Is the Antec Sonata available in any other colors other than glossy black?

[deftron]

I'd prefer flat black.

I thought I saw someone said they got one in gold (?)

 

[Zepper]

No, but you can get basically the same case under other brand names in different colors. The 3700AMB and 3700BQE among others are quite similar and can be made to run very quietly. Look under Aspire, Enermax, Chieftec, ChenMing/Uneec, Compucase etc. for cases based on the same family of chassis (all actually built by Casetek).
. And the sideways mounted HD bays (like the Sonata/3700BQE et al.) can be problematic if you are using standard ATA HDs (visualize hooking up a pair of opticals and a pair of P-ATA HDs, one of each on two standard IEEE spec 18" IDE cables and you'll see what I mean) - not SATA or SCSI.
.bh.

 

[Falloutboy]

Originally posted by: Zepper
No, but you can get basically the same case under other brand names in different colors. The 3700AMB and 3700BQE among others are quite similar and can be made to run very quietly. Look under Aspire, Enermax, Chieftec, ChenMing/Uneec, Compucase etc. for cases based on the same family of chassis (all actually built by Casetek).
. And the sideways mounted HD bays (like the Sonata/3700BQE et al.) can be problematic if you are using standard ATA HDs (visualize hooking up a pair of opticals and a pair of P-ATA HDs, one of each on two standard IEEE spec 18" IDE cables and you'll see what I mean) - not SATA or SCSI.
.bh.

I've always been told if you have two HDs and Twos Optical put the opticals on one channel and the HDs on the other. something to so with if you have a HD on the same channel as a Optical you stuck at ATA 33

 

[Sid59]

Originally posted by: Falloutboy525

Originally posted by: Zepper
No, but you can get basically the same case under other brand names in different colors. The 3700AMB and 3700BQE among others are quite similar and can be made to run very quietly. Look under Aspire, Enermax, Chieftec, ChenMing/Uneec, Compucase etc. for cases based on the same family of chassis (all actually built by Casetek).
. And the sideways mounted HD bays (like the Sonata/3700BQE et al.) can be problematic if you are using standard ATA HDs (visualize hooking up a pair of opticals and a pair of P-ATA HDs, one of each on two standard IEEE spec 18" IDE cables and you'll see what I mean) - not SATA or SCSI.
.bh.

I've always been told if you have two HDs and Twos Optical put the opticals on one channel and the HDs on the other. something to so with if you have a HD on the same channel as a Optical you stuck at ATA 33

no. just use 80 pin wires, this elimantes the "slow all devices to slowest device"

 

[Zepper]

Well, I don't agree - but then what do I know. I only have about 25 years of playing with these things...
. You get the best performance when the target drive is on another channel from the source drive in any IDE data transfer operation as only one drive can operate at a time on the same channel - the ideal is one drive per IDE channel (cheap 2-channel and RAID capable Syba controller (~$23. shipped from dealsonic.com) that can run about any IDE device ever made, can help make that happen). Of course you will want all drives to be capable of at least UATA 66 (some IDE logic can run ATA33 on the same channel as well without bogging) mode so that the channel isn't bogged (used to be you couldn't get UDMA/UATA 33 and up opticals - not the case any more - perhaps that's where your idea came from). Either isolate slower drives on their own channel or replace them.
. This is but one reason why I use SCSI HDs - up to 15 drives per channel, no bogging! IDE is a kludge by comparison...

.bh.

 

[Zepper]

The SVC.com spam that came today has a Sonata-like case under some name I've never heard before - the Sorme Max 602 in black, silver or beige. It looks pretty good to my eye. The spam has the price at $75. (actually $74.99) while the item's page has it at $100. If you hurry you might be able to schmooze them into the lower price.
.bh.

 

[vlsi54199]

Originally posted by: Zepper
No, but you can get basically the same case under other brand names in different colors. The 3700AMB and 3700BQE among others are quite similar and can be made to run very quietly. Look under Aspire, Enermax, Chieftec, ChenMing/Uneec, Compucase etc. for cases based on the same family of chassis (all actually built by Casetek).
. And the sideways mounted HD bays (like the Sonata/3700BQE et al.) can be problematic if you are using standard ATA HDs (visualize hooking up a pair of opticals and a pair of P-ATA HDs, one of each on two standard IEEE spec 18" IDE cables and you'll see what I mean) - not SATA or SCSI.
.bh.

Zepper, would you please give more information on which case(s) are equivalent to Antec Sonata? especially cheaper and quiter. thanks bunch!

 

[will889]

Originally posted by: Zepper
. You get the best performance when the target drive is on another channel from the source drive in any IDE data transfer operation as only one drive can operate at a time on the same channel - the ideal is one drive per IDE channel
.bh.

Yup. Just posted basically the same thing here. You want your opticals on seperate channels.


http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=27&threadid=1306472&highlight_key=y

 

[will889]

BTW, I truely wish the Antec Sonota came in pearl white (Glossy)

 

[RalfHutter]

Originally posted by: Hoot
BTW, I truely wish the Antec Sonota came in pearl white (Glossy)

The early pre-production/review samples were a pearl white.