Need to buy a new case+ps. Needs to be quiet!

[tmchow]

I'm in the marktet for a new case and power supply and I'm primarily concerned about noise adn cost. I don't need a $200 aluminum case or anything like that, but I also don't want to cheap out and get a case made of 2 gauge steel that will slice my hands

What do ppl recommend? I need at least a 19" case and a 250-300W power supply. There are so many cases out there I need a hand from the experts in this forum. It's been awhile (1.5+ years) since I've been in the market for a case. I noticed that NewEgg has some good deals on InWin cases....

 

[jinduy]

all i can say is , dont go cheap like i did

 

[Nessism]

Not sure what is best but if you want quiet, stay away from the Antec 800/1000 series. They have lots of ventilation but when air goes through, noise comes out. Nice cases but not very quiet. I know, I have one.

The Inwin cases are nice. I have another system in a S500 and it's fine. A little smaller than what you are looking for however.

Good luck.
Ed

 

[tmchow]

I noticed NewEgg has some good prices on: EverCases, Inwin, Enlight and Chieftech. Directron.com carries Fong-Kai cases (603 and 320) for decent prices... I'm pretty sure all these cases have rolled edges but I'm wondering about the quality of powersupplies?

 

[SWScorch]

I heartily recommend Antec SX series or Fong Kai FK-320. If you are concerned about noise, then the FK would be better as it is very well insulated and uses larger fans. The only peeve I have with it is that the left side panel is extremely difficult to attach and remove. Other than that it is a very nice case and well worth the money.

 

[tmchow]

<< I heartily recommend Antec SX series or Fong Kai FK-320. If you are concerned about noise, then the FK would be better as it is very well insulated and uses larger fans. The only peeve I have with it is that the left side panel is extremely difficult to attach and remove. Other than that it is a very nice case and well worth the money. >>



I was actually just reading reviews on the Fong Kai cases, specifically the 603 and the 320. Directron.com has the 320 for $89 w/ 300W powersupply and the 603 for $58 w/ 250W powersupply.

What would be a better choice here?

 

[CubicZirconia]

I can't comment on the case, but personally I don't get too concerned over power supply "quality" and wattage. Everyone seems to think that you need to spend 75 dollars and get at least a 400 w psu. However, I know plenty of people who use power supplies well under 300 watts on very new cpu's and they work fine. Just my view.

 

[osaurus]

i found the Enermax psu"s very quiet. the eg351p-ve should be pretty cheap now. i do not recommend cheap cases to anyone, sorry.

 

[drx9175l]

I just bought the Enermax CS-A1QX-06 Midtower Chassis with 300 Watt Power Supply from
Bestbyte.net. I should receive it on March 1st. $63 shipped via UPS Ground is plenty cheap and I've read that the Enermax power supplies are so quiet it's errie. BestByte has two different styles, so pick the one you like.

 

[tmchow]

I'm apprehensive to order an Enermax case as I haven't heard anythng about their cases, only their power supplies. The Fong Kai 603 however, has received rave reviews though for their construction. The Best combo it looks would be a Fong Kai 603 coupled with an Enermax power supply -- however, the cheapest I've seen is like about $100! :Q

I looked at the Enermax case at bestbyte.net and I noticed that it says "Airflow holes around the entire case for the best heat dissipation". I've read that this is actually a bad thing from a noise perspective since air is able to flow out of thse holes, but also noise!

 

[Kuroyama]

My Fong Kai 320 works great. Make sure to make the power supply fan blow into the case as this lowered the temp about 4-5C, likewise if your HSF isn't too big then the case comes with a device that redirects the case fan to blow onto the HSF, this also makes about a 4C difference. My only complaint is the same as SWScorch, the left panel is a pain to remove. My HSF is kind of loud (Volcano 5) so I can't judge how quiet the case is, but the fans could always be replaced with Panaflo's if it's noisy.

 

[tmchow]

Can anyone compare the Fong Kai 603 vs. the Enermax midtower someone recommended?

I read reviews on teh enermax and i'm excited about the fact that ppl have said "it's so quiet,l it's eerie". That's definitely encouraging

 

[TechieZero]

I am tagging this for later when I get home. I am also looking for a good case in the 300W range that cools well.

 

[JeffG]

I've had an Antec full tower for about a year and it is the quietest one here (out of 4). I've replaced one power supply with a HEC which was noisy, and I just picked up an Enermax 350w and the dual fans are louder than the Antec, though not terrible. I'm not going to spend money replacing the entire HEC unit, just a new fan.

The two servers run 24/7 about 5 feet from me and the noise is an issue with me. The worst is the 3Com SuperStack, but so far I haven't figured out how to pry it apart.

 

[tmchow]

<< I've had an Antec full tower for about a year and it is the quietest one here (out of 4). I've replaced one power supply with a HEC which was noisy, and I just picked up an Enermax 350w and the dual fans are louder than the Antec, though not terrible. I'm not going to spend money replacing the entire HEC unit, just a new fan. >>



Which power supplies do the Antec's have? I'm surprised they are quieter than the Enermax ones as the Enermax have received rave reviews saying they are the quietest.

 

[JeffG]

This was/is an Antec Model No. PP-303X 300W that was running an old BH6 board. I just pulled it because I wanted an "AMD Approved" for the Athlon. I've switched out fans a couple of times when they've died (in other units), for 10 bucks you can quiet one down to almost nothing. The Enermax is going on my workstation, and it's got 4 fans and a DigDoc so ps noise is low on the totem pole of problems. Plus it just looks cool ;-)

Our spare bedroom is the office, I've got two servers running 24/7, plus 2 ws if two people are working in here. And my gf and I have to sleep in here when her parents come to visit. I'm ready to take a saw to the hub, or build a full enclosure for everything.

 

[Jhhnn]

Take a look at the sx-antecs, they're very good cases, particularly in terms of airflow. Depending on what components you're installing, very quiet low flow fans can give excellent results, they don't have to fight much restriction. Antec psu's are also relatively quiet, particularly the 250 and 300w models, they're temp controlled.

Give us an idea of your system specs, knowing them will allow more specific recommendations.

 

[tmchow]

which fans do you recommend for the p/s?

 

[ShinSa]

<<

<< I've had an Antec full tower for about a year and it is the quietest one here (out of 4). I've replaced one power supply with a HEC which was noisy, and I just picked up an Enermax 350w and the dual fans are louder than the Antec, though not terrible. I'm not going to spend money replacing the entire HEC unit, just a new fan. >>



Which power supplies do the Antec's have? I'm surprised they are quieter than the Enermax ones as the Enermax have received rave reviews saying they are the quietest. >>



Me too. Many people on this forum complain about the noise level of the Antec PSU. They end up switching out the fans in most cases.