Question Choosing case

Apr 27, 2019
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Hi, in around June I want my first build to be finished so I am starting to buy parts now. At first I wanted to buy the Phanteks Enthoo Pro(not interested anymore), but then I got more into be quiet! Dark Base 700 White Edition. I saw some tests for the noise and I went looking for the Silent base 801 as well. I want to make a silent PC Build with very good airflow. What should I choose from these 2 be quiet! cases?
 
Neither. Quiet PC operation is FAR more a product of the fans (Case fans, CPU cooler, graphics card, power supply) than it is of the case itself. The case should be a secondary consideration to fan selection when noise is the biggest concern. If you put loud, crappy fans in any case, including the R5/R6 or BeQuiet models, you're still not going to have a quiet system.

Obviously, that should put Noctua on the top of any list you might create in terms of what to look at. BeQuiet has good noise specs on paper, but that's generally because they reduce the maximum RPM to a level where the fan can only make so much noise, which leaves much cooling performance on the table. Noctua on the other hand, can be JUST as quiet, while providing significantly more cooling performance. If you want a very quiet build, the NF-A14 (In the Chromax.black.swap variety if the color of the standard Noctua fans bothers you) should be the primary fan you are looking at. The NF-A15 is also good but won't fit every location on every case since it's asymmetrical and uses 120mm mounting holes. It will fit most 140mm mounting locations though.

As for the case itself, the quietest case you can get has traditionally been the Fractal design Define R series cases, specifically the R5 which was tested in an anechoic chamber. The Fractal design R6 improves on that case somewhat.

http://www.fractal-design.com/home/justsilence
 
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The Define R6 is about the same size as those cases. Maybe slightly (Less than 10mm) less wide, but about the same height and length. That Dark base 700 is a nice looking case actually, but the fact remains that their fans are not superior. They don't have especially good airflow characteristics and the only reason they have good sound levels is because they limit them to much lower RPMs than competing fans which results in a lot less airflow overall, plus they have less airflow and static pressure at ANY given RPM than just about any Noctua, Thermalright, Cryorig or Phanteks fan.

But you could certainly do worse, so I'm not particularly against it either.
 
Well, I'd ask, before venturing too far into further recommendations, what do you have to spend (Or can spend) on a case and case fans?

What is the rest of the hardware going to consist of? What CPU cooler are you planning to use? What motherboard? What graphics card? What power supply? All of which MIGHT be factors in choosing a case and cooling options.
 
Apr 27, 2019
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I am going to use an RTX 2070 with an i7 8700K, with a Dark Rock Pro 4, I don't know what the motherboard is going to be, probably an 100€ one, and a be quiet or corsair PSU (not sure here either). For the case I can spend 170€ and around 25€ for one fan.
 
Regarding the PSU. I recommend you not consider BeQuiet. If you go with Corsair, choose from the models indicated in my recommendations that can been seen by clicking the spoiler below.

Let's start with the biggest misconception out there, which is that if a unit has high watts it will be ok or is good. No. Just, no.

There are plenty of 750-1000w units out there that I wouldn't trust to power a light bulb and might in fact be more dangerous due to their supposedly high capacity due to poor or non-existent protections inside the unit.

If the platform isn't good to begin with, how many watts or amps it says it can support is irrelevant.

Higher 80plus certification doesn't mean anything, UNLESS it's on an already known to be high quality PSU platform. For example, a Seasonic Prime platinum unit is going to be a better product than a Seasonic Prime Gold unit, because we already know the Prime platform is very good, and platinum efficiency along with it shows there are some improvements internally to account for the higher efficiency.

In a case like that, it might be worth it. It's likely the unit will create less heat, it will probably have better performance in regard to ripple, noise and voltage regulation. It might shave a few pennies, or dollars, off the electric bill over the course of a year.

Other than that, it is not going to perform any better than the same platform with Gold efficiency. On the other hand, just because a unit has Titanium 80plus ratings doesn't mean the unit is any good at all. For example, there are Raidmax units with Titanium efficiency and I wouldn't trust one of those to power a light bulb. There are a lot of units like this out there.

