I'm looking to build a new computer, and I want a case to put it in that's very quiet. I've been told that Antec cases are very quiet, and while they're definitely quality cases, the one I have currently is rather loud. Maybe I just chose the wrong one. I want the case to be mid-sized. Any ideas?
I heard Thermaltake are quite good, but it not only depends on the case for the silence, you should choose the PSU wisely too.
I'm interested in hearing this too. Sick and fucking tired of mine kicking out as much noise as it does. I chose all my gear specifically for low db ratings but the case lets it all down I think.
Coolermaster HAF's are very good I believe. Not too sure as dont have personal experience. Really though it all depends at what speeds your fans run at. You can turn them down with a fan controller but then your computer will be a lot hotter.
HAF stands for High Air Flow, it's just another "fans everywhere" case. There has to be a better noise-dampening solution.
The more fans the lower you can run the fans at. Ultimately its just as power consuming but not as loud.
Lian-Li make some really nice looking cases. One of my mates built a beast of a PC with one of their cases and it really is very quiet; almost as quiet as me Mac Pro.
What kinds of PSUs are the quietest? Also, I was looking at this case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112219 It looks pretty cool. I was just wondering if it would fit all the components I need. I'm going to get a P6T ASUS motherboard with an i7 processor and probably a Radeon 5850. I was also wondering where the power supply goes in this thing. The fan in the back is where I would expect the power supply to be.
Lancool K58, or anything silverstone, or lian li. They make very quiet + high quality cases. That or Antec Sonata. Thermaltake has never been known for their quietness ;-).
Silverstone or Lian li require you paying out of the ass. Thermaltake I wouldn't take if offered for free. The V7 Required PSU mounting at the bottom and basically choked it of air. It also had a crap quick release for HD's that only secured one side and In general was flimsy. Antec, Cooler Master and Lancool are generally the only companies I think still produce high quality cases at affordable prices.
Well, I've never tried Thermaltake myself but heard good things from people I know, maybe they were lucky. In my case I recently bought a desktop PC with a Sentey case and PSU and it is really really quiet, and cheap, case $68, PSU $40.
Very good topic. I am personally for super quiet computing, I can't be distracted while writing or designing. I have a Cooler Master Elite 334 http://www.acetech.co.nz/shop/images/53583.jpg insides it there's a fairly standard CPU fan and an ATi 5770 Flex edition (ie fan+heatsink,not vapor chamber). The peak temp is about 42C degrees (ie in some games) but ordinarily it borders around 30-2C. The case it self is very well built, minimal, screw-less drive positions (it has twisting notches) and is a looker (in my eyes, i like simple stuff). It has vents in the rights places at the side of the case and carries 2-3 fans inside running smoothly.
I've got a Cooler Master CM 690 and I absolutely love it. Sure, the build isn't as good as a high-dollar case, especially in the retention mechanisms... but how often does one fuck around with their drives? Just use screws anyway. It has space for 120mm fans all around. I just have two on the top and the one on the back. PSU mounts on the floor which I like. It's easy to get some good linear-ish flow through the case (though also easy to screw it up if you use the side-fans). With the three fans (two stock, one a thermaltake LED thing a friend gave me because he ordered too many - I've got it set on low-speed), it is quiet as a mouse. My PSU has a 120mm fan in it as well - when I first got the case I was still on an old Antec PSU with two 80mm fans inside it, and needless to say it was definitely the loudest part of the system. But I also have a CM Geminii heatsink ( http://www.dvhardware.net/news/cm_gemini2_1.jpg ) so that relieves any possibility of CPU fan noise. I've got a single Panasonic Panaflo 120mm on top. I highly recommend these fans if you can get 'em, though only if you have a way to control the speed if you don't get one of the quiet models (at full throttle they'll move an insane amount of air, but also get pretty loud). Ignore all of what I said above and hear this: It's easy to get a case that is quieter than other components in your computer (especially if you have a high-end video card). A nice little workstation shouldn't ever get loud, or else you're doing something seriously wrong. Also, I don't think Antec makes a bad case. Except the Nine Hundred is a little silly, in my opinion.
