
more expensive
So in a simple analysis, it seems like the 1000 has more silencing features. However, when it comes to hard drives, it seems like it might need to have the fans going faster to keep the thing ventilated, which would be noisier. Now the S seems to be all about getting air through, so in theory you could take that, drop the speeds on all the fans and still keep it cool. Then again, it is aluminum, so there could be some more case rattle to deal with that would be hard to fix. So I'm kind of torn here. Anyone have any experience with either case? I can't imagine anyone has both, but any experience with either would be interesting to hear about. I've noticed some articles where people report using the 1000, so I guess that's usable, anyone have any experience with the S version?
cm cosmos 1000 vs. cosmos s
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Devonavar
The 1000 will definitely be the quiestest of the two. The Cosmos S looks like the version a 'misguided power-crazed gamer' would choose. 
Don't worry too much about hdd cooling in the 1000, it has a filtered vent right bellow the hdd cage, plus you can install an optional fan on top of the hdd cage (if you don't use all the 5.25" bays).
Only hdd suspension will be tricky, but doable with all the hdd caddys removed
Don't worry too much about hdd cooling in the 1000, it has a filtered vent right bellow the hdd cage, plus you can install an optional fan on top of the hdd cage (if you don't use all the 5.25" bays).
Only hdd suspension will be tricky, but doable with all the hdd caddys removed
cosmos 1010
Thanks for the info. So have you heard anything about the Cosmos 1010? I guess it has a side panel fan mount instead of the video card lane thing, and it has some kind of fan control stuff too. Haven't been able to get a lot of info on it.
I just bought a Cosmos S
I have been upgrading and going through every possible iteration to build a quiet (not silent) gaming system.
My previous system was extremely quiet at one time - it originally had a passively cooled Ti4600 and later a passive FX 5900 Ultra but those all succumbed to age.
My case was an Aluminum SF201 and I had installed a lot of damping and tuned the fans and done everything. Over the years, as I replaced components, I was not always able to maintain the quietness of the original build and for the last year, I was suffering from a noisy ATI 1950 video card and my fans were getting worn and loud.
So when I started upgrading, I replaced my video card with the Gigabyte passively cooled HD4850 1GB card based on the reviews.
I was going to replace my internal components first and then replace the case last but the passive 4850 was generating more heat than the case could deal with and I had to crank up my fans which, of course, defeated the whole purpose behind getting a passive video card.
I had considered the Sileo 500 based on the price but I was not convinced the airflow was sufficient. My ideal case was probably the Lian Li Tyr X500 but those are well over $300USD. I also considered the very innovative Silverstone Raven RV01 but I could not get past the appearance and while the price was reasonable, most places wanted nearly $50 to ship it.
I was monitoring the Frys ads for deals on components and I saw that they put the Cosmos S on sale for $149.99 instead of the normal $249.99. I like the looks of the case and had skimmed some positive reviews but was very concerned that the side fan and other fans would be too loud.
After reading a lot of Newegg comments on how quiet people thought it was (knowing that quiet for most is probably noisy to people here) I decided to buy it knowing I had 30 days to return it if I did not like it. Also, the side fan blowing on my 4850 was a big plus.
Here is the deal on the Cosmos S:
It is a *quiet* gaming case. It is NOT suitable for *silent* operation. It is very solidly build and there is no detectable resonance to deal with and the fans are acceptable for interim use but I will probably replace them after I do everything else.
The main problem with this case is that it is so open. The hard drive noise is what will get you. Also, my optical drive which had never seemed loud before (NEC 3500A ATAPI) was hellishly loud in this because I used the built in clamping system to secure the drive. Do yourself a favor and screw your drives in. I ended up selling my drive because it was silver and did not match and I am waiting on a new black drive.
So currently, I have a silent video card and an inaudible CPU cooler. My PS is imperceptible as well. The hard drives which were never an issue in the SF201 might as well be mounted on your desk. You can hear everything.
