Antec SOLO vs. P180

LBadvance · Post by **LBadvance** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:13 am

Which is the better case for my PC configuration?

E6300 w/ Ninja Scythe Rev1.
2GB G.Skill ram
Gigabyte 965P-S3
8800GTS
Seasonic S12 500W
80GB Seagate HDD with Alleycat's enclosure

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Issues I can think of for both. The graphics card might be too long for the SOLO. The Seasonic cable for the 12V might be too short in the P180 as the the 12V socket is located on the top left behind my ninja scythe.

Should I be looking at another other cases? Or are those two bascially the best?

panda-R · Post by **panda-R** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:39 am

sounds like your going for a gaming machine.

i would go for P180B if i had a choice again... but i got a P150 (lured in by the white)..

the temps are ok, but i spend alot of time gaming and i think the P180B would do better on the thermal side.

acaurora · Post by **acaurora** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 10:26 am

I can tell you from experience... if you have the S12 Rev A2 500W... I used to have the S12 Rev A2 600W... and the 4 pin (Square, not molex) connector could not reach through the plate separating the chambers, past my X-Fi, past my 7900GTX, and onto the connector on my P5B Deluxe. I have seen 4 pin extension cables, but do not really trust them...I ended up just buying a S12 650W Energy+, which has sleeved cables and a longer 4 pin. Downside: If you have any devices that use a floppy power connector (fan controller or /gasp/ a floppy drive like me) you need to use the included adapter that takes 1 molex -> 2 floppy connectors. I dont know how the cable length will be different in the Solo as I do not have a solo, but again to reiterate:

S12 600W A2 4pin cable will not reach the 4 pin socket on a P5B Deluxe in a P180 with a 7900GTX + X-Fi (in the bottom PCI-slot) and XP120 in the way.

Hope this helps...

PopCorn · Post by **PopCorn** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 10:34 am

go with the p180 ... although i never had the p150 i heard that most of the longer video card wont fit... easly......the p180 has way more than enough room for any video card i know of seeing how if you put you hard drives in the lower psu chamber you can revome the top drive bays making enough room for the mightiest video/ raid cards if you ever do raid... plus really great thermal control in the p180 plus sound dampening.....the p180 in silver is sexy

nightmorph · Post by **nightmorph** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 11:27 am

LBadvance · Post by **LBadvance** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 2:35 pm

Ok the P180B is out. I forgot to state that I also have an X-fi xtrememusic on the bottom PCI slot.

I don't think the seasonic will fit, and I don't want to buy an extender nor a new PSU.

The only choice I got left is the Antec SOLO. BUT this case is near nowhere to be seen where I live. The P180 is more common...

Are there any other case I should be considering too?

acaurora · Post by **acaurora** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 3:18 pm

I dont know what else to add, but since you seem to have a similar configuration,

- the Seasonic will fit. Just make sure no cables are near the fan blades XD
- I dont know what to tell you about the Extender/PSU situation

Have you considered maybe a Lian Li case? The V1000/V1100/V1200s are very nice, although I believe they do cost quite a bit more. They flip the ATX positioning, so the 4 pin woudl be VERY close to the PSU. The problem is then if you have long enough cables for your HDDs.

wpb · Post by **wpb** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 3:35 pm

I would wait for the SOLO. I've had mine for about 3 months, and I love it. It's very well designed with nice quiet-centric features. This was my first build in about 5 years, and it was very easy to work in. My temps are excellent, but I don't stress it much.

It's available at Newegg.

CallMeJoe · Post by **CallMeJoe** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 3:49 pm

The Solo is also available at ProVantage for less than at Newegg, with a $20 rebate if you pull the trigger before Jan. 1.

LBadvance · Post by **LBadvance** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 4:05 pm

Sorry to state that I live in NZ. The quiet PC community is near non-existance. And paying for silent counterparts usually translate to a much higher premium.

The SOLO and P180 is VERY hard to find. Some sites have them and they are either out of stock or back ordered. And since this is holiday season, if the sites do have them I would probably get it mid jan next year.

Lian Li however can be easily obtained along with coolermaster. Are there any cases from there I should be looking at? However I am not a big fan of invertered mobo's...

acaurora · Post by **acaurora** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:52 pm

Places to look for Lian Li's online:

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/ ... 90c103a4c3

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi ... ctory=1375

Solo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811129018

P180B: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811129017

P180: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811129154
These cases and the LL's may be cheaper elsewhere, but I am just providing links from places that I trust in purchasing from.

For the Lian Li's, I really do like the V1000/1100/1200s. I think the only differences between them are minor and are mainly just changes in depth (The V1200 i think supports Extended ATX Mobos, but since you dont have an E-ATX it translates to more space to work with. As to how much more space, I dont know.)

There are several denominations too, most often you see the II Plus, which adds an adjustable side fan and a few other things. Good luck.

LBadvance · Post by **LBadvance** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 1:06 am

Is the SOLO drive cage removable, or is it riveted in?

nick705 · Post by **nick705** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 6:32 am

LBadvance wrote:Is the SOLO drive cage removable, or is it riveted in?

It's fixed in.

I had a quick look on Google NZ and this place seems to have it in stock, so does this one.

If the P180 is over the top for your needs and you can't get the Solo for whatever reason, you could also have a look at the NSK6500 - it costs a little more than the Solo and you won't get the gloss finish or the inbuilt drive suspension, but it has a reasonable PSU thrown in. There's some nice pictures of it in this thread.