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Quiet Computing

Top 6 Most Silent Computer Cases for Quiet Computing

Published on Sept 03, 2013  by DudulzZz

12 A.M yesterday (according to a police report), a computer made too much noise during high load, it disturbed the peaceful rest of a beauty who was on those special days of the month.  Consequently, it was not a very happy ending for both her man and his computer that very night. –CPG News

I found myself somehow related to the same feeling of that brother, and I can assure the scenario is not anywhere near pretty at all.

Of course, there are also more than over hundreds of complaints about how loud the computer could possibly be especially when the world is deadly quiet.

That persistent and irritating noise become three times as annoying when we really thirst for the silence to work diligently. I tell you what, it possibly has distracted brilliant ideas that could have solved the first world problems everyday.

Understanding that significant need for such quiet computing, I set sail to look for the best and most silent computer cases you can find on today market as of mid-2012. Once and for all, let us only give them just one or two reasons to complain about the noise, ever again.

Now, even though the focused goal is to find a quiet computer case to house your components, I figure that the chassis should also have at least two or more characteristics of a modern case; such as fine cable management, tool-less design, commendable space, bottom-mount power supply and if approachable, a handsome look, etc..just to simplify the difficulty of the assembly process.

It is also important for the chassis not to overdo itself for too many fancy features and eventually marry a premium price-tag.

As usual, I do not bring the details of each chassis to the table; such as how many drive bays it has, what year it was made, whose girlfriend it can fit or how long the thumb screw is, etc…Instead, I’ve only prepared you a good and honest opinion that matters most.

Additional reviews are all over on Internet and user-reviews can also be found on any online shopping stores during your research, this guide is to get you the essential and valuable advice toward the final-decision making.

Recommended Add-on :

• Round-up of 8 Self-Contained CPU Liquid Cooling Kits
• Self-Contained Liquid Cooling Kit for Your Video Cards

6. Antec Sonata III Antec Sonata III 500 Quiet Super Mid Tower ATX Case (Black) (Personal Computers) Antec has successful designed Sonata III as an elegant and sleek looking case, while blessed it with a fair treat of two USB 2.0 ports, one eSATA and HD Audio/Microphone jacks. The metal double-hinge door has a mechanic lock that restricts access to optical drives. It can be opened using the provided key, but I find little need for it for home use. The case also comes with Antec’s Earthwatt line power supply. This is one of the very high quality, energy-efficient and reliable power supply units on the market. However, if you desire to throw in there an high-end gaming video card or tune Sonata as a premium Workstation, you may want to look towards other options.

PROs: Each hard drive bay comes with its own silicone grommets to absorb hard drive vibrations, which is a commendable bonus. Sonata III also brings to the party a 500 watts energy-efficient power supply. Those who are looking to cut a budget may find this an attractive deal. Solid and thick panels to isolate noise. Sonata III is a very quiet and nice looking case for those who seeks to build a home theater computer. The door lock might be extremely helpful for some of us, but I can’t think of any beneficial reason for myself (let us know in the comment if you realize its true intention).

CONs: As much as opposite to the exterior look, the interior materials feel cheap and plain. All rear brackets and drive bays requires a screw driver to work with but I have to admit this is just a minor issue. The greatest concern I have about Sonata III case is its cooling ability. It comes with only one rear fan and has just one more option for the front fan. All other areas of the case are solid metal and does not provide great ventilation. Direction of the airflow totally depends on just the rear and front fans with the aid of some exhaust from power supply’s fan, which located at the top of the case. Unlike server type PSU mount, the power supply in Sonata III is installed at the top and it draws heated air from other components towards its own capacitors before blowing out to the back of the case. Little cable management.

