Which case for quiet but cool PC?

[onesNzeros]

I'm trying to finalize my parts list for so I can build a new PC. I'm net to building computers so I'm hoping you guys can give me some insight for choosing a good case.

My proposed specs are as follows:

Mbd.............. DFI MB LanParty UT NF3 250GB S754 Audio/G
CPU.............. AMD Athlon 64 3400+
Heatsink Fan.. Thermaltake A1838 AMD Opteron/Athlon 64 H
RAM.............. DDR (400) 3200 - 1 GB (2 pcs 512) OCZ (OCZ4001024ELDC-K)
Video Card.... Probably LeadTek GeForce 6800 128 MB 8X AGP or else the fanless Giga-Byte 128MB GeForce 6800.

Which setup do you think would be my best bet?
1. Antec Sonata: Arguably the nices design of the three from a minimalist standpoint. Seems to be the quietest stock case based on reviews I've found but after checking the case out in person I'm concerned about whether the cooling is adequate for the rig I'm looking to build, especially if I eventually decide to overclock things a little and/or add a beefier video card down the road.

2. Antec SLK3700-BQE: Looks like a nice case. Less powerfull 350Watt PSU -- not sure how concerned I should be about that. I saw a comment by someone in the forum that it had at least slightly better cooling than Sonata, but haven't seen on in person to check it out.

3. Antec Super Lanboy: Different look, but still very agreeable to me. Large grill in the front bezel with standard fan intake fan should provide better cooling at the expense of some noise; hopefully not too much. No dust screen though and the price is typically higher. I did find a deal at CompUSA which ends today that I could get that case for 60 bucks. I also found this place which sells new True 380S power supplies (from the Sonata case) for $39.95 with 1-yr warranty which would make the Lanboy very manageable price-wise. I'm a little concerned about the single-fan design in that case but I suspect it would be fine.

Any thoughts on what would be the best choice of the three, or is there another setup I should consider without getting to much beyond a $100 price point?

Thanks!

 

[Operandi]

Thos are all good cases, have you looked at Lian-Li, Coolermaster or Siverstone? This one is pretty nice.

P.S.

If your going to go with a 3rd party HS/F I'd look at somthing better then that Tt.

 

[WobbleWobble]

Can you get the Antec Super Lanboy and get a Seasonic or Enermax Noisetaker instead? It should give you a quieter solution than the Antec PSUs.

Get a Zalman 7000 series HSF instead if you want super quiet.

 

[onesNzeros]

Thanks for the replies so far. I decided to pick up the Super Lanboy. I found another deal at CompUSA ending today for Seagate Barracuda 160GB drives for $60 after rebates/instant savings which knocks about 75 bucks off my expected payout for a hard drive. So, I have a little more cushion on the power supply now but I still want to keep the price of the PSU down as much as possible while getting a quiet, good quality unit.

Operandi: I did check out the case you recommended. It looks like a good one but the price is a bit right for me. I wasn't clear about it in my original post but I was aiming to keep the whole case/PSU purchase around $100 combined. I had checked out Lian-Li and Coolermaster but most info I was finding pointed to the Antecs for quiet mainstream cases, though I found a couple others that looked even better until I got to the pricetag. I especially like this one but way out of my price range.

WobbleWobble: I've heard a lot of great things about the quality of the Antec PSU's but I'm not as familiar with Enermax and not at all with Seasonic. How do they rank quality-wise? Better/comparable/not quite as good, but quieter? You picked them for a reason so I would guess they're good units but just wondering.

Also, what kind of wattage should I look for with the configuration above so that it has some headroom for extra hard drives, the two DVDROM and DVD+/-RW drives I plan to get, and maybe one light since this case has the window?

 

[onesNzeros]

How is this Silverstone PSU?

http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=17-163-104&depa=0

 

[nageov3t]

unless you're planning on OC'ing, the sonata should be fine. my box has similar specs... I had it cased in a Sonata for a couple months, and the temperatures were acceptable.

 

[Operandi]

Seasonic make some of the best PSU's you can buy but you defiantly pay for it. Antec and Enermax are always safe choices too, right now I'm using a 380 watt Tagan, it?s the best PSU I've used yet.

Whatever brand you go with I'd look for 350+ watts and 18+ Amps on the 12v rail.

 

[Mik3y]

stick with the super lanboy. it's a great case and looks absolutely great with teh lanparty pc. my fave up there would have to be the sonata tho.

