julien_saadeh
Hello,
I'm looking for a PC case for my always-on computer. The computer has a microATX board and 3 hard drives and I might add more in the future. It's current problem is its noise and vibrations. I need a good quality case that will turn it into a silent PC. The case could be a new or used one if it's in good condition. My budget is $30.
Thank you.
yasamoka
$30, even for a used chassis that has rubber mounting. isolation, and packs good fans (if the user hasn't put his own good fans in there, which will cost you $30 at least), and has good rubber feet, doesn't wobble, is properly built, and is optimized for silence, is impossible.
You would realize that a chassis tuned for silence (like the Cooler Master Sileo, for example), would be one of the more expensive cases.
julien_saadeh
yasamoka wrote$30, even for a used chassis that has rubber mounting. isolation, and packs good fans (if the user hasn't put his own good fans in there, which will cost you $30 at least), and has good rubber feet, doesn't wobble, is properly built, and is optimized for silence, is impossible.
I agree but there are many affordable Thermaltake cases around that are totally silent ones while not having all this professional stuff. I have seen a high-end rig in one of those cases and you wouldn't even notice that it's turned on. I'm only looking such a case that is mechanically good and solid. It will do the job well.
yasamoka
My point is you will always have noise and vibration. I run 3 x Samsung Spinpoint F1 1TB + 1 x Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB in a Thermaltake Element G. It has a metal cage, no rubber, and the 4 hard drives are mounted at positions 1,3,5,7. I always have vibration. Ok, I may be very picky, but even when I turn all the Samsungs off, I can still hear the Western Digital, at idle, no seeking, no nothing. It's not annoying then, but when 4 are turned on, you betcha.
Totally silent, what would you mean by that? Do you have a certain fan preference? Isit about high frequencies, wind tunnels, low frequency noise, what? HDDs emit low frequency noise.
AND, if your case resonates with those drives' frequency, consider yourself dead :P
What hard drives do you run?
julien_saadeh
The computer is a low-end one. Any exhaust low-rpm fan will be fine.
Currently, I have 2 Seagate hard drives inside. One 500GB and one 1TB. The 3rd one is a laptop HDD. I managed to mount it with 2 screws on one side in a CD drive bay. You don't hear them spin and you barely hear them seek.
But the case is cheap and it sounds like WHOOOO and it's in my bedroom :(.
yasamoka
hmmm, cheap PSU fan noise, wind noise, or fan motor noise I'm guessing. Can you identify which of those is the one you're hearing?
julien_saadeh
It has a cheap dual-fan PSU but there is no fan motor noise (as in damage) + it's vibrating on the table where it's located. When you get close to it, you hear a low-pitch humming noise as if some power generator is turned on. By the way, the case wobbles too. :D
taekh3
@julien-saadeh, may i know your Rig Specs please, concerning the Chassis there's only one that i recommend to all MiniAtx / MicroAtx Users the NZXT Vulcan but the Price isn't nearly close to this Budget you must push your Budget to get something much more efficient and sure Keeps You Headache Free ;).
julien_saadeh
Here are the specs:
Intel Celeron 2.8GHz on a D102GGC2 MicroATX motherboard with 2GB DDR2 RAM, 2x 3.5inch HDDs and 1x 2.5inch HDD. But I need room for at least 4x 2.5inch HDDs. 200W PSU power is good enough.
The more compact the size, the better (I imagine something like those HP cases that are found at universities).
The budget is low because I'm expecting a used one more than a new one.
yasamoka
Hmmm what are your hard drive model numbers, I meant?
julien_saadeh
yasamoka wroteHmmm what are your hard drive model numbers, I meant?
The Seagate are Barracuda 7200.12. ST3500418AS and ST31000528AS.
The 2.5inch is a Hitachi one (who cares about the model? :D).
taekh3
ummmm according to this it's much logical to find a used one :), good luck with that although if i found something within this budget ill let you know man Peace.
yasamoka
Hmmm...7200RPM, not 5400RPM...well about the laptop HDD, I do not recommend you keep it suspended like that, it may not be totally level, even though it has a low weight, so for safety, I would recommend you grab yourself a 2.5" to 3.5" bracket and install the 2.5" laptop HDD in the 3.5" drive bays.