If the platform isn't good to begin with, whether or not it has an 80plus certification or not is irrelevant.

Whatever you do, don't EVER buy a power supply based on whether it has RGB or lighting, or looks like it might be a quality unit. Some of the biggest hunks of junk out there look just as good as a Seasonic Prime Ultra Titanium, but I assure you, they are not. So far as I've seen there are really no excellent units out there that have RGB built in. Maybe one or two models, but rest assured you'll be be paying for the lighting, not for the quality of the power supply.

I don't know what country you reside in, and I know that sometimes it's hard to come by good units in some regions, but when possible, when it comes time to get that PSU, I'd stick to the following if you can.

Seasonic. Seasonic isn't just a brand, they are a PSU manufacturer, unlike many of the PSU brands you see they make their own power supply platforms AND a great many of the very good PSU models out there from other brands like Antec, Corsair and older XFX are made by Seasonic.

Just about anything made by Seasonic is good quality for the most part. There are really no bad Seasonic units and only a very few that are even somewhat mediocre. They do make a few less-good quality OEM style units, but mostly those are not going to be units you come across at most vendors, and they are still not bad. Also, the S12II and M12II 520 and 620w units are older, group regulated models. At one time they were among the best units you could buy. Now, they are outdated and not as good as almost any other Seasonic models. They are however still better than a LOT of newer designs by other manufacturers.

The Seasonic 520w and 620w S12II/M12II units CAN be used on newer Intel platforms, if you turn off C6/C7 in the bios, but I'd really recommend a newer platform whenever possible. Prices are usually pretty good on those though, so sometimes it's worth accepting the lack of DC-DC on the internal platform. Higher capacity versions of the High current gamer are not based on that platform, so they are fine. Those being the 750w and higher versions.

Most common currently, in order of preference, would be the Seasonic Focus series, then Focus plus, then Prime, then Prime ultra. It's worth mentioning that there are generally Gold, Platinum and Titanium versions within each, or most, of those series, but that does not necessarily mean that a Focus plus Platinum is necessarily better than a Prime Gold. It only means that it scored better in the 80plus efficiency testing, not that the platform is better.

Again, don't let yourself get tangled up in the idea that a higher 80plus rating specifically means that it is a better unit than another one with a lower rating, unless you know that it is a good platform from the start. All these Focus and Prime units are pretty good so you can somewhat focus on the 80plus rating when deciding which of them to choose.

Super Flower. Super Flower is another PSU manufacturer. They are like Seasonic and they make power supplies for a variety of other companies, like EVGA. Super Flower units are usually pretty good. I'd stick to the Leadex, Leadex II and Golden Green models.They also make most of the good units sold by EVGA like the G2, G3, P2 and T2 models.

Super Flower doesn't have a very broad availability for the units with their own brand name on them, and are not available in a lot of countries but for those where there is availability you want to look at the Leadex and Leadex II models. The Golden green platform is fairly decent too but is getting rather long in the tooth as a platform AND I've seen some reviews indicating a few shortcomings on units based on this platform.

Even so, it's a great deal better than a lot of other platforms out there so you could certainly do worse than a Golden green model. Units based on the Leadex and Leadex II platforms are much better though.

Corsair. The CX and CXm units are ok as a budget option, but I do not recommend pairing them with gaming cards. The newer 2017 models of CX and CXm are better than the older ones, but still not what we'd call terrific, so if it specifically says 2017 model, or it has a capacity other than an even 100, like 550w, 650w, 750w, etc., then it's likely at least better than those older ones. Aside from that, any of the TX, RMx, RMi, HX, HXi, AX or AXi units are good. Those are listed from best to worst, with the best being the AX and AXi units.