I am trying to decide what to do about this. One option is to get some of the new Seagate 7200.12 single platter 500GB drives and probably entomb them in one of those 5.25" enclosures (this case will hold at least seven 5.25" devices). Another option is suspending the drives which I have never done before.
Sound issues aside, I absolutely LOVE this case. It is very solid and well made. The side panels snap on with a positive, metallic click. The design is interesting and sporty without being over the top or too flashy. The non-mechanical "touch" power button is novel and neat. Installing my components was easy and fun - the case really helps you route and hide your cables and the inside is well finished. It also has something that was important to me: filters (on the PS intake fan and the bottom intake fan hole)
Some people on the Newegg reviews had complained about the paint coming off - I had no problems with this but I was careful not to use a knife to remove the plastic wrap on the bars. My capacitance detecting power button works perfectly too (another area of complaint).
This is one of the largest cases you can get and it is VERY LARGE. It is very deep in particular.
I have been reading SPCR since it started and I have posted a few times. I like a quiet computer - very quiet, but I do not require silence like some here do. I like to play games and listen to music so I need the system to be nearly inaudible. If that describes you, then this is a great case - especially on sale. If you are the kind of person that hears their caps discharging and starts looking for a solution to that noise, this is definitely not for you.
I think that covers it. Feel free to ask questions.
My previous system was extremely quiet at one time - it originally had a passively cooled Ti4600 and later a passive FX 5900 Ultra but those all succumbed to age.
My case was an Aluminum SF201 and I had installed a lot of damping and tuned the fans and done everything. Over the years, as I replaced components, I was not always able to maintain the quietness of the original build and for the last year, I was suffering from a noisy ATI 1950 video card and my fans were getting worn and loud.
So when I started upgrading, I replaced my video card with the Gigabyte passively cooled HD4850 1GB card based on the reviews.
I was going to replace my internal components first and then replace the case last but the passive 4850 was generating more heat than the case could deal with and I had to crank up my fans which, of course, defeated the whole purpose behind getting a passive video card.
I had considered the Sileo 500 based on the price but I was not convinced the airflow was sufficient. My ideal case was probably the Lian Li Tyr X500 but those are well over $300USD. I also considered the very innovative Silverstone Raven RV01 but I could not get past the appearance and while the price was reasonable, most places wanted nearly $50 to ship it.
I was monitoring the Frys ads for deals on components and I saw that they put the Cosmos S on sale for $149.99 instead of the normal $249.99. I like the looks of the case and had skimmed some positive reviews but was very concerned that the side fan and other fans would be too loud.
After reading a lot of Newegg comments on how quiet people thought it was (knowing that quiet for most is probably noisy to people here) I decided to buy it knowing I had 30 days to return it if I did not like it. Also, the side fan blowing on my 4850 was a big plus.
Here is the deal on the Cosmos S:
It is a *quiet* gaming case. It is NOT suitable for *silent* operation. It is very solidly build and there is no detectable resonance to deal with and the fans are acceptable for interim use but I will probably replace them after I do everything else.
The main problem with this case is that it is so open. The hard drive noise is what will get you. Also, my optical drive which had never seemed loud before (NEC 3500A ATAPI) was hellishly loud in this because I used the built in clamping system to secure the drive. Do yourself a favor and screw your drives in. I ended up selling my drive because it was silver and did not match and I am waiting on a new black drive.
So currently, I have a silent video card and an inaudible CPU cooler. My PS is imperceptible as well. The hard drives which were never an issue in the SF201 might as well be mounted on your desk. You can hear everything.
I am trying to decide what to do about this. One option is to get some of the new Seagate 7200.12 single platter 500GB drives and probably entomb them in one of those 5.25" enclosures (this case will hold at least seven 5.25" devices). Another option is suspending the drives which I have never done before.
