Help with Case Reccomendation

[Topweasel]

I am trying to recommend a new case for my father. Currently he is using a P160.

Parts in use is a Phenom II X4 (OEM fan) that I am suggesting he get a H50 for. A 6950 which is quite enough when he isn't playing games. A Cosair 850 watt power supply and about 4 HDDs.

He is also worried about temperatures and have been advising him that you have to pick a happy medium.

So what would be the consensus quieter enthusiast case that I can recommend to him.

Mid tower is preferred, but full size is okay. Probably want to stay in the $150 territory. Room for more HDD's would be a plus. He understands that getting better fans then what comes in the box is a good idea so if you have a good idea about what fans and there configurations to use would also be a plus.

The two cases that have come up in conversation is the the 600t and Haf 932. But I can't find very reliable reviews on the noise level of most of the popular cases.

 

[Aus10]

I have the corsair 600t and i love it. The side panel is in the mail now. The cable managment is great. Its not all that loud i dont really notice it running. I have a corsair h50 with a intel i7 overclocked at 3.4 and i idle at 38c. I have it pulling air in from the back of the case and sent out the top fan. It is a lot bigger then i thought it was going to be but its great to build in. Do you have any questions about the case?

 

[Topweasel]

I have the corsair 600t and i love it. The side panel is in the mail now. The cable managment is great. Its not all that loud i dont really notice it running. I have a corsair h50 with a intel i7 overclocked at 3.4 and i idle at 38c. I have it pulling air in from the back of the case and sent out the top fan. It is a lot bigger then i thought it was going to be but its great to build in. Do you have any questions about the case?

Well the one thing I read was that the HDD's can make a bit of a racket and that and the fanq uality tends to be the biggest issues.

Also from what you said. You have the H50 fan in-taking? And a single fan exhaust to the top? Or do you have a front fan set up for it as well? Are you using the original fans or did you replace them with something else. As for not all that loud? Does that mean its noiseyish but not bothersome or is it just plain not noisey and you barely notice it.

I mean for me I have made quieter computer after quieter computer for myself. So for myself my latest seems the greatest. Well till you turn it off. Then you notice how loud it really is. I am trying to avoid something like that where it might be quieter, but not substantially and then there is a big difference between when its on and when its off.

 

[Zero82z]

Take a look at the Fractal Design R3. It's not for everyone, but it has quite a few HD bays and it's very quiet.

 

[Topweasel]

Take a look at the Fractal Design R3. It's not for everyone, but it has quite a few HD bays and it's very quiet.

Doesn't seem like it would be metal seems thin, and not much noise cancellation from the hard drives. Is there a proper review site that does a decent amount of case reviews that actually measures sound? I am finding either they look from a completely enthusiasts angle or they have a very small collection of reviews.

 

[Aus10]

Well the one thing I read was that the HDD's can make a bit of a racket and that and the fanq uality tends to be the biggest issues.

Also from what you said. You have the H50 fan in-taking? And a single fan exhaust to the top? Or do you have a front fan set up for it as well? Are you using the original fans or did you replace them with something else. As for not all that loud? Does that mean its noiseyish but not bothersome or is it just plain not noisey and you barely notice it.

I mean for me I have made quieter computer after quieter computer for myself. So for myself my latest seems the greatest. Well till you turn it off. Then you notice how loud it really is. I am trying to avoid something like that where it might be quieter, but not substantially and then there is a big difference between when its on and when its off.

Iv never heard anything from my HDDs? The fans arnt the best. There are three fans total, one in the front one on top and one on the back. I switched the back fan around and put my H50 on it. Yes, i am using orginal fans. I dont notice my computer running, im used too it, you can hear it but to me its not bad. My ceiling fan, when its running i hear it over my computer. It also depends on my GPUs fan speed.

 

[downlinx]

for 150, i would go with a 600t or a lian li case

 

[Aus10]

Doesn't seem like it would be metal seems thin, and not much noise cancellation from the hard drives. Is there a proper review site that does a decent amount of case reviews that actually measures sound? I am finding either they look from a completely enthusiasts angle or they have a very small collection of reviews.

I would say buy the 600t and if he thinks its to loud then return it, i dont regret buying my case at all. I plan on doing a review comparing temps and pics with the new side panel this weekend, i think the mesh with 2 120mm fans will do good

 

[Topweasel]

That's where I am leaning. But it uses 200mm fans doesn't it. Either ways whats a good replacement for them. I hear Scythe but then I hear that their fans are kind of all over the place and you need to know which series to get.

 

[coconutboy]

replacing anything larger than 12cm or 14cm fans generally is a waste of time/money. The available options suck.

Random babbling that may or may not help you:

People's idea of what is/isn't quiet vary greatly. One person is bothered by hdd noise, another fan noise, another only by the sound of a Harley motorcycle exhaust pressed right up to their door. With this in mind, head over to silentpcreview.com and improve your understanding of what does/doesn't matter in terms of case noise.

