New Case for cooling

abhi63abhi63 UK, Leeds
edited August 2004 in Hardware
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.
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Comments

  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    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...
  • abhi63abhi63 UK, Leeds
    edited July 2004
    What do you think about the 2 x 120mm case fans placed at front bottom and rear top?

    Thanks.
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    That's what I'm running in my Antec Sonata, and it's working out great.
  • abhi63abhi63 UK, Leeds
    edited July 2004
    What heatsink and CPU fan are you using?
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    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.
  • abhi63abhi63 UK, Leeds
    edited July 2004
    Did the ALX800 work better for you than the SLK900A?
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    what's wrong with the super lanboy?
  • abhi63abhi63 UK, Leeds
    edited July 2004
    The Super Lanboy looks like a good case too. Forgot to add it.
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    abhi63 wrote:
    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.
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    abhi63 wrote:
    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
  • abhi63abhi63 UK, Leeds
    edited July 2004
    GHoosdum wrote:
    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?
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    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.
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    had a super lanboy nice case but no way to do any modding I have a coolermaster wavemaster now thats a great case
  • PressXPressX Working! New
    edited July 2004
    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...
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited July 2004
    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?
  • JimboraeJimborae Newbury, Berks, UK New
    edited July 2004
    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
  • abhi63abhi63 UK, Leeds
    edited July 2004
    What do you think of these Zorro cases? £30 with 450W PSU
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited July 2004
    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.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    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.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited July 2004
    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.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    This argument will never end.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited July 2004
    No, probably not.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    Well, then, we agree at least on that! :cheers:
  • MedlockMedlock Miramar, Florida Member
    edited July 2004
    Geeky1 wrote:
    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
  • PressXPressX Working! New
    edited July 2004
    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...
  • abhi63abhi63 UK, Leeds
    edited July 2004
    Hi,

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

    Thanks.
  • abhi63abhi63 UK, Leeds
    edited July 2004
    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.
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    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
  • abhi63abhi63 UK, Leeds
    edited July 2004
    Are you saying that an Antec 350W is better than my Q-tec 550W? :bawling:
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    Geeky1 wrote:
    ...
    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.
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