Hello everyone, Due to a new "mobile" baby in the house - I need to raise my teenagers "gaming" rig on top of the desk. We'll utilize our existing HW but I'd like to replace the generic case to something less noisy, should be a bit "EMI" shielded (which became a major concern of my wife... 8) ), good "dust" protection and easy filter access, and since there is a limited space on the desk - should be as compact as possible. The space on the desktop is about 15"-16" back to front (will need to accommodate cable connections as well..) And about 12"-13" wide, assuming the case is place to the side of the screen (if it's a small vertical tower/cube style). Alternatively, I can go for a "slim" HTPC style case , and place it below the screen - but it'll need to withstand the weight of a 24" SAMSUNG LCD and be slim enough so the screen won't be too high. Our HW is: CPU: Intel i7 2600K + scythe shuriken big 2 cooler (i'll consider replacing the cooler if needed). MB: ASUS Maximus IV GeneZ mATX Socket 1155, Z68 (9.6" X 9.6" ) GPU: ASUS enGTX560Ti (dual slot, 10.16 " x 5.12 ") PSU: Seasonic M12II 620W Modular ATX PSU Optical: 5.25" CD/DVD burner (LG) - (I'll consider replacing with a slim drive if absolutely necessary...) Storage: 1X 3.5" HD (Caviar Green 1TB) 1X 2.5" SSD (SAMSUNG 840) I was thinking about something like the ANTEC Mini P180 or one of the smaller cube style cases I see out there - I'm just not sure which one will accommodate my HW and supply enough noise+EMI shielding in a small form factor as possible. Also, i'm not too familiar with a slim, horizontal case that will fit the dimensions, yet, contain my HW (especially the 5.25" drive, GPU and PSU). Any recommendations? Thank you for your help, Gal
I don’t think there is any cases out there that have any EMI shielding properties. Are you saying you have your own EMI shielding hardware to install? Outside from that, if you like the P180 Mini I’d suggest the Fractal Design Mini or the Nanoxia Deep Silence 4, both of which are similar, but offer more modern features.
I worked selling phoned before and a kid had been sent in by his mom toget EMI shield for his phone. I told him that it would stop the phone from working and asked what it looked like. He showed me a piece of tinfoil that hovers the earpiece. Maybe you could wrap tinfoil around the case for your wife also she can get rid of the microwave, cordless phone and cellphone
Nop, no dedicated or specialized EMI shielding really required.. just a solid built case with no plastic panels/windows should suffice... Both good options - but a bit too large... How about the Silverstone Sugo SG10 or SG11 !? Any good impressions?
Indeed - seem to be a good choice and I've got other recommending this - however I'd still prefer something a bit smaller or at least with some dedicated sound proofing features (say Antec P100 style..just smaller). How about the BitFenix cases? The Pandora, Prodigy and Colossus mATX variants seem very nice... (and I won't mind losing the Optical drive if really needed..). Or one of the Silverstone Sugo series (Sugo 10!?) or even the small Fortress Series FT03 ? These looks very nice to me, I'm just not sure which will provide good sound proofing - any advice? Gal
The reason I suggested the above is because they both offer good sound proofing. None of the above have good sound proofing. The SG10 - my housemate has one. Has a huge 180mm Air Pen fan - which is pretty loud (as all APs are). The FT03 also has a 140 AP fan in the bottom. Prodigy isn't even made of metal for the most part. Not sure about the Pandora or Colossus.
Thank you ! Looking again, the Sugo SG11 might be a better choice for me considering the size... even with a bit of modding to be really quite... I actually liked the FT03 form factor.. I think with a bit slowing down/replacing the bottom 140mm AP, I might get a very elegant solution - reviews put it in par with the P180 mini performances and sound proofing... For the compact solution i'm looking for, the SG11 or the FT03 seem to be my current short list... while the TJ08e seem to be a default recommendation I'm getting.. .though a bit large...so I'll try to compare all of these side by side if I'll have an option... BTW - which CPU cooler will be recommended for these cases? Anything significantly better then my current Shuriken Big 2 ? Gal
Gets my vote , great case , easy to work with , loads of room, dust filters easy to clean and steel panels so best emi shielding you are gonna get in a case
If really worried about RFI/EMI, the best practice is to make sure your wall outlets are properly wired, grounded and in good repair, and your facility/home grounds are properly Earth grounded. Every computer owner should have, or have access to a AC Outlet Tester to ensure your outlet is properly wired and grounded. I recommend one with a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupt) indicator as it can be used to test bathroom and kitchen (where water is present) outlets too. These testers can be found for your type and voltage outlet, foreign or domestic, at most home improvement stores, or even the electrical department at Walmart. And if a fault is shown, have it fixed by a qualified electrician.
I'm in a similar position as all my parts for my rebuild are now here except the case. I have a Prodigy M, and let's say it's not that friendly to build with, that and I found I had to use lots of fans to get the right airflow which bumped up the volume of the case. I really really like the Pandora, even ordered one however the aluminium parts are really really sharp and as my rig will be on the floor I can picture the dog hurting himself on it. After some reading some of the early batches had this issue. Should have been resolved however the supplier couldn't pre check the intended replacement for me so I just returned it. The p180 mini is possibly my favourite case ever! However it's dated now. Here are my concerns on it. 1) no usb 3 support 2) no 240mm AIO cooling support. 3) no dedicated 2.5 drive mounting slots If none of these bother you its a great case. Further warning though it's not really a mini case and the side panel clips break very very easily.
Why would a AIO be getter than his big aircooler? Performance and noise might be slightly up? I correct myself, his is a top-own cooler, sorry. Yes, you'll want the air to exit the case.
I think it's because you can dual purpose the fan and provide air flow. I went for a cooler master silencio 352. Should be arriving today.
