Need Colder/Quieter/Better Case. Suggestions?

Computer Forum Cases, Modding and Gallery
1

[SIZE=“1”]Hello. I purchased a gaming computer a few months back. I have since had a bit of trouble with it. I am unable to get anyone on the phone at the company I purchased it from.

I am currently having to come out of pocket to correct the problems with the computer. One of the major problems I am having is heat. And that is what I hope to get some advice on.[/SIZE]

I have decided that I want to get a different case for my system for several reasons. I don’t believe it is large enough for my setup, it is too loud with the stock fans, I don’t like all the blue lights, etc…

[SIZE=“3”]
What I am looking for in a new case[/SIZE]


Cooling and Quiet are my primary concerns

[COLOR=“Red”]It is important to note that I live in South Florida and I normally have relatively high ambient temps. average 78-80 degrees F.

Very good air cooling and flow is the most important I think

As quite as possible with out sacrificing cooling
[COLOR=“Red”](willing to spend $$$ on good fans, suggestions for fans?)

Very quiet, not just fans, but noise from dives and vibration and such.

[SIZE=“3”]Less important considerations[/SIZE]

Lots of room for HDD’s and 5.25

Tool-less is a plus but not a deal breaker

Any suggestions on filtering dust and smoke? other than sticking an air purifier on my desk?

Modular/Adaptable is always cool. ex. 4in3, options for fans(mounts, etc) , removable hdd, or cages.

Don’t want to break the bank but more than willing to do so

Not concerned with “frills” like lights or windows, a plus if there are fewer lights.

I have been looking different cases for sometime now and am overwhelmed. I have considered several CoolerMaster cases as well as countless others. Any advice on any of this would be greatly appreciated!

[SIZE=“3”]Current Setup[/SIZE]

RaidMax Smilodon chassis

XFX Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX Extreme Edition

ASUS Striker Extreme Nvidia nForce 680i SLI

Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 3.0Ghz w/ Thermaltake V1 CPU Cooler

ThermalTake Toughpower 750W PSU

WD Raptor 150GB 10,000 RPM (for OS and Games)

2 x 500GB Seagate 7,200 RPM (storage)

2

Hey there, welcome to HWF. This is the chassis I have: Newegg.com - Antec Performance One P180 Silver cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail It’s quite good, cools very well, and is extremely quiet. It’s also got gaskets already in place for water cooling, if that’s your thing. Here’s how mine looks fully-populated: http://www.hardwareforums.com/photoplog/images/432/1_chassis.jpg

Pros: This chassis is both more attractive and even better laid-out than it appears in the photos. It’s a great design with plenty of space and quiet, efficient cooling. The fans that ship with it are great quality, and have 3-position potentiometers in case you want to adjust the speed. This chassis is extremely quiet for the amount of air it moves, due to good insulation and large (120mm) fans. The drives are also floated on rubber bumpers, so the chassis vibration is low for as much movement as can be potentially going on inside. The removable filters in the front are also a very nice touch, especially if you’re in a high-dust area, or if you have pets.

Cons: This chassis has a strange mesh vent cover over the top fan vent, which gives it an odd sort of shape that I don’t much care for. The mesh cover is also more cheaply made than the rest of the chassis, so it fits a bit loosely and is quite fragile. Additionally, the finish on the metallic parts of the outside of the chassis scratch and scuff quite easily. It should also be noted that the hinge on the door is made from relatively light plastic, so the possibility of accidentally breaking the door off is quite real. If you plan on moving your chassis around a lot, maybe you should look into something a bit more rugged.

Other Thoughts: I normally wouldn’t move a desktop workstation around much, and I’m usually too busy for fun things like LAN parties. But the fragility of this chassis became a real concern for me when I had to move many of my belongings to avoid the recent wildfires in southern CA. The sides became quite scratched, even though it was wrapped in soft, clean blankets to be moved. Also, the plastic on the mesh cover over the topmost exhaust fan broke jus from moving; there was nothing at all placed on top of it. I don’t regret buying this chassis, but those who will move their PC a lot should definitely take this into careful consideration.

3

I have had several different cases, lian_li v1000, coolermaster pretorian, silverstone tj109, lian-li pc 70 full tower etc etc. If i had to pick one out i would say the tj09
was the best looking case and is a little deeper than most cases so has plenty of room. I had my swiftech water cooling system in mine and theres plenty of room for those long vid cards like the 8800"s.
I have just completed a rebuild and got the case i have been longing for. The mountain mods duality. Theres plenty of room as it"s an 18" cube case (very large) It could be mistaken for a nucular reactor :eek: It supports two motherboards and 6 1200mm fans + 4 80mm fans,
I have all fans on fan regulators on slowest speed so it"s very pleasing to the ear :smiley:
The only down side is it"s very expensive for a case (279.65 pounds) Here"s a pic of mine anyway :chk: http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/1862/qube003xs6.th.jpg