Silent HTPC Building

[poildeyak]

Hi , I'm new in this forum and i'm french , so excuse me for my poor english

I am curently building a HTPC/Home Server with the remains of my old computer :

-AMD3 Gigabyte ATX MB ( don't remember the reference )
-Athlon Phenom X3 720
-Noctua C12p
-Saphire 4850 Vapor X CG
-Auzentech X Fi 7.1 sound card
- 4 go of DDR2
- 2 samsung HDD F1 1To
- Seasonics S12 350 W power supply

All these components were installed in a Antec P183 and used to stay silent while watching video .

So i need a HTPC case to replace my antec P183 .

i am curently looking after the Silverstone LC 17 and GD03 , which are the only case which can contain up to 6 HDD and a ATX configuration ( in normal price range ).
But i don't know if my CG can fit with all the HDD installed .

Which one is better for my use ? And what should i do to optimize silence ?

( If you know any other case below 250 $ which match these criteria , i would be happy to know them )

Thanks for helping

[ces]

Why do you need a new case? Is it for room for more hard drives?

I recently saw a review of a USB 3.0 four bay docking station. If you are willing to put four of your hard drives into a docking station, you may be able to solve your problem for a lot less. You will need to get a USB 3.0 card. Asus has a nice one that includes USB 3.0 and Sata III and it is very reasonably priced.

And docking stations, with their easy to use plug and play, can support more hard drives than just their number of bays.

You can experiment buy buying a low cost two bay estata docking station. See how it works.

[poildeyak]

thanks for the advice but i am looking to integrate this case in my hi fi furniture witch accept only HTPC cases

[ces]

thanks for the advice but i am looking to integrate this case in my hi fi furniture witch accept only HTPC cases

OK, so it is a case size issue. Does that mean you are willing to switch to a smaller motherboard?

Have you looked at either of these two SPCR case reviews?

http://www.silentpcreview.com/LianLi_PC ... roATX_Case

http://www.silentpcreview.com/lianli-pcq08

Do either of those case sizes work for you?

[fumino]

"HTPC/Home Server" -so... do you need that 4850 for something?

the reason i ask is that it seems doubtful that you'll be able to load your case up with hard drives and still fit a full size graphics card in there. reading some of the reviews for those cases, it certainly seems like there will be issues. your best chance might be to look for a card that doesn't extend past its slot very far... maybe two cm's max.

silverstone also has the lc20; but the layout seems like its the same as the other cases you mentioned.

[poildeyak]

I am using my 4850 because my current MB does not integrate a GC ( and i already own it )

the the Lian Li PC-V354 could have been a good option but i don't think it will fit in my furniture, since it accept case approximatively the size of a AV receiver ( in height ) .

the LC20 could be the best option , the vertical position of the HDD will allow me to loose only one slot with my CG .

thanks for your advices

do you have good reference for silent 80 mm and 92 mm fan ?

PS : the silverstone site and my local reseller show an horizontal design of the HDD cages , but this review http://www.dreamwarecomputers.com/revie ... index3.htm
shows a vertical design ; i am wondering which one i should trust ?

[ces]

do you have good reference for silent 80 mm and 92 mm fan ?

In my opinion, the Scythe kamaflex are the best 80mm fans, though probably noiseblocker 80 mm fans may be just as good pr even better (though I have never used them... they just make a good family of fans:
http://www.noiseblocker.de/en/Products.php

In my opinion the Noctua 92mm is the best 92 mm fan, but see:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article63-page2.html

[poildeyak]

i thinks i will go for pairs of nexus 92 mm and 80mm fan ( maybe under-volted to 9 V ) . thanks ofr the advice

Anyone was able to confirm the disposition of the HDD cage on the LC20 ?

[fumino]

yep. unless you get a different graphics card, you're gonna lose capacity for at least one drive.

[quest_for_silence]

i am wondering which one i should trust ?

Ask to Silverstone Tech Support: at anyway, If I'm not wrong that LC20 "official" cage layout is the very same of the GD03, while the "reviewed" cage style is identical to LC-10E, LC13-E, LC16M and LC17.

[poildeyak]

I have a question about the GD01 , does the VFD and the remote will be compatible with seven 64 ?