5. Antec SOLO II Antec Sonata Series SOLO II Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case (Personal Computers) SOLO II immediately gives us the impression of a modern and well-designed case. The panels have a simplistic and glossy look while the front delivers a great amount of peripheral connectors : two USB 2.0 ports and 2 USB 3.0 ports as well as Audio output and Microphones input.
PROs The top and side panels are polycarbonate and steel electro-galvanized cold-rolled coil (SECC) that can effectively absorb internal noise and dampen loud sound. 2.5″ drive bay is ready for Solid State Drive Installation. Power supply is mounted at the top of the chassis, but this time it is not a bad thing when you can make use of the open vent at the top of the case to reduce hot air.	CONs Limited amount of internal bays : only two 5.25″ optical drives, three internal 3.5″, and one internal 2.5″ slots. However, that is a reasonable number for most of us. Due to the glossy design, you may leave fingerprints everywhere :P

4. Fractal Design Define R3 Ever since its launch date, Define R3 has become very popular for the enthusiast custom PC builders. The front has a sleek look, though it may seem boring to a few but many have fallen in love with the minimalist, classic and unique styling design.
PROs All connectors are relocated to the top of the case. Very quiet operation. Side panels have sound dampening sheets to reduce noise There is fan grill cover in place of unused fan slot to block the escape of internal sound Large cutout on motherboard tray for easy installation of cooling bracket. Good cable management support.	CONs The case runs a little hot due to the restricted ventilation.

3. Antec P280 Antec P280 Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case (Electronics) The P280 will definitely give you a feel of modern, techie look on the first impression. Similar to Define R3, this case also has minimalist design but looks some what more luxurious. The set of USB and Audio ports are located above the front cover yet it still manages to blend in very nicely with the case theme.
PROs Good looking. Open vent along the rear panel on the side of the motherboard tray. Large hidden front vent for extra air flow, covered by a dust filter. Bottom-mount Power supply. Fan controllers are available in the back of the case. Bottom dust filter. 2.5″ SSD bay is available Large top vent that is good enough for two 120mm fans or 240mm radiator. Excellent cable management.	CONs Plastic front door feels flimsy. Not too quiet.

2. Corsair Obsidian Series 550D Obsidian 550D is Corsair’s first silent case in the chassis market. They have designed many successful lines of gaming cases such as 400R to the good-looking 600T and 850D, it is very surprising to see Corsair does have interest such category. The first sight shows that 550D has a mixed look of both Fractal Design Define R3 and Antec P280. All ports and connectors cluster for peripheral devices is fixed on the front panel and blends in from the open area of the swing door.

PROs Front door can swing to either left or right side, thanks to the unique C-clasp design on the four corners of the door. Excellent cable management with rubber grommets. Bottom-mount Power supply. Sound-dampening foams attached to all side panels, very effectively reduces noise level created by internal fans. Eight brackets on the rear panel means the case supports many add-on cards. 2.5″ Solid State drive is supported. Roomy space for very easy assembly. Removable dust filters. Supports up to eight fans.

CONs Roomy space which means 8-pin CPU cable on some power supply may not be able to reach the destination. Door hinges feel cheap and may have some long-term durability issue.

1. NZXT H2 H2 was known to be the first silent case that surprisingly makes itself really apparent to the mainstream users. Besides the integrated low-profile yet practical fan controller plus two USB 2.0 ports and one USB 3.0 port along with the typical audio/microphone jacks on the top of the case, the H2 also has a hidden 2.5″/3.5″ SATA hot-swappable hard drive bay quick data access. The chassis even comes with two color options of black and white for your choice.

PROs There are noise-cancelling foams on left, right panels as well as the front door. Two front fans are attached to the case via direct contacts, therefore you can quick detach them for maintenance purposes without the need to disconnect the power wires. Bottom and front dust filters. Magnetic cover for top vent to keep noise level down. It can house an additional 140mm fan for exhaust. Bottom-mount power supply. Fan controller. 2.5″ / 3.5″ hot-swappable hard drive bay. Excellent cable management. 2.5″ Solid State Drive bay. Fit any of the 120mm prefilled liquid coolers.

CONs A little noisy when fan at maximum speed, but that is still much less than a typical pc case. Insufficient air volume at high-speed fan setting. Internal temperature is slightly higher than average but can be effectively reduced in a push-pull liquid cooling setup.