Any comments on the cooler master pac-t01

[you2]

One of these days (3 or 4 weeks) I'm going to order/build a new 939 system. Right now i'm looking for a nice case. Anyone have any comments on the pac-t01 or suggestions for a better case. My previous case was a kingwin kt-424 (black) which I really like (though reviews suggest it was non optimal (not bad just not great) in the cooling department. Alas this case is no longer made (can't find it anywhere) so I'm looking for something different. As you can tell I like plain simple case (no front door, no fancy curvy plastic, no windows). From the reviews the major negatives of the pac-t01 are the 80mm fans and price.

The system I'm going to build will be simple but fast (939, 7900gt or x1800xt, single hard disk, single optical reader, no floppy, ...)

I'd prefer a case without a power supply (the p150 looks interesting but you can't get it without the psu). All suggestions welcomed. Or perhaps I've already selected the best option given my choice in style?

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

The KT-424 is an excellent case. Wish I had bought one for sister's build over the SkyHawk. If your up to modding(cutting) three 92mm fan ports the 424 would be hard to beat as it would have VG but quiet air flow. I have two Lian Li mid-towers. One does not have a slide-out tray and is less fun to work with. Both have been modded for 92 or 120 fans. A slide-out tray is a must for me.

The 424 is avalible and is sold as Beantech or Igloo, iirc. Search this Forum for both. Look in the archives too.

If I were to buy a case w/o door (hate case doors ) the Akasa Eclipse 62 would be at the top of a very short list. Search this Forum for this case and several new owner reviews will come up. 2-120 fans, no door + slide-out tray. $146.

...Galvanized

 

[you2]

Thank you for the comments. Does anyone actually know where to buy the kt 424 ?? (the last thread to mention it - mentioned a place called directron had them but they are now sold out).

I'll check out the Akasa - it is a bit expensive but perhaps I'll give it a shot. Yea - i hate case doors - esp on a game sys.

Btw i'm not really into case modding - my apartment is too small for it (long story )

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Yeah, over $100 is a bit much for a case but I'm modded out for awhile. The KT-424
comes up on Froggle for around $100. I like the fact it's 2mm aluminum.
Shop Lian Li, the PC-7B plus has 2-120 fans but no slide-out tray for around $100.

I'll pull the trigger on the Akasa case in about three months.

...Galvanized

 

[you2]

I took a look at the Akasa -- i think style wise i prefer the cooler master and it is $50 cheaper. I checked froogle but all the places it listed had it marked as sold out. Also at the price they were asking > $100 I'm not sure kt 424 is as good as a case as the cooler master (any opinion?).

How do you think the lian li pc-7b compare to the cooler master? (i don't require slide-out tray - so perhaps that's the case for me - will take a look now!).

Dang - that Lian looks decent. Hum... thanks!

 

[Operandi]

I commented on the Praetorian PAC-T01 vs. the Lian Li 65B from another thread.

Originally posted by: Operandi
I've used both, the CoolerMaster is better in almost all regards. Heres why...

The CoolerMaster's frame is made from much thicker AL which makes for a very solid feeling case. The bezel is made from a heavy peice of milled AL with beveled edges, the Lian Li uses thinner stamped AL for the front. The CM also has better air flow; free flowing wire grills all around vs. the cheap & and restrictive stamped exhaust opening on the Lian Li.

About the only negative I can think of are the cheesy "Praetorian" logo in the upper left of the bezel but I always sand it off with a fine grade sand paper.

I would disagree with Galvanized; two 120mm fans would be preferred but the use of four 80mms is hardly a deal breaker. For every build of this case I've either used four of these low speed NMBs or four Panaflo L1As, intakes running at 5v while the exhausts were thermally controlled via the motherboard. The four NMBs were enough to keep a 3700+, 6800GT, two 7200 HD system in the low to mid 30s so I wouldn't worry about cooling potential unless you plan to run very hot hardware. I never ran the stock fans so I can?t comment there.

The PC-7B is an improvement in many ways over the PC-6x series but in terms of build quality the CoolerMaster is a bit nicer. I also don't feel that the use of 4x 80mm fans vs. 2x 120mm fans is that big of a disadvantage; I would go the the CoolerMaster.

 

[Zepper]

Yeah, directron is now out of the Beantech aluminum cases. Kicking self for not having grabbed one while I could... Froogle turns up some 424 hits, but at $125. and up, you really have to NEED to have one... I also found a few Beantech (silver only) at http://www.cemalpcstore.com which has no reseller rating yet (also lists no physicsl address or phone number on web site - I'm very leery about that). But if you want one at a still reasonable price, it looks like that's it - and they might not even really have it either.

How about Silverstone: TJ-02, TJ-04? Not all aluminum but not as pricey either.

.bh.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: Zepper
Yeah, directron is now out of the Beantech aluminum cases. Kicking self for not having grabbed one while I could... Froogle turns up some 424 hits, but at $125. and up, you really have to NEED to have one... I also found a few Beantech (silver only) at http://www.cemalpcstore.com which has no reseller rating yet (also lists no physicsl address or phone number on web site - I'm very leery about that). But if you want one at a still reasonable price, it looks like that's it - and they might not even really have it either.

