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Antec Aria PC cube case $99

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Originally posted by: BigDaddyD
Nice deal, but if you are looking for sff, this case is better and cheaper. The silver/black color is cheaper than the full black and both are cheaper than the Antec. I have built three computers in the Aria and one in the Aspire. The Aspire is better hands down...more room, removable mb tray, easier to work in, more powerful psu.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811144162
Click to expand...
I was looking at one of these today. The handle is really light. I'd give it a week before it snaps.
 
I have both an Antec Aria and the Chenming (Aspire QPACK OEM) case.

Aria is good if your needs are as follows:
1) 300w PSU is enough for you
2) Only 1 optical drive and 1 hard drive (it has room for 3 hard drives but it gets very cramped)
3) Using stock/smaller CPU heatsink

Get the Qpack if you need:
1) Your own standard ATX PSU
2) couple of optical drives and hard drives
3) Option to use many HSFs (including zalman 7700 which fits perfectly)
4) Want to carry it around (that handle helps a lot and is pretty strong)
5) Want a Window 😉
6) Removable mobo tray
7) Floppy drive

I love the Size of the Aria but wished that it could only take a standard ATX PSU. The aria is with my dad who uses it just for casual use (web surfing, word processing etc - No gaming at all).
I use the Qpack for myself and it is fully loaded (2 optical drives, floppy drive with card reader, 2 hard drives, 7800gt w/ zalman cooler, 7700alcu hsf, SB Audigy2 sound card and a 600w seasonic atx PSU).

they both have slightly different uses with Aria geared towards HTPC setup and the Qpack geared towards a Gaming SFF/Lan setup but have many common grounds. Get whatever makes you happy, both are great cases.
 
What does SFF mean?

I'm looking to build a HTPC. I just need for it to handle a decent video card and to be low noise? Can the Aria be made to be a quiet or near silent pc? Can I fit a video card in it with a low noise cooler or am I stuck with the stock hsf?
 
SFF = Small Form Factor, or a small case.

Have had both Aria and X-Qpack.
Neither are good for HTPC, so rule them out if HTPC is what you do.
(It is what I do, and have built and sold dozens over the past few years).
For HTPC, cheap, small, great cooling, plenty of room, and reliable, all come in Athenatech A100 series. Aria and Qpack are not in the same league, even though they cost twice as much.

Comparing the Aria to the Qpack.
Looks. Qpack easily wins.
Aria black front bezel has a very cheap, always dirty look to it because of card reader.
The Aria is one of those items that looks great in photo's, but not when you see it in person.
Finish on Qpack is modern polished aluminum look, and it always looks nice.
Too many windows on windowed versions of Qpack.
LED side vertical bars on Aria is way too much.
Both are too big for HTPC use.

Noise. Qpack wins. The Antec fan is louder (because 120mm fan is cranking, trying to cool the beast)

Cooling. No contest. Qpack wins.
Temps will NOT be any issue with Qpack. Great cooling layout.
Aria will have cooling issues unless you cut holes in case.
(note: You can use Zalman 7000 series with Aria, just as you can with Qpack. It fits).

Ease of use, setup and install.
Again, no contest. Qpack wins.
Qpack is a little larger, in all the right places.
Qpack has removable motherboard tray.
Qpack motherboard, etc, easy to install.
Aria motherboard, etc, PITA to install, as must remove PS and supports to work on it.
The Aria does have easily detachable side and top panels, which help greatly when installing components (or leave a panel off to help cooling).

And the big one everyone mentions.
Power Supply. Qpack wins.
Qpack use standard ATX power supply.
Aria uses proprietary power supply, so when it fails, you are screwed.
Antec Aria power supply is lowest quality part Antec makes, and they fail often.
Antec no longer cross ships, so when power supply fails, you can not use temporary replacement (because it won't fit), and instead will be without PC for about 3 weeks, which is about how long it takes for your defective Antec supply to get to Antec, which they then inspect fully before they decide to ship a replacement, then ground shipping for replacement to go from Antec to you.

(Most Qpack users are indeed using the stock power supply. New version even has split rails.)

For HTPC, Athenatech A100 (even the included 200+ watt FSP Group PSUs work great with everything).
For SFF game box, or just a cool looking desktop, Qpack.
For those that get excited when they hear Antec Power supply, and "think" quality, Aria.

