is P180 still the boss

jackal2513 · Post by **jackal2513** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:56 am

i need a case pretty urgently and dont have a massive amount of time to research. Last time i looked the P180 was the best case for low noise... is that still true or are there now other better alternatives ?

Any known restrictions on moboards ? will it be ok with the latest intel chipsets ?

hope you can help

cheers

Rich

ultrachrome · Post by **ultrachrome** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:17 am

The P180 and P150/Solo seem to be the quietest out of the box.

The only issue I've found that exists with the P180 is that some PSU cables have a hard time reaching to the CPU power connector.

cmthomson · Post by **cmthomson** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 3:48 pm

The other issue with the 180 is its small-cross-section intake area. Not that the Solo is better, just mentioning that folks wanting seriously quiet systems based on the 180 often end up adding Kama Bays or other intake devices.

paulsinnett · Post by **paulsinnett** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 9:02 am

ultrachrome wrote:The only issue I've found that exists with the P180 is that some PSU cables have a hard time reaching to the CPU power connector.

I have that problem. I had a Phantom power supply and all the cables were fine, but it's just gone pop, and my spare just doesn't reach at all - I've got it sitting on the top to write this.

Is there a list anywhere of the PSU's that will work with this case? Or maybe you can get extension blocks or something?

phartknokr · Post by **phartknokr** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 9:14 pm

paulsinnett wrote:
ultrachrome wrote:Or maybe you can get extension blocks or something?

I know it doesn't help you but for folks in the states you can try here: http://store.pchcables.com/info.html

I ordered an 8 pin extension for my P180. The Corsair cable is long enough to reach easily but not from behind the motherboard. Over Christmas I'm tearing it down again clean things up some more...

Aris · Post by **Aris** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 2:13 am

IMO, the P180 is excessive in almost every aspect. Its more for overclockers than for silent pc enthusiests.

If you going to use a full ATX motherboard, go with the P150/solo.

If your going to use a micro ATX motherboard, go with the NSK3300

I've got the NSK3300, the power supply fan is completely inaudible in stock configuration. I've got 2x nexus fans in it both running at around 6volts, and a notebook hard drive. If the monitor is off, and no music is playing, i cant tell its on unless i put my hand back behind the exhaust fan to feel the slight airflow. When i power it up, half the time i think its broke because im used to hearing a computer power on, and then a few seconds later the bios screen comes up.

nick705 · Post by **nick705** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 2:42 am

Aris wrote:IMO, the P180 is excessive in almost every aspect. Its more for overclockers than for silent pc enthusiests.

Do the two things have to be mutually exclusive?

I've only become interested in overclocking fairly recently, and it seems to me silent PC enthusiasts and overclockers are singing from the same hymn sheet to a large extent. In both cases the main priority is dissipating heat as *efficiently* as possible, so a fast computer can be quieter, or a quiet computer faster, and whatever tradeoff suits you best will be more satisfactory either way...

Aris · Post by **Aris** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 6:55 am

It is mutually exclusive.

Overclockers want a case that can provide as much CFM through the cpu/video card as possible. So the more 120mm fan holes the better.

Silencers want as few moving parts as possible. So preferably only 1x 120mm fan hole for exhaust.

I didnt say you cant make the p180 quiet, but i would say its more difficult than doing it with the P150 because you have to move a larger volume of air, and you have to deal with extra exhaust points. Like i said, its excessive. The P150 can do the exact same thing, with less everything, more easily.

Theres a reason why the SPCR approved systems built by endpcnoise.com use the P150 over the P180.

pyogenes · Post by **pyogenes** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 8:56 am

Aris wrote:Overclockers want a case that can provide as much CFM through the cpu/video card as possible.

You mean ignorant overclockers want the most CFM.

A smart overclocker will try to maximize cooling efficiency. I know from my "ignorant overclocker" days that just because you have lots of high speed fans doesn't mean you are cooling any better. Airflow design and heatsink efficiency is key to successful overclocking. In that respect there is little difference in the needs of a silence enthusiast and an overclocker with efficiency in mind.

I didnt say you cant make the p180 quiet, but i would say its more difficult than doing it with the P150 because you have to move a larger volume of air, and you have to deal with extra exhaust points.

Why is it necessary to move a larger volume of air for the P180 (assuming same components other than case)? The extra volume of the case doesn't require a higher airflow to stay cool.

The P150 can do the exact same thing, with less everything, more easily.

That makes sense. HD silencing takes more effort in the P180. But looking at these forums, I get the feeling most hard core silencers don't really care about how easy it is - just how quiet they can get it.

Theres a reason why the SPCR approved systems built by endpcnoise.com use the P150 over the P180.

