Antec 300 or Antec 900?

[imported_DangerMouse]

Building new comp.
i7 920, Gigabyte Ud3r, 3 gb ram, Corsair 650W psu, Evga Gtx 260 or maybe 4870 1 gb,
1 HD and 1 Dvd/Rw, Win XP pro, 24' lcd 1920x1200. Nothing fancy as you see.
Comp case will sit on my table right next to monitor. I never overclock or mod and will have comp assembled at vendor. So my main concern really is noise. Don't mind to shed extra cash for Antec 900 but is it really worth it? (read some review on newegg complaining on cheap outer quality of 300).
Will appreciate response.
Thanks

 

[chizow]

If you plan to have it built by an OEM and *never* mess with it, open it, add to it, either should be fine. The 300 is quieter by default, as it has less fans, but it will also have worst cooling. The 900 on the other hand, has excellent cooling and includes 2 additional 120mm fans stock. It also has a side window, removable drive bays, a few other nice features. You can add more fans to the 300 to improve cooling, but you'll also increase noise slightly in doing so.

With high-end components like the ones you're choosing, I'd consider better cooling even if you don't overclock, especially because of the video card. Basically, the cooler your case is, the cooler your GPU will be, meaning it won't ramp up as high as it tries to cool itself under load. Adding a side panel fan to both the 300 and 900 will help with GPU temps here. Having good case airflow, both intake and exhaust will also help with this.

Depending on price I'd go with the 900. I prefer its looks, cooling, amenities, size, its just a much better case imo. I have both, got the 300 for $40 at MicroCenter, 900 for $65 AR. If the difference for you is only $30-40 I'd go with the 900, as 120mm variable fans by themselves will often cost that much.

 

[yh125d]

The 300 and 900 have the same fan setup, except the 900 having a 200mm on top instead of a 140mm. The 900 just comes with more of the fans pre-installed (the 300 comes with a single 120mm and a 140mm). The differences in cooling between the two is minimal, if even worth mentioning at all. I should also mention that 2 (3?) of the fans with the 900 are LED's which can't be shut off, so whether you want that or not is up to personal preference. I personally don't like lit fans.

The 900 is 1" taller, and .4" longer. The 900 is a little flashier, with the side panel, LEDs, and raised 200mm fan, but again that's up to personal preference.

 

[zerocool84]

The 900 has that little useless secton on the top with the little rubber pad that's supposed to be used to put stuff on so it won't slip off during LAN's. I like the 900 but wish it was tooless and and didnt have those horrible hd cages that you have to undo so many screws to get out one hd which is obviously the same as the 300.

 

[jdkick]

I'd go with the 300. For one, it can be had for like half the price of the 900. And while it's a personal choice, I prefer the more subtle look of the 300.

Is there a reason your only looking at Antec?

 

[imported_DangerMouse]

Jdkick: No, no special reason.
Case has to fit gtx 260 (10'5 inch length), provide adequate cooling fir i7 rig and not be too noisy since it will sit on my desk near monitor.
How about Coolermaster 690? (Coolermaster 534 is highly praised but seems it wont fit videa card)

 

[yh125d]

The CM 590 and 690 are both good

 

[zagood]

If it's going to be on your desk staring at you, I'd keep away from any of the "mesh front" cases that you're looking at and people are suggesting. All that open space really exposes you to a lot of noise, especially if it's right in front of you.

Speaking of noise from a mesh front, since the 300 doesn't have any HDD vibration dampening mounts, the hard drive seek noise can be pretty annoying as the noise will come right at you.

The Antec Solo would be a good choice, but be careful with the 92mm front fans you add. Ugh...actually, I don't think the 260 will fit in there.

So no good suggestions from me. Just keep what I said in mind when looking for cases.

-z

 

[Arcanedeath]

the P180 series would work well in this case as long as you take out the HDD drive cage in the top chamber so the GTX 260 will fit w/out issues.