New Case for cooling

[abhi63]

I am looking to buy a new case, more for cooling advantages than appearance. I believe that 2 x 120mm case fans would be best, placed at front bottom and rear top.

Can someone advise me on which case to get? Check my sig for specs.

I have been advised the Antec Solution Slk3700amb, Super Lanboy and the Chieftec series provide good cooling at a good price.

Could somebody confirm if the Jeantech Phong is a good case?

I already own a Q-tec 550W PSU, which is decent, so would probably sell any PSU that comes included with case. I could sell the Antec 350W Smartfan PSU that comes with the Antec Solution Slk3700amb for almost about 3/4 of the price of the case itself!

I am willing to spend around $80-90.

Thanks.

[GHoosdum]

If the rig in your sig is what's going in the case, the SLK3700 would be ideal for the cooling demands you'd be placing on it.

Geeky will say it doesn't cool well enough, I'm sure...

[abhi63]

What do you think about the 2 x 120mm case fans placed at front bottom and rear top?

Thanks.

[GHoosdum]

That's what I'm running in my Antec Sonata, and it's working out great.

[abhi63]

What heatsink and CPU fan are you using?

[GHoosdum]

Right now I'm using a Thermalright ALX800 with a 53CFM Mechatronics 80MM fan. Previously I had everything the same except with an SLK900A heatsink.

[abhi63]

Did the ALX800 work better for you than the SLK900A?

[csimon]

what's wrong with the super lanboy?

[abhi63]

The Super Lanboy looks like a good case too. Forgot to add it.

[GHoosdum]

Did the ALX800 work better for you than the SLK900A?

Nope, but I can't really tell a difference in temps, and the ALX was cheap. It was an experiment, really. That just happens to be the HS that's on there now.

[csimon]

The Super Lanboy looks like a good case too. Forgot to add it.Well not speaking for dragonv8 but he must love them ...he (and/or his better half) has 6!!! ;D

[abhi63]

Right now I'm using a Thermalright ALX800 with a 53CFM Mechatronics 80MM fan. Previously I had everything the same except with an SLK900A heatsink.

What are the specs for that fan? What is the dBA?

Have you tried different fans on that heatsink?

[GHoosdum]

Here's a link to the specs on the fan:

http://www.coolerguys.com/840556034001.html

It's been a long time since I've used any fan but the Mechatronics 53CFM on my CPU HS. I haven't found anything that I like better for sound to cooling ratio.

[GnomeWizardd]

had a super lanboy nice case but no way to do any modding I have a coolermaster wavemaster now thats a great case

[PressX]

Some members on this fourm are not big fans or Thermaltake but the Thermaltake Tsunami is good value for around £90 and comes with Dual 12cm silent fan in front & rear. They have been getting good reviews.



Have a look... (http://www.thermaltake.com/xaserCase/tsunami/tsunamimenu.htm)

[Geeky1]

As stated, I hate the Antec cases with 2 120mm fans (or just about any other case with 2 120mm fans set up as 1 intake, 1 exhaust) as overclocking cases.

The most airflow you'll get through that case is around 100cfm. That's pathetic.

What are you looking for in terms of size, weight, and appearance? How much did you want to spend, and you have any links to the store(s) you'd be shopping at?

[Jimborae]

If you do get an antec ditch your Qtec power supply & use the Antec 350w one. I've had 3 of "those bargain £25 high power" psu go bad on me. When overclocking they cant hold constant rails & therefore hinder how high you go & stabilty.

Alternatively sell me the Antec psu ;D

[abhi63]

What do you think of these Zorro cases? £30 with 450W PSU

[Geeky1]

Got a link so I can take a look at the entire case?

And I can tell you right now that any case that costs ~$45 with a power supply is going to come with a really, really, reallyreallyreally ****ty power supply.

[Leonardo]

Both solution series cases I've used for new systems came with 350W Antec PSUs, with excellent, reliable voltage rails. No, those two systems were not overclocked. Yeah, this discussion still continues, Geeky: pros and cons of the Solution Series. I readily admit, I have not used those cases for overclocking. For default settings and everyday use though, I think you are hard put to find a better case for the money - excellent paint and finish work, very quiet running, quality PSU, well thought out interior that includes hard drive grommets, not too large and not too small.

