Quiet and Small, does this beast exist??

[cindyhot]

O.k, a couple guys recommended some small portable cases for me. Number one winner so far is the X Q-Pack...

http://aspireusa.net/product.php?pid=176
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications...m-details.asp?EdpNo=1800612&CatId=1508

I like how they look but I don't want to be disappointed about the noise. Are any of these small cases know to be quiet?

I found this one great case that you can keep on a bookshelf, and it's designed to be quiet... I love it....

ANTEC, Take 4 Black 4U Rackmount Quiet Computer Case, ATX, 450W PSUhttp://www.avadirect.com/product_details_parts.asp?PRID=7703

But they want almost $300 for it! I can't do that! There's gotta be a cheaper way...

 

[BassBomb]

small and queit dont fit

 

[cindyhot]

Ok, then how bout CHEAP and quiet???

I liked that Q-Pack, you mean its noisy?

Computers, they're driving me crazy!

 

[Zap]

The X-Qpack (and the near identical but "better" MicroFly) can be made fairly quiet depending on what kind of parts you put in it. What are you putting into it? You'll want to make sure your CPU/video are cooler running models, then replace stock fans with quieter ones, then undervolt fans. Some may not consider it super silent, but it will be quieter than most systems people slap together.

I don't know how cheap is cheap to you, but for "relatively small" and quiet, I really like my Antec Solo case. It is about as small as you can get while still holding a standard ATX motherboard in a "standard" tower configuration, plus it is really easy to build into a quiet system. When I first put mine together I was running with only two fans in the whole system, the 120mm fan in my Fortron PSU and the 120mm Yate Loon (undervolted) as exhaust. Everything else down to my overclocked A64 X2 3800+ (2.4GHz) and stock speed 7900GS are passively cooled. I did add two 92mm fans in front, Evercool "Evergreen" fans that spin around 1200RPM, undervolted to around 7v (guessing around 600-900RPM).

 

[cindyhot]

Zap, I'm pretty open about what motherboard and CPU will go in there. I figure if it's fairly new, it'll serve me well. I was *hoping* for a smallish case I could tuck away or put on the shelf, but they cost a lot ... so I'm going to forget about size and just make sure that whatever I get is quiet and doesn't kill me in the price department....

I keep running into nice looking Antecs ... the Take 4 seemed okay until I got a look at the price, and the NSK2400 seemed ok. Maybe. But I like the X-Qpack and want it to work out.... I'll look out for your Solo.

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=NSK2400-DT&cat=CAS

 

[Zepper]

The X-QPack and the Chenming 118 and and the Ultra MicroFly are basically the same case except the Micro Fly is about an inch deeper than the others thus allowing easier use of standard size ATX power supplies. The other two come with special, shortened versions of the standard ATX PSU (standard sized PSUs can fit but may be a tight squeeze depending on the length of optical drive you choose and perhaps on the CPU cooling.

They are all made of aluminum which makes them light and easy to carry (remember that an easy to carry computer is also easier to steal...) but also are less effective at containing any noise produced by the components - steel is the winner in that category due to its mass.

Careful choices of components will make all the difference in perceived noise.

.bh.

 

[cheesehead]

Originally posted by: cindyhot
I found this one great case that you can keep on a bookshelf, and it's designed to be quiet... I love it....

ANTEC, Take 4 Black 4U Rackmount Quiet Computer Case, ATX, 450W PSUhttp://www.avadirect.com/product_details_parts.asp?PRID=7703

But they want almost $300 for it! I can't do that! There's gotta be a cheaper way...

I think you're having a problem with scale here. That case is freakishly huge - it's essentially a tower case turned on its side.

Originally posted by: cindyhot
O.k, a couple guys recommended some small portable cases for me. Number one winner so far is the X Q-Pack...

http://aspireusa.net/product.php?pid=176
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications...m-details.asp?EdpNo=1800612&CatId=1508

I like how they look but I don't want to be disappointed about the noise. Are any of these small cases know to be quiet?

It might help to think about it differently:

Why use your case to deaden noise, when you can have no noise to deaden?

While I'm not too familiar with the Q-pack, an aftermarket heatsink supporting a 90mm or 120mm fan is ideal. A larger fan can be run slower for the same airflow, resulting in less noise. Some top-of-the-line heatsinks can be used without a fan at all!

 

[dampeal]

I love my Antec NSK1300 SFF Case...

have you considered one of those? low priced as well..

HERE is my review of it..

