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need QUIET case! No modding!

bluemax

Diamond Member
I need some suggestions for good quality cases that are DARN NEAR SILENT right out of the box - no modding!

Antec makes some good quiet cases. I was sure interested in the Aria until the reports started coming in about how it may be quiet while cool - it gets LOUD when so much as warm (let alone hot.)

All kinds of nice stuff like HDD suspension or rubber grommets, etc, should all be in the box.

Please - the noise is killing me! This Shuttle MN31N motherboard is going as well - the stupid northbridge fan puts out an unforgivable din! :|
 
I have the Lian-Li PC-6070. Like the Antect Sonata, it is not silent, but pretty darn quiet with a quiet CPU heatsink and fan. The other possibility, if price is no object, is the Zalman TNN 500A which will trully give you a silent solution right out of the box....

Schnieds
 
Maybe I should clarify.

Mod, or modding, implies MODIFYING the case itself by cutting/adding/removing/trimming/altering it.

Adding a nice heatsink and fan to your CPU is NOT modding.

I already have a quiet hard drive. Video will be fanless. Optical will be replaced later.

Two things make noise in my current PC; Northbridge fan and PSU. Both are unpleasant.

I can keep this mobo if I replace the northbridge fan with a big heatsink (I'll need big, it's an nForce2 IGP) and a case with a VERY quiet cooling system for both PSU and/or case innards.

ASSUME ALL PARTS INSIDE ARE QUIET - THEY ARE, OR WILL BE.
 
The Acousticase 6607. It's an Antec 3700 BQE (black quiet edition) modified to be very quiet. Comes w/ rubber grommets, acoustic padding & foam blocks. You'll need a 120mm Acoustifan for the rear exhuast, it's a very quiet fan, and includes a resistor that will make it dead silent.

As far as a power supply, Cool Max & SilenX both make good fanless power supplies.

You're lucky, you're trying to silence a low end rig, try silencing a 260 watt system and remaining near silent. 😛
 
If I were building another silent system for minimal expense and no modding heres what I'd get.

Case-EVERCASE ATX Tower Case, Model "GC4292R" comes in 8 colors and allows fitment of 120mm fans $33
Case FAN- 120mm and 5volt it is a must SPEEZE "12025S1M3/4" $5
PSU- Fortron Source 400W Power Supply With 12CM Fan, Model "FSP400-60PNU-R1" $65
Heat sink - ZALMAN CNPS7000A-AlCu $35
HD's either samsung or seagates 8mb cached/3yr warranty versions with fluid bearings.

case link

Please - the noise is killing me! This Shuttle MN31N motherboard is going as well - the stupid northbridge fan puts out an unforgivable din!
---------------
You need to put a passive NB heat sink on that mobo. Zalman sells one. I also have the Aria with MN31N mobo and only have one fan, the PSU fan. I get away with it by undervolting the chip to 1.2 with zalman flower for HS and using onboard video. Really I recommend this case if you do things right. The biggest problem is deciding on a heat sink which both fits and is quiet. Also if you have a highend video card cooling can be a serious problem since the case runs hot.
 
Most northbridge fans are tiny, high-RPM, which is why they sound like banshees. They usually have to be, because the heatsinks are crap too.

If you have good air flow through your case, you can probably get away with passive cooling from a quality northbridge heatsink.
 
Antec Sonata does a good job.

if you want to put out the money, the Lian-Li PC-V1100 does a better job (from everything I've read. I don't own one yet, but am probably going to buy one in a few months, once I have the spare $$$)
 
My Sonata is silent but I replaced the fans with Papst(2-120mm Case) and Panaflo(1-80mm PSU) and used passive cooling on the NB and GPU. Seagate Hardrive.
 
I have the Antec Aria... it is SUPER QUIET! The side panels have sound deadening material, and the built in 300w custom power supply uses a low speed 120mm fan.

Just make sure your CPU fan isn't too loud. I'm using a Panaflo that does the cooling job nicely and quietly!

To quote directron:

And finally, Aria is the quietest PC case in the entire world. (Really. We're not kidding. And we've got the independent lab tests to prove it.)
 
Originally posted by: homestarmy
I have the Antec Aria... it is SUPER QUIET! The side panels have sound deadening material, and the built in 300w custom power supply uses a low speed 120mm fan.

Just make sure your CPU fan isn't too loud. I'm using a Panaflo that does the cooling job nicely and quietly!

To quote directron:

And finally, Aria is the quietest PC case in the entire world. (Really. We're not kidding. And we've got the independent lab tests to prove it.)

And has also killed several video cards of it's users. Besides, do we really believe that the Antec Aria is quieter than the Zalman heatpipe case?

Link to info about the Acousticase 6607
 
Originally posted by: otispunkmeyer
if u want silent your gonna have to mod.....antec sonata is a step in the right direction, and have a look at this coolermaster heat sink.....it can be run with out a fan, coolermaster hyper 6

WOW this is something I've been looking for.... does this thing really work? I have the coolermaster jet 4 and it's awsome just too loud for me... I tired looking for some reviews but nothing in english. 😱(

Also if passive cooling on a AIW 9800 pro ok? anyone know any good stuff for that?
 