[Geeky1]

Leo, I've got a SLK-3700AMB of my own, and I've got a number of AMBs/BQEs at the office.

They're fine for stock systems with PIIIs or low-end athlons (like 800MHz) or slower, or for faster systems (2.5GHz Celerons) that aren't folding or under high load.

But put under 100% load, and/or heavily overclocked, the case truly becomes a complete piece of **** imo. And it's not helped by having a dual-fan power supply. a LOT of the problems I have with the case's cooling could be fixed by having a single-fan power supply with intakes in the front, or a dual-fan power supply with a fan on the front and rear, instead of the bottom and rear.

It wouldn't solve the lack of cooling in the memory area issue, though, nor would it solve the lack of cooling for the hard drives. Or the graphics card. The case is too small for my liking, its got some of the worst cooling I've ever seen (not the worst by a long shot, but still very bad), and that paint job, although it looks good, is prone to scratching.

The case has precisely three redeeming qualities:
It's cheap
It's quiet
It comes with a good power supply

It still has crappy cooling and not enough room to work.

[Leonardo]

This argument will never end.

[Geeky1]

No, probably not.

[Leonardo]

Well, then, we agree at least on that! :cheers:

[TheGr81]

And I can tell you right now that any case that costs ~$45 with a power supply is going to come with a really, really, reallyreallyreally ****ty power supply.
Seconded... I got a case for about that much that included a certain 520W PSU. I now live in fear of my system exploding. ;D

[PressX]

Be carful with the "Zorro" case. There are many versions of it. I stock two. One without PSU @ £49 one with PSU for the same price. They are made by different companies and there are also others available so make sure you know which one you are getting...

[abhi63]

Hi,

Can someone tell me what factors determine a good PSU from a bad PSU.

Thanks.

[abhi63]

Here's a pic of ASUS Probe with my Q-tec PSU 550W Dual Fan Gold PFC. My 2500+ @ 3200+ speeds.

Is this good? :-/

One thing is strange though, I set my Vcore to 1.650, but it reads 1.696 in BIOS and Probe? :scratch:

Thanks.

[GHoosdum]

It is really kind-of scary to me that Asus Probe is reading so high on the 12V rail. Usually a motherboard will cause the 12V rail to drop slightly below 12V - yours is overvolting, and even more seriously overvolting if the motherboard is causing it to drop.

To its credit, the rails do seem to be reading dead stable for the amount of time Probe is tracking it, though. Stability is very important.

I tend to trust Antec PSUs, because they are usually in the range they need to be and very stable. Also, one thing to look out for is a PSU that puts out as much power as it says it is. Here is a very good article by MediaMan with some extra info:
http://www.short-media.com/review.php?r=133

[abhi63]

Are you saying that an Antec 350W is better than my Q-tec 550W? :bawling:

[GHoosdum]

...
But put under 100% load, and or overclocked, the case truly becomes a complete piece of ****, and it's not helped by having a dual-fan power supply. a LOT of the problems with the case's cooling could be fixed by having a single-fan power supply with intakes in the front, or a dual-fan power supply with a fan on the front and rear, instead of the bottom and rear.

It wouldn't solve the lack of cooling in the memory area issue, though, nor would it solve the lack of cooling for the hard drives. Or the graphics card. The case is too small for my liking, its got some of the worst cooling I've ever seen (not the worst by a long shot, but still very bad), and that paint job, although it looks good, is prone to scratching.
...
It still has crappy cooling and not enough room to work.

Geeky,

I mean no offense, but I think you should put some qualifiers on your posts. Particularly for newer or infrequently-visiting members, you run the risk of making them think you're THE authority on cooling and case topics. Some people might get the impression that you know more about cases and cooling than any other member, just because you're the forum mod.

The truth is, your recommendations are very well suited for your own systems. However, most people don't overclock so extremely. Also, your recommendations tend to differ extremely from the concensus on most items (such as that massive tower of a CPU cooler you recommend instead of Thermalright, and I think you're the only one who's used them who is dissatisfied with the Antec cases). //edit: though that definitely doesn't make you wrong!