Next, recognize that almost every single case on the market, no matter how costly, comes with crap fans vs the aftermarket stuff you can buy. Probably the lone exception to this is the Silverstone ft02/rv02/rv02-e etc with their custom-made 180mm fans. And even in those cases, the upper 120mm fan is junk and the a few users have had unfortunate problems with their 180mm fans breaking due to clearance issues. Fortunately, Silverstone seems to be replacing the fans for their customers. My point in this is that simply replacing the stock fans can often do an excellent job of simultaneously improving temps and noise.

Third, if your main problem is fan noise and temps, buying a high airflow cases and swapping the stock fans for stuff like Scythe Gentle Typhoons will probably make you very happy, Cases like the Antec 902, Lian Li pc-k62 or k63, Haf series, etc move so much air through the case that the temps on your cpu/gpu will likely run cooler and quieter. This is especially true if you use cpu/gpu coolers that take advantage of those case's high airflow versus, for example, the reference coolers on many vid cards that blow all air out the rear slot at the back of the case.

Fourth, if your dad is bothered by more than just fan noise, you can employ hdd sandwich and suspension techniques to keep those vibrations from driving ya nuts.

Some buying advice/tips: use two fans on your dad's Corsair h50 if you get one. Trust me. I own one and when implemented properly, the difference is typically huge. The Corsair 600t is on sale for $115 after MIR which is an EXCELLENT price for that case. No you probably won't replace the 200mm fans and the cooling performance is meh, but it's not awful either so long as it's set up right. Stack the cages side-by-side versus vertical and use a resistor to lower the speed of the roof-mounted 200m. Seems to work well for most people with single gpu setups.

Lastly, the no-holds-barred pricey aircooling option. With your dad's budget of ~$150, I'd say buy a Silverstone Raven 02. (rv02)It only holds 2 hdds and a single ssd, but it's excellent from a "quiet cooling" standpoint and the total cost is comparable to buying an Antec 902/etc and loading it up with aftermarket fans (whereas you'll only need to replace the upper 120mm in the Silverstone cases). If you need more room for hard drives, buy either the ft02 (expensive, but pretty) or the newer rv02-E both of which hold 5 hdds + 1 ssd. These cases have some flaws like a lack of usb 3.0 ports (the forum rep claims a cable upgrade is forthcoming) and a long external footprint, but overall they are freakin' excellent. Check the reviews and if you can get your Pops to spring he'll probably thank you later. Dig 'em.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/Silverstone_Raven_Two

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cases/2010/09/09/silverstone-raven-rv02-review/1

http://www.silentpcreview.com/silverstone-ft02

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cases/2010/08/12/silverstone-ft02r-w-review/1

 

[Aus10]

I agree with coconutboy. What is loud to me and loud to you are very diffrent. Also great tip with the push/pull config it will help, i havnt messed with it cuz im moving up to a larger liquid cooling system. I would recommend the 600T. I dont know much about other cases but for it to be on sale for 115 thats great i paid 160 for mine. Plus will that you can buy the side panel and put fans on the side which will help with cooling a lot.

 

[coconutboy]

Just realized I forgot to mention that every ~2-4 months or so, there's a sale on the Silverstone rv02 that drops the price to around $130. If you're not in a rush and only need space for 3 hdds + 1ssd, it's a great deal as long as you're not gouged on shipping.

 

[Aus10]

Just realized I forgot to mention that every ~2-4 months or so, there's a sale on the Silverstone rv02 that drops the price to around $130. If you're not in a rush and only need space for 3 hdds + 1ssd, it's a great deal as long as you're not gouged on shipping.

If you dont mind me asking will you explain what is so much better then the 600T case? Thanks i think that will help the op

 

[Zero82z]

Doesn't seem like it would be metal seems thin, and not much noise cancellation from the hard drives. Is there a proper review site that does a decent amount of case reviews that actually measures sound? I am finding either they look from a completely enthusiasts angle or they have a very small collection of reviews.

SPCR didn't review the R3, but they looked at the R2 which is pretty similar: http://www.silentpcreview.com/fractal-r2

 

[Topweasel]

I just shot over the RV02B link on Newegg to him, but in that setup the H50 would probably not be a great option. If that is the case then what kind of large HS, quiet fan option would be a good mix for it?

 

[coconutboy]

I just shot over the RV02B link on Newegg to him, but in that setup the H50 would probably not be a great option. If that is the case then what kind of large HS, quiet fan option would be a good mix for it?

You're spot on that the h50/h70 aren't the best option for the Silverstone designs. Corsair's lil' watercoolers work well enough, but you can spend less and get better performance with a traditional heatsink. Check the [H] thread for more details (few pics on that page for ya). Basically, any beefy heatsink will work great. Sure you could go all out and spend $70+ or whatever on the latest/greatest cooler from xyz, but unless your dad is pushing a heavy overclock, IMO just save the cash and get something inexpensive. Thanks to the high airflow from the case fans, you can also go fanless on the cpu heatsink if you don't mind the increase in temps.