Antec. The True power classic units are made by Seasonic, and are very good, but are not modular. The High current gamer 520w and 620w, or any other PSU you see on the market that is 520w or 620w, are also made by Seasonic, based on the S12II and M12II platform for modern versions, and are pretty good units but again they are an older platform that is group regulated so if you go with a Haswell or newer Intel configuration you will want to avoid those because they do not support the C6/C7 Intel low power states.

The Antec High current gamer 750w and 850w units are very good and are not the older design, which came in 520w and 620w capacities and were good for back then but again, are an aging Seasonic platform that is not the best choice most of the time these days. Occasionally, these older units MIGHT be the best unit available and you could do worse than one of them, but a newer DC-DC platform is desirable when possible if it doesn't mean sacrificing quality elsewhere in the platform. There are however older and newer HCG models, so exact model number will likely be a factor if choosing one of these however both the older models and the newer models are good.

Antec Edge units are ok too, but reviews indicate that they have noisy fan profiles. I'd only choose this model if it is on sale or the aesthetics match up with your color scheme or design. Still a good power supply but maybe a little aggressive on the fan profile. This may have been cured on newer Edge models so reading professional tear down reviews is still the best idea.

Antec Earthwatts Gold units are very good also.

BeQuiet. BeQuiet does have a few decent models, BUT, you must be VERY selective about which of their models you put your trust in. From model to model their are huge differences in both quality and performance, even with the same series. If you cannot find a review for a BeQuiet unit on HardOCP, JonnyGuru or Tom's hardware that SPECIFICALLY says it is a very good unit, and does not have any significant issues in the "cons" category, I would avoid it. In fact, I'd probably avoid it anyhow unless there is a very great sale on one that has good reviews, because their units are generally more expensive than MUCH better units from Antec, Seasonic, EVGA and Corsair.

EVGA. They have BOTH good and not very good models.

Not very good are the W1, N1, B1, B3 (All models except the 650w model), BQ, BR, BT and G1 NEX models.

Good models are the B2, B3 650w, G2, G2L, G3, GQ, P2 and T2 models.

FSP. They used to be very mediocre, and are a PSU manufacturer like Seasonic and Super Flower, although not as well trusted based on historical performance. Currently the FSP Hydro G and Hydro X units are pretty good.

I would avoid Thermaltake and Cooler Master.

They do have a few good units, but most of the models they sell are either poor or mediocre, and the ones they have that ARE good are usually way overpriced.

This is just ONE example of why I say that. Very new and modern CM unit. One of the worst scores ever seen on JonnyGuru for a well known brand name product. Doesn't look to be much better than a Raidmax unit. Sad.

Cooler Master Masterwatt Lite 600W review

And most of the models I have linked to the reviews of at the following link are at least good, with most of them being fantastic.

Power supply discussion thread

Certainly there ARE some good units out there that you won't see above among those I've listed, but they are few and far between, much as a hidden nugget of gold you find in a crevice among otherwise ordinary rocks and don't EVER assume a unit is good just because of the brand.

If you cannot find an IN DEPTH, REPUTABLE review on Tom's hardware, JonnyGuru, HardOCP, Hardware secrets (Old reviews by Gabe Torres), Kitguru (Only Aris reviews), TechPowerUP, SilentPC crew or a similar site that does much more than simply a review of the unboxing and basic tests that don't include reliable results for ripple, noise, voltage regulation and a complete teardown of the unit including identification of the internal platform, then the unit is a big fat question mark.

I recommend not trusting such units as companies generally always send out review samples of any unit they feel is going to get a good review, and don't send them out if they know they are going to get hammered by the reviewer. No review usually equals poor quality. Usually.