I like that you admit they're good for stock uses, and that you said "for my liking" to show that you were talking about yourself, but you might want to just put some kind of "for my uses" or "in my opinion" somewhere prominent in your posts so that infrequent visitors don't think you're more correct than anyone else just because you're the mod.

Thanks,
Rob


To all,

My personal experience with these cases is that they can handle anything you throw at them. Then again, I'm comparing to 2 80MM fan cases that I've used before - I had about 75 CFM flowing through those and about 90CFM flowing through my Antec. CPU temps are comparable in both cases. The hard drives stay cool because there's a 120MM intake case fan blowing fresh air right across them (I had to put that in myself). The RAM hasn't flaked out on me yet, even though there is something of a dead air spot around the RAM slots.

I'm using an Antec Sonata, which is actually smaller than the SLK3700 series cases. I don't find it too small to work with, because I value the efficiencies it gives me. I can run cables hidden right to where I need them, without having big expanses of uncovered wiring loom. The PSU I'm using is a dual-fan Antec True 430W PSU, with a bottom and rear exhaust fan configuration. My CPU temp was 42C with an SLK900A, exactly where it was in a larger case with a bunch of 80MM fans stuck all in it. This case is a lot quieter, too. I'm about to do some reconfiguration (next week or two) and then I'll take some photos and post them in a new thread.

[GHoosdum]

Are you saying that an Antec 350W is better than my Q-tec 550W? :bawling:

I can't speak directly about the Q-tec, because I've never actually used one. I have, however, used Antec PSUs (including the 350W) and I wouldn't hesitate to use them again. I've seen many folks use the Antec 350W for OC'd applications with many drives in their PCs and never have a problem.

Best I can say is that if you get the SLK3700 with the Antec in it, you can try them both and see which one works best for you. If you can get a chance to directly test the PSU with a multimeter or PSU testing equipment, you can do a better comparison.

[abhi63]

Is it just me or would 2 of these 120mm Thermal thunderblades really kick ass in SLK3700AMB :D

http://www.thermaltake.com/accessories/dcfan/led/thunderblade120.htm

78 CFM
21 dBA
2000 RPM

[GHoosdum]

If they operate at their rated specs, then yes. However, I've often found Thermaltake fans to put out much less air than Thermaltake says they do.

[abhi63]

GH: What fans do you use in your case?

[GHoosdum]

I'm using the stock one that case with the case on the back, and a 120MM blue LED fan I got from SVC.com on the front for intake.

[Geeky1]

GH, no offense taken. :) I'll clarify that post.

[Leonardo]

On the two SLK-housed systems I built, both run with the stock 120mm exhaust fans only - no intakes.

1) Abit KX7, AMD XP 2000+, Radeon 8500 LE

2) Asus (forgot model number), AMD XP 2500+, Geforce 5950

Neither computer is overclocked; both are used for gaming and general office applications. No symptoms of overheating on either. Both have good CPU heatsinks, though. #1 is in a room that has a summer ambient temp of around 80*F; #2 room ambient 80*F.

[Gobbles]

This is my next case....
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=11-124-034&catalog=23&manufactory=BROWSE

and aspire 500w psu...
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=17-148-001&catalog=23&manufactory=BROWSE

I really like the side mount hdd's and all the room for extra fans...

Gobbles..

[Bud]

i have a case very similiar to that zorro case but mine is by raidmax. it has a 420watt powersupply and it works great for me.

[Jimborae]

Are you saying that an Antec 350W is better than my Q-tec 550W? :bawling:


Sorry to say, but in my experience, yes.

[Geeky1]

I haven't seen the Q-Tec power supplies in person, but no power supply that cheap puts out 550w. I've had cheap "550w" power supplies before- they died at 300w.

So yes, it's fairly likely that the Antec is better than your current power supply. :-/

[Jimborae]

Hi,

Can someone tell me what factors determine a good PSU from a bad PSU.

Thanks.