If you dont mind me asking will you explain what is so much better then the 600T case? Thanks i think that will help the op

The top notch cooling performance and the low dB output of the rv02/rv02-e/ft02 in stock form are the main standouts vs other manufacturer's products. From a "quiet cooling" standpoint, it's no contest; those Silverstone designs obliterate virtually everything on the market atm although I'm pretty sure the Lian Li x500/x900/x1000/x2000 are right there with 'em due to similar design principles/layouts (minimal obstructions for the mobo from air intake to exhaust ). The Antec 902 and similar high airflow designs can compete on cooling, but the tradeoff is a LOT more noise vs the Silverstone cases. Similarly, other cases can compete on the low noise output, but then lose big on temps. It's all a byproduct of the Silverstone/Lian Li's design.

That said, those Silverstone cases do have flaws/compromises just like all cases. For one, they use 180mm fans which are pretty good, but have no aftermarket equivalent. The Silverstone cases can also be sub-par if you wanna load up your case with hdds as though it's a full tower instead of a mid-tower. And speaking of full-towers, the Silverstone cases also have a deep footprint which won't work for some people. Plenty of owners have also complained about mobo clearance issues with the top 1-2 optical bays. And of course, there's the high cost for the ft02/rvo2-e (less of a problem with the vanilla rv02).

 

[AQ_OC]

Lastly, the no-holds-barred pricey aircooling option. With your dad's budget of ~$150, I'd say buy a Silverstone Raven 02. (rv02)It only holds 2 hdds and a single ssd, but it's excellent from a "quiet cooling" standpoint and the total cost is comparable to buying an Antec 902/etc and loading it up with aftermarket fans (whereas you'll only need to replace the upper 120mm in the Silverstone cases).

Just a slight correction here: The Rv02 holds 3 HDDs and a single SSD.

 

[Topweasel]

You're spot on that the h50/h70 aren't the best option for the Silverstone designs. Corsair's lil' watercoolers work well enough, but you can spend less and get better performance with a traditional heatsink. Check the [H] thread for more details (few pics on that page for ya). Basically, any beefy heatsink will work great. Sure you could go all out and spend $70+ or whatever on the latest/greatest cooler from xyz, but unless your dad is pushing a heavy overclock, IMO just save the cash and get something inexpensive. Thanks to the high airflow from the case fans, you can also go fanless on the cpu heatsink if you don't mind the increase in temps.

Again the main point of it is to reduce noise, its why the the H50 came up. Swap it with a quiet fan and all of a sudden you have a quality cooler, with a vastly reduced noise output. I was just thinking with the RV02 outputting the heat through the top channel it wouldn't be good to have the H50 pull from there. On the other hand he isn't paranoid with temps but they bug him here and there, last thing I would want to do is recommend something that would cause his temperatures to rise. That's why I wondered if there might be a preferred or highly used (maybe around $50) HS and F setup that people really like in the RV.

 

[Outamyhead]

Doesn't seem like it would be metal seems thin, and not much noise cancellation from the hard drives. Is there a proper review site that does a decent amount of case reviews that actually measures sound? I am finding either they look from a completely enthusiasts angle or they have a very small collection of reviews.

Here you go http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cases/

R3 review here http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cases/2010/10/29/fractal-design-define-r3-review/2

 

[coconutboy]

Just a slight correction here: The Rv02 holds 3 HDDs and a single SSD.

thanks for catching that, I definitely don't wanna create misinformation. I musta hit the wrong key.

 

[Aus10]

What case are you leaning to get?

 

[Topweasel]

I don't know. All I can do is throw some options at him. With his worries, I would side more with the RV02B, but its his money and I am not sure which way he would want to go with it.

 

[Aus10]

I don't know. All I can do is throw some options at him. With his worries, I would side more with the RV02B, but its his money and I am not sure which way he would want to go with it.

You could show him the cases and tell him why you think he should get it and show him all the other options?

 

[Topweasel]

You could show him the cases and tell him why you think he should get it and show him all the other options?

That's what I am doing. Just he can be a bit particular. This is his living room HTPC/Gaming system (mostly HTPC/Encoder). So I know he likes the 600T, but it fits style wise, the RV02 is widely different in that respect. With the top channel I am not sure how it will affect his electronic configuration (Items placed on top of computer) or wiring, as I know their are some close calls and running cables up that channel might be limiting. So in the end I am just going to throw items, reviews, and my own suggestions, at him till he makes a choice.

Me I would just pick up a HAF X throw a bunch of quiet 140's in there with an H70 and call it good. But I tend be oblivious to background noise.

 

[Aus10]

That's what I am doing. Just he can be a bit particular. This is his living room HTPC/Gaming system (mostly HTPC/Encoder). So I know he likes the 600T, but it fits style wise, the RV02 is widely different in that respect. With the top channel I am not sure how it will affect his electronic configuration (Items placed on top of computer) or wiring, as I know their are some close calls and running cables up that channel might be limiting. So in the end I am just going to throw items, reviews, and my own suggestions, at him till he makes a choice.

Me I would just pick up a HAF X throw a bunch of quiet 140's in there with an H70 and call it good. But I tend be oblivious to background noise.

Lol i love the 600T, well good luck