Other models that should never be trusted OR USED AT ALL, under any circumstances, include

A-Top, AK Power, Alpine, Apevia, Apex (Supercase/Allied), Artic, Ace, Aerocool (There might be one model worth using, but I'd still avoid them.), Aspire (Turbocase), Atadc, Atrix, Broadway com corp, Chieftech, Circle, CIT, Coolmax, Deer, Diablotek, Dynapower, Dynex, Eagletech, Enlight, Eurotech, Evo labs, EZ cool, Feedtek, Foxconn, G7, HEC/Compucase Orion, HEDY, High power, iBall, iStar computer co., Jeantec, JPac, Just PC, Kolink, LC Power, Linkworld electronics, Logisys, Macron, MSI, NmediaPC, Norwood Micro (CompUSA), Okia, Powercool, Powmax, Pulsepower, Q-tec, Raidmax, RaveRocketfish, Segotep, SFC, Sharkoon, Shuttle, Skyhawk, Spire, Startech, Storm, Sumvision, Tesla, Trust, Ultra, Wintech, Winpower, Xilence (Until I see a reputable review of a model showing different), xTreme (Cyberpower), Youngbear and Zebronics.


Dark Rock Pro 4 is ok, but there are certainly better choices, even at the same or lower price range. Both in terms of overall performance AND noise levels. Again, BeQuiet ONLY exceeds in the area of noise levels vs other competitors because they have a well known policy of creating a false ceiling on RPMs. Any fan will stay below 19db if you limit it to 1000-1200rpm. One good thing about BeQuiet however, well two things actually, is that they are actually pretty well build fans and they look nice.
 
IDK. What I see on that case is much the same as what I see on the majority of Antec cases. Seems, to me at least, Antec has always been stuck in the past and has trouble implementing newer designs that have become pretty standard. Like having additional room for cable management on the backside of the motherboard tray. There is VERY little room on that case from what I can see, on the back side. Seriously, an extra 10mm would make all the difference in the world and wouldn't increase the overall width by enough to be a deal breaker. I'll admit, it's one of the only recent additions, in a long time, to the Antec lineup that looks like a divergence from their usual designs and an attempt to at least TRY to get a bit more modern. But I'd honestly hate to be the one building in that unit unless you are absolutely uncaring about the cable management.

Just my opinion, as always.
 
If was looking to do a very quiet (No such thing as "silent" when it comes to a high end gaming PC. There WILL be noise, no matter what) build right now, this would almost certainly be the case and fans that would get used. Pretty much, no question. Having used all these components, in fact, currently using them except for the R6 (Currently running a Define S custom modified case), I can say without doubt that there is no other fan selection in a 140mm flavor that offers better performance, lower decibel levels or a more pleasant "pitch" for the noise that IS present, than these.

PCPartPicker Part List

Case: Fractal Design - Define R6 Blackout TG ATX Mid Tower Case (€109.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case Fan: Noctua - NF-A14 PWM chromax.black.swap 82.52 CFM 140mm Fan (€24.90 @ Caseking)
Case Fan: Noctua - NF-A14 PWM chromax.black.swap 82.52 CFM 140mm Fan (€24.90 @ Caseking)
Case Fan: Noctua - NF-A14 PWM chromax.black.swap 82.52 CFM 140mm Fan (€24.90 @ Caseking)
Case Fan: Noctua - NF-A14 PWM chromax.black.swap 82.52 CFM 140mm Fan (€24.90 @ Caseking)
Total: €209.50
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-05-06 03:24 CEST+0200



And if you don't care at all about the aesthetic factor you can ditch the tempered glass side panel model and go with the fully silent sound insulated side panel model of the R6, which is somewhat quieter than the one WITH the TG side panel. There are pretty much NO cases that COME with really good fans, so buying a full set of fans if you are looking for seriously quiet operation is a foregone conclusion. There are "good" fans that come preinstalled in some cases, but there are no excellent fans that come included because a full set of excellent fans costs as much as some cases, if not more. The investment though is worth it. At full speed operation I can barely hear my system and it's sitting only three feet away. The only reason I CAN hear it really is because I've modified the front panel with mod mesh so it's fully open AND I have one Noctua iPPC industrial 2000rpm PWM NF-A14 model in the rear exhaust fan position and THAT fan is significantly louder than the standard NF-A14 that maxes out at 1500rpm.