Need suggestion on PSU & maybe case

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Hitman34

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Dec 8, 2007
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Hello all -

I'm nearing the end of building my new system, and I'm down to buying the PSU and Case. I'm really confused on what PSU I should buy, and I'm hoping somebody will be able to help out. This is the configuration:

Vista 64bit
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.40GHz (G0)
EVGA GeForce 780i SLI mobo (132-CK-NF78-A1)
2 x G.SKILL 4GB(2x2GB) F2-8000CL5D-4GBPQ (8gb total)
2 x Western Digital Caviar RE2 WD7500AYYS 750GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0gb/s (in RAID 0 config)
2 x EVGA GeForce 8800GTS (G92) (SLI'd)
Creative 7.1 X-Fi Platinum Fatal1ty
LG Blu-ray/HD DVD-ROM & 16x Burner GGC-H20L (SATA)
LITE-ON Combo SATA DH-52C2S-04 (52x)
Zalman CNP59700 (aftermarket CPU cooler)
3 x 24" monitors

I will also be adding a video capture card, but have yet to decide on which.


As for the case, I was looking at the Thermaltake Armor Series VA8000BWS Full Tower
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133154
but would like to replace the led fans with non-led fans, but if anyone has a better suggestion, I'd like to hear from you. Is this case quiet? I'd really like something that is quiet, but will keep cool, as I plan on ocing later.

Thanks all!
 
J

jerseygamer

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Nov 9, 2007
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I highly recomend the Antek 900 case. Its very low noise. The position of the fans along with the size makes for a system that moves ALOT of air. Your Zalman cooler will shoot right out of the top fan above the CPU. Its perfect for an air cooled rig. I recomend buying 2 extra fans. One for the side cover and one for the bay adapter. The extra fan on the middle bay pushes even more air over your PCIE slots and allows for a nice fresh flow into your CPU cooler. The case is built like a rock. Simple yet stylish.

Thermaltake cases always come with **** fans. If you are lucky with everyday use you can get a year out of them. I actualy own the case you linked. Its a POS and a half. For the size of the case it does not support the size of fans you would need to move propper air in order to keep it cool. The Antec 900 case moves almost 3x as much air with lower noise. The case you listed has dead spots near the rear of the case. You can never get proper flow over the entire MB and all your cards. The most important thing in the layout of an air cooled case is that the top fan be able to vent all heat and is equal to the size needed to exaust the air supplied by the other fans. The case you linked is a perfect example of a horrible fan layout gone wrong. Any year one HVAC tech can tell you that with a peace of paper, a pencil and a ruler. The Antec 900 case has the perfect intake from the front and side cover and the perfect exuast from the rear, top and the PSU at the bottom. It does not get any better.

I will say the Antec 900 is layed out well but it is a bit tricky to get your wires hidden. You will have to take full advantage of the pathways behind both side covers along with some bundleing under the bottom drive bay tray. Look for a fully modular PSU. I got the Antec 850 and its modular but half of the PSU is hard wired. I had to play games trying to hid the hard wired cables under my bottom drive tray.

Basicly the Antec 900 with just one extra fan installed inside on the "duct" assemble will push fresh air over every component of your machine and will exaust in perfect order on all low fan settings. The Thermaltake requres alot of work and still has alot of dead spots and turbulant air. My entire system with the same cooler you linked is cool to the touch ram included and is silent. Oh and the LEDs are the same color as your cooler. Just bright enough to look good and not light up the room.
 
D

diss_dance

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Dec 23, 2007
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I'm now a bit iffy about antek trupower psu's. my 430 watt was great for nearly a year then there was one hell of a bang and my flat was filled with that special fried electronics smell. didn't hurt the system (worst luck, asrock bug board)
 
kolix

kolix

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now, I agree with some points you have made in your post but I have a different experience with this thermaltake case:
I have owned this case for more than a year already and the fans are still spinning (yes, I do hear some light "whirring" but not very loud) so I am lucky?
my armour case has three 120mm fans blowing from the front, a 250mm fan on the side, a 120mm and 80mm fan at the rear, and a 80mm fan at the top - plenty enough for me and I think having more than 12 fans on a stacker is too much (might as well go watercool)
you must know something about this case that me and many other happy owners don't know about...
 
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Hitman34

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Dec 8, 2007
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I noticed my list of my system setup was not complete (sorry, my girlfriend was rushing me out the door to go christmas shopping). I forgot to add a few things that may require a more powerful PSU. I will have quite a few usb devices attached at various times (most of which are external travel hard drives), plus I will also have 2 more sata hard drives:

2 x Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000340AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0GB/s
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148274


I just don't know all the requirements needed for the PSU to drive this system. I want to make sure it will be able to not only push this system, but have somewhat of a future proofing to it, if that makes sense.


Thanks for all the replies so far, this is good feedback.
 
ZOldDude

ZOldDude

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Apr 22, 2006
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I always use CoolerMaster cases and spend the extra money for a PC Power & Cooling PSU (one big well filtered 60 amp 12V rail and hard wired connectors).
 
rockyjohn

rockyjohn

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If you are interested in the Antec 900 case listed above, it is on sale at newegg for only $80 after rebate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021

I am planning to make my next case a Cooler Master Cosmos. See this article from THG

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/11/01/holiday_buyers_guide_2007/page6.html

It is on sale at newegg for $150 after rebate

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119138

For the power supply - you might want to consider another item on sale at newegg - a Power & Cooling Silencer 610w - on sale for $119 - no rebate required. Note that I read a review on the 750w version - highly favorable - but it noted that its cables might be a little short if you have a case with the PSU at the bottom, and the Cosmos case has it at the bottom.

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817703005

http://www.jonnyguru.com/review_details.php?id=124
 
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