p182 versus Sonata III

[amheck]

Looking for a general update for my few-year-old pc. I was going to order the p182 as I see newegg has it for a fairly nice after-rebate price and then I came across the Sonata in the hot deals section.

Plus for the Sonata is that it comes with one of the earthwatts psu's. But, i really don't have a need for it, but wouldn't mind an extra sitting around. I don't do a whole lot of tinkering in the cases. Just kinda want something that looks nice and that can hold a few 120mm fans. The Sonata is a little cheaper after rebate, but I think I see more good comments on the p182.

Not sure exactly which way to go....

Thanks in advance,
Aaron

 

[Doclife]

Is there anything in your current setup that does not meet your needs ? If your current setup do what you need to do then why spend the money now? Save it for the next build when newer, better components and probably cheaper are available. Your Seasonic PSU has plenty of power and your system does not utilize all of its capacity; thus, your PSU will last quite a long time and is not likely to fail anytime soon. The point of buying a quality PSU in the first place (Seasonic) is that you expect it to last a long time and thus eliminating the need to have a backup PSU standing idling by gathering dust.

 

[amheck]

thanks for the reply doc. Naw, nothing with the current setup that I'm really turly unhappy with. My BIL just sent me over an intel MB, a E6400 CPU, and some ram and a nice video card. I also just went and bought Vista so it looks like I'm doing a complete system overhaul, anyway. Just figured this might be a nice time to upgrade my case, too.

 

[Doclife]

In that case, pick a case that you really like. That way, on the next build or upgrade you still want to keep it and not have to buy another case. The P182 is a nice case, just make sure the wires from your PSU is long enough to reach the mobo.

 

[mcv]

The P182 is better, quieter and more expensive. The sonata is cheaper but still very good, and good enough for most people. If you want a really quiet PC, and you've got quiet harddisks, passive cooling, and that sort of thing, by all means buy the P182 to make it even quieter. If you just want a decent new case, use active cooling and don't mind the occasional faint noise coming from your PC, the sonata should be good enough.

But if you're willing to spend money on an excellent case that will last you forever (or at least a couple of upgrades), by all means by the P182.

If you've already got an excellent PSU, you could also consider the Antec Solo, which is a P150 without a PSU, and the P150 is just a smaller version of the P182. Whether the P150/Solo is an option depends on the number of stuff you want to put in it; I think it can have 3 or 4 HDDs (depending on how well you want the vibrations dampened), and I suspect 4 graphics cards won't be possible either. In any case, I would certainly consider sticking with your Seasonic PSU. I'm not an expert on PSUs (or anything, really), but I hear lots of good stuff about Seasonic, and bad stuff about Antec PSUs. Antec is mostly good at cases. Seasonic S12 is really quiet according to silentpcreview.com, so a Seasonic in an Antec case could be a brilliant combination.

 

[amheck]

I ended up ordering the p182 last nite, just cause it was the last day for the rebate. I think either case would be nice. I am concerned about the size of the p182. I really only have 1 hdd, 1 optical drive, and just the usual other stuff. Wondering if its a little overkill for my needs. Although, I guess once its shoved under the desk, what does it really matter......

 

[Riverhound777]

Originally posted by: amheck
I ended up ordering the p182 last nite, just cause it was the last day for the rebate. I think either case would be nice. I am concerned about the size of the p182. I really only have 1 hdd, 1 optical drive, and just the usual other stuff. Wondering if its a little overkill for my needs. Although, I guess once its shoved under the desk, what does it really matter......

I think you made a good choice. I wouldn't say the size is a problem, just consider how much extra room you have to work in. I just put together a computer inside a P182 last week and it was very nice to work with. I also plan to keep this case for a long time. My last case is an Antec SX1030b that i've had for a good 7-8 years. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/i...18NAQG6XVL._AA280_.jpg

One thing I do miss on my old case was the door latch, man that thing made it easy to open, no damn thumb screws.

 

[amheck]

For anyone curious, check out the 1/15-only price on the p182 at Outpost.com. $50 after rebate