Sound issues aside, I absolutely LOVE this case. It is very solid and well made. The side panels snap on with a positive, metallic click. The design is interesting and sporty without being over the top or too flashy. The non-mechanical "touch" power button is novel and neat. Installing my components was easy and fun - the case really helps you route and hide your cables and the inside is well finished. It also has something that was important to me: filters (on the PS intake fan and the bottom intake fan hole)
Some people on the Newegg reviews had complained about the paint coming off - I had no problems with this but I was careful not to use a knife to remove the plastic wrap on the bars. My capacitance detecting power button works perfectly too (another area of complaint).
This is one of the largest cases you can get and it is VERY LARGE. It is very deep in particular.
I have been reading SPCR since it started and I have posted a few times. I like a quiet computer - very quiet, but I do not require silence like some here do. I like to play games and listen to music so I need the system to be nearly inaudible. If that describes you, then this is a great case - especially on sale. If you are the kind of person that hears their caps discharging and starts looking for a solution to that noise, this is definitely not for you.
I think that covers it. Feel free to ask questions.
thanks
Thanks for the info, I was a little worried about the S, I have a CM stacker now, and it has the same kind of open mesh front as the S, and it always seemed a little noisy. Of course, I currently have 7 hard drives in removable trays in mine now, and the tiny little fans in all of those are noisy as hell. But still, thanks!
I added a 120mm fan to the bottom of the case as an interim measure to help cooling. I also flipped over the top fan to make it an intake instead of an exhaust and I am about to switch it back.
Case temps are generally around 40C but I think that is because the passive HD4850 is heating up the whole case. CPU temps with an inexpensive aftermarket HSF are generally in the 47C-55C range.
At this point, it is a work in progress with a lot of room to tune it up.
The main sources of noise are the hard drives and fan noise.
Case temps are generally around 40C but I think that is because the passive HD4850 is heating up the whole case. CPU temps with an inexpensive aftermarket HSF are generally in the 47C-55C range.
At this point, it is a work in progress with a lot of room to tune it up.
The main sources of noise are the hard drives and fan noise.
An update on my system so far.
First, on temps:
Speedfan was showing my CPU temps as idling at 48-49C and often going to 55-59C under load. This kind of freaked me out as I am not used to the Core2 CPUs.
As it turns out, Speedfan overstated the temps by 10C so my temps were just fine.
I put the red LED fan in the back to use as an exhaust. I used the 2 black fans as top exhaust fans and added my 120mm fan on a 5V adaptor as a front intake fan.
This toned down the red LED lighting while still giving a cool red, subtle lighting effect that goes well with the upper (red lit) panel.
I was still not happy with the noise level of the case and I came to realize that hard drive resonance was the culprit. (my 750GB 7200.10 is pretty loud/hot and on deck for replacement)
I took the drives out of the fan cage and suspended them in the 5/25" bays using sewing elastic (3/8th inch). I was pretty amazed at the difference this made - truly impressive. I can still hear the 7200.10 but not the two other single platter drives. I actually had to add a low speed 80mm fan wedged in next to the drive and blowing sideways on a zalman speed controller (it was not starting on the 5V mod).
At this point, the 22" Sony CRT is just as loud as the case - probably louder as turning off the monitor makes the room noticably quieter. The system is not "silent" but is VERY quiet - especially for a high performance system that can run all the latest games.
The wiring is currently good, but I am going to redo it all and then I will put some pictures up. I have some ususual features some of you might like - especially if you have kids.
First, on temps:
Speedfan was showing my CPU temps as idling at 48-49C and often going to 55-59C under load. This kind of freaked me out as I am not used to the Core2 CPUs.
As it turns out, Speedfan overstated the temps by 10C so my temps were just fine.
I put the red LED fan in the back to use as an exhaust. I used the 2 black fans as top exhaust fans and added my 120mm fan on a 5V adaptor as a front intake fan.
This toned down the red LED lighting while still giving a cool red, subtle lighting effect that goes well with the upper (red lit) panel.
