Case Recommendations? - Airflow, Quiet

[simmy2109]

Alright so I have almost everything figured out for my new (and first) build. Now I just need to figure out what case to use. I'm looking for a mid-tower case. It needs to have good airflow; I intend for every component in the case to be air cooled so a lot of heat may be dumped into the case. I am also going to be sleeping in the same room as this PC (as will my college roommate) so I need it to be relatively quiet. I know I can buy quieter fans, but I guess I'd just like the included fans and setup to be quiet enough (but maybe that's a poor approach). I also like the look of some amount of clear paneling on the side, but it'd not a deal-breaker. I also like the look of some amount of light in the case or on the fans, but I need to lights to either be capable of being turned off or not be very bright, since my roommate and I have to sleep with it.

And another side question I thought I'd bring up... In you opinion, which is better, positively or negatively pressuring your case?

Thanks! You guys are the best!

 

[amuffin]

First off, pc cases DON'T Make noise. The parts that make noise would be fans and hard drives. What you can do is get a case such as the CM Storm Enforcer and replace the fans with Silent Fans.

 

[simmy2109]

Well obviously the case itself doesn't make noise.... So is the better approach to just always buy silent fans? Why don't the cases come with quiet fans anyways?

By the way, I was looking into NZXT's Phantom 410 (I like the way it looks) but was concerned if i would have enough airflow. Opinions?

 

[amuffin]

Ever heard of the Fractal Design Define R3? Good airflow and it's quiet

 

[simmy2109]

Hmm... both of those cases look pretty good. Although this review is making me feel a lot better about the Phantom 410 anyways.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/mana-136-midgard-ii-phantom-410,3203-8.html

 

[Rugger]

Another thing to think about is getting a fan controller so you can adjust the speed of your fans...slower for quiet and faster for more cooling.

 

[Onus]

I have an Enermax Hoplite, which has thick, heavy panels like many of the Antec cases (.8mm iirc). This cuts down vibration noise considerably. The front fan has a speed control knob, and LED illumination that can be set to display a number of different patterns, or be turned off completely. It has a lot of hard drive mounting options, including a 2-drive backplane, 2 slots for 2.5" drives, and a top SATA dock.