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Looking for a quiet, compact, high quality case

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OzzieGT

Senior member
I'm looking for a small, compact case for a low power system. The system is going to be an Athlon II x4 with integrated graphics and one or maybe two hard drives. I am going to be using a Micro ATX board.

My last case lasted my around 8 years through 2-3 different builds so I am hoping for similar life out of my next case.

Right now I am only considering Antec...is there anyone else I should look into?

My short list right now so you can get an idea of what I am looking for.

Antec Mini P180 - I really like the way the case looks but it's not really much smaller than a normal mid tower. Also concerned about the proprietary 200mm fan at the top.

Antec Sonata Elite - Looks nice, worried that the side vent design next to the hard drives will be noisy

Antec NSK3480 - Much cheaper than the above two since it includes the power supply, but doesn't look as nice. Maybe it looks better in person? Also is the included power supply good quality? It has an 80mm fan on the PSU and I really wanted 120mm

Antec Solo - Seems to be a highly recommended case, but costs more than the Sonata...which is better? I am worried about the longevity of the rubber HDD mounts

That's pretty long for a short list. I'm thoroughly confused. Suggestions?
 
Mini P180 is my first vote.

However it only takes mATX.
 
I built a rig for my wife using the Solo & it's VERY quiet, but I really wouldn't consider it compact.
No problems w/the HDD mounts.
Her rig is an E6300 w/Xigmatek cooler & 7900GT video. 120mm in front intake & 120mm rear exhaust...both stock fans that came w/case.
I'm somewhat envious of how quiet it is. I actually think it's quiet as a Dell/Compaq/Store-bought!
 
Those of you who have the p180, do you use the top fan at all? Does it make any noise? I probably won't even need to use it as the rear 120mm fan will provide enough flow for my system...
 
I've owned a P180 & really wasn't that impressed with it. I got a great deal on it...I guess that & the hype surrounding it made me jump.
It's an ok case...there's certainly better cases out there for the money.
The main reason I didn't like it was the poor quality side panels. The tabs that hooked into the side rails on the chassis were plastic & they had a tendency to shear off. The interior was pure Antec. Easily removable drive cages, nice construction. It's just the "skin" that seemed cheap, to me.
The fans were ok as long as they were on Low. Once you move them to medium & especially high did they get obnoxious. Use of the front fan is hit or miss, I guess...depending on your HSF configuration. I used both...don't know why...guess because they were there. 🙂
I actually prefer the Solo over the P180B. Granted, it doesn't have the "chambers" of the P180B nor the "wire management" features, but for what you're putting in it, I think you'll be happy.
Another case you might consider, although it's not an Antec (but you did ask if "there's anyone else I should look into"), is the Lian Li PC-A05NB.
It's an ATX Mini-Tower...compact like you want.
The design is odd...rear intake, front exhaust, but it's also extremely customizable...see here.
It's around the same price as the Antecs you mentioned too.
Give it a look & google around for people that's used it for their builds. You might grow to love it. 🙂
I've had two Lian Li cases...the current being a V1000BW...& am very impressed with the quality & workmanship.
 
I keep hearing "solo solo solo" everywhere, so I had pretty much decided on that. But I will have to give this Lian Li a look for sure. Thanks for the tip
 
The more I think it about it, the more appealing the NSK3480 is. It's cheap, has an isolated hard drive mount, and is small. The solo would be my next choice but you are looking at almost twice the cost once you include a good quality PSU. Any thoughts on this one?

The Lian Li is nice but I don't want to fork out the $$ for a CD ROM faceplate, and also I don't think it will work with 120mm power supplies.
 
Originally posted by: OzzieGT
The more I think it about it, the more appealing the NSK3480 is. It's cheap, has an isolated hard drive mount, and is small. The solo would be my next choice but you are looking at almost twice the cost once you include a good quality PSU. Any thoughts on this one?

The Lian Li is nice but I don't want to fork out the $$ for a CD ROM faceplate, and also I don't think it will work with 120mm power supplies.
Click to expand...

