Antec P180 Very Noisy ! (Don't trust reviews)

[bruntfca]

I just got a P180 and I can't beleive the noise the system puts out. Seriously this is NOT a quiet PC case.

Granted that the hard disk noise and PSU nosie are damped, but the Huge Fan, and the giant hole cut on the TOP of the case makes a massive noise.

I've checked that its the correct fan, I've set the voltage to its lowest setting, and configured the BIOS for lowest fan speeds. Due to the hole on the top, I think the Fan almost propagates noise from the other fans in the case too, but drawing the sound out the top. With the three voltage settings on this fan/case desing, I'd day you have.

Noisy
VEry Loud
And insane asmatic suction hoover noise.

Seriously I can't beleive in some of the reviews I've read on this case that it says, even with the stock fan people don't know the system is on? This is absaloute nonsense, granted in the lower "noisy" mode it tolerable, but even my hard of hearing grandmother would know its on.

Does anyone have any advice as to what I can do? I even bought some expensive acoutic dampening material, but given the placement of this fan and the huge hole in the lid, I realy can't see what can be done

Many thanks if you can give me any advice or tips, or perhaps something I've missed.

[jaganath]

Antec P180 Very Noisy ! (Don't trust reviews)

First of all, a case itself cannot be noisy; it is the components inside the case that make the noise. Second, it is not good form to start your SPCR journey by insulting all the members of the editorial team who have spent many thousands of man-hours assiduously reviewing and testing cases from all angles; are you accusing them of being liars?

the giant hole cut on the TOP of the case makes a massive noise.

How can a hole make a noise?

If the fans are noisy, change them for quieter ones; it's not rocket science.

[fetaost]

I wouldn't call it noisy but me too wonder how anyone could call it silent. I've bought lots of fans and PSU's that are said to be silent but never been satisfied. Until now.
I have blocked the upper fan hole and replaced the other two with soft mounted Nexus fans at 5v. I still can hear it even though it's under my desk 1 meter away but most of the time it doesn't bother me.
Temps are: Amb: 20C, CPU: 50-55C and HDD 30-35C

[nemo]

i think the main problem is that there arent any really silent psus out there.
any other pc component can be very silent to quiet nowadays.

most people here dont recommend going passive on the psu so i too decided on usíng a a fanned one.

now i have an s12 and it is pretty noisy.

[binary visions]

I think both of you guys are missing the point. A case itself is not particularly "quiet" or "loud" - there's a certain amount of acoustic damping in a case but without a lot of sound deadening material or a huge amount of weight, the case isn't going to contain noise very well.

What a case can be is properly designed with good airflow, good thermal chambers and good cable routing. All of this allows you to create a quiet system with the proper components. If you have failed to put in properly quiet components or design your layout well, your computer will not be quiet. Blaming your case for lack of silence is like blaming your speakers for the lousy music. It was your choice in components (or music) that has made the system what it is.

Block off the hole in the lid if you're convinced that's what is making the majority of the noise, block it off and just use the rear exhaust.

[nici]

If you find an S12 to be pretty noisy, you must either live in an anechoic chamber or it is ramping up. My room is seriously very quiet, the walls are stone and brick and sheit and there's triple windows, and its even very quiet outside, and there is no noisy ventilation, and i can just hear the NeoHE in the middle of the night when its not ramping up, and the S123 should be slightly quieter. Now if i remove my PSU duct it will ramp up, and then its easily audible.

[Aris]

Personally i get the impression that he's just trolling for attention.


As far as finding stock quiet PSU's, i know the PSU that came with my NSK3300 is completely inaudible during load. Its the seasonic SFX 300w PSU. Admitedly however, my system does only draw 100w at load.


Power Draw is very significant to making a system quiet. You cant just go buy any components you want and then expect to keep it all running silently by buying a new case and getting new fans. If you do your homework, you can make a very powerfull computer while still keeping total power consumption under 200watts. (ie: core 2 duo and a passive xfx 7950gt with a single optical drive and single hard drive)

In the end, your hardware choices are what are going to make your system loud and make your PSU fan ramp up more. The more power they require, the more cooling they will require, the louder your system will have to be to keep it all running cool.