 

[cheesehead]

Originally posted by: dampeal
I love my Antec NSK1300 SFF Case...

have you considered one of those? low priced as well..

HERE is my review of it..

Looks like an Aria.

Antec makes top-notch stuff - you'd not go wrong by buying one.

 

[Zepper]

Dampeal,

You forgot the proprietary PSU as a Negative point and the limitation on CPU cooler size should also be a con even though it's a small case. No way that could rate 5 of 5 sorry - 4.5 at best. The X-QPack/MicroFly are at least as good if not better - certainly more flexible.

 

[dampeal]

Don't have the others to compare to.. only have what I am looking at..

take one review at a time

and with any case, cpu cooler there are going to be problems..

the stock cooler would fit fine, but i didn't want to use it..

as for the psu, others are made that way as well that I have seen

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: Zepper
Careful choices of components will make all the difference in perceived noise.

:thumbsup:

That's it, in a nutshell. Choose "quiet" and "cool running" components so that the amount of noise and heat created is small, then the system will be relatively quiet no matter what chassis it is put into.

Here's what I gather from cindyhot's two threads (here and in SFF,notebook). She wants it to be relatively cheap, relatively quiet and wants to run Ubuntu with OpenOffice. I don't know about whether Ubuntu has drivers built in, but here's my recommendations:

Ultra MicroFly (non-window version with PSU) $70 here
Abit NF-M2 Nview for $90
Cheapest AM2 Sempron $49
Optical drive $33, I have older version (16x instead of 18x) and it is really quiet even when spun up
160GB $56, heard that Samsung was really quiet
Cheapest under $100 2x512MB DDR2 kit
fan speed controller $5.50

Total shipped should be in the low $400 range. Remove (or don't hook up) front 80mm fan. Run fan speed controller on rear 120mm fan turned down all the way (as long as it still spins up at all). In BIOS set up Smart Fan and use highest temp/lowest speed (if it has it, I can check later since I have the board) so the CPU fan spins really slow. In BIOS turn down CPU voltage as far as you can while still being stable (use UBCD or something like that for stability testing).

There! That should be a relatively cheap (under $450 shipped) relatively quiet (loudest may be HDD seeks or 120mm PSU fan) system that does everything cindyhot stated she wanted (Ubuntu with OpenOffice). I'm fairly certain that the motherboard chipset (Geforce6150) is supported by Ubuntu. It uses Nvidia gigabit LAN which is probably supported. Audio chipsets, well, "7.1" but doesn't state which chipset. Usually either Nvidia, or some Realtec ALC which is fairly standard.

 

[Zepper]

Yes, other cases do have proprietary PSUs, but they get pointed for it by most objective reviewers.

.bh.

 

[aigomorla]

want me to be honest about the Q-pac?

Well there was a whole thread on it by TIA, where i helped configuring one for him/her. The case is small and cramped. It fits a standard PSU, but the one it comes with is utter LOUD. I Dont care what the reviews states, you want to change that POS out with something much quieter.

HSF mounting was a problem on this case your limited to mid height HSF. It became too much of a issue to find a quiet efficient HSF, that i decided to externally watercool it to help with overclocking/temps/quietness. The waterkit is only 149.99 incase your wondering, and its upgrade friendly, not to mention it will outcool a tuniq tower.

The side pannels and top isnt very thick at all. So there isnt much sound absorbing. As I said, its a loud/cramped case when everything is in it, so unless you have good cable management, it can become a nightmare. Also if your going to go AIR, i recomend mounting the HSF on b4 u mount the board in the case. Trust me, it will save you from a lot of finger pains.

Overall the case is nice, its small, and i got the yellow one for a friend so it came out pretty darn cute. I spray painted her nautilius 500 yellow to match the case, and well, it looks like a dayam pikachu now. NO COMMENT...

Personally the microfly recomended by zap is a much better case from looking at layout. I would concider that unless you can pick up a q-pak for 49.99 like how i did.

Actually all of zap's recomendation would be fairly good for a cheap computer. However id concider a used opty 165, or a new one instead, or maybe even a old X2 3800+. Dual core would be a better option.


And no... its hard to beat a DELL in terms of quiet, while trying to keep the price tag near it, incase your wondering. DELLs maybe crap, but there dayam quiet. Well the ones ive been working with.

 

[cheesehead]

Jetway J7F4 should be more than adequate. $166 gets you a motherboard, CPU, heatsink - everything but RAM, a hard drive, and an optical drive.

http://mini-itx.com/store/?c=2#p1646

Yes, it's Linux compatible.