I was still not happy with the noise level of the case and I came to realize that hard drive resonance was the culprit. (my 750GB 7200.10 is pretty loud/hot and on deck for replacement)
I took the drives out of the fan cage and suspended them in the 5/25" bays using sewing elastic (3/8th inch). I was pretty amazed at the difference this made - truly impressive. I can still hear the 7200.10 but not the two other single platter drives. I actually had to add a low speed 80mm fan wedged in next to the drive and blowing sideways on a zalman speed controller (it was not starting on the 5V mod).
At this point, the 22" Sony CRT is just as loud as the case - probably louder as turning off the monitor makes the room noticably quieter. The system is not "silent" but is VERY quiet - especially for a high performance system that can run all the latest games.
The wiring is currently good, but I am going to redo it all and then I will put some pictures up. I have some ususual features some of you might like - especially if you have kids.
I thought so..
Thanks again for the info. I figured that the S version would make it easier to suspend the drives. Now I'm going to have to rethink this. I should probably take the drives in my current CM Stacker and suspend them, and see what kind of noise improvement I get. It's a case that's probably about the same size as the cosmos S, and it has the same front mesh system and the drive fan cage thing, but it doesn't have those handles that I covet. I want to keep the case on the floor, but moving it on carpet with the little feet is impossible, and the little wheeled carts are usually too small for it, I have two of them on mine now, which is doable, but I'd much rather have those bars. But anyway, if I can silence the drives in the Stacker, then I should be able to do it with the Cosmos S. Decisions, decisions.
Last night I was playing around and I may have slightly overstated how quiet it is. It is very slightly more audible than the CRT. However, turning off the CRT does noticably reduce the noise in the room. Some of this may just be the frequencies in play as the human ear is more sensitive to some ranges. I am in my 30s but I can still hear the 16khz sound of a CRT - my father cannot hear that high.
I think the main source of noise at this point is the fans. The side panel fan is inaudible, but the case fans, although running at lower speeds, they are not of high quality and you do hear bearing noise. I think if I were to select some good replacement fans and lose the 7200.10 drive, that would be noticeable and much beyond that would be going to the extremes where my sense of aesthitics and need for performance would preclude more severe measures. I am thinking one of those ridiculously expensive Noctura (sp?) fans on the front for intake and then those funky looking Arctic Cooling "exhaust only" fans - 3 on the top and 1 on the rear exhaust would do it.
Last night I unplugged all the power cables to decide on what I needed. The The Corsair Vx450 powersupply has (2) cables with 3 SATA connectors on each one and (2) cables with 3 Molex + a FDD connectors on each one. They are not modular.
I then used a Molex tool and some cutters to trim the molex cables down to a single connector on each one. One of these goes to my PATA DVD drive, the other goes to a fan power cable (2 5V, 2 12V) that is hidden behind the motherboard. This significantly reduced the amount of cable clutter I had to deal with in the case. Then one of the SATA power cables went to my 3 suspended hard drives in the upper part of the case and the other SATA cable I was able to plug into my SATA DVD burner and hide the rest of the plugs behind the motherboard tray.
I will try to get some pictures up but here are a few things I did that I really like:
1. I added a Crystalfontz LCD display (model 631) The black with red LED backlighting is a perfect match to the power panel lighting - it looks like it was made for the case.
2. I like that the 5.25" blanks are so easy to remove (makes it easy to clean out their dust filters). I actually mounded one optical drive to be set back about 1 inch more than normal. This allows me to conceal it with one of the panel blanks so I can keep a game disk in one of the drives and not have it get abused by the kids when they use the PC while I am at work. The easily removed bezel/blanks make this possible.
3. I also bought one of those storage drawers for a 5.25" bay and concealed it in the same way as the DVD drive (had to trim the bezel down on both to make them fit). Now I can keep some gaming disks in the storage compartment and again, it is hidden from the kids.
The kids can use the "public" DVD drive to play games and I dont have to worry about my disks getting dropped on the floor and ground under the wheels of the chair.