If you want your PSU to be quieter, then put lower power consumption components in your system.

[Tzupy]

That's not always true: my S12-650E+ is the loudest thing in my computer, because it buzzes (at least at low load).
Other forum members have got rid of the buzz by increasing the power consumption. I'll probably do the same when I'll upgrade my gfx card.

[Aris]

That's not always true: my S12-650E+ is the loudest thing in my computer, because it buzzes (at least at low load).
Other forum members have got rid of the buzz by increasing the power consumption. I'll probably do the same when I'll upgrade my gfx card.

Buzzing can occur at any power loads. Its just more obvious when you have a low load system because they are generally alot more quiet in every other department. It can also be caused by other things besides just load, like poor quality power from the wall. Also your PSU is rated for alot more power than what a low load system would pull. You would probably solve your problem with a lower rated PSU, as then the low load of your system would be more in the "sweet spot" of the effeciency curve on your PSU instead of on the far end of it.

I return PSU's as defective if i hear them buzz. It happened to me once with a passive 300w PSU a few years ago.

[bruntfca]

Sigh, I can't beleive someone said I'm trying to "troll". I am simply stating a point of fact, that this is not particularly silent case, as supplied out of the box.

Someon made a point of am I calling reviewers liars? I'm not singling out the reviews of this site in particular, hence don't beleive the "reviewS", and not "the SPC review". However, you may want to read this quote,

" But I was able to run this system, and keep it very cool even under hot ambient temperatures all with only one case fan, and that was running at an inaudible 5V. [[[[[The only way I can tell if this system is running is to look at the power LED (a bit too bright for my tastes)]]]]. This, to me, is a perfect litmus test of a quiet PC."

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article254-page4.html

The part in parenthesis is in fact in bold in the review. Well as I'm sat here writing this, I'm listening to this fan in this case, and it's NOT anywhere near silent.

Thanks for the helpful comments of others. I will now no doubt buy a new fan, and look towards blocking off the top vent. My point in writing this is not simply for the sake of writing it, I've spent $5000 on a PC, and having trusted a lot of reviewS and comments, simply in my oppinion of course, find them misleading.

Of course I an get extra fans and do other things, it was very unpleasent to read between the lines of some posts insinuating that I'm stupid, should have thought of different configurations etc. Too bad I can't expect a product to behave out of the box as advertised and reviewed?

It seems to me that some people are just behaving like "Fan-boys" (pardon the pun!). By all means go out and get this case, you will be dissapointed with how much noise it makes without extra mods. Otherwise, you can beleive that I'm

1 Stupid
2 Products of course, should not be expected to operate as advertised or reviewed.
3 I like to waste my time making posts when I could have just got a silent case.
4 I enjoy at first making purchases, and then I like to do addtional research and make additional purchases just for the fun of it.

I hope this brings some balance in to what I see as almost "gushing" reviews on this case. Sure it's overall quite good, and has a lot of good points (such as silent HD running as I mention), but I do think that some reviewers have gone to far in expressing how silent this case is unmodded.

[Aris]

Sigh, I can't beleive someone said I'm trying to "troll". I am simply stating a point of fact, that this is not particularly silent case, as supplied out of the box.

Someon made a point of am I calling reviewers liars? I'm not singling out the reviews of this site in particular, hence don't beleive the "reviewS", and not "the SPC review". However, you may want to read this quote,

" But I was able to run this system, and keep it very cool even under hot ambient temperatures all with only one case fan, and that was running at an inaudible 5V. [[[[[The only way I can tell if this system is running is to look at the power LED (a bit too bright for my tastes)]]]]. This, to me, is a perfect litmus test of a quiet PC."

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article254-page4.html

The part in parenthesis is in fact in bold in the review. Well as I'm sat here writing this, I'm listening to this fan in this case, and it's NOT anywhere near silent.