Antec quality better?
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=27&threadid=1676206&enterthread=y
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=37&threadid=1753148&enterthread=y
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...hreadid=1592069&enterthread=y&arctab=y
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...hreadid=1361986&enterthread=y&arctab=y
 
I used this case when I built my HTPC back in summer of '04. I agree that the cooling isn't very great if you want a quiet media PC, but it is acceptable in my noisy house (2 year old chocolate lab & 7 month old son). 🙂

Here's my build gallery:

HTPC link
 
Thanks Rob for the info! I haven't seen this Aspire case in person, but when I saw the Aria, I thought that it was a bit cheap looking and much larger than I thought that it would be. I was expecting something the size of a little Shuttle XPC or something. If the Aria is cramped on space inside, they sure didn't utilize the space very well then.
 
I was going to go witht eh sliver stone too but the cost was huge turn off.
I didn't relaly like the look of the Xpacks at first. I really didn't want a window and most the verison had windows. I notice they had the Aria in my local store (CC). After look at and felling the Aria I hated it. It seems cheap looking. I think ask for actually pictures from users of the Xpack and they looked ok. I just got mine in 1 week ago and it very nice looking in all black with no windows. I think the silver comes with no windows too.

Over from the review it thought Xpack was better case. From my home use I very much like it. I know I would not have been happy with Aria on my desk. Maybe if came in a different color. Only negativce i have is the standard PSU doesn't come with a PCI-e Power connector. The Aria doesn't either but I need one I have to find one locally or get another PSU. I'm suck with onboard video for the next few days. 🙂 Well it give me time to test OC it. Since I can't play games on it yet.
 
ive been using the aria for quite some time now. All in all i think its a pretty nice case but i do agree that the card reader is low quality. Mine doesnt work, it only works if i open up the system and physically reconnect it. if you plan on only having 1 hard drive then i think its a decent system. Right now i have stock cooling on my 2.8c P4, so its rather noisy, but the case itself is pretty sturdy and well made. Im happy with it but i wouldnt mind trying to build a rig with the Q-pack too.
 
Thanks Rob I am looking into making a HTPC and I will defenitely check out the Athenatech A100 series it looks like a nice case.
 
I am looking for a case to put an Asus A8N-CSM VM and Athlon 64 X2 3800+, as well as a fe wother normal components, HDD, DVD, memory the usual stuff. I am using onboard video, but may use a PCI sound card(but the onboard sound is good, so if I buy the SPDIF bracket, then I may use it instead. It could posibbly also have an HDTV Wonder and maybe a analog tuner as well, but that should be about it. I was originally leaning towards the aria, but I am not a huge fan of its look, and it does have its issues but its still in the running. I am willing to considering anything, but along with the aria my other two leading candidates are the aformentioned Athenatech A100, and the aspire XQpack. The xpack is nice for its interior space, and ability to use a standard ATX PSU in some cases, but its a little big on the outside for my space, but I could probablly make it work. I haven't looked at the athenatech specs yet, but it appears to be rather small which is nice, but I assume it uses a non standard PSU.


This will house my main rig/somewhat HTPC. I will have my currently in build progress file server in an antec sx1030b under my desk. And I want my other systemt o be at this deak as well, so size is somewhat of an issue, as I don't have a ton of space. So basically this rig will be my daily use computer, not likely to see any heavy gaming, definately not without a video card. It will also be used as my output device to my front projector. So it will be used to watch DVD's and record shows from the HDTV. I have yet to decide if I will house the HDTV wonder in this unit or not. I may have it in another computer, and just record shows, then send them to my file server and stream them to my main rig from there.
 
i wonder if they named it with the pr0n star in mind😉 maybe for some kinda subconscious connection heh.

it is a tad too big to be cute though..then again aria is well endowed.
 
I want a Qpack once I get an Opty, NF4, and 7800GT. But the selection of mATX boards that are NF4-Ultra and good overclockers... is well nonexistent AFAIK. Is there ANY good mobos to choose from yet fit in all those components as a gaming PC? I would be running an overclocked Opteron 144/146, 4 sticks PC3200, two PATA hdds, 1 DVD combo drive, 7800GT. Audigy Platinum eX (the one that has two separate cards requiring two PCI slots), and whatever case fans to be it cooled. Is this even possible to do?? I really want a small case like that, not for LAN or HTPC or anything, just so its easier to deal with and I want it quiet as well so I'll be getting Panaflos.
 
ASUS-Vintage

Just a quick heads up. I have made about 10 lanrigs just because.......

This form factor is the best. Without question, fully upgradeable.

I had a PCP&C 510 in mine but have since yanked it for my server at home.

OUTSTANDING cooling, looks, size and price.

Mine is an Intel version that I gutted and put in a MATX 865, with a 3.4EE and 2GB CorsairXL, 74GB raptor, 6800Ultra w/NV5, Audigy2 OEM and now an Intel 1000 Nic.

Very good option for very little $$$ to get started 🙂

Thanks,
Dave
 
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