Yes mediaman can :)

The Shocking Truth About Power Supplies (http://www.short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8958)

[abhi63]

Hi,

I have recently found a new source of income :celebrate so now am willing to spend up to around £100 ($180) on a case.

I would be grateful if as many of you as possible could list your favourite case for this price range, so that I can get a range of opinions to choose from.

I would like the case to have a PSU but it doesn't have to. I am going for performance, cooling power and reliability over appereance.

What about Antec Sonata?

Thanks.

[Jimborae]

Nice case, but I don't think they are as good value for money as the SLK3700. Also because the hard drives are positioned differently to the 3700 the airflow is more restricted at the front intake. However they are a quieter case but only just.

For a £100, if you can stretch a bit further I'd get one of these

CoolerMaster CM Stacker (http://www.coolermaster.com/index.php?LT=english&Language_s=2&url_place=product&p_serial=STC-T01&other_title=STC-T01CM%20Stacker)

You can find them for around £130

[abhi63]

Do you reckon the Antec SLK3700BQE is better than the Antec SLK3700AMB?

[Jimborae]

Personally speaking & I've used a BQE version, I'd say no because, again the drives are orientated across the front fan instead of inline same as the sonata. However it still is a very good case, looks great and has a quieter psu than the standard slk3700.

[abhi63]

What about the Antec SX835II?

[Jimborae]

Dont know that one. :(

[GHoosdum]

What about the Antec SX835II?

I just had one of those, and sold it. It was very good for cooling, and quite roomy for most uses. Unfortunately, it was kind of loud (for my taste), having 3 80MM intake fans at ~32dB ea, 2 exhaust fans at ~32dB ea, and the hard drives connected with metal fasteners instead of the rubberized grommets.

[csimon]

Hi,

I have recently found a new source of income :celebrate so now am willing to spend up to around £100 ($180) on a case.

I would be grateful if as many of you as possible could list your favourite case for this price range, so that I can get a range of opinions to choose from.

I would like the case to have a PSU but it doesn't have to. I am going for performance, cooling power and reliability over appereance.

What about Antec Sonata?

Thanks.

lovem or hatem the lian li is my favorite case ...you can get an entry level value case at that price.
Top quality, plenty of options, mod friendly & best cooling.

[GHoosdum]

Does the PSU mount in the bottom on that case?

As far as the Antec Sonata goes, I love my Sonata. The 380W TP PSU that comes standard in it is a 1 fan unit, however, so it would cool better with a dual-fan. Also, you've got to be very careful about space efficiency and routing of wires and such in the Sonata. The only problem I've ever had was a foot falling off the case... which I have to find now.

[csimon]

Does the PSU mount in the bottom on that case?

As far as the Antec Sonata goes, I love my Sonata. The 380W TP PSU that comes standard in it is a 1 fan unit, however, so it would cool better with a dual-fan. Also, you've got to be very careful about space efficiency and routing of wires and such in the Sonata. The only problem I've ever had was a foot falling off the case... which I have to find now.

yes ...the whole configuration is reversed from standard cases. The psu on bottom ...the right door rather than left is the mobo access ...the mobo is almost totally reverse mounted. Maybe unconventional would be a good term for this case.

http://www.pcunleash.com/bbs/zboard.php?id=MyItemReview&no=30

[muddocktor]

Yeah, nice case, but $189.00 for the case with no psu. :eek2:

Too rich for my blood.

[GHoosdum]

It is nice... but talk about turning tradition on its head!

[ryko]

I like the <a href="http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-170-012&depa=1">kingwin kt-424</a> for $89 bucks at newegg...you could save some money for a good psu.

[abhi63]

Just bought myself a 2400 XP-M 35W! :rockon:

[abhi63]

What do you think about the Antec P160?

Thanks.

[Geeky1]

Same problem as the 3700s and the Sonata- 1 120mm intake fan and 1 120mm exhaust fan is just not going to get you enough airflow for really serious overclocking. If you can live with that, they're all great cases, but they have very poor cooling, so extreme overclocking is out, and some of the components (RAM, video card, hard drives) run a lot hotter in them than I'm comfortable with.

