Shootout: Antec 3480 vs. Silverstone TJ08?

Enclosures and acoustic damping to help quiet them.

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kosmonautbruce
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Shootout: Antec 3480 vs. Silverstone TJ08?

Post by kosmonautbruce » Thu Jan 28, 2010 1:57 pm

I realize this is far from a new discussion, but if, right now, you were looking for a case for an 1156 based microATX system, big enough for a Thermalright 120 and a GTX 260 video card (with aftermarket cooling), which would you choose? Antec 3480? Silverstone TJ08? Or a different microATX case? P180mini? Antec Solo? Coolermaster 341? Lian Li?

Of course, I would most likely be replacing the PSU from the 3480, but I think a relatively quiet (and small, and powerful) system could be built in any of these cases. Better fans heeded obviously, probably Nexus Real Silent 120's, but I would love to get feedback on which case you would want on or under your desk.

Thanks!

ghitz
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Re: Shootout: Antec 3480 vs. Silverstone TJ08?

Post by ghitz » Thu Jan 28, 2010 11:21 pm

kosmonautbruce wrote:I realize this is far from a new discussion, but if, right now, you were looking for a case for an 1156 based microATX system, big enough for a Thermalright 120 and a GTX 260 video card (with aftermarket cooling), which would you choose? Antec 3480? Silverstone TJ08? Or a different microATX case? P180mini? Antec Solo? Coolermaster 341? Lian Li?

Of course, I would most likely be replacing the PSU from the 3480, but I think a relatively quiet (and small, and powerful) system could be built in any of these cases. Better fans heeded obviously, probably Nexus Real Silent 120's, but I would love to get feedback on which case you would want on or under your desk.

Thanks!
I prefer the 3480, you could add a EA500 supply , same size as original, also for the fact that you can remove the HD without hitting the CPU cooler as in the TJ08

atmartens
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new model

Post by atmartens » Sun Jan 31, 2010 4:32 am

Supposedly a newer version of the 3480 is coming out. Somewhere else on these forums somebody had a link. The source was somebody within Antec marketing. I'm considering this case or its successor for the near future, it seems like a good deal.

baconandeggs
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Post by baconandeggs » Sun Jan 31, 2010 10:28 pm

i have a NSK3480 at the moment but was considering getting the TJ08 for a new build. my problem with the NSK3480 is that i can't use my Corsair 520HX with an optical drive installed because the powersupply is too long.

also i can't use my Xigmatek S1283 mounting vertically so that air blows out the back of the case in the NSK3480 since the CPU socket on my board is too close to the top of the lower compartment

the only problems i've read about the TJ08 is that the panels are rather flimsy (bar the front aluminum face). could possibly powdercoat the case to improve it (i dunno if it will work).

edit: upon further searching it appears PSU and optical drive problem is prevalent in the TJ08 as well. :(

kosmonautbruce
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Post by kosmonautbruce » Mon Feb 01, 2010 9:42 am

Thanks for the input, guys, it's clearly not a clear cut decision in favor of either case.

I'm a fan of Antec, have used them for years, and would love to see what they have up their sleeve for the new version of the NSK3480, but unless it's going to hit the market in the next couple of weeks, probably can't wait for it.

I'm aware of the issues both cases have with optical drives and hard drive structures, but I'm probably not going to have an optical drive and will rely on either a SSD or a laptop hard drive, so hopefully I can mitigate that problem. (I just wish SSD's were getting cheaper faster ;))

Right now I'm slightly leaning to the TJ08, mostly because of the mobo tray feature and for the 120mm fan bracket in front. Major weakness still seems to be its overall flimsiness, but I won't be moving it much, so that may not be too important in my situation.

atmartens
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Post by atmartens » Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:33 am

baconandeggs wrote:also i can't use my Xigmatek S1283 mounting vertically so that air blows out the back of the case in the NSK3480 since the CPU socket on my board is too close to the top of the lower compartment
Judging from what you know, is this a problem with most/all micro ATX boards, or just some? I was thinking of the MSI P55M-GD45.

baconandeggs
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Post by baconandeggs » Tue Feb 02, 2010 9:34 pm

just doing a quick google of the board, im certain it should clear it easy.

my board which is the ASUS P5K-VM has the cpu cooler holes like about 2 capacitor diameters away from the edge of the board. :( on the other hand my AC Freezer Pro 7 Rev2 fits fine.

so yeah just some boards and cooler combinations.

deruberhanyok
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Post by deruberhanyok » Fri Feb 05, 2010 6:15 am

I was puzzling over this very decision in the fall and wound up ordering a TJ08. I'm quite pleased with it. I have a Corsair 520HX power supply in it with optical drive without any issues. Right now I have a Core 2 Duo system in the box but plan to switch it to 1156 when I have the cash saved up.

