Good PC case?

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Posted it in here because it's partially to do with recording.

I've got the plans for a new PC together and im just looking at cases right now.

The problem is, it's going to be for gaming aswell as audio work, so its hard trying to find one which is quiet but still has decent through put.

I came across the Coolermaster Cosmos 1000 model. It seems perfect, quiet while having average cooling potential (four 120mm fan slots).

The only problem is, the case is MASSIVE! (pretty expensive too).

My main limit with my current desk is height. The coolermaster is about 60mm too high for the space ive got (~540 mm high).

Anyone have any recommendations for well silenced PC cases which also have a good throughput of air?

 

[projectMalamute]

I just throw the tower in a closet. That tends to be what most people who are serious about recording end up doing, get a high performance system and get it out of the room.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Lack of a closet in the room (and space in general) is the problem there

 

[hunta]

I haven't really built a PC aimed at quiet, but there are a lot of things you can do. You can buy low noise fans, most cases will not include these but you can always replace the stock fans with low noise models. There are low noise power supplies like this one: http://www.anandtech.com/casecoolingpsus/showdoc.aspx?i=3277. You can get sound dampening liners like this: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. You can get quiet cpu coolers like this: http://www.anandtech.com/casecoolingpsus/showdoc.aspx?i=3268&p=1. You could also enclose the entire computer case inside a small refrigerator and drill holes in the door for cables. Lots of choices out there.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

It's gonna get kitted out with silent fans regardless of the case i get

Made that mistake before, bought a pile of the cheapest fans going, PC sounded like a jet engine!

The PSU and CPU cooler ive got on my list are low noise too

I'll look into the dampening liners, cheers!

I know you can put acoustic foam inside the cases, but was just wanting one pre-done (lazyness!)

Cheers

 

[irjason]

I built a new gaming system with the Antec P180 case. It is the quietest system I've ever had. The case came with 120mm fans that have switches on them so you can turn down the speed to reduce noise. It is also fairly well insulated.
When the time comes, I won't hesitate to move this system into my small home studio.

 

[theshadow2001]

why can't you get a case that fits side ways. Or a rack mounted case. Or just put a big case on its side.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

I built a new gaming system with the Antec P180 case. It is the quietest system I've ever had. The case came with 120mm fans that have switches on them so you can turn down the speed to reduce noise. It is also fairly well insulated.
When the time comes, I won't hesitate to move this system into my small home studio.

I may go down a similar route, just look for cases which use 120mm fans. thanks

why can't you get a case that fits side ways. Or a rack mounted case. Or just put a big case on its side.

How do you mean sideways? Like one of these:

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(well, would sit like that as opposed to upright (but obv. not a HT case)

I dont have any room to put cases on thier sides with my setup unfortunatly. Only place would be under the monitor, but as it is on a raised part already, it would make the monitor a bit too high up.

I did think about a rack case, but i've only got 2x 4U in my desk, with 4 already filled (and planning on a few other things). And it couldnt be used just lying there as it would need to be under the monitor, giving the same problem as above. Thanks for the suggestions tho

 

[theshadow2001]

I may go down a similar route, just look for cases which use 120mm fans. thanks




How do you mean sideways? Like one of these:

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(well, would sit like that as opposed to upright (but obv. not a HT case)

I dont have any room to put cases on thier sides with my setup unfortunatly. Only place would be under the monitor, but as it is on a raised part already, it would make the monitor a bit too high up.

I did think about a rack case, but i've only got 2x 4U in my desk, with 4 already filled (and planning on a few other things). And it couldnt be used just lying there as it would need to be under the monitor, giving the same problem as above. Thanks for the suggestions tho

Yes thats what I meant. I think we'd have to see pictures of the room to suggest some serious modifications to it, hopefully involving chainsaws, so that your new PC can fit.

Or what, about buying an external DVD drive then put the case in some other part of the room no where near your desk. Parallel wire all your inputs and outputs to a decent sized multicore cable socket. Wire up a panel with the corresponding sockets for the correct inputs and outputs mounted on it, USB, firewire, that one for the screen etc. and one for the another multicore socket. Cut a hole in your desk and mount the panel in it.

That way all you have on your desk is the I/O panel that you plug everything into and a DVD drive and your case is somewhere else completely. With only one multicore running to it.

This is my favourite option because its needlessly complex.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

While ecentric, that it a great idea!

But im not wanting to be running wires about, too complicated and im moving house soon!

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It's a desk like that i've got, on the lowest shelf there is a printer to the left, sub (and mic's in cases) in the middle and the tower to the right side.

