Six Low-Noise, Performance-Oriented Cases, Tested
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Cases
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Last response: in Reviews comments
Crashman
June 6, 2011 4:00:03 AM
We recently illustrated the features of our six low-noise cases, and today we get to find out how those features help them perform. We provide further detail on the hardware installation process before delving into heat and noise comparisons.
Six Low-Noise, Performance-Oriented Cases, Tested : Read more
Six Low-Noise, Performance-Oriented Cases, Tested : Read more
More about : low noise performance oriented cases tested
Tamz_msc
June 6, 2011 4:23:49 AM
Anonymous
June 6, 2011 4:35:09 AM
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dragonsqrrl
June 6, 2011 4:45:59 AM
Using a SilverStone Fortress Series FT02B-W here. Basically identical interior design, except in my opinion the exterior is more aesthetically pleasing. Glad to confirm the excellent cooling characteristics.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163161&cm_re=ft02_b-_-11-163-161-_-Product
Another big plus with the Fortress 2 is the inclusion of sound dampening foam on every panel, but to be entirely honest with you, due to the open nature of the case, I'm really not sure how much sound it's actually dampening.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163161&cm_re=ft02_b-_-11-163-161-_-Product
Another big plus with the Fortress 2 is the inclusion of sound dampening foam on every panel, but to be entirely honest with you, due to the open nature of the case, I'm really not sure how much sound it's actually dampening.
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0
henryvalz
June 6, 2011 4:57:55 AM
Gamer-girl
June 6, 2011 5:11:00 AM
xmaswraith
June 6, 2011 5:32:02 AM
JOSHSKORN
June 6, 2011 5:35:22 AM
killerclick
June 6, 2011 5:51:43 AM
Luay
June 6, 2011 6:24:14 AM
madsbs
June 6, 2011 9:31:55 AM
madsbs
June 6, 2011 9:36:23 AM
srgess
June 6, 2011 10:04:59 AM
Anonymous
June 6, 2011 10:32:30 AM
VirtualMirage
June 6, 2011 11:54:42 AM
Petey1013
June 6, 2011 2:03:05 PM
madsbs"Yet, as a gaming case, the Raven 2 Evolution may not fulfill the aesthetic or storage needs of some computing professionals"This conclusion makes no sense. Why do "computing professional gamers" need storage. And further the case holds 5 HDDs. That's 1 SSD + 4x2TB of storage.
You mean 5x2TB. It holds 5 HDDs and a SSD.
Also, the FT02, although more expensive, should have been used due to the extra sound dampening material.
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randomstar
June 6, 2011 2:03:15 PM
Anonymous
June 6, 2011 2:07:24 PM
verbalizer
June 6, 2011 2:08:30 PM
chesteracorgi
June 6, 2011 2:29:08 PM
I'd rate the Bitfinix, Lian Li and Silverstone for having the best aesthetics. Antec's design placing the PSU at the top is anachronistic: heating the top of the case. Silverstone's idiosyncratic design produces the best cooling at the price of more noise. None of these cases give me a second thought about going with the Corsair 600T.
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marraco
June 6, 2011 3:01:31 PM
I would love an article about how to "make it yourself".
Do a case with good electromagnetic and noise insulation. With good cooling.
What materials are better? Is electromagnetic insulation that important? (so, is necessary a conductive -metallic- case?)
how do you solve the precise location of backward holes (for motherboard, and boards).
how do you make the holes for different form factors (hint: there are standards)
etc. there is a lot to talk. You can make a cheap case much better than the trademark garbage sold.
Do a case with good electromagnetic and noise insulation. With good cooling.
What materials are better? Is electromagnetic insulation that important? (so, is necessary a conductive -metallic- case?)
how do you solve the precise location of backward holes (for motherboard, and boards).
how do you make the holes for different form factors (hint: there are standards)
etc. there is a lot to talk. You can make a cheap case much better than the trademark garbage sold.
Score
2
JohnnyLucky
June 6, 2011 3:14:35 PM
davewolfgang
June 6, 2011 3:22:13 PM
Quote:
This is unusual for Tom's...an inconclusive review on poorly chosen hardware.-100
Please read the article - Tom's asked the manufactures to send it what THEY were "pushing" as the low-sound cases (i.e. what the manufacturers were "pushing" as low-sound).
But as was found, one that wasn't even being pushed as low-sound, ended up being the lowest.
Now I think they should've ran the comparison with the newest AMD Jet Engine..... ;-)
Score
1
Max1s
June 6, 2011 3:23:17 PM
mattmock
June 6, 2011 3:38:42 PM
banthracis
June 6, 2011 4:11:01 PM
LuayRV-03 pushes more air and cools better than the 02, but it's also louder.
According Silverstone's Tony Ou, the RV03 at stock cools equivalent to a RV02. Also not sure where you're getting the louder from since it's 2 AP181's instead of 3 like the RV02E.