Thanks for the helpful comments of others. I will now no doubt buy a new fan, and look towards blocking off the top vent. My point in writing this is not simply for the sake of writing it, I've spent $5000 on a PC, and having trusted a lot of reviewS and comments, simply in my oppinion of course, find them misleading.

Of course I an get extra fans and do other things, it was very unpleasent to read between the lines of some posts insinuating that I'm stupid, should have thought of different configurations etc. Too bad I can't expect a product to behave out of the box as advertised and reviewed?

It seems to me that some people are just behaving like "Fan-boys" (pardon the pun!). By all means go out and get this case, you will be dissapointed with how much noise it makes without extra mods. Otherwise, you can beleive that I'm

1 Stupid
2 Products of course, should not be expected to operate as advertised or reviewed.
3 I like to waste my time making posts when I could have just got a silent case.
4 I enjoy at first making purchases, and then I like to do addtional research and make additional purchases just for the fun of it.

I hope this brings some balance in to what I see as almost "gushing" reviews on this case. Sure it's overall quite good, and has a lot of good points (such as silent HD running as I mention), but I do think that some reviewers have gone to far in expressing how silent this case is unmodded.

Wow, your statement has so many holes, where do i begin?

You said dont believe the reviews, on a review sites forum. Its not hard to extrapolate who you were talking about. You even quoted a source from this site's review of the case. So dont say thats not what you ment, cause it clearly is. So from the start YOU are a LIAR. with that in mind, lets continue.

The link you posted, and the line you quoted was a system being run with a single nexus 120mm fan at 5volts. which is completely inaudible. He did not say it was quite out of the box, you said that, and if you had read the review you would have noticed he didnt use the stock out of the box fan, he used a nexus fan.

Next time why dont you actually read the entire review instead of just skipping to the last page of the review, and then making assumptions as to how the review was actually done.

Your system is only as loud as the components you put into it. You can make any case loud if you make poor component choices and use multiple high rpm fans. Your system is loud because you chose poorly.

I promise you, if you build your system EXACTLY like in the review, it will be just as quiet as the reviewer said it was. Until then stop trolling.

[pyogenes]

" But I was able to run this system, and keep it very cool even under hot ambient temperatures all with only one case fan, and that was running at an inaudible 5V. [[[[[The only way I can tell if this system is running is to look at the power LED (a bit too bright for my tastes)]]]]. This, to me, is a perfect litmus test of a quiet PC."

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article254-page4.html

The part in parenthesis is in fact in bold in the review. Well as I'm sat here writing this, I'm listening to this fan in this case, and it's NOT anywhere near silent.

Note the part where it says there is only one case fan and it's running at 5V. Also note above that section that where Mike states:

This with the only case cooling provided by a 120mm Nexus Real Silent fan running at a whopping 5-5.5V.

These are key to understanding why his set up is quiet. First of all he's using just one fan - obviously more than one fan will be louder than just one fan. Second, the fan he selected (Nexus) is far quieter than the Tricool fans that come with the case. The Tricools might be quiet compared to most fans at the low setting, but they can't compete with the Nexus fans. It is also important to note the voltage the fan is running at. At 5V the Nexus fans spin around 600rpm. The lowest setting for the Tricools are around 1200rpm. That huge difference in speed accounts for the huge difference in sound levels.


You'll also note this part of the same review:

It is definitely not a case for beginners, though, as you need to have at least some appreciation for different airflow configurations and how to optimize the setup for best results with your gear.

Since you have yet to replace the fans with quieter ones, you haven't yet optimized as Mike pointed out is necessary for the level of silence he described. Read the review again and note the various steps he did to reduce noise:

The choice of fans, number of fans, and speed of fans are just part of the optimizations Mike made. Look at page 3 of the review where he describes how he mounted the solitairy case fan - he mounted it in such a way to reduce case vibrations from the fan (which adds a lot more noise than you would think).

On page 2 he sealed off the top vent to eliminate noise escaping from there (plus it optimizes air flow in his configuration)

He also chose a relatively quiet hard drive - ask anyone here and they'll tell you that HD selection is key to quiet computing. A 2.5" notebook drive in general makes most 3.5" drives sound like a lawn mower (yes i'm embellishing a bit here). Also note that Mike puts effort into how he mounts the drive to eliminate case vibrations.