Originally posted by: eastvillager
Most northbridge fans are tiny, high-RPM, which is why they sound like banshees. They usually have to be, because the heatsinks are crap too.

If you have good air flow through your case, you can probably get away with passive cooling from a quality northbridge heatsink.

i dunno about that.....i think heatsinks are fine for the northbridge as long as they arnt pure crap. the heatsink will make the system much quieter. ur absolutly rite, the nb fans r loud.
 
Well, you'll need to mod. Period. But with the right case, not that much.
Antec SLK3700-AMB.
-Gromet-mounted HDs, enough space for foam mounting or stiff suspension.
-120mm rear fan mount. Cut the grill out. That's the extent of your modding. Nicely with a dremel it may take 20 min, including all stages of preperation and cleanup. If you can get a nibbler or tin snips started, mabe 3 minutes, but tougher work.

If you are willing to buy gromets for the HD, try the Evercase e4252. You can make shoulder screws with standoffs, just get the grommets at Ace or somewhere. it's one of the easiest case to make quiet. Mount the rear fan with something like the Antec dampener things--they're basically silicone rubber fan mounts with gromets. I've also heard of a few people using grommets on the arms, but it's more complex, and I still don't know how their results were compared to using the holes meant for grommets. if you use gromets, put the T-shaped plastic pieces in the arms, else they may make rattle noises as the HD seeks.
The Evercase is reasonable out of the box, and easy to add things to and mod. It is also on a small list of chassis recommended by Intel for the 3.2 and 3.4 Prescott CPUs. If this case has a decent exhaust fan, YOU CANNOT MESS UP THE COOLING. It has the perfect layout for good cooling, with a few touches to make it quiet, assumg it isn't right next to you (as in on the desk 3-5ft away). My father uses this case for all company computers, done so ever since I made my first PC with it. It just cools well, even with massive cable clutter.
Don't get the 4292, as it doesn't have as much space for incoming air. Black E4252.
The newer version has 120mm rear exhauist mount.

For either case:
-Thermalright heatsink and Panaflo L fans for exhaust and heatsink (low-speed NMB for 120mm exhaust if you can't find 120mm Panaflos, as they aren't as plentiful as the 80mm), on a non-PWM controller. Unless your mobo has the mounting holes, then a Zalman 7000 flower.
-Get a Seasonic or Zalman PSU.
-I don't know if the IGP can be cooled passively. However, if you get a card, it should be no problem. a ZM-80A or ZM-80C should cool anything out there that can compete w/ the IGP, and so passively.
However, the Zalman NB47j is a great one to try if you want to give NB cooling a try! I've used the NB32j, and it'a pain to install. I haven't used the NB47j, but they made the mouning arms like the ZM80C's, which are far easier to use.
If you use the Zalman CPU HS (requires mounting holes), I would be confident in NB47j, as it has air coming from the CPU.
Now, if your socket is oriented so that the level is on the top or bottom, and the raised side on the left or right, you can do this [edit: use the NB47j] with any heatsink.
 
Originally posted by: Nebor
You're lucky, you're trying to silence a low end rig, try silencing a 260 watt system and remaining near silent. 😛

Are you saying that your box dissipates 260w of heat? :Q
 
Originally posted by: HardWarrior
Originally posted by: Nebor
You're lucky, you're trying to silence a low end rig, try silencing a 260 watt system and remaining near silent. 😛

Are you saying that your box dissipates 260w of heat? :Q

I'm not sure what I was saying when I posted that. It made sense at the time though. I think my rig probably USES 260w of power... It's a high output system, anyways.
 
260W is trivial if you OC. a p4 2.8 to 3.5 uses around 140W by itself. Then add a highend video card about 65W. Each hard drive uses about 22W on boot 10 while on. mobo and memory etc. Really quiet and high performance together is extremly difficult I have found. There are basically two ways; water with extemly large rads or a 25ft KVM cable and put comp in an unused room.🙂
 
Originally posted by: Zebo
260W is trivial if you OC. a p4 2.8 to 3.5 uses around 140W by itself. Then add a highend video card about 65W. Each hard drive uses about 22W on boot 10 while on. mobo and memory etc. Really quiet and high performance together is extremly difficult I have found. There are basically two ways; water with extemly large rads or a 25ft KVM cable.🙂
Even normal high-end PCs (not OC'd) should be able to pull somewhere in the 150-200w range easily, if not 250w, with a 6800 Ultra and P4E. HDs and most expansion cards such only use more than trivial power on boot.

However, it can be done.
LCD monitor with DVI-D input.
Powered USB hub(s).
Long DVI extension.
See if you can get the power and reser switches to extend to your desk.
 
Originally posted by: Nebor
Originally posted by: HardWarrior
Originally posted by: Nebor
You're lucky, you're trying to silence a low end rig, try silencing a 260 watt system and remaining near silent. 😛

Are you saying that your box dissipates 260w of heat? :Q

I'm not sure what I was saying when I posted that. It made sense at the time though. I think my rig probably USES 260w of power... It's a high output system, anyways.

Whew...! I was about to be VERY jealous if you could move that much heat with an ultra-quiet rig.
 
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