I'm building a game computer for myself and I know what I want, but I also want it quiet&cool. So I was wondering what you could advise me to make, and keep, the configuration below as quiet and cool as possible. Budget is anywhere between €0 and €200. Planning to use SLI in the future, also planning to upgrade some of the components in the future. I like the case, but I found that it does have a reputation of getting hot and noisy. So I would like to invest a little extra to counteract this.
You could try to look around for a case designed specificly so that the computer is quiet. You could always go the Liquid Cooling route but i dont know if that can be done for €200
You might look at something by Thermalright like the XP-90/90c, XP-120, or the Ultra-90 and Ultra-120 and get a low speed 92mm or 120mm fan. Of course, with the 120mm options, you certainly want to check for clearance issues, and Thermalright is pretty good about a compatibility list. Worst-case scenario is that you'd have to e-mail them, and I hear they're pretty responsive. Like Willz said, watercooling is also an option. There's a lot of kits out there that you can buy, not to mention units from Corsair and Koolance that have the entire radiator/pump/res in a unit that's external with your inlet/outlet tubes going into the case for the water block. Those would be the least hassle, but there's other kits for inside the case if you want to go that route.
Well it doesn't have to be *totally* silent (noise) or 'freezing' (cooling')... I just don't want anything noisier than a light hum or a temperature that may risk damaging my internal parts. And if possible that includes when 2 cards in SLI mode are used. I suppose such a scenario will produce much more noise/heat... maybe the Wavemaster is already up to this task, but from reading around on the internet I do not know if that is the case (no pun intended ). Also, what do you mean by "clearance issues"?
Well, the Wavemaster cases do have a bit of a faux pax in that they close off the lower front area. Optimal airflow through a case involves sucking air in the lower front and expelling it out the top and rear. If you remember science at all, you'll recall that hot air rises and cool air drops. I think the Wavemaster line looks sweet, but given other nice cases out there with the front intake area unblocked, you might want to consider a different case. As far as clearance issues, 92mm fan-based heatsinks are about the largest that you can typically use without issue in most cases. 120mm fans are huge and heatsinks designed for them are beastly. They may not clear or end up blocking components due to their size.
Any suggestions for other cases? Which cases/brands are known for their quality? I liked the "Coolermaster Mystique" cases as well, but apparently heat is even bigger an issue in those cases. First and foremost, they have to be of quality make, second they should be silent and cool (by themself or in combination with other aids), third it has to look either 'classy' (Wavemaster) or 'cool' (most Thermaltake cases)... but nothing too bland, this should be a computer which I can be proud of (being proud of != bragging, so I don't mean a 'bragging rights' sysem) and the case should reflect that.
You might look at CoolerMaster's Stacker 810 and 830's, as well as Silverstone and Gigabyte cases. Lian Li's are also nice, but I don't know if those would appeal to you or not. Antec's Nine-Hundred case seems to be popular, but I really haven't looked at it that closely.
The 810 stacker is nice, but I have the impression from the screenshots that they (stackers) are also HUGE cases... or is that just my impression? I also Same for the Coolermaster Stacker 830, I like its design but it seems really expensive (€200) compared to most other cases. Also I'm a bit limited because of the brands my shop offers, although I can get hardware they do not have on demand. Below are the brands they have cases in stock for: 3R System A+ Case AeroCool Antec AOpen Arctic Cooling Asus Bon Chic EuroNet Case-Master Chenbro Chieftec Coolermaster Cooltek ENlight Evercase Foxconn IN-WIN Koolance Lian Li NZXT Origen AE Palo Alto Q-Tec Recom Spire Sunbeam Sweex I don't know which of these companies make good cases though, although I heard good things about Asus, Coolermaster, and Antec. And, as for Gigabyte, any opinions on their Triton, Poseidon and Aurora cases?
I'm kind of reconsidering my opinion about these "huge" cases... the case I currently have is "huge" too, but I have no problems with that, since it always sits on my large-enough desk.... I'm considering these cases now: - Cooler Master CM Stacker 830 - Gigabyte 3D Aurora GZ A nice thing is that the 3D Aurora GZ has a watercooling solution designed for it, so if I'm going to need cooling later it seems like that's a useful option. Otherwise, they both look great and do what I want.
I'd rather have a large case unless I know I'll be transporting it around much. The room is nice if you start having a lot of stuff inside. I have a Chieftec case that's basically the no-name version of the Antec SX-1030B/1040B cases popular a few years back. It's not the largest thing out there, but it's pretty sizable and has drive rails for 5.25" bays and removable cages for 3.5" drives. This system probably weighs 30-40lbs easy with all the parts in it, but that's what you get with a steel case. It's not the bling case, but it's black, and it's pretty hard to go wrong with a black case.
Well, considering the price difference between those 2 cases, I think I'll go for the Gigabyte 3D Aurora GZ, in black... reviews say it's very cool and quiet, price is reasonable and it should look good on my desk with a "darkblue wood" finish... And no, I'm not someone that drags his case around a lot... I'd only do that if I were moving to another house or something like that...