The 3480 may be a little noisier than the Solo due to the extra vent.
I don't understand what you meant about forkng over extra $$ for a CD ROM faceplate. Is your CD ROM silver? Both the Solo & the 3480 have black fronts too.
Also, the LL WILL work w/120mm PSU's. The link I gave you on the custom build the guy was using a Corsair HX620 PSU.
Just remember that you wanted a case you'd be keeping for several years. Don't settle on anything. Get what you want and what you'll be happy with for however many years you'll keep it. Also keep in mind whether you might upgrade in the future, component-wise, & make sure you have the case for that as well.
 
My cd rom is black, but I don't think it will fit in with the nice aluminum front of the Lian Li unless I buy a faceplate. The antec faces are black plastic so it seems like the drives will fit in better.

Looking at that build again, I don't see where the PSU is getting the air from...is there a small gap at the bottom where the air can flow in? Is it enough room for adequate air flow?

You are right I should probably get the Solo instead of hte NSK3480 if I go that route. Still looking at the Lian li though...
 
Originally posted by: OzzieGT
My cd rom is black, but I don't think it will fit in with the nice aluminum front of the Lian Li unless I buy a faceplate. The antec faces are black plastic so it seems like the drives will fit in better.

Looking at that build again, I don't see where the PSU is getting the air from...is there a small gap at the bottom where the air can flow in? Is it enough room for adequate air flow?

You are right I should probably get the Solo instead of hte NSK3480 if I go that route. Still looking at the Lian li though...
Click to expand...

I was in the same predicament w/my LL. It didn't look bad at all, but I did break down & buy the covers when I had some extra cash so I could have the "stealth" look.
The PSU is sitting on a little "perch", allowing it to get airflow from the rear.
I think it's a case you could have fun with, & it meets all your requirements. 🙂
 
One thing I don't understand is that the case is on ChiefValue for the same price but with free shipping. Shipping on newegg is $14.
 
Originally posted by: OzzieGT
One thing I don't understand is that the case is on ChiefValue for the same price but with free shipping. Shipping on newegg is $14.
Click to expand...

Then i'd order from ChiefValue...or get a Newegg CSR on a live chat & politely ask if they'd wave shipping charges (which usually they do). 🙂
 
As mentioned before, the Solo isn't very compact. It's an excellent "quiet" case, but about the same size as the 300 and pretty heavy.

I really that NSK3480. Very nice use of space.
 
Looking at that Lian Li, I am worried that the hard drives won't get any airflow. There really isn't any air flow over the hard drives at all. But now that I think about it, the hard drives in my current case don't get much cooling either.

I am also looking at this other lian li, http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811112220

The problem there is, the PSU is mounted over the motherboard and I am worried I won't be able to use any aftermarket CPU coolers with it. I can't find any pictures of this case with a PSU and motherboard mounted in it.
 
Originally posted by: OzzieGT
Looking at that Lian Li, I am worried that the hard drives won't get any airflow. There really isn't any air flow over the hard drives at all. But now that I think about it, the hard drives in my current case don't get much cooling either.

I am also looking at this other lian li, http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811112220

The problem there is, the PSU is mounted over the motherboard and I am worried I won't be able to use any aftermarket CPU coolers with it. I can't find any pictures of this case with a PSU and motherboard mounted in it.
Click to expand...

I can't seem to find any reviews on that case, save for the single entry on Newegg's site.
Back to the A05B, go here & look at that build. It's a stock build...no cutting, modding, etc. There you'll see a pic of the HDD cage. It's directly in front of the front exhaust, which is directly in line w/the rear intake.
I don't think i've read any complaints about drives for those cases heating up...even when they mount them in other locations.
 
Ooh, ok. I didn't realize there was a fan there. Can't see it in the newegg photos. I think I will probably go with the Lian Li then. It's a little deep but I think I can get it to fit on my printer table.

wtf how did this end up before your post?
 