 

[cindyhot]

You guys are great!!! :heart:

I've been doing my homework this weekend. I went to the store to have a look at all these options.
First of all the Shuttle is OUT...
http://www.kevinboone.com/shuttle.html

I saw the Antec quiet models and they were fabulously quiet, but they LOOKED just like the tower I have, so I almost hate to do it. I saw the Microfly case and I LOVE the size of it! Why can't they combine the two! I did get worried about the potential for noise on the Microfly/QPacks, because they look a lot flimsier than my gigantic tower ... in fact I had a few thoughts of keeping this thing ... going to Joann Fabrics to pick up some heavy felt and lining the inside walls to dampen the noise ... maybe I will be a case modder yet! But no, I think I should still try to get a cube style case. I have this little table with two flat surfaces, the tabletop that now holds my scanner and a shelf underneath it that I keep looking at and saying "My computer should fit right here." It's about the perfect size for a cube!

So what you're saying is that keeping it quiet is a matter of finding a quiet PSU and turning the fans down low (or off)? Maybe get a powerful heat sink??

Someone linked me up with a $33 DVDR/CDR (I can't see if it's Zap or Cheesehead or someone else, must be a different thread), and I'm tempted to buy it right now ... great price! I suppose my SCSI stuff should be retired then ... it's all pretty old! That means I'll have to get a new scanner (USB) but the unsolved mystery will be how to get photo memory cards into the machine! Or are PC card readers easy to come by now?



~Cindy

 

[VinDSL]

I don't see any mention of the SilverStone Sugo SG01, et al...

Could those be a possibility?!?!?

Linkage 1 (Tom-tom SG01 review)

Linkage 2 (Xoxide SG01 case)

Linkage 3 (Sundial Micro SG01e case)

Linkage 4 (GlowSugo SG01e "Manager's Special" - C2D build)

Linkage 5 (bit-tech Glow Lounge GlowSugo review - AMD build)

Looks small & quiet to me!

 

[cindyhot]

Originally posted by: dampeal
I love my Antec NSK1300 SFF Case...

This might be the one!!!!

I did a little more research and found some interesting facts ...

Look what they say about the Antec Aria
http://www.nerddna.com/Products/Product_Info.aspx?ref=froogle&pid=28608

It's a cube, SFF case, and look at #3: "It's the quietest PC case in the world. Period."

Yay!

(Sweetwater says the same thing, but don't give a price. I guess I'm figuring out that everybody likes to claim that they're the best...
http://www.sweetwater.com/creation_station/tech/cases.php)

Well if the Aria was good (and they say so on here):
http://www.amazon.com/Antec-Aria-MicroATX-Cube-Case/dp/B0001K3LF0

Then the NSK1300 is better ... because it's the NEW IMPROVED Aria!!!

http://www.sffclub.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=148

$89 at Newegg...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129019

Now of course I have to compare this with the Sugo....

Somehow I know I'll find a quiet cube just yet!

And yknow, this is actually.... fun!

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: cindyhot
And yknow, this is actually.... fun!

You bet! More fun than a barrel of monkeys...

 

[slpaulson]

I would ask the same question at silentpcreview.

I would trust their opinion of a quiet case over anybody else's.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: aigomorla
Actually all of zap's recomendation would be fairly good for a cheap computer. However id concider a used opty 165, or a new one instead, or maybe even a old X2 3800+. Dual core would be a better option.

I based my recommendation on cindyhot stating "cheap" and "run Linux with OpenOffice." I don't think a dual core would run those any faster or better. I could be wrong though.

Originally posted by: cindyhot
So what you're saying is that keeping it quiet is a matter of finding a quiet PSU and turning the fans down low (or off)? Maybe get a powerful heat sink??

Yes. Cool running parts require less cooling. Less cooling requires less fans (quantity and speed). Less fans produce less noise. It's better to start with less noise than it is to start with more noise and try to make it quieter.

Originally posted by: cindyhot
Someone linked me up with a $33 DVDR/CDR (I can't see if it's Zap or Cheesehead or someone else, must be a different thread)
...
the unsolved mystery will be how to get photo memory cards into the machine! Or are PC card readers easy to come by now?

I linked it above, but it is out of stock now. Just check Newegg because they always have something DVDRW-wise for around $30.

For the card readers... starting at $7 plus shipping for internal units.

