Media PC Case with ATX PSU and Front to Back Airflow

oberbimbo · Post by **oberbimbo** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 12:52 am

I'm looking for a media PC case (we used to call them desktops many years back

) with front intakes to allow front to back airflow good enough for cooling a MCP78 or AMD 780G board with an at most 65WCPU. Beacause of the size of my current "rack", airflow from the side is very restricted.

I also want it to take standard ATX PSU (as I have a Seasonic SS12 and an Etasis Fanless at my disposal), and if possible 120mm PSU as well. Would not hurt being a high case so that good CPU coolers can fit.

I would draw the line at abou 150 USD (without the PSU). I could very well live with a tower case that allows reorienting the 5.25 drive cages.

I like the Antec NSK2480 but it has its main intakes on the side...

If no other solution can be found, I could put the case on top of the rack but then it would have to carry a 6kg LCD projector and in no case have top vents.

Any suggestions would be very appreciated.

jeepescu · Post by **jeepescu** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:16 am

Coolermaster CM 28x series
http://www.coolermaster.com/products/pr ... eid=000021

Shaman · Post by **Shaman** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:49 am

oberbimbo wrote:I like the Antec NSK2480 but it has its main intakes on the side....

The side fans are exhausts. The intake vents are located on the bottom front (bellow the hard drives), at the back of the case and on the top panel (for the graphics card).

Most media cases have a solid front, with intake vents either on the bottom front or on the sides. Some have vents on the top panel too. Do you want visible intake vents at the front of the case? You don't make that clear.

oberbimbo · Post by **oberbimbo** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 8:44 am

Shaman: I don't really mind fans at the bottom or visible ones, I just need the airflow not to rely on the side vents.

I'm leaning toward the Silverstone LC17 now (as pricey as it is) because the Antec has no stealth DVD bays... The Thermaltake DH101 or Mozart 4000 would be another option but I can't say I trust Thermaltake that much. The SonicTower in my old rig did a good job tho.

I like the CM28X series but I don't think they are available in Switzerland at the moment.

Shaman · Post by **Shaman** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 9:15 am

You seem to be determined to have intake fans to force air into the case.. you should really consider a negative airflow setup (only exaust fans drawing air in through vents on the bottom/sides etc). Negative airflow is the quietest cooling setup and cools very effectively, it's what most SPCR's use.

BTW there's a version of the NSK2480 with a stealth drive bay and a VFD/LCD display, it's called Fusion 430 and is available in silver and black. Product page here

oberbimbo · Post by **oberbimbo** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 10:48 am

Actually I'm impartial between positive and negative pressurized cases (I have done both, it largely depends on the case which one I prefer). If the Antec can provide enough airflow with the side vents blocked then this is good enough for me.

I like the design of the Fusion but I can't say I'm prepared to pay it's price because I neither want VFD nor knobs nor anything else beyond the stealth drivebay. I would sooner consider stealth modding the NSK... And with the LC17, I unfortunately don't get any immediately accessible front USB ports

Shaman · Post by **Shaman** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 11:20 am

oberbimbo wrote:If the Antec can provide enough airflow with the side vents blocked then this is good enough for me.

I don't think you understood.. the side vents are where the exhaust fans are, if you block them there won't be any airflow going through the case.

You need to read the SPCR review of the Antec NSK2400 / Fusion Media PC Case to understand and appreciate the unique cooling setup of this case with it's separate thermal chambers. It's the only desktop/media case with this layout.

oberbimbo · Post by **oberbimbo** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 2:21 pm

[quote="Shaman"]
I don't think you understood.. the side vents are where the exhaust fans are, if you block them there won't be any airflow going through the case.
[/QUPTE]

That was actually my whole worry (albeit I assumed them to be intakes). Good to see confirmation...

jhhoffma · Post by **jhhoffma** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 6:36 pm

Silverstone's ATX cases all pretty much follow the same design but can be a bit on the pricey side. Not to mention the 80mm fans. Though I do believe the LC20/LC17 should fit the bill (on sale @ Newegg) along with the GD-series. They may not be completely front to back, but about as much as you'll find nowadays.

oberbimbo · Post by **oberbimbo** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:59 am

Well I like the LC17 (I'd like it more if there was one USB port that was not stealthed like the Antec has it). I'm pretty sure I can get it to run near silent with a nforce 8200 and a 45W Athlon. That means dissipating about 70W at load which should not be very hard especially as I'm not at all fussed about CPU temperatures as long as they are inside of the spec. But obviously I would prefer a 120mm fan in the back but I don't think such a desktop case even exists. I have been thinking about using a tower case and doing a custom (brushed aluminium or possibly stainless) face plate but in the end it's just too much trouble.

And even if the PSU fan spins up during playback, the 26db floor set by the projector is not that hard a target.

There is one thing I'm still wondering about: can the logo on the LC17 be removed?

Media PC Case with ATX PSU and Front to Back Airflow

Media PC Case with ATX PSU and Front to Back Airflow

Re: Media PC Case with ATX PSU and Front to Back Airflow