BonzaiDuck
Lifer
- Jun 30, 2004
- 15,891
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Just the case door.Has two spots for fans but i hear some people prefer to basically cover them up to eliminate noise further. The case door panel is pretty flat inside and out which for some reason amplifies the noise the side fan puts out.
Well . . . that was always the trouble with sidepanel fan-mounting. That's why CM came up with that hinged plastic fan-frame close to but not touching the panel of the Stacker. The hinge of the Stacker frame rides on springs, so noise is attenuated both ways.
This also made it less pleasant to use a smaller fan like an 80mm or even a 120mm mounted directly to the side-panel.
Now truth be told, the side-panel for my Sandy machine faces the side of my couch. But there are three computers running in here, and I barely hear anything. Or when I go stick my head between the couch and the side-panel -- it's mostly the white-noise from turbulence, and the turbulence comes from a large 200mm fan spinning no more than 1,700 RPM.
Like I said -- you could take a spring-loaded-punch-marker to make tiny dents in your sidepanel at exactly where you would drill 3/16" or similar holes to expand the fan vent, drill the holes (best with a drill press, but a portable drill and steady hand should work), then drill the corner mounting holes for the larger fan.
I don't think cases in general have much stunning resale value, but if done neatly, it could be marginally appreciated by whoever gets the hand-me-down. A case is not something that needs much of a warranty to worry about. Of course, some people are pretty klutzy with power tools, so YMMV means your risk may vary.
And the other thing -- which you mentioned as an inclination: They build those cases to provide options. If you want a pressurized case, you would surely block off vents where you don't want or need fans. If the case is silver, you can enamel foam art-board. If it's black, there's plenty of black foam art-board wherever you can shop for it. Couple dollars for half a square yard. Useful stuff -- it is . . . .
ADDENDUM: Someone may want to check out my remark today 1/15/14 ~9AM PT on another thread:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?p=35956887
I thought I'd do a re-review of 200x25mm options and criticisms for NZXT. They now have LED versions running at only 700 RPM, but the white/black-shroud version runs around 1,300 RPM. I've got the latter. No problem. But cus-reviews at the Egg on this fan are about 24% 1* "this-is-a-piece-a-s***" assessments. Go figure!
Works for me!
'NOTHER UPDATE: Man! I just got the other NZXT out of storage -- still in the retail box. These things are rated at 166 CFM, noise at 37 dBA. The way I have it installed, it doesn't sound near 37 dBA to me. And like I already said -- none of the cus-review criticisms for 1*-ratings seem to apply.
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