.bh.

Looks like a direct copy of the PAC-T01 only with inferior air flow, and thinner AL.

 

[you2]

The inside is a bit different.

 

[you2]

How does the ATC201 compare to the pac t01?

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Originally posted by: Operandi
I commented on the Praetorian PAC-T01 vs. the Lian Li 65B from another thread.

Originally posted by: Operandi
I've used both, the CoolerMaster is better in almost all regards. Heres why...

The CoolerMaster's frame is made from much thicker AL which makes for a very solid feeling case. The bezel is made from a heavy peice of milled AL with beveled edges, the Lian Li uses thinner stamped AL for the front. The CM also has better air flow; free flowing wire grills all around vs. the cheap & and restrictive stamped exhaust opening on the Lian Li.

About the only negative I can think of are the cheesy "Praetorian" logo in the upper left of the bezel but I always sand it off with a fine grade sand paper.

I would disagree with Galvanized; two 120mm fans would be preferred but the use of four 80mms is hardly a deal breaker. For every build of this case I've either used four of these low speed NMBs or four Panaflo L1As, intakes running at 5v while the exhausts were thermally controlled via the motherboard. The four NMBs were enough to keep a 3700+, 6800GT, two 7200 HD system in the low to mid 30s so I wouldn't worry about cooling potential unless you plan to run very hot hardware. I never ran the stock fans so I can?t comment there.

The PC-7B is an improvement in many ways over the PC-6x series but in terms of build quality the CoolerMaster is a bit nicer. I also don't feel that the use of 4x 80mm fans vs. 2x 120mm fans is that big of a disadvantage; I would go the the CoolerMaster.

A running gun fight

Give me two slow spinning 120s anyday over 4-80s=longer*quiet*fan life & less wiring.
If one chooses to use a fan controller the less wiring the better.
I'm willing to cut, solder splice & heat shrink but most won't. So any comp wiring is a
non-issue for me. Plus, up-grading 4 fans is a bit more $$ than up-grading 2 fans.

I agree to disagree Operandi As a self claimed silence freak you should know the fewer
fans the better for dBA.

If your out to get me Operandi, I'm up to the task


...Galvanized

 

[Zepper]

They are all pretty much Lian Li look-alikes. The PAC-T01 has no modern conveniences inside. The Kingwin/Beantech has 2mm front panel and 1.5mm chassis aluminum. I doubt the CM is significantly better. They also have built-in fan controllers and other "ease of use" features that CM lacks.

.bh.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: you2
How does the ATC201 compare to the pac t01?

It's the exact same case, they just gave it a fancy name.... "Praetorian".

Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee

A running gun fight

Give me two slow spinning 120s anyday over 4-80s=longer*quiet*fan life & less wiring.
If one chooses to use a fan controller the less wiring the better.
I'm willing to cut, solder splice & heat shrink but most won't. So any comp wiring is a
non-issue for me. Plus, up-grading 4 fans is a bit more $$ than up-grading 2 fans.

I agree to disagree Operandi As a self claimed silence freak you should know the fewer
fans the better for dBA.

If your out to get me Operandi, I'm up to the task


...Galvanized

Cutting, soldering, splicing, and heat shrinking not required; all you need is a simple Y adapter. In my experience finding quality quiet 80mm fans is much easier and cheaper then getting 120mm ones, but as far as price goes it could go either way really.

Noise isn't much of an issue either when you are dealing with such low dBA levels, the number of sources isn't an important factor. The real advantage of having 120mm fans is the amount of air they move for the relatively little noise they produce.

I'm not at all "out to get you" I just think the world is boring place when everyone has the same opinion.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: Zepper
They are all pretty much Lian Li look-alikes. The PAC-T01 has no modern conveniences inside. The Kingwin/Beantech has 2mm front panel and 1.5mm chassis aluminum. I doubt the CM is significantly better. They also have built-in fan controllers and other "ease of use" features that CM lacks.

.bh.

Are talking about the same case?

I'm looking at a review of the Kingwin KT-424 and from those pictures the build quality looks quite a bit lower then that of the CoolerMasters.

I can't find any specs on the PAC-T01's panel thickness but on the Kingwin I noticed the "cheap" stamped exhaust opening on the rear fan, typically that?s something you only find on thinner pieces of AL. On the CoolerMaster the entire MB tray is constructed of very thick AL, stamping probably wouldn't even be practical so the opening is completely cut away with a wire grill in place. The CoolerMaster also has uses a thick piece of AL for it's front bezel, they also beveled all the edges. Which is pretty impressive looking and not something I've seen on any other case.

Then there is the fact that almost every piece on the CoolerMaster is made from AL, all the way down to the power button and the little spring loaded door covering the front USB / Firewire ports, which is just a cheap piece of plastic on the Kingwin.

Aside from the built in fan controller I don't see how the Kingwin differs at in terms of features.