Pay attention to the PSU section of the review. He is using a customized PSU to minimize noise.

If you want constructive comments on how to silence your system, list every single component in your rig.

[nici]

You can use the P180 or a breadbox, ultimately the noise is not determined by the cese but what you put inside. No case will make loud components silent. It's just that it is easier to build a quiet setup in some cases than i others. You need something that does not resonate and has good airflow.

The text you quoted was when using a Pentium M, probably the coolest relatively modern processor, a passive GPU and only one very slow casefan. That system would likely be just a s quiet without a case, the case just keeps it all together, makes airflow more efficient and temps lower as well as looking nicer than a bunch of components lying on the table. No stock fans were used in that system either.


Now if you take a look at this article you can easily see how much more effort has gone into making it quiet, compared to the Pentium M system. And it probably still isnt as quiet as the PM system.

[Rusty075]

I think you guys are being too hard on Bruntfca.

Rather than trashing him because his opinion is different than your's, lets find out why he thinks the P180 is loud when so many other people think it is quiet. He obviously wants it to be quiet, otherwise he wouldn't be so upset about it being loud. So lets be constructive about helping him get it quiet, rather than calling him names and making run screaming from these forums, never to return.



A couple of my thoughts on his problems:

1. Brunt, you're a gamer, correct? Besides the case itself, what other noisemakers do you have in the box?

2. Is this old hardware in a new case, or new hardware in a new case? If its old hardware, what case was it in, and is it louder or quieter in the 180 than it was in the old case?

[KvM]

I bought p180 2 days ago. I'm also disapointed. This is not silence case!.
I have P120 Samsung drive in Scythe case and I can hear even idle sound! Optical drives are so loud as in ordinary Case.

This is NOT bad case, but I expected much more...

I searched this forum for easy mods but can't find nothing interesting. I don't want tell that is nothing interesting here - just I can't find - probably everybody here have this case and there is too many topics.

I also search for recommended double e-SATA adapter and e-SATA/SATA cable (in Europe - best in Germany) to move my harddisc from p180 to separate more silenced case .

Thanks for any help.

[NyteOwl]

The imperssion that I got from the original posters comments is that he does not find the P180 as it comes from Antec out of the box particularly quiet. With all the fans it has running, and the remaining systems components being average, I would daresay this isn't an unlikely state.

As the P180 was designed to improve silencing, most of those who bought it, did so as one aspect of a silent system with the intent of replacing the stock fans, undervolting etc. Given the lengths that most of the habitues of these forums go to silence their systems, I'm certain any one of us would find the stock setup loud in comparison.

Most of the sites that review this case also end up doing some customizing for quiet so it is a slightly skewed perspective when judged against straight out-of-box performance.

That said, the P180 can be made VERY quiet with a little judicious planning and componenet selections as the review here and many systems in use can attest.

[zhenya]

I think both of you guys are missing the point. A case itself is not particularly "quiet" or "loud" - there's a certain amount of acoustic damping in a case but without a lot of sound deadening material or a huge amount of weight, the case isn't going to contain noise very well.

What a case can be is properly designed with good airflow, good thermal chambers and good cable routing. All of this allows you to create a quiet system with the proper components. If you have failed to put in properly quiet components or design your layout well, your computer will not be quiet. Blaming your case for lack of silence is like blaming your speakers for the lousy music. It was your choice in components (or music) that has made the system what it is.

Block off the hole in the lid if you're convinced that's what is making the majority of the noise, block it off and just use the rear exhaust.

While I generally agree with you that it is the components inside that make a pc quiet, or even silent, I have to say that in my experience the case does play a very large role. When I first decided to try to quiet my computers, I replaced my generic pc case with a P150 and my system went from loud to quiet immediately. This was due to several factors; the suspended drives, the damping material built into the case, but also the airflow design of the case, which is just generally quieter than any other case I've ever used. With tweaking of the components and layout this system is now truly silent.