Umm, posting this again because it ended up before your post. I think Anandtech needs to sync their system clocks.

I didn't realize there was a fan there. Can't see it in the newegg photos. I think I will probably go with the Lian Li then. It's a little deep but I think I can get it to fit on my printer table.
 
I think you'll enjoy it & that it'll last you probably as long as you want to keep it.
Plus, whenever you get the itch (i.e. funds), you can start modding it!
🙂
 
I'd check the LL case very carefully as they often design case features "because they can" not because they make any practical or technical sense. Besides they still have no real US support office, so you're stuck with what you can get thru your retailer.

Arctic Cooling has made some compact cases which come with PSUs OEM by Seasonic. May be hard to find, but may be down your alley. Here is a review but the English is a bit rough and requires the ability to ferret out what they really mean in spots (site is in the Netherlands): http://www.guru3d.com/article/...tium-t3-eco-80-review/ . The older version of the Silentium is still found on some dealer sites here. They had the non-80 Plus, lower powered PSUs - most else is the same. To help keep the dust at bay, I'd suggest raising the case off the floor at least 8-10" as air intake is mostly thru the plastic base (which was quite brittle as reported in some early reviews, so be careful with it. They may have gone to a more sturdy plastic for the new version, but IDK for sure.) These are a bit under 18" tall and deep, incl. plastic foot.

.bh.

PS: Even though Newegg and Chief Value are basically the same company (items purchased from the Egg will often be shipped to east coast customers from the CV address) , they do have some differences to set CV apart as not just a shipping warehouse of the Egg, so worthwhile to check for best bottom line. I often get UPS ground labeled items on the next day (assuming I ordered early enough) to my central NY (fingerlakes) address. .bh.
 
Yeah I would like to have a computer that I can put on the floor if I need to...also not really feeling the fragile base. Don't really like the looks either. Thanks for the suggestion tho...definitely an interesting design.

but damn, it's cheap...$65 and it includes a seasonic PSU? The case is practically free.

http://www.svc.com/ac-st3.html
 
Originally posted by: Zepper
I'd check the LL case very carefully as they often design case features "because they can" not because they make any practical or technical sense. Besides the still have no real US support office, so you're stuck with what you can get thru your retailer.

Arctic Cooling has made some compact cases which come with PSUs OEM by Seasonic. May be hard to find, but may be down your alley. Here is a review but the English is a bit rough and requires the ability to ferret out what they really mean in spots (site is in the Netherlands): http://www.guru3d.com/article/...tium-t3-eco-80-review/ . The older version of the Silentium is still found on some dealer sites here. They had the non-80 Plus, lower powered PSUs - most else is the same. To help keep the dust at bay, I'd suggest raising the case off the floor at least 8-10" as air intake is mostly thru the plastic base (which was quite brittle as reported in some early reviews, so be careful with it. They may have gone to a more sturdy plastic for the new version, but IDK for sure.) These are a bit under 18" tall and deep, incl. plastic foot.

.bh.

PS: Even though Newegg and Chief Value are basically the same company (items purchased from the Egg will often be shipped to east coast customers from the CV address) , they do have some differences to set CV apart as not just a shipping warehouse of the Egg, so worthwhile to check for best bottom line. I often get UPS ground labeled items on the next day (assuming I ordered early enough) to my central NY (fingerlakes) address. .bh.
Click to expand...

First time i've heard from you in months & you're slammin' me! 😉


j/k
 
The units at SVC are the left overs of the old series - but that is a GREAT deal. I think they have only one HDD heatsink box while the new design has two..


Tull,

Hi guy, how you and yours doing?

Not slamming you - slamming LL for their occasional weird design choices and service/support practices. Yup, I've been sidelined for a while - things just got too depressing... Just hopped back on for the Columbus weekend (heck even this weekend is a lie as Columbus didn't make it past the Carib. islands - he had no clue what he really found)...

.bh.
 
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