[abhi63]

Could someone give me the exact dBA or an estimate of the Antec TruePower 330 and 380?

Looking at my sig, will 380 be enough?

Thanks.

[Geeky1]

The 380 will be enough, and the dBA is going to vary with the load on the power supply.

[GHoosdum]

Same problem as the 3700s and the Sonata- 1 120mm intake fan and 1 120mm exhaust fan is just not going to get you enough airflow for really serious overclocking. If you can live with that, they're all great cases, but they have very poor cooling, so extreme overclocking is out, and some of the components (RAM, video card, hard drives) run a lot hotter in them than I'm comfortable with.

Geeky - I'm surprised you say that the hard drives run hot (but not surprised by the ram and vid card statements). Is it possible that there is no intake fan on the 3700s you've used? My intake fan blows right across the HDDs and keeps them fairly cool.

[abhi63]

Will 330 be enough?

[Geeky1]

No, I've got intake fans in them. The drives themselves run only lukewarm, but feel the controller chips on the bottom of the drive sometime.

[Geeky1]

330 will probably enough.

[Jimborae]

Yes a 330w Antec shouldl be enough but I cant give you a fig on noise except to say that my Antec 480 True Power is the loudest psu I have. But all the others are near silent or have a fan controller on them. In other words I can hear it but its not too intrusive & it folds 24/7.

[abhi63]

What is quieter, a TruePower 330 or a SmartPower 350?

Is the SmartPower 350 better than the TruePower 330?

Is the Enermax EG365P-VE 350W PSU any good?

[LawnMM]

If you can hear the PSU over the case fans you need more case fans.

[Jimborae]

What is quieter, a TruePower 330 or a SmartPower 350?

Is the SmartPower 350 better than the TruePower 330?

Is the Enermax EG365P-VE 350W PSU any good?


I believe the difference between the two antecs is that the smart power has an auto sensing fan on it so when the psu isn't generating so much heat it lowers the fan speed & thus noise. My true power doesnt have this.

Enermax psu's... well many people will tell you they are good but I have used 3 of them & 2 had problems with providing stable rails & both under volted badly.

[MAGIC]

i like my antec truepower 550 watt. id go with the antec, theyre quiet and ive bought 2 for other friends pcs, a 400 and 330 watt, and have had no power issues. im not sure if you got a case yet but i like silverstones new cases especialy this one.http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-163-028&depa=1 Its got the look a CM wavemaster but bigger and way better cooling options, not to badly priced either.

[Straight_Man]

What about the Antec SX835II?

Not bad at all, or Cheiftec 830 series case (PRE version II) sans PSU with a good PSU bought separately. I myself use LARGE cases, one old 1040 style Antec Performance, one Solution series almost just like Leonardo has(its a two 80 mm fan in front capable, two stock 80 mm in rear as it comes, the case fans used are now hard-wired Panaflos). Basically, I can stick almost anything in either of them. But I agree with the single fan or front and back fan idea for PSUs. I use Channel Well Technology PSUs, but not the bottom fan types-- for extreme OCing or high end machines I like, Antec, PC Power and Cooling, Channel Well Technology, and some of the CodeGens are not awful bad .

[Gargoyle]

This is my next case....
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=11-124-034&catalog=23&manufactory=BROWSE

Gobbles..

I like that case too, but can anyone tell if the hard drives are seeing any airflow? It doesn't really look like it, but maybe I'm overlooking something. I really like the top-mount USB and Firewire. For a computer sitting on the floor, that's much more convenient.

http://images10.newegg.com/productimage/11-124-034-03.JPG

[dragonV8]

That case looks very similar in construction to Sally's Thermaltake V1000A.

It has the same fan set up on top, in the front and the swinging bracket on the side.
It should take 7 fans. 2 in the front, which blow air over the HD's, 2 rear, 2 in the side and 1 on top. Any more and it'll turn into a hovercraft, lol.

Though i have never checked the HD's temp wise, the case runs quite cool with 5 Papst fans, which lets me believe the front fans are doing the job over/around the HD's.

Jon

[abhi63]

What do you think about the Chenbro Xpider and Xpider II?

Thanks.