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Case advice needed

3

380_sx

n00b
Joined
Dec 19, 2008
Messages
2
Hi All,

Advice needed. Currently I am in the process of choosing the parts for a new system and required some case advice. In contrast to other people on here my main need is for a powerful virtualization host system for testing and IT certification purposes.

That parts I have chosen so far are:
- Intel Core i7 920
- Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 Motherboard
- Corsair TR3X6G1333C9 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3, two kits 12 GB total
- Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 CPU Cooler
- Western Digital Caviar Black 750GB WD7501AALS two drives
- Antec Signature Series 850W PSU
- Sony Dual Layer AD7200S0B SATA Black DVD
- Gigabyte GTX260 OC (Core 216)
- 64-bit MS Windows Vista Ultimate

The tricky problem is what case should I chose? I value silence and wish to go as quiet as possible with clean sleek lines. The case must also have air filters and be able to deal with ambient temperatures of around 32 degrees centigrade. I am worried in particular about cooling the 6 memory modules over the Australian summer. I have also selected the motherboard so that in the future I can run 24 GB of RAM so keeping the memory cool is a must I believe.

I prefer the Antec products currently the favourite being the P182, however will the memory remain cool with the fans on low with an ambient of 32 or should I get the Antec 1200 for its greater airflow?

Other cases I have looked at and ruled out are:
- Antec 900 = No dust filters so no go.
- CoolerMaster HAF 932 = No dust filters so no go
- CoolerMaster Cosmos 1000 or S = Over priced and I prefer steel
- SilverStone TJ09 = Over priced and supplier out of stock
- SilverStone FT01 = Over priced and awkward fan filters.

So what case should I get Antec 1200 v P182 ??
 
At stock P18x is very probably quietest case available.
Here are guidelines for quiet case:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article75-page1.html
Article's first page doesn't cover it but despite of low resonance construction using low vibration components and trying to mechanically decouple them from case by soft mounting is needed because case thick enough to not vibrate would need forklift to move around. (speaking of that WD7501AALS is three platter model so it probably vibrates more than two platter models like WD6400AAKS/WD6401AALS which also has higher transfer rate)
Also you want to get good fans. Scythe Slip Streams/Kaze Jyunis are best fans tested by SPCR:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article832-page6.html
For others you need to check revised test results:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article739-page1.html
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article695-page1.html
(Antec Tricools are good at lowest setting but apparently there's model/quality variation in them)

Also those components wouldn't need even half of that PSU and for quietness model from this list is preferable because other reviews aren't reliable noise wise with their noisy load testers and unknown environment/ambient noise levels.
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article699-page1.html


You have quite hot (really insane hot for non gaming use) graphic card so that area could benefit from airflow and it would be definitely very good to have fan blowing to memory modules when ambient gets high. Also because of that you want bottom positioned PSU for relieving it from the job of sucking in additional heat of CPU.

Some Lian Lis come with additional fan for expansion cards and for cooling memory but most of their bigger cases with these features are really expensive.
A20 is one such case but it doesn't have intake dust filter like some others and that Akasa Paxmate style mat of sidepanel is fully impotent to damping anything. But adding some cheap commonly sold bitumen mat to side panels and case structure would do lot for lowering aluminum's higher sensitivity to vibration.
Also you could use for example cable ties for attaching fan for cooling RAM to any Lian Li full tower with support bar for graphic cards like A70/71 which are propably their cheapest full towers. (has enough and well positioned fans so that it's possible to keep air moving in every part of case)
 
You can't go wrong with the Antec 1200. I picked it up last week but then ended up returning it for the HAF 932, only because the HAF had a bit more interior space and better cable management options. I definitely liked the inclusion of air filters with the 1200 though, as well as the interior being painted black in stock form. The 932 included casters and an 8 pin extension as well for $50 less than the 1200. I'll miss the filters but not for $50. I could fabricate my own for probably $5 or less.
 
p182 will run hotter then the 1200 as per everything I have read, but if your not overclocking or adding extra unnecessary heat to the case I would go for it. can pick it up for 110 at the egg at the moment as well!
But the cooling system in it is still quite nice!
 
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