Additionally I just recently built a new HTPC in a Zalman HD135 and I can categorically say that this, while a fantastic case in many ways - is not quiet, and will be difficult to ever make silent. The drive mounting mechanisms resonate terribly (forcing me to place my drive loose on a foam block) and the exhaust vents have too much coverage to allow for the silent venting of air. Perhaps with significant modification 'any' case can be made quiet, but the initial design does play a huge role in how much effort it takes to get there.

[s_xero]

OK, my system is running fairly inaudible (yes, I live in a village, and my ears are better then most) and i've got an P180, it's not the idea that out-of-the-box it's inaudible.

The least-noise-making fans in there do 20 dB. Plus, there are a lot fans, you don't want that, neither did I...

But stop accusing the case of being wrong, loud, stupid, plastic etc....

IDIOTS, Damn you all!!


(P.S. it's your own fault, Solo and P180 are the best cases for quieting right now)

[Bluefront]

bruntfca.....you're stirring up a hornet's nest when you knock an SPCR sacred cow. Perhaps you didn't realize the case is a design made with SPCR input.

Well I don't own this case and I'm not an Antec fanboy, so I'm impartial in this matter, even though I'm a regular here. You could do much worse than a p180, but it's not the end-all in quiet cases.

The front door is much too thin to help silencing from the front. There is an air channel behind the front bezel, and little dampening is possible in that area. A noisy optical drive will remain noisy. And you might be able to hear hard drives from the front of the case.

The case has too many fans period.....and the fans it comes with, are not the most silent.

The location of the PSU in it's own chamber, means you will need a fan to cool the thing.....forget passive PSUs.

The hole in the top of the case lets out noise, and does little else.

The case is a complicated design, with many options. And very few suggestions from Antec as to optimizing the thing for extreme silence. Unless you read the numerous posts about this case, you will be no doubt confused as to which way to proceed.

But this case like most high-end cases.....it requires modding, a careful selection of components, and some sort of guide to perform at it's best (quietest).

The SPCR forums can help here.......but realize most people here consider this case the best thing since sliced bread.

[Shadowknight]

While optimizing, blah blah I found that leaving the top fan turned on, at ANY setting, is the biggest flaw of the case. Detach the fan, and then see how it goes.

[nici]

The P180 isn't holy... I have one, and i don't use it. I got a Lian-Li and have been happier with it than any Antec case, and i've had plenty.

You still haven't told what you have inside the case. Instead of calling a case asscrap, you could tell us what you have in it and ask for advice. Pictures help a lot. Just because there is a huge hole in the top does not mean you have to use it either, you can cover it with acoustic damping which you said you already have.

[RAFH]

I have to agree with Zhenya, while a case doesn't make any noise in itself, it can dampen noise and it can, as noted, make noise reduction easier. I have the Antec SOLO, the sister case of the P150, just its black and doesn't come with a PSU. It is a very quiet case, right out of the box.

But its also true that loud components will tend to make a loud rig, there's only so much a case can do. It can dampen noise, not eliminate it. Cases serve several purposes: 1) and most important, they protect the components from external damage, either impact or contact with conductors, as well as prevent connections from being disconnected and lastly they keep dust off the components 2) they can channel the cooling air, 3) they can dampen noise, 4) they can help organize and hold together the components so they are easier to work with and especially to move, and, 5) they can look better than a pile of junk (though some might prefer the al dente look). Most of those purposes conflict. A perfect case for protecting the components would not have any holes at all, it would probably be quiet as well and would hold the stuff together and make it possible to transport and might even look good, but the components would likely overheat in short order. A good cooling case would be as open as possible, with as many fans as possible, and it might organize and hold the components together and could even be a fashion statement, but it wouldn't protect the components very well and it would be loud as hell. A good noise reduction case would have no holes and be made out of heavy steel with lead lining and while it might protect the goods and even look good it would cause overheating and weigh a ton. The best case for organizing the components and facilitating working on them would be an open case but it wouldn't do so well for protection or sound dampening or looks. A nice looking case could be anything and could also fail all the other purposes.

