[SOLVED] Case Selection Help

[Crag_Hack]

Hi I seek a little help selecting a good case for my new PC build. I would like a balance of good airflow and silence. Looks also matter a little (don't care about RGB) - I like angles and patterns as opposed to monolithic featureless boxes. Prices are OK up to ~200$. I have been looking at the Be Quiet Silent Base 802, Pure Base 500DX, Fractal Meshify series, and Cooler Master H500 variants. Any insight on what might be the best case for me? Any other cases that might appeal to me?
Thanks!

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

the be quiet! Silent Base 802 is one of the nicest available at the moment.
i'm really enjoying the Fractal Design Vector RS.
but if it had been out at the time, i probably would've gone for the Silent Base 802 instead.

i have a list of some i was considering for my last build which has been been kept slightly updated.
mostly mid-large ATX with better airflow and fan\radiator placement options but lacking any over-the-top "gamer" designs:
Newegg Wishlist - Cases

 

[Crag_Hack]

Another quick question - would it be good for airflow to put an additional fan in the top rear of the case? Seems like that would pump more air out of the case above the CPU cooler.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

would it be good for airflow to put an additional fan in the top rear of the case?

how much exhaust you may need really depends on how much cool air intake you have,
how much heat is being produced,
and how efficient your current cooling setup is.

example:
if you've got two high airflow\air pressure intakes running at 50%
and two of the same fans running at the same speed for exhaust;
you would have zero interior air pressure and the cool air would be sucked directly out of the case with no chance to flow over and cool most components.

if you set the intakes to 100%
while leaving the exhaust fans set to 50%;
than you would have a positive air pressure and the cool air being pulled in would have more of a chance to fill the entire case, cool VRMs and other components, and push any warmed air towards exhaust points.

of course it's different in every scenario with different coolers, different fans, and different case designs.
all of the system build info would be necessary to determine if it would make much of a difference for your particular setup.

 

[InvalidError]

example:
if you've got two high airflow\air pressure intakes running at 50%
and two of the same fans running at the same speed for exhaust;
you would have zero interior air pressure and the cool air would be sucked directly out of the case with no chance to flow over and cool most components.

If the intakes have air filters, then they will need to work much harder to pull air through than the exhaust does and you will most likely have a net negative case pressure even if the single exhaust is at 50% while the dual intakes are at 100%.

I had dual intakes with single exhaust on low speed in my Antec 300v2 and dust was getting pulled in through every open hole in the case so I had to tape all of those shut. When I upgraded my PC, I moved the rear exhaust fan to the back of my CM 212+ to push air toward the rear exhaust and let positive pressure from the intakes finish the job of pushing it out to make sure I get no negative pressure.

 

[Crag_Hack]

Thanks guys. I'll stick with the stock configuration then 2 140's in the front and a 140 in the back.

 

[geofelt]

Thanks guys. I'll stick with the stock configuration then 2 140's in the front and a 140 in the back.

That is a good start.
Larger 140mm fans move more air at lower rpm and will be quieter.
No idea what you will have inside.
Noise comes from many fans running at high rpm.
That may be from your graphics card or cpu cooler. PSU fans rarely move at all it the psu is sized right.

Above all, buy a case with the looks you love.
Bust your budget if needed to buy what you want.
Cases last a long time.

 

[Karadjgne]

Above all, buy a case with the looks you love.

That above all other considerations.

If you love the case, you'll figure out airflow, make changes, modify it if you must, make excuses, live with results.

If you hate the looks of the case, it wouldn't make a difference if it has the best airflow on the market or not, it'll just be a wasted money stop-gap to something better.

Start with the basics, and work your way out from there. What form factor. What motherboards fit. What psu size will be required for which length gpu. What cooling, AIO, giant AIO, giant air etc. That'll greatly narrow down the results, unless you feel like changing components to fit a certain case.

 

[dorsai]

Just picked up the revised Lian Li Lancool 2 Mesh Performance for a new build a few weeks back. Really can't say enough good things about the case. It's well laid out with good cable management and excellent airflow.

 

[Windows22]

That above all other considerations.

If you love the case, you'll figure out airflow, make changes, modify it if you must, make excuses, live with results.

If you hate the looks of the case, it wouldn't make a difference if it has the best airflow on the market or not, it'll just be a wasted money stop-gap to something better.

Start with the basics, and work your way out from there. What form factor. What motherboards fit. What psu size will be required for which length gpu. What cooling, AIO, giant AIO, giant air etc. That'll greatly narrow down the results, unless you feel like changing components to fit a certain case.

Agreed, proper airflow intake is quite important in the long run.