I think the main source of noise at this point is the fans. The side panel fan is inaudible, but the case fans, although running at lower speeds, they are not of high quality and you do hear bearing noise. I think if I were to select some good replacement fans and lose the 7200.10 drive, that would be noticeable and much beyond that would be going to the extremes where my sense of aesthitics and need for performance would preclude more severe measures. I am thinking one of those ridiculously expensive Noctura (sp?) fans on the front for intake and then those funky looking Arctic Cooling "exhaust only" fans - 3 on the top and 1 on the rear exhaust would do it.
Last night I unplugged all the power cables to decide on what I needed. The The Corsair Vx450 powersupply has (2) cables with 3 SATA connectors on each one and (2) cables with 3 Molex + a FDD connectors on each one. They are not modular.
I then used a Molex tool and some cutters to trim the molex cables down to a single connector on each one. One of these goes to my PATA DVD drive, the other goes to a fan power cable (2 5V, 2 12V) that is hidden behind the motherboard. This significantly reduced the amount of cable clutter I had to deal with in the case. Then one of the SATA power cables went to my 3 suspended hard drives in the upper part of the case and the other SATA cable I was able to plug into my SATA DVD burner and hide the rest of the plugs behind the motherboard tray.
I will try to get some pictures up but here are a few things I did that I really like:
1. I added a Crystalfontz LCD display (model 631) The black with red LED backlighting is a perfect match to the power panel lighting - it looks like it was made for the case.
2. I like that the 5.25" blanks are so easy to remove (makes it easy to clean out their dust filters). I actually mounded one optical drive to be set back about 1 inch more than normal. This allows me to conceal it with one of the panel blanks so I can keep a game disk in one of the drives and not have it get abused by the kids when they use the PC while I am at work. The easily removed bezel/blanks make this possible.
3. I also bought one of those storage drawers for a 5.25" bay and concealed it in the same way as the DVD drive (had to trim the bezel down on both to make them fit). Now I can keep some gaming disks in the storage compartment and again, it is hidden from the kids.
The kids can use the "public" DVD drive to play games and I dont have to worry about my disks getting dropped on the floor and ground under the wheels of the chair.
finally picked one up
So while perusing the local Fry's this weekend, I noticed that one of the Cosmos 1000 cases had been returned and was marked down by $10, so that was enough to get me to pick it up. Checking over, there was a small break in the plastic on the back, I assume that's probably what got it returned, but for the discount it's fine for me, it's going under the desk anyway. I stripped the guts out of my old CM Stacker and put them all into the Cosmos, and it seems to work pretty well, decent temps even though it's now running a complete rebuild of the NAS backup it usually runs. I don't have it completely rebuilt, I upgraded the hard drives in my laptop to 250GB drives (on sale at Fry's last weekend) so now I'm going to add those. It's the machine I've set up to be where all my old PATA drives go to die, and I found some great adapters at Logic Supply http://www.logicsupply.com/products/hd25b2 so I can mount two laptop drives in a 3.5" mounting. Since I had 2 laptop drives in the old machine already, I can just get a couple of those adapters. Looks like they don't have the bottom holes so I'll have to jury rig something to keep them in the drive holder, but it should be ok. The big pain is finding PATA cables long enough to reach the drives. In the two rows of drive cages, I have two sets in the top and bottom rows furthest from the motherboard, so I can put the laptop drives in the last couple of rows with standard length cables. I haven't installed the hard drive cage fan yet, I may leave it off entirely, I'm pretty much waiting for the drives in this system to die. In the 5.25 slots I have an optical, the 3.5 boot drive, and I also installed a 5.25 floppy drive. I discovered a box of floppies in storage, so I thought I'd make an effort to recover the data on them. The motherboard is an old slot 1 dual pentium III board, so the fans on those are a little whiny, but having the case insulation seems to be keeping it pretty quiet, and cooling isn't a huge problem. And I'm loving the handles, those things are awesome, sliding it under the desk on the carpet is smooth as silk, picking it up to screw with it and sliding it back under is a breeze. So at this point, I'm loving the case. Thanks to all of you who chimed in for the great info!