 

[Zepper]

Aluminum is normally quite soft and easily shaped or stamped. I don't know anyone that wants a nice conservative aluminum case that would kick the 424 or Igloo out of the house over such small differences. The KW has toolless drive mounts and HD bushings. KW 2, CM 0.

.bh.

 

[you2]

I'm confused. You said the ATC201 was the same as the PAC T01 but the ATC201 has 120mm back fan ??

 

[you2]

Last question: Is this the case I want:

http://www.directron.com/atc201csx2.html

The description sez micro atx and material is ssc (not aluminum) yet the model number seems to match ???

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Only the front bezel is aluminum. Google for reviews.

Link reviews and discuss.


...Galvanized

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: you2
Last question: Is this the case I want:

http://www.directron.com/atc201csx2.html

The description sez micro atx and material is ssc (not aluminum) yet the model number seems to match ???

Thats rather strange.

The pics they list defenetly show the AL ATC. I think I would stick with the PAC-T01 so you know what exactly you are getting.

 

[you2]

I'm not sure what you are suggesting GalvanizedYankee. All the reviews I could find of the ATC-201 indicate it should weigh 13ish lb and has no secc.

 

[you2]

bleh Lian or coolmaster hum who won the fight between GalvanizedYankee and Operandi. (I looked at hte silverstone the style is nice but hte price is about the same and there were issues). Hum - how about the Lian pc-60B plus - it has 2 120mm fans and 2 80mm. Toms hardware review make it sound like this case would beat the coolermaster hand down. With 2 of each everyone would be happy.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

you2, three things should be considered seriously, imho, when putting together a system.

A good display because this is the real window we work with. I up-graded to a very high end used 22"CRT and it has preformed as new for four years, DoM 5/01. It has a high refresh rate and causes no eye strain. Should be good for several more years.

A good PSU because it will see several up-grades if chosen well. Desktop PSUs are speced for a 5 year service life, some may live longer. Server/workstation PSUs are speced for a 10 year service life. Military spec is 20 years iirc.
I chose to use server grade PSUs. If case air flow is good the loud fan can be down rated for quiet if not done with a need for total silence. Note: With 70C as a base temp, for every 10C drop electrolytic cap life increases by a factor of 2. Also bare in mind output of cheap consumer PSUs drops like a rock as temps rise above 30C.

The above will help define my mind set and is why I suggested the Akasa case. A good case will be easy to work with, have VG quiet air flow, live through several builds, age as well as Sophia Loren (Google images) and in ten years be handed down or be a server.
Note: With the Akasa all panels are removable leaving a stand-alone aluminum frame. I sure like that.

Get whatever meets YOUR needs. Many buy throw-away cases every or every other build. My two Lian Li mid-towers will never be sold but put to some use within the family.

If you looking for the cheap unreliable path, chose an Aspire case that comes with a PSU


...Galvanized

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: you2
bleh Lian or coolmaster hum who won the fight between GalvanizedYankee and Operandi. (I looked at hte silverstone the style is nice but hte price is about the same and there were issues). Hum - how about the Lian pc-60B plus - it has 2 120mm fans and 2 80mm. Toms hardware review make it sound like this case would beat the coolermaster hand down. With 2 of each everyone would be happy.

I think you would probably be happy no matter which way you went, both are going to be very nice cases.

But to set the record straight 80mm fans don't really hold any advantage over 120mm variants aside from them being cheaper and having a wider selection of quality units, and maybe slightly quieter under the most extreme circumstances The whole reason I'm advocating for the PAC-T01 is it's build quality, it's just a cut above the Lian Li PC 6x and 7x series. I should also say I'm currently using a Lian LI PC-6070 (though modified) for my main system.

Maybe the deciding factor should be what kind of hardware you plan to be running. If you plan to stick in ultra high-end and therefore ultra hot running hardware maybe you would be better off with a case with 2x 120mm setup. Otherwise for anything but the hottest components I think a case like the PAC-T01 would be fine. For reference the hottest setup I've ever put in the PAC-T01 was a nForce4, AMD A64 3700+, 6800GT, 2x 7200 RPM HD system. Cooling was done with 4 80mm MNB fans that run at 1200RPM which is really very minimal; needless to say the system ran nice and cool.

 

[you2]

Ok thanks Operandi. I was just kind of making a joke. The reason I mentioned the lian pc-60plus was from anandtech review and that it had a dedicated fan for the chipset (I won't be using an aftermarket cooler).

My potential build is very similar to yours with the only major difference being the graphic card (either 7900gt or 1800xt). I suspect the 7900gt is not much hotter than the 6800gt but the x1800xt is probably a different story. But I won't overclock very much so it shouldn't be too bad.

I also suspect you are correct in that all three cases would be adequate for this build and all three have very similar external. So I'll probably just pick one @ order time based on price and mood and sales.

Thanks all for the helpful comments.

 

[Operandi]

Good luck with the build, whichever case you choose. :thumbsup:

FYI, the 7900GT is actually most likely a bit cooler then the 6800GT, and 1800XT.