I am guessing you are in need of some rubber mounting. Are you able / do you like case modding?
taekh3
Actually the Funny thing is Yasamoka Cares a lot about the Seagate Models to be Precise and he will tell you why :D.
yasamoka
Cares a lot? I've had nothing but trouble with my ST31000340AS...But I guess it was due to electricity cuts: Middle of 2010: Filesystem corruption, of both local disks (boot and data), did a recovery, built my new system and ran it successfully for a year. Then my friend (with friends like him who needs enemies) was vibrating the damn table it was on, it was open-bench, the system kept restarting and next day filesystem corruption. Recovered my files "with love", then ran it successfully for a whole day. Next day, BAM again filesystem corruption...hmm let's try to recover (after I put almost EVERYTHING back in there), the drive appears for 2 seconds then disappears), a board problem obviously. Mechanically, the drive is sound. The drive was a good one, but it seems to hate electricity cuts (none of my other hard drives did that, I know user fault, UPS was not up to par).
The way I see it, it seems all have problems: Western Digital with their initial batches of Caviar Green, Hitachi with their old drives I guess, Samsung with their SpinPoints F1 and the periodic nasty vibration (it literally rattles my side fan door if it's loose, 2/3 of my Sammy drives seem to do it.), Seagate with their 1TB 2008 models with firmware SD15 which reset some counter and screwed your data.
And nowadays, with some SSDs, that are even more unreliable than HDDs, they should give us a guarantee on storage devices stating: "This guarantee of product "quality" *cough cough* ensures you will certainly be screwed a few years into the life of this product. wait for it". *ahem*
These can easily be backed up, though. Small capacities anyways.
julien_saadeh
tarekelkhaledi wroteummmm according to this it's much logical to find a used one :), good luck with that although if i found something within this budget ill let you know man Peace.
Thank you. Consider the budget being a bit flexible. Any offers will be appreciated.
yasamoka wroteHmmm...7200RPM, not 5400RPM...well about the laptop HDD, I do not recommend you keep it suspended like that, it may not be totally level, even though it has a low weight, so for safety, I would recommend you grab yourself a 2.5" to 3.5" bracket and install the 2.5" laptop HDD in the 3.5" drive bays.
I am guessing you are in need of some rubber mounting. Are you able / do you like case modding?
I thought of the bracket for the HDD but I've been told that it wasn't necessary...
About case modding, I don't think it's worth it because the current chassis is a "piece-a-junk".
yasamoka
No I mean take into mind that you will be modding the used case you buy, so that you can have rubber / silicon mounts for HDDs and exhaust / intake fans.
And yes, I recommend the bracket. The hard drive is the only electrical component that is still mechanical in your system (with the exception of fans and water pumps, of course). Take care of it.
julien_saadeh
yasamoka wroteNo I mean take into mind that you will be modding the used case you buy, so that you can have rubber / silicon mounts for HDDs and exhaust / intake fans.
And yes, I recommend the bracket. The hard drive is the only electrical component that is still mechanical in your system (with the exception of fans and water pumps, of course). Take care of it.
If modding the new case is going to be easy, yes I'd go for it. As for the Hitachi HDD, it is safe now. I don't think it will ever slip out of its position. Maybe the new case will feature a bracket for it.
yasamoka
julien_saadeh wroteIf modding the new case is going to be easy, yes I'd go for it. As for the Hitachi HDD, it is safe now. I don't think it will ever slip out of its position. Maybe the new case will feature a bracket for it.
It's not about slipping out. It's what's happening inside the HDD with the platters that worries me. The fact is that this hard drive most probably rotates 90 times a second, it NEEDS good mounting. If it was about falling off, you could glue it to the case for all you care. You need it to be in an equilibrium position. Anyway, that's my advice to you.
And no, the next case most probably will not come with an adapter if it's going to be sold at $30. Few high-end cases do come with it, if any. An SSD usually includes this adapter in the box. if you have a friend who installed an SSD in a laptop, ask him if you can have it.
AVOlio
Guys, so im also soon going to get a new whole case with the GTX 680.
Now i think these are what im going to get as Specs.
Intel Ivy bridge i7 ( you can help me with to choose which one also to get along with the 680)
Board , YEA i dont know either, need your help
Ram, (i want 12 gb minimum) also help about types are appreciated
HDD 1 tb , HELP ..
Some DVD-rw ..
Now this is what i want help with the most. THE CASE.
I want a really cool looking case, with led lights and stuff. that makes NO NOISE at all !
I dont know, you guys give me some options.
Also for the psu, if the psu wasnt built in in that case, i want to get a good PSU for the gtx 680.
So yea, give me options to make me think twice of what im buying, and help me out :)