 

[WobbleWobble]

For silent PCs, you definately have to check out Silent PC Review. (Linked to the recommended power supplies page).

Antecs make great power supplies, but they're not known for being the quiestest. Seasonic is often regarded as one of the better power supplies, but you pay for it. Enermax Noisetakers are a little more affordable.

That said, I also own an Antec Sonata and strive for a dead quiet PC

 

[onesNzeros]

I'll stay with the Lanboy and see how it does. I like the clean good looks of the Sonata a lot but the Lanboy looks pretty good if a bit showy for my taste and I like the light-weight aluminum construction.

As for the PSU, I checked out Enermax, SeaSonic, and Nexus.

Enermax seems to be well-regarded by those who've bought them on newegg but I have no idea which would be preferred. There are a number of them in there in the 350-420 Watt range; some with two 12V rails which usually add up to at least 25 amps but solidly miss the 18 amp mark individually, or others that have single 12 V rails but outprice the SeaSonic units. Is something like the ENERMAX Noisetaker Series 420W or ENERMAX Noisetaker 370W Power Supply, Model "EG375AX-VE-SFMA" -RETAIL a good bet? The first has more wattage but costs less?

Seasonic has a couple on NewEgg that looked interesting and seemed to have quite good specs.
(1) SeaSonic 350W ATX12V "SUPER SILENCER-350W" $66.00
(2) SeaSonic Super Silencer 400W ATX $92.50 = moderate 'ouch', but I'd rather buy some headroom now for under $27 than have to replace the whole PSU later if I find I need more juice.

Nexus doesn't seem to be very well-established in the US so I'd be hesitant to jump on one of those, though they appear to be good products as well.

My lean is toward one of the SeaSonics but there seem to be a lot of Enermax fans out there.

What do you guys think?

Btw, how are PSU's with dual 12V rails evaluated against something like the 18+ Amp target?

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: onesNzeros
I'll stay with the Lanboy and see how it does. I like the clean good looks of the Sonata a lot but the Lanboy looks pretty good if a bit showy for my taste and I like the light-weight aluminum construction.

As for the PSU, I checked out Enermax, SeaSonic, and Nexus.

Enermax seems to be well-regarded by those who've bought them on newegg but I have no idea which would be preferred. There are a number of them in there in the 350-420 Watt range; some with two 12V rails which usually add up to at least 25 amps but solidly miss the 18 amp mark individually, or others that have single 12 V rails but outprice the SeaSonic units. Is something like the ENERMAX Noisetaker Series 420W or ENERMAX Noisetaker 370W Power Supply, Model "EG375AX-VE-SFMA" -RETAIL a good bet? The first has more wattage but costs less?

Seasonic has a couple on NewEgg that looked interesting and seemed to have quite good specs.
(1) SeaSonic 350W ATX12V "SUPER SILENCER-350W" $66.00
(2) SeaSonic Super Silencer 400W ATX $92.50 = moderate 'ouch', but I'd rather buy some headroom now for under $27 than have to replace the whole PSU later if I find I need more juice.

Nexus doesn't seem to be very well-established in the US so I'd be hesitant to jump on one of those, though they appear to be good products as well.

My lean is toward one of the SeaSonics but there seem to be a lot of Enermax fans out there.

What do you guys think?

Btw, how are PSU's with dual 12V rails evaluated against something like the 18+ Amp target?

Regarding dual rails, basically you can add them together and treat them as one combined rail.

Have you looked into Tagan?, here is a link to the 380 watt model, there is a 480 watt unit as well if you want to go overboard. I've used plenty of high quality PSUs in the past and the Tagan is a cut above anything I've used previously, give them a look.

Between Seasonic and Enermax I would defiantly go with Seasonic.

I wouldn't bother with Nexus, their over priced in my opinion.

 

[Mojoed]

My vote is for the Sonata, I own two and I love them. The rubber grommets are a nice touch too. Comes with a 380watt PS you may want to replace though.

 

[Spike]

Nice choice with the Lanboy, I love mine and find it quiet and still good at cooling. I would look at getting different fans if you are going to be in a very warm area (the stock fans cool well and are quiet, but don't push a ton of CFM for those hot days, 35cfm @ 24dB).

As for PSU's, I got a ThermalTake purepower 480. Most will cry foul when they hear about Thermaltake, but it is working great in my system so I have no complaints.

Good luck with the lanboy!