Antec Three Hundred VS COOLER MASTER ELITE 335

[ViviTheMage]

cooler master 335

antec 300

the cooler master can be had for 29$ shipped at fry's, after 10$ MIR, and 49.99 for the Antec 300.


How much nicer is it having the PSU on the bottom like on that Antec 300?

 

[Daverino]

I cannot speak for the Cooler Master, but I just completed a build in the Antec 300 and it was a joy to work with. It's a smaller case, so it's going to be a touch cramped, but that's to be expected. It has five fan positions, two of which are included. I loaded them up with Scythe Flex fans and had great temperatures with little noise. The cabling space made it easy to keep the cables out of the way of the air. The only negative, which is an issue I think I've had with every case I've dealt with, is that the front side cables were too short. I could not get the HD Audio cable for the front side to reach the connector on the motherboard unless it cut diagonally across the whole board. So I'd give a big thumbs up to the 300.

 

[Eureka]

Go with the cheaper one. Having the PSU at the bottom is overrated, while it does help with lowering the center of mass of your case, its not that great since the PSU is a major heat source, and since heat rises you'll be dumping all of that back into your case. Plus the CM has tool-less features (which stink but at least they're there). However both will be a headache for cable management (I don't see a stock way to route behind the motherboard tray).

 

[yh125d]

Originally posted by: Eureka
Go with the cheaper one. Having the PSU at the bottom is overrated, while it does help with lowering the center of mass of your case, its not that great since the PSU is a major heat source, and since heat rises you'll be dumping all of that back into your case. Plus the CM has tool-less features (which stink but at least they're there). However both will be a headache for cable management (I don't see a stock way to route behind the motherboard tray).

Um, no. PSU's arent that a big of a heat source, assuming your model is somewhat efficient, and they just immediately exhaust the heat they do create. I can touch my PSU case when I've been gaming and its cool to the touch. It's definitely not heating up my case at all

 

[error8]

Originally posted by: Eureka
Go with the cheaper one. Having the PSU at the bottom is overrated, while it does help with lowering the center of mass of your case, its not that great since the PSU is a major heat source, and since heat rises you'll be dumping all of that back into your case. Plus the CM has tool-less features (which stink but at least they're there). However both will be a headache for cable management (I don't see a stock way to route behind the motherboard tray).

You can't be more wrong then that.

PSUs are not a major heat source, they are probably one of the coolest components inside the case, since, like yh125d said, all the heat they generate they exhaust it really fast. These cases, with the PSU mounted at the bottom, are very helpful, exactly for the PSU, since it's now cooled by the cooler air that sits at the bottom of the case. When installed in the upper part of the case, the PSU uses the hottest air available, to cool itself down, which is really stressful for it, probably making it run less efficient and reducing its lifetime.

I don't know for the CM case, but Antec 300 has a special place where you can conceal your cables. So cable management is not a headache at all, for the Antec 300. Plus , it has more places to install fans and it's very, very well ventilated.
The only downside is the lack of an air filter on the 120 mm fan place on the side and the lack of any kind of soundproof materials.

The tool-less feature seems to me that it's blow out of proportions, since what's the big deal if you use a screwdriver when you install your hard drive, or you use a manual plastic clip? It's not like you are going to install hard drives every 10 minutes or so, every day in your case. You put it there for months, or even years and you don't care if it lasts 2 minutes more to install it. So tool-less is a non feature, at least for me. It doesn't matter

 

[ViviTheMage]

well, the 300 has some great reviews...and I like the options for the fans. Any recommendations on quiet fans to fit inside of it? How are the stock ones?

Quality wise, I would think the 300 is the better choice.... hmmm

 

[error8]

The stock fans are quiet, on their first speed ( since they have three speeds), but once you use the second speed, they become noisy. The third speed is hell on earth.

 

[ViviTheMage]

haha, well what should I get to replace them?

 

[zagood]

I have the 300, I like it. Also check out the CM 690, a good alternative if you can find it on sale.

I've replaced all my fans. Every time I get an Antec case, I think, eh, the fans aren't that bad on Low, then I replace one, and the others all get replaced within a month.

2x Yate Loon D12SL-12 front intake
1x Noctua NF-S12-800 side intake (got it for cheap)
1x Scythe SFF21F rear exhaust
stock 140mm exhaust (replacing next)

all controlled through a sunbeam rheobus except the noctua @ full speed.

 

[ViviTheMage]

I'd prefer fans that were low, 24/7 and pushed OK air...since there can be so many, they don't need to be amazing...they NEED to be quiet. I don't want to have to get a fan controller if I can help it.

 

[ViviTheMage]

I just purchased the Antec 300 for 49.99$ shipped, new. Soo, what fans should I throw in this thing to be super quiet, all day? But cool really well?

 

[zagood]

What are you putting in it? What's your budget?

Read this:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article695-page1.html

Then this:
http://www.madshrimps.be/?action=getarticle&articID=892

To keep away from fan controllers, you can always use these for 7v:
http://www.quietpcusa.com/Zalm...stor-Cable-P102C0.aspx

 

[theAnimal]

Originally posted by: Eureka
Having the PSU at the bottom is overrated, while it does help with lowering the center of mass of your case, its not that great since the PSU is a major heat source, and since heat rises you'll be dumping all of that back into your case.

If your PSU does not have a fan at the back but rather on the bottom (or top if flipped), then that fan will be an intake and not an exhaust which would make it impossible for the PSU to dump hot air into the case.

 

[Odysseus145]

I have an Antec 300 and I couldn't be more satisfied. It keeps the innards nice and cool. I don't know anything about the Cooler Master though.

 

[zagood]

Originally posted by: theAnimal

Originally posted by: Eureka
Having the PSU at the bottom is overrated, while it does help with lowering the center of mass of your case, its not that great since the PSU is a major heat source, and since heat rises you'll be dumping all of that back into your case.

If your PSU does not have a fan at the back but rather on the bottom (or top if flipped), then that fan will be an intake and not an exhaust which would make it impossible for the PSU to dump hot air into the case.

@Eureka - A PSU does radiate some heat that won't all be exhausted by its fan, but it's not that much, unless the PSU has a really poor design.

@Animal - I see what you're saying, but confusing wording - a PSU always exhausts air out its back. A PSU's "intake" fan pushes air through the PSU and out the back with or without an "exhaust" fan.

 

[alkalinetaupehat]

Friend got an Antec 300 for christmas and so far has been throughly satisfied with it. Seeing though as the OP has purchased the case already, this post therefore serves little purpose...

Nvm, I'll give it a purpose: I may have the core to a fileserver if things work out, given that there are no B&M stores around where I live, am I correct in thinking that the $15 in savings after shipping cost for the CM case still does not justify it being picked over the Antec 300?

Oh wait, there's now free shipping on the 300. SWEET.

Edit: 2-4-6 posts. Cool.

 

[ViviTheMage]

exactly alkaline ...free shipping/no tax (depending on where you live) how could I not get it?