Should I sell my Sonata for an SLK3000B and S12-430W?

[cyberknight]

I definitely am going to replace my power supply for a Seasonic S12 430W, but I'm wondering if I should get a new case...

The SLK3000B has really caught my eye, and I'm wondering if it is worth the switch from the poor airflow Sonata. Is it worth the effort to get the SLK3000B over the Sonata which I already have? How much better is the airflow in the SLK3000B?

I'll probably end up trying to sell my Sonata if I do decide to get a new case...

[Mertz]

I can't say much about SLK3000B vs Sonata. SLK3000B isn't that expensive so I guess you could do it. Although considering that cases like P180 are comming soon I'd stick with Sonata for a little while longer and check them out when they are released. ;)
Unless Sonata gives you so much displeasure that you just have to replace it at once.

[nosoup_fouru]

I had a Sonata and found it to be annoying to work in, I really didn't like the flipped drive cages either. While I am not sure the SLK3000B is a lot larger, it feels more spaceous to work in. I sold my Sonata and paired the SLK3000B with a ENERMAX Noisetaker 420W and am very happy. I also replaced the rear exhaust fan with an 11dcb SilenX which really cut the noise.

By way of some comparison....

Antec Sonata w/stock PSU
Intel D845GEBV2
Celeron 1.8 (Northwood Core)
Stock Cooler
eVGA GeForce FX5200 (passive cooler)
2x256MB Kingston DDR333
2x40GB WD Special Editions
LiteOn DVD/CD+/-RW
Stock Antec 120MM exhaust on "fan only" connector
Average CPU temps around 34 idle, 42 load

Antec SLK3000B w/Enermax 420w
Inte D915GAGL
Celeron D 2.66J (Socket 775, Prescott core)
Stock Cooler
ADD2 PCIx16 card to provide DVI for GMA900
2x512MB Crucial DDR400
2x120GB Samsung Spinpoint
NEC DVD+/-RW
SilenX 120MM exhaust fan @12v
Average CPU temps around 38 idle, 43 load

And it is quieter than my Sonata, as well as running about the same temps with a Prescott core that disipates around 20 more watts of heat. Excellent development box and no noise to irritate me while I work.

[m0002a]

I definitely am going to replace my power supply for a Seasonic S12 430W, but I'm wondering if I should get a new case...

The SLK3000B has really caught my eye, and I'm wondering if it is worth the switch from the poor airflow Sonata. Is it worth the effort to get the SLK3000B over the Sonata which I already have? How much better is the airflow in the SLK3000B?

The are two issues with airflow.

The first is side panel fresh air input (assuming you have negative pressure created by the exhaust fans). The Sonata has some holes near the top of the left and right side panels. The SLK3000B has a round ducted input over the CPU, and some holes near the video card, both on the left side panel. But there is a trade off between fresh air inlets and allowing noise to escape the case. You should have very quiet CPU and video card fans if you get the SLK3000B, otherwise you may not be happy with the noise.

The second issue is airflow through the front bezel and drive cage. The SLK3000B has better air flow here. Whether or not this is a significant factor may depend on your drives. I have some new Western Digital drives than run fairly cool, and "sometimes" the need to cool the hard drives is exaggerated. Some have modified the Sonata bezel to improve its airflow.

In the final analysis, the amount of airflow you system needs depends on whether your temperatures are too high for safe operation. This primarily includes the temperature of the CPU, video GPU, MB chipset, and disk drives. Memory temps are not usually a big problem for most systems, but they could be, especially if placed near other hot components.

So, if there is no temperature problem, then there is no ventilation problem.

BTW, if you are using the 380W Sonata PSU without problem, you could probably use a Seasonic S12-380 instead of the 430.

[cyberknight]

I have a 9800Pro with a VGA Silencer on Low and an XP-90 with a Nexus 1500RPM fan (will undervolt later).

I think I'll go with a 430W version cuz I plan on upgrading my video card sometime in the future (like an X800XT or soemthing or equivalent depending what exists) so just have some extra power just in case.

Anyways, I think I'll stick with my Sonata. Not exactly in a financial decision to purchase more stuff... Plus the 3000B doesn't have front audio ports, which are handy at times.