My SOLO helps dampen noise by having damping materials laminated to the panels which are steel to also dampen noise though it makes the case heavier. Its got a good mounting for the drives. Additionally it has a good air flow layout. The intake air goes in through side vents all around the perimeter of the bezel. There is a lip on the bezel that directs whatever noise there is rearwards and the large perimeter slot spreads out the flow so the air speed is low and there is less friction and turbulence. Most of the interior noise is blocked by the face of the bezel. I have also used low-noise fans (Nexus) and control their speed with SpeedFan. The rear is open to a separate room so the air can flow out freely and there's nothing the sound of the exhaust can bounce off of back towards me.

I also used a low noise CPU cooler (Zalman 9500) and I installed a baffle to separate the PSU from the rest of the case so it wouldn't draw warm air for its cooling and so its fan works much less and so the noise from the main compartment, primarily the CPU cooler, stays in the main compartment.

Overall, my setup is a bit quieter than it would have been out of the box, but not a whole lot. The biggest difference was in using low noise fans instead of the Antec Tri-Cool. If I had kept the stock fan and added additional loud fans and used a loud CPU cooler and put it right up against a smooth wall in a very, very quiet space, yeah, it might seem pretty loud.

Its also a matter of what you are used to. Noise like pain is a personal subjective thing. What I consider moderate somebody else might think is loud, or perhaps inaudible. Have you compared the system to others with similar components? What are you using for a PSU and a CPU cooler? Those two can make a huge difference. How is it situated, right up against a smooth wall?

I agree about the top vent, its one of the primary reasons I didn't get the P180.

bruntfca, you come on here pissing and moaning, well you got what you asked for. If you had posted questions instead, you would have gotten a much better response. If you are so dissatisfied with the case, return it. These forums are here to help each other, not to serve as a mouthpiece for someone's personal rant. Who do you think the rest of us are going to believe, you or virtually every reviewer out there? While I do read reviews, I also take what they say with a certain discount. I use my own common sense and check with other reviews and even try to see the item in person. Reviewers are usually paid to review the goods, at the very least, they get the equipment for free. I am not sure but I believe SPCR is an exception to that tradition in that they usually buy the items to review. In any case they do have virtually unanimous support and respect throughout the industry. So you say one thing, they say something else, guess who I am going to believe? They do objective testing and provide sound samples of the noise produced. What have you got to support your claims? And they are claims, not facts. Until you have independently supports objective data, all you have is your opinion.

If you want to be part of a community, you need to be part of that community, that includes having a bit of respect for the hosts. They have shown their goods, repeatedly, over years, and I have experience with a number of the products they have reviewed and found their reviews to be right on. What do you have, a personal rant. So, who am I going to believe?

[PopCorn]

personally I agree 100% with RAFH. and to add on to what he said, i say you should'nt complain about the case being loud when you have done nothing at all to try to silence the case (put tape over the top air vent like they didn in the review) with my accounts with cases, all cases are loud if they have loud components in them. having said that i also say that all cases are quiet if they have quiet components in them although some cases prevent sound escaping the case better than others... my point is if you have quiet parts in general the case will be quiet if you have loud components then your case will be loud and what kinda computer did u build with $5,000...?

[sanse]

my silentium t2 was exactly as reviewed by spcr.

very good silent arctic t3 fans, that were running waaay to fast for most circumstances. if i had known that in advance i would probably not have bought the case.

but now after modding the case based on all i learned at this site, i think it's one of the best small mid-size cases one can buy. very good air-circulation and silent after disconnecting the ac-fans from the psu and controlling them with a separate fan-controller.

so, i don't think mike and his companions publicize wrong info.

[Talz]

Thanks for the helpful comments of others. I will now no doubt buy a new fan, and look towards blocking off the top vent. My point in writing this is not simply for the sake of writing it, I've spent $5000 on a PC, and having trusted a lot of reviewS and comments, simply in my oppinion of course, find them misleading.

Do me a favor and list every single part you have put into your P180. This thread is pointless as you can get without that info.