Hard drive space was the big issue for me, but I knew it was going to be regardless of which case I bought. With the TJ08 You've got four "and a half" bays available to you - two 5.25" and two 3.5", along with being able to attach a drive upside down to the underside of the 3.5" cage. If you have any externally accessible devices (card reader, fan controller, whatever) in one of those 3.5" bays then that's one less drive that can fit in the case.

I have a DVD burner, two 3.5" hard drives and an SSD in mine and it's pretty packed. However, as a result of the design, the whole lower half of the case is wide open for a large video card and the front 120mm fan has unimpeded airflow. I have a Radeon 5770 in there right now and it fit just fine with plenty of clearance.

I've heard the TJ08 referred to as "flimsy" before and I can see where that comes from. I'd previously been using a full ATX size Silverstone TJ04 - which I loved, btw, I just wanted to downsize to a system with a smaller footprint - and that thing was absolutely rock solid. The TJ08 is lighter, obviously, and I think it uses slightly thinner metal, but I wouldn't personally describe it as "flimsy".

kosmonautbruce
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Post by kosmonautbruce » Fri Feb 05, 2010 8:49 am

deruberhanyok wrote:I have a DVD burner, two 3.5" hard drives and an SSD in mine and it's pretty packed.
Thanks for sharing your experience with TJ08. What kind of CPU cooler do you have installed? Was there any issue with the hard drives?

kosmonautbruce
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Post by kosmonautbruce » Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:05 am

So I've slowly started my build, using the TJ08. It feels pretty substantial, not flimsy at all. It's not quite as hardy as a P182 with its double thick walls, but otherwise I like it so far.

The motherboard tray is really nice, this is my first case to have that feature and I'm liking it a lot. I've put in a Nexus NX5000 rev3 PSU and it is really compact, although it is not modular so it might be a wash space-wise. I've got an MSI motherboard with an i3 in, and a Thermalright TRUE120 mounted on the new Thermalright 1156 kit. Very easy, seems very secure. I replaced the stock case fans with Nexus Real Silents, and put one on the TRUE as well.

An ASUS 260 fits in really well, there's actually room for longer cards. We'll see how it does sound-wise, I may have to use after-market cooling on it, not sure yet.

Hard drives will go in later today hopefully and then I'll post pictures, benchmarks, etc.

kaotikfunk
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Post by kaotikfunk » Wed Feb 10, 2010 5:16 pm

I have the NSK3480, but wouldn't recommend it. It's a very difficult build! I'm happy with my end result, but curse at it every time I want to change a part.

Cons:
- top hard drive mount is in a 5.25" bay, and you'll need that for all the extra power supply connectors if you don't have a modular PSU. I don't see how anyone could use 2x 5.25" drives in there unless they didn't have a power supply
- Bottom drive mount blocks a PCI card
- Power supply cable routing will get your hands pinched, squished, and possibly even cut up
- Included TriCool fan is loud - get a Scythe to replace it

Pros:
- Nexus Value 430 with fan on top = quiet. It also creates a bit more clearance behind 5.25" slots when compared with the original EA380
- Can swap left/right panels if you're not using the CPU cool air duct. This keeps your air going across your PCI cards
- Easy to build your own duct to use the rear 120mm fan to pull air across a CPU heatsink

frostedflakes
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Post by frostedflakes » Wed Feb 10, 2010 5:47 pm

NSK-3480 definitely isn't for everyone. I really like my NSK-3300, it's one of the more compact mATX towers out there. As long as you don't buy it expecting a lot of 3.5" and 5.25" expansion bays, you won't be disappointed.

FWIW I've managed to cram a lot of stuff in mine, though. Two 5.25" drives up top, a card reader in the external 3.5" bay, a 3.5" HDD, and a 2.5" SSD. If you get a bit creative with the mounting the case can hold a lot of drives.

Image

jaydeesan
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Post by jaydeesan » Wed Feb 10, 2010 11:21 pm

TJ-08 if you ask me. Even though there's plenty of room for improvement.

On the bright side, there's also plenty of room for HX520 and an optical drive.

The worst thing to me is dealing with 3.5" HDDs in this case, but it's manageable.

Also, you need to forget about the removable mobo tray if you're using anything other than stock cooler...

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