Originally posted by: cindyhot

Originally posted by: dampeal
I love my Antec NSK1300 SFF Case...

This might be the one!!!!

Yeah, that's the "new" Aria. Some people have had issues with the Aria because of overheating or the power supply dying. Now, for overheating, just start with cool running components - same thing with making it quiet. With the power supply, hopefully they've worked out the issues.

So, the NSK1300 should be a bit smaller than the X-Qpack/MicroFly and should be quieter by design. Drawbacks are hotter running and potential failing power supply (based on predecessor). Another potential drawback is the proprietary design of the power supply. Finally, there is only one external bay and that's for an optical drive, meaning you won't be able to install an internal flash card reader.

 

[cindyhot]

Originally posted by: Zap
For the card readers... starting at $7 plus shipping for internal units.

Woo hoo!
These just plug right into the mboard, I don't need drivers even on Linux??



MUCH better than my SCSI PCMCIA solution!!

Finally, there is only one external bay and that's for an optical drive, meaning you won't be able to install an internal flash card reader.

NEXXXXT!

Seriously, if I doesn't have what I need then I don't think I should get it ... so it's either back to the X-QPack,
or NSK2400, which I am liking already... http://www.directron.com/nsk2400.html

I distinctly see TWO drive bays on this one.... but if I get a card reader that probably means the builtt-in ports on the side will have to be unplugged?

 

[aigomorla]

Originally posted by: cindyhot

Originally posted by: Zap
For the card readers... starting at $7 plus shipping for internal units.

Woo hoo!
These just plug right into the mboard, I don't need drivers even on Linux??



MUCH better than my SCSI PCMCIA solution!!

Finally, there is only one external bay and that's for an optical drive, meaning you won't be able to install an internal flash card reader.

NEXXXXT!

Seriously, if I doesn't have what I need then I don't think I should get it ... so it's either back to the X-QPack,
or NSK2400, which I am liking already... http://www.directron.com/nsk2400.html

I distinctly see TWO drive bays on this one.... but if I get a card reader that probably means the builtt-in ports on the side will have to be unplugged?

wow there was a scsi pcmcia soltion???

Hey cindy, theres tons of card readers on the market. You should try out newegg.com, or directron.com, or even performance-pcs.com, or ewiz.com.

Darn where did my sticky go with all the stores. UGH...

Anyhow to continue with your thread, those two cases you decided down to are both great. However b4 you buy them, you should ask for advice on cooling method of those two cases. They are very space limited inside, and if you have no knowledge of cable managerment, it can get very very very very very messy. Almost as bad a rats nest in a barn.

Plan your parts with the case b4 you finalize the order. MAke sure your CPU HSF will fit. Also make sure you never intend to drop in a oversized video card like a 8800GTX or a 7900GTX or even a 1900XTX. These might run into some small problems with the front CD bay. I am not sure on this statement either. Can someone verify. But as l told you, the XPAC and Antec, if you use stock fans, are quite noisey ass buggers.

Zap: really??? i thought DC.s effected linux. I really wouldnt know because i only played with linux a very long time ago, and well, to be honest, i hated it. My room mate handled the linux machine for me.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: aigomorla
Hey cindy, theres tons of card readers on the market. You should try out newegg.com

Zap: really??? i thought DC.s effected linux.

Yes, I linked to Newegg's list of card readers a few posts up.

Linux does support dual core. However, does not matter what supports or doesn't support dual core. The question should be what will dual core do for the user? How will the extra $50-100 improve the user's computing experience? This particular user (cindyhot) wants to use Linux as the OS and OpenOffice as the office suite. What does that tell you? Well, she's gonna be doing stuff like... typing up documents perhaps? How will a dual core processor improve that?

Originally posted by: cindyhot
or NSK2400, which I am liking already... http://www.directron.com/nsk2400.html

Check out the dimensions of that case. It is really slim from your desktop to the top of the case at around 5.5" tall, but it takes quite a bit of desk realestate at 16.3" by 17.5".

You could always go with an external card reader, unless you'd rather not have extra gadgets with cables sitting around your desk.

 

[VinDSL]

LoL!

How did we get onto card readers?

Anyway, I'm not shy. When it comes to buying stuff, I don't have any problem taking things back! Kinda fun, really!

I went through several readers before I found one that actually worked right -- I'm still using it. It was cheap, and it works great!

It's a 9-in-1 USB 2.0 internal reader, costs $17.99, and doesn't require any drivers -- it's plug n' play, baby!

If you're interested, let me know...