Let's not put words in either Mike's or endpcnoise.com's mouths.

zepper · Post by **zepper** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 2:17 pm

Id say more offputting with the 180 are the delaminating panels and the weak door hinges. IDK if these have been fixed yet - they've had plenty of time so I'd be sure to get the latest production unit possible if I was buying.

.bh.

cmthomson · Post by **cmthomson** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:23 pm

Aris wrote:It is mutually exclusive.

Overclockers want a case that can provide as much CFM through the cpu/video card as possible. So the more 120mm fan holes the better.

Silencers want as few moving parts as possible. So preferably only 1x 120mm fan hole for exhaust.

Well, if you've read my articles on silencing overclocked systems in a P180, you'd know I disagree completely.

I've overclocked my C2D almost 50%, and reduced my system noise to so close to zero that my company laptop is distressingly loud by comparison.

jackal2513 · Post by **jackal2513** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 4:14 am

well, just to come back to this thread

i bought a P180 and whilst i agree that its most definitely a highly compromised 'one size fits all' type product for gamers, overclockers, those interested in low noise computing and anyone else it can appeal to , in my opinion its still the best starting point out there that i could find for a real hardcore quiet rig.

I think people who whinge should get a better framing on all this. Why should nexus honestly give 2 hoots about making a dedicated silent case that 176 people or so on these forums are going to buy. The cost of tooling is such that these products need to SELL and sell in big quantities... they are a business like any other and any fool knows that the world of PC components is just a ludicrously competitive marketplace. I personally cannot blame them for watering down the item and thus greatly widening its target audience.

Overall I am pretty chuffed with mine. The main plus points for me which make it an ideal starting point are:

1. isolated lower chamber.. allows you to deal with the HDD's and PSU with a singel simple solution that wont affect how you solve the rest of the componnets.

2. upper chamber also easily divideable into 2. again, you can solve the CPU and GPU problems independently.

3. some degree of noise proofing in the sides. So little need for masses of foam and definitely no aluminium nightmares

4. 120mm intakes/exhassts

5. x2 intakes/exhuats around the cpu making for potentially very efiicient cpu cooling. My tests seem to show that this works very well, the clean air doesnt have very far to travel before it washes over the heatsink and then in the next instant its out of the case for good.

6. it looks as good as the posh Lian Li offerings.. esp. in black. Its a professional and sophisticated design and NOT an embarrasingly cringeworthy "lan party" or "pimp" look.

7. some of the construction means you can make for a VERY VERY tidy inside with few visible cables/wires. There are hidden holes down to the lower chamber for SATA and fan wires. The power switch, front LED wires, front usb cables etc.. can be routed/hidden through the covered lower bay. The case is framed with C sectioned metal where you can very tidly run cables and leads and when you open the door the arrangement of the front intakes with filters is very pleasing and neat IMO.

i personally dont care for either of the hard drives cradles and the silicon grommet things, although i accept that they are probably great inclusions for fit-and-forget users. My hard drives are perched on a seat of thick foam which is a far better job and I have removed all those plastic runners.

I dont like those fan holders either (their mechanism is at best shoddy), i have ditched those and also i have cut all my stamped fan grills away. In the lower chamber there is a square bit of metal against the fan intake which comes before your drives, i might de-rivet this out as well because its just creating less space for the hard drives.

Probably the biggest and only real grip which is IMO something that should have been corrected is the way the sides come off. If i pull mine off the catches seem to click away from their slots, almost as if they are about to be ripped off. I have found that the most confidence-inspiring way to take the sides off it to actually push the case over onto one side a little when you prise the door off. That way you don't foul the catches at all.

all in all though, i'm more than happy.

Talz · Post by **Talz** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 12:06 pm

Aris wrote:It is mutually exclusive.

Overclockers want a case that can provide as much CFM through the cpu/video card as possible. So the more 120mm fan holes the better.

Silencers want as few moving parts as possible. So preferably only 1x 120mm fan hole for exhaust.

I didnt say you cant make the p180 quiet, but i would say its more difficult than doing it with the P150 because you have to move a larger volume of air, and you have to deal with extra exhaust points. Like i said, its excessive. The P150 can do the exact same thing, with less everything, more easily.

Theres a reason why the SPCR approved systems built by endpcnoise.com use the P150 over the P180.

You are right, and wrong. I'm so politic!

True silencing is very difficult to combine with overclocking, and in general just not practical even by enthusiast standards. Moderate overclocking while still keeping a system that is very quiet (which is all a LOT of people even here want) is very workable though. I have a system with an overclocked A64 and 6800GT and the loudest component is the hard drive. The hard drive doesn't matter even my Barracuda IV is louder than everything else in the system combined. I could easily silence the system if I switched to the right notebook drives and made a few small changes (and still overclock the cpu and gpu at least slightly) but the cost in hard drive speed and storage space wouldn't work for me.