Probably just going to go for a reasonable sized tower with larger fans, hope it isnt too loud, if it is, will just get some acoustic material and hope for the best

 

[theshadow2001]

While ecentric, that it a great idea!

But im not wanting to be running wires about, too complicated and im moving house soon!

Invalid Link Removed

It's a desk like that i've got, on the lowest shelf there is a printer to the left, sub (and mic's in cases) in the middle and the tower to the right side.

Probably just going to go for a reasonable sized tower with larger fans, hope it isnt too loud, if it is, will just get some acoustic material and hope for the best

What about taking the desk apart screwing some 60-70mm blocks of wood onto the dowels put it back together and screw the blocks onto the desk.

You could do that as roughly or neatly as you like But I'm sure raising the desk wouldn't be too hard.

 

[detracti]

I build all my systems with Lian Li cases.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

What about taking the desk apart screwing some 60-70mm blocks of wood onto the dowels put it back together and screw the blocks onto the desk.

You could do that as roughly or neatly as you like But I'm sure raising the desk wouldn't be too hard.

I thought about that when I first got the desk (but was able to take the feet off my current tower and it fitted). But thanks for that, I had totally forgotten!

If I dont find any other cases, I may do that.

 

[Curtybob]

I've been out of the loop for a while, but my little brother just sold me a computer in an Antec case (900 series, maybe?) that has the huge fan on top, and the front is all mesh. Compared to my big computer, I can hardly tell the thing is running when there's no lights on in it. It has the same fans irjason was talking about. They keep that computer running cool, and it's an old Pentium 4 that has the hell overclocked out of it.

My big computer is in an old Antec SX1040 case (the old Cheiftec Dragon towers) That has more fiberglass and bondo on it than should be allowed by law. It runs fairly quiet considering it has five 120mm fans, two 80mm fans, and watercooling. The old cases are the bees knees for keeping quiet. All the new cases are made of tin foil or less.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Did Antec take over Chieftec (or one become the other?).

I had a look when I first started spec-ing this PC and couldnt find many places (in the UK at least) that still did chieftec, which is what my current PC is sitting in (the Dragon's are damned snazzy)

 

[Curtybob]

Did Antec take over Chieftec (or one become the other?).

I had a look when I first started spec-ing this PC and couldnt find many places (in the UK at least) that still did chieftec, which is what my current PC is sitting in (the Dragon's are damned snazzy)

Well, Antec got the cases manufactured by one of those companies. I believe Chieftec was the manufacturer, but I might be wrong. You can still find the cases, and don't worry about which company branded the cases.... they are most likely the same case. I have gone through 3 of themby different manufacturers, and they were all the exact same case... of course, I am excluding the aluminum versions. I have never inspected one of those up close.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Ah right.

Im not too bothered about the branding, just didnt see the Chieftec name anywhere, or anything looking like the ol' Dragon and Matrix cases.

 

[theshadow2001]

While ecentric, that it a great idea!

Starting to go off topic but...

Actually I've thought that doing something like that would just be a tidy way to run a PC setup. Whether your PC is far away or not (without the multicore if your pc is close by)

Basically from the Panel to the PC the wires (or multicore) are hidden and the chassis can be kept out of the way or hidden saving desktop space(if you'll pardon the pun). Then all connections to the panel are made with much shorter and tidier wiring (mouse keyboard speakers monitor etc). So you avoid the inevitable big rats nest of wiring and when you have to connect and disconnect stuff you don't end up routing around in the back of the PC. (You don't have to root around the back a pc often but when you do dear god is it ever a nightmare) Imagine less than a foot of wiring for each of your peripheral hardware devices.

I don't know if it's a good idea or not but it makes sense in my head.

 

[Tristan]

I got the Antec P150... sound deadening panels, quiet fan. Probably the most quiet PC I've ever used.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

I had a look at that, and while it does look like a good contender, there are a few problems for my setup.

There are only 4 HDD bays, while this is enough for now (two 160Gbs in a raid array and two individual 500Gb drives) I would like there to be room for expansion. Similarly, once ive got a DVD drive, DVD-rw drive, fan control and floppy drive, there is no room for expansion on the front (Tho that is less of a worry that the HDDs).

There also doesnt appear to be much room inside the case, which would be worrying with the size of some of the newer gfx cards (a friend of mine had that problem, the HDD cage on his PC was too close to the motherboard and he couldnt physically fit the gfx card he bought in there without removing the cage.

(it also doesnt look as pretty as the coolermaster)

The one upside is, that while the same price, it does have a PSU. Just dont think it would be powerful enough

Thanks for the recommendation tho