Aspire Qpack or Antec Aria??? Also what's a good socket 939 mATX Mobo?

[ShadoWing]

Thinkin of makin a small form pc for my tv set or something. Which is better, in terms of quality/make/features? Qpack's cheaper and they both look about the same. Anything Antec's one has over qpack?

 

[Ayah]

Antec has heatbuildup over the Qpack.

 

[wwswimming]

maybe i'll get an Aria just i'll have experience with both.

the press-nuts that you use when you screw the cover on, using thumbscrews, are a bit lame. one of them came off.

cheap construction. i like the design, but it's not exactly robust. the handle implies carrying it around.

 

[ShadoWing]

ugh even the ultra microfly is a good choice too, huh

 

[mshan]

From a noise perspective, the Antec NSK2400 might be a better choice:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article591-page1.html

I've got an Aspire X-Qpack as a gaming rig and it's quite nice, but it contains noise very poorly and hard drive vibration is transmitted to the aluminum casing very prominently.

 

[Texun]

I looked at the Antec Aria up close and didn't care for it, but that's just an opinion. I went with the Q-Pack based on the photos on Newegg and haven't regretted it. It's not the strongest case but unless you want to lug it around a lot it should be fine. I used a fanmate on the rear fan to cut down the noise and all was welll until I added a 6600GT. It's a little loud now, but as far as the temps and air flow I can't complain. I only have a S754 Sempron 3100 but I use a Zalman 7000cu (I think that't the model). It's an overkill cooling solution but that's what I wanted. The CPU never runs more than 32C under load and the display is within 1C of what the BIOS reports. I have a 300g Seagate and it seems quiet but I it may be because I can't hear it over the video card. FWIW the Seagate runs at 30C.

 

[Zepper]

The Aria has a proprietary PSU. Check the Ultra MicroFly as mentioned above. It has a bit more room than the other variants. I hate having to hold my nose and recommend Ultra, but this time it's better than the ChenMing or Aspire versions. Just hope nothing goes wrong - as Ultra is part of the Tiger Direct cabal - terrible support...

.bh.

 

[ShadoWing]

hm so the microfly is decent, huh

 

[DaveSimmons]

For low noise and great cooling the NSK2400 is best by far if you have room for it.

Ultra Microfly is, from all the reviews, slightly better than the QPack. See sudhian.com and sffclub.com.

The replacement for the Aria is the NSK1300. It's supposed to be quiet but run hot, so you mght use a low-speed sempron instead of an a64.

The Biostar TForce (nvidia 6100) mATX motherboards are great in socket 754 and 939, but no one has the 939 in stock any more . The socket AM2 version has much less positive reviews at newegg.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: mshan
From a noise perspective, the Antec NSK2400 might be a better choice:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article591-page1.html

Very nice looking case.

 

[Zepper]

SW, the MicroFly is a bit better than the Chenming or Aspire versions because it is a bit longer so a full sized ATX PSU will fit more easily. The others use special PSUs that are about an inch shorter than normal (abt. 4.5" vs 5.5"). They are all a bit flimsy as they don't use thick enough aluminum to keep costs down - but they weigh less because of the thin metal. And you can't always get the fetures you want in the version you want. I don't care for windows in my cases, so I'd have to go with ChenMing or Aspire. I think you're stuck with all three windows in the MicroFly. So I guess it all depends on what you mean by decent. They look good and do what they are designed to do: house a compact, light, portable system. But even on the MicroFly you'll have to play with the cooling to make it cool properly. Compact cases almost always have cooling issues.

.bh.

 

[DaveSimmons]

FYI, you can get Microfly versions with and without windows.

Another choice is a mini-tower or mid-towe.

I just used an NSK4400 mid-tower for a work PC and it's almost silent using the stock PSU, fan and a Zalman 7000-alcu for the CPU. The silver/black scheme could fit in pretty well next to an AV rack. Size is a little shorter and less deep than a Sonata or SLK3000.

The NSK3300 is a little shorter (one less 5.25" bay) but uses a custom sized PSU

 

[PianoMan]

Between MicroFly and Q-Pack, I'd go for the MF - that extra 1" means a lot. Between the MF and the Aria, they're two different animals. I had considered both, but after hearing about the clearance issues with the Aria, I went with the MicroFly instead. This was mainly since the MicroFly was to be my main computer (temporarily), and I couldn't see myself shoehorning an aftermarket HSF and high-powered vid card into an Aria. Looks like the MicroFly was geared toward the hobbyist - it's light and able to house a bunch of stuff.

That said, if you're looking for a quiet computer, the Aria's probably a better bet. If it's for secondary use, beside a TV, it'd be a much better choice than the MicroFly.

One more thing: I second the fact that the MicroFly's side panels are perfect for transmitting sound to the outside. Additionally, the side windows, if equipped, don't have vent holes, making the interior a bit warmer than it should be. You can get the panels without windows, and in that case, the side panels get vent holes.

PM

 

[Texun]

WOW! Reading the size and PS comments made me realize that I forgot one important comment on the Q-Pack. The PSU is junk! I replaced the first time I fired it up. I replaced it with an Antec TP 430 and used an NEC 3550 but it was tight. Nothing is badly crimped but anything larger or longer won't work. Had I know this I would have gone with another case. I like the end result, but the case alone is not worth the price. I had a new Thermaltake but it was too long when used with the NEC 3550A. A short profile drive like a LiteOn probably would have worked but I wasn't interested in ditching one drive for the other.