Definately go with the 120*25mm 72cfm model.(14db) - it's wonderful.
Now, about case modding for cooling.
- See those grilles on the rear and on the intake? Those stamped metal areas with a zillion small holes in them? Now take a look at your power supply's fan. Notice the difference between optional and critical cooling?
Yep - the sad fact is that you double your noise from backpressure and reduce your airflow by 2/3 with a stock case. What you need to do is:
A: Take a Dremel and cut out all of the stamped metal with small holes in it orafices/fan mounting places on the computer chassis.
B: Replace with proper wire fan grilles. 72cfm is plenty as even 200cfm through those small stock holes won't be much better, restricted.(and loud as hell to boot) NOTE - front intake leave without a grille unless it's literally the front of the case(in which case, install a grille - paint to match if you like)
C: install a slot cooler/blower. Place this with at least 1 inch of free airspace between it and the video card if possible, if not - reverse it and have it drawing away from the card. This should give you a combined 100cfm out the rear.(power supply is a moot point in my book - just be glad it's not appreciably heating the case)
D:replace the GPU and CPU coolers with a Zalman or Silenx model. Yes, it's a bit pricey, but the stock ones are noisy and inadequate. A Zalman GPU cooler with a 80mm fan in it working at moderate speeds will make less noise and move more air than a stock blower working its rear end off to no avail.
E:The real trick. You should have one fan blowing in 20cfm or so in the front and the others blowing about 100cfm out. Open up one of the 3.5 bay covers, preferably over your HD. Instant drive cooler and intake. The pressure difference will cool down the incoming air by 10 degrees or more and then return to slightly below room temperature after cooling the hard drive. This also will create a straight path across the CPU for airflow, which will suck out other air along with it.
(most cases have small holes in the rear and on the sides - but one large opening will let more air in there than the others combined and pull the air out quickly instead of it slowly being sucked out.(due to backpressure again)) Less lint and dust as well.
But the real trick is the Dremel and fan grille replacement. This trippled my airflow. Together, all of these mods dropped my case temperature by 13C. My graphics card is a X850XT with a big Zalman fan on it. 40C while gaming. My CPU with a simmilar cooler barely reaches 40C as well while being beaten to death.(Northwood P4 - not a real energy hog).
Before it was 55C for the video card and 50C for the CPU/MB. And an incredible din from the video card going on full-speed and the fans pounding away at the stamped grilles 1-2mm away from them.
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