Quote:
I'd be curious how the two 180mm fans vs. the three fans in the RV02 and RV02E impacts cooling performance.Any input on this? Do you have RV02 or RV02E experience?
Quote:
Our own internal testing has shown the RV03 to perform very similarly to RV02/RV02-E with Air Penetrator fans installed. This results is echoed with Bit-tech.net's test on the TJ11, which also has two 180mm fans:http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2011/04/08/silverstone...
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1600374&page=3
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ChromeTusk
June 6, 2011 5:24:18 PM
Aesthetics are very subjective, so everyone is entitled to his or her own options. In my opinion, the Sonata series and Define XL (even the PC-25s and H2 Classic) blend well in most office/home office environments.
Unfortunately, for some of us, other members in the household do not want to hear all the noise coming from games or the PCs. Personally, I would love to use my 2.1/5.1 speaker systems more often, but it is not ideal during the middle of the night.
JohnnyLuckyI would think that hardcore gamers and enthusiasts would not be too concerned about noise because a lot of games can get quite loud.
Unfortunately, for some of us, other members in the household do not want to hear all the noise coming from games or the PCs. Personally, I would love to use my 2.1/5.1 speaker systems more often, but it is not ideal during the middle of the night.
Score
0
dragonsqrrl
June 6, 2011 6:57:54 PM
ChromeTusk
June 6, 2011 7:27:06 PM
greenback
June 6, 2011 8:42:10 PM
hellwig
June 6, 2011 9:40:28 PM
Any idea how the new Sonata IV compares to an older Sonata (circa 2003)? Not that I would buy the new one necessarily, but it would help to compare with these other cases. I'm hoping to upgrade just about everything if AMD ever releases Bulldozer, but I'm hesitant to spend another $150 on a case if my old Sonata isn't any worse than these guys. The only real difference between the Sonata IV and my case is the fans (old used multiple 80MM), but I used lower-RPM fans, they seem to run relatively quiet (compared to the stock Dremel motor running the fan on my old Radeon 4850).
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0
Crashman
June 6, 2011 10:17:03 PM
hellwigAny idea how the new Sonata IV compares to an older Sonata (circa 2003)? Not that I would buy the new one necessarily, but it would help to compare with these other cases. I'm hoping to upgrade just about everything if AMD ever releases Bulldozer, but I'm hesitant to spend another $150 on a case if my old Sonata isn't any worse than these guys. The only real difference between the Sonata IV and my case is the fans (old used multiple 80MM), but I used lower-RPM fans, they seem to run relatively quiet (compared to the stock Dremel motor running the fan on my old Radeon 4850).
You'll need to Google a Sonata comparison to see different generations of the case. Sorry, we don't have the older ones.Score
0
ChromeTusk
June 7, 2011 4:22:13 AM
hellwig said:
Any idea how the new Sonata IV compares to an older Sonata (circa 2003)? Not that I would buy the new one necessarily, but it would help to compare with these other cases. I'm hoping to upgrade just about everything if AMD ever releases Bulldozer, but I'm hesitant to spend another $150 on a case if my old Sonata isn't any worse than these guys. The only real difference between the Sonata IV and my case is the fans (old used multiple 80MM), but I used lower-RPM fans, they seem to run relatively quiet (compared to the stock Dremel motor running the fan on my old Radeon 4850).Are you talking about the version with blue LED "headlights"? Here is a list of changes I have noticed:
Found on Sonata (gen.1)
2x 3.5" external drive bays
Firewire port
120mm fan mounting holes next to internal 3.5" bays, must use silicone mounts
internal layout is similar to Sonata III 500 -- 4x horizontal internal 3.5" bays
Found on Sonata IV
side vent (right, front) near internal drive bays
rear vent holes next to expansion slots -- used with Sonata Elite's blower fan
vertical internal 3.5" bays
My current rebuild inside the Sonata. Pardon the messy cable placement.
Score
0
gofasterstripes
June 7, 2011 10:11:05 AM
Just built a machine with the Fractal Define R3, lovely. Affordable, solid, nice cable management and quiet. The included fans are a nice balance of quiet and decent airflow, and the supplied fan controller is basic, but effective.
Looses a couple of points for no USB3 front connector [addressed in this review I think - available later?] and not having a HDD light. I just attached a resister to a 3.6V bright blue LED, hooked it to the correct size mini plug, and glued it to the opposite side of the plastic section the power light illuminates, providing a blue-pink flash in the clear ring when the drive is accessed [looks great, this - why did they not think of it?!].
Overall, I can't compare it to the cases listed here, but it's quieter than my Cooler Master Storm Scout [which isn't noisy] and has muuuch better cabling.
I'd say 9/10 for that model.
GfS
Looses a couple of points for no USB3 front connector [addressed in this review I think - available later?] and not having a HDD light. I just attached a resister to a 3.6V bright blue LED, hooked it to the correct size mini plug, and glued it to the opposite side of the plastic section the power light illuminates, providing a blue-pink flash in the clear ring when the drive is accessed [looks great, this - why did they not think of it?!].