[jeepescu]

I am very surprised by these statements.
Back in september, I ended up buying a P180, that replaced a Lian-Li case.
I did not even imagine it could be so quiet!
The only reason I can imagine for people paying that much money on Lian-li and other brands, is that they did not discover these forums yet.
It is sitting on my desk, <1m away from my eyes, and I can barely hear it.
My dell laptop from my office is noisier than my P180.

I am running a AM2 X2 4600, on an Asus M2N, an X300 passively cooled with 3HDs (on raptor 36G and two Seagate 250Gb), all fed by a Neo He 500. I noticed an increase in noise when I added my second seagate hd (it kind of added o higher pitch component, barely audible), but the case itself is virtually noiseless.
Oh, and I kept the stock fans on the quietest position on the switch (all three fans)

HTH
BN

[s_xero]

Ok now a serious post:

you won't get your PC inaudible, unless you go truly silent. but then again, there's no chance of getting a powerhouse.

Face it, there is no way of getting inaudible. My PC is running very quiet, I can still hear it, but it is very easy to ignore.

That's where "silencing" is about. Get as close to the holy grail as possible.

You won't get there with only a case

[psiu]

Ok now a serious post:

you won't get your PC inaudible, unless you go truly silent. but then again, there's no chance of getting a powerhouse.

Face it, there is no way of getting inaudible. My PC is running very quiet, I can still hear it, but it is very easy to ignore.

That's where "silencing" is about. Get as close to the holy grail as possible.

You won't get there with only a case

Actually, if he had *only* a case, it would be silent

As far as other comments, well, I have a P180, and it's a much quieter case than standard cheapo cases. It's also designed to hold quite a few components--thus, more cooling. It has a capacity for what, 4 optical and 6 + 1 HD's? It is case that was designed to hold powerful systems quietly and coolly. For basic systems, the P150/Solo or the NSK's could be better.

You don't have to use all the fans in the P180 depending on components. As far as other components, optical drives will be loud no matter what--unless you can slow them down via software. As the review on this site pointed out, for silent (or very quiet) computing the case should be in the hands of an experienced user. Other sites have mentioned that it is quiet--look at the frame of reference for most of them--if they are gaming/overclocking/hardware sites, they are generally used to wailing fans, lots of little whining fans.

Good luck with your system.

[echn111]

Actually I have to partially agree with bruntfca. After reading all the reviews, and rushing out to get a P180 case, I too was slightly disappointed. However, it's all relative, and the P180 is one of the more quiet cases out there. But it is not as quiet as reviews make it out to be, especially for powerusers.

Granted that the hard disk noise and PSU nosie are damped, but the Huge Fan, and the giant hole cut on the TOP of the case makes a massive noise.

Yes that was the first thing I noticed as well. The top hole "lets out" a lot of noise because it doesn't baffle the sound at all, so everything hits you directly. Sure you can tweak the fans and and use premium components, but with regards to the case acoustics here, the P180 design is sub-optimal. A far better example of how to handle this design deficiency is the Lian-Li PC-S80 that does not have unbaffled holes like the P180.

But overall for non-powerusers who are satisfied with using older or less powerful hardware, the P180 is perfectly adequate and can be kept relatively quiet by tweaking it's components and offers a "reasonable" balance of power and noise.

But if you're a poweruser looking for a powerful AND quiet system, this case has it's limitations.

[echn111]

I even bought some expensive acoutic dampening material, but given the placement of this fan and the huge hole in the lid, I realy can't see what can be done

Many thanks if you can give me any advice or tips, or perhaps something I've missed.

Ok since you're stuck with this case, unless you upgrade, here's what you can do.

Use that expensive acoustic material and put it on the removable cover. Take out the top fan, and stick that acoutic material all over the top and seal off that annoying top hole completely. That will take care of one of the biggest noise problems with the P180 case.

Rely on the fan pushing air in the back. Make sure you've got a quiet CPU cooler that still generates airflow. Tweak these depending on temperature readings. Dampen any vibrations/noise from you HDD by putting them in hard drive enclosures within your 5.25" bays.