Overall, I can't compare it to the cases listed here, but it's quieter than my Cooler Master Storm Scout [which isn't noisy] and has muuuch better cabling.
I'd say 9/10 for that model.
GfS
Score
0
balearic
June 7, 2011 1:09:34 PM
gm0n3y
June 7, 2011 6:48:16 PM
Would like to have seen the Antec P183 instead of the Sonata.
*EDIT* I own a Sonata (v2?) and a P183 and the P183 has vastly better cooling and better acoustics. It is a little too large and relatively expensive, but its works extremely well. That's not to say that the Sonata isn't good (I've done 3 Sonata builds for friends), its just not as good as the P183.
*EDIT* I own a Sonata (v2?) and a P183 and the P183 has vastly better cooling and better acoustics. It is a little too large and relatively expensive, but its works extremely well. That's not to say that the Sonata isn't good (I've done 3 Sonata builds for friends), its just not as good as the P183.
Score
0
computertech82
June 8, 2011 2:53:57 AM
zulutech
June 8, 2011 3:58:50 AM
Crashman
June 8, 2011 4:02:27 AM
Crashman
June 8, 2011 4:03:17 AM
The Halo Don
June 8, 2011 7:48:37 AM
Anonymous
June 9, 2011 4:09:33 PM
gm0n3y
June 9, 2011 5:25:49 PM
Thronsen
June 11, 2011 6:49:49 AM
Another vote here for the Antec p183. Easily the quietest case I have ever owned, even with 3 HDDs, 24GB ram and an i7-970.
This is a really important topic to some readers, and I would love to see a 2nd effort at it. Seems there was some confusion on the part of the manufacturers with what was sent to you guys. There are quieter cases out there, surprised none of them made your list.
This is a really important topic to some readers, and I would love to see a 2nd effort at it. Seems there was some confusion on the part of the manufacturers with what was sent to you guys. There are quieter cases out there, surprised none of them made your list.
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Anonymous
June 11, 2011 12:19:47 PM
Sorry to say this "Fractal Design Define R3" wins hands down, I own one and I have been looking for a rival but no matter how hard I look, comes close to the style or spec's for the same price. Sure if you want to invest half of your budget in the case you can finde better. And if you are anygood at modding you can make it even better
Cash
Cash
Score
0
justjc
June 11, 2011 11:05:58 PM
Too bad you started working on this review before the Cooler Master Silencio was made available. I would have liked to see how it would manage the task. If nothing else it should be more quiet and cheaper than most of the tested cases and the design looks a lot more clean than even that on the Fractal Design one. Also it has a USB 3 port naturally so that alone should put it on top ;-P
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Anonymous
June 12, 2011 5:10:14 AM
Antec rules! 1st of all you can easily mount a 120mm inside the front face aimed squarely at the HDD's for intake. The PSU is easily upgraded if you need it as Antec PSU's are rugged and rated conservatively. It is the most handsome, quiet, & reasonably sized performance chassis in the group. FYI my techs custom build servers and gamers in the Sonata regularly. If you want a big ugly chassis, Antec is not your solution.
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0
Crashman
June 12, 2011 5:48:24 AM
Anonymous
June 12, 2011 6:04:00 AM
@garypop1
I am from Denmark, Here the price for a Sonata series is 20% or more, the Proto is the same price point as "Fractal Design Define Rx" series, and the "Fractal Design Arc Midi Tower"
My main problems with the Sonata series, 1. Top mount PSU, 2. No side Fan, NO front intake fan (yes you can mount a 120 on the HD rack inside but then you get problems with the long GFX cards), and it looks like it from the 90's. and you only get one yes you read right ONE fan 120 read mounted thats it. and the case isnt built for more, Fractal you get two 120 and you can add 5 more if needed, but wait there is more, Fan controller, and not one of thos with 2/3 settings.
and if you want style and dont want to pay an arm or a leg take a look at the "Fractal Design Arc Midi Tower" it costs the same as the R3
so Fractal wines hands down.
FYI I have been building systems for the past 25 years.
I am from Denmark, Here the price for a Sonata series is 20% or more, the Proto is the same price point as "Fractal Design Define Rx" series, and the "Fractal Design Arc Midi Tower"
My main problems with the Sonata series, 1. Top mount PSU, 2. No side Fan, NO front intake fan (yes you can mount a 120 on the HD rack inside but then you get problems with the long GFX cards), and it looks like it from the 90's. and you only get one yes you read right ONE fan 120 read mounted thats it. and the case isnt built for more, Fractal you get two 120 and you can add 5 more if needed, but wait there is more, Fan controller, and not one of thos with 2/3 settings.
and if you want style and dont want to pay an arm or a leg take a look at the "Fractal Design Arc Midi Tower" it costs the same as the R3
so Fractal wines hands down.
FYI I have been building systems for the past 25 years.
Score
0
WebHostIndia
June 20, 2011 11:15:27 AM
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