# Good, quiet cases.



## jamieboo (Mar 16, 2022)

Hello folks

What's a good silent PC case these days?
My old case was a Fractal Design Define R5 and I was very happy with that so had my mind all set on getting the Fractal Design Define 7 (the one without the glass side) for my new machine.
But now, here in the UK, it seems to be ubiquitously out of stock. And where it's still available it's become silly expensive.
I'll wait a bit for it to come back into stock at sensible prices, but I should probably also consider alternatives.
And actually maybe it wasn't the best choice in the first place. Apparently, though quiet, it does have some cooling problems - especially CPU cooling.
What are some good alternatives? It really does have to be quiet. I do quite a bit of vocal recording so as near to silence as possible is best - ideally at least as quiet as my old Define R5.
Someone elsewhere mentioned the Fractal Meshify II. Apparently it's excellent airflow means the fans don't have to spin up so fast so consequently it's as quiet as other, more 'silence focused' cases. But I don't know.
So, what are some good quiet cases?

Thanks


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## d.healey (Mar 16, 2022)

Quietest case I've used - https://hdplex.com/hdplex-h5-fanless-computer-case.html - but probably not what you're looking for


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## aaronventure (Mar 16, 2022)

Tech Jesus has got you covered.



On top of that, stick an NH-D15 onto a CPU (with a low-noise adapter if you're not using the latest Intel volcano CPUs) and you should end up with a pretty quiet rig.


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## MartinH. (Mar 16, 2022)

jamieboo said:


> Hello folks
> 
> What's a good silent PC case these days?
> My old case was a Fractal Design Define R5 and I was very happy with that so had my mind all set on getting the Fractal Design Define 7 (the one without the glass side) for my new machine.
> ...



Maybe ordering from another country might be an option to get the fractal design? They seem to still be in stock in Germany.


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## thevisi0nary (Mar 17, 2022)

Any decent case you buy can potentially be quiet as long as you keep the fans minimum. I was originally going with the fractal torrent because of its airflow (and look), but eventually reconsidered and got the BeQuiet PB500. Air flow cases are great for getting lower thermals at lower fan RPMs, but I was concerned about something off chance occurring like the motherboard developing coil whine and having nothing I could do about it. 

Something else to consider if you haven’t seen one something like the D7, another reason I opted for the 500 is the size. I actually had the fractal torrent and then the BQ 801 delivered before deciding to return them. They are MASSIVE cases. Like seriously huge and way too big for my needs. I could be totally wrong here but I think the Define R5 is smaller than the 7, which is closer to the torrent. Something to keep in mind if this matters to you, I was coming from a Corsair r100 so the difference was jarring.


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## Zanshin (Mar 17, 2022)

I've been using the Cooler Master HAF XB EVO with all Noctua fans (including a giant 200mm fan on the top panel). Corsair closed system liquid cooler for CPU. Very cool temps and quiet.


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## strojo (Mar 17, 2022)

Fractal Define series are quiet and easy to build in. Plenty of size options too.


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## jamieboo (Mar 17, 2022)

Thanks for the replies everyone!
Yes, I've already got a D15S cooler paired with my 12700K. I know the chip can get a bit toasty, but it's a great cooler.
Yeah, it seems lots of people are achieving good levels of quiet with airflow cases rather than cases swaddled in soundproofing. But I just wondered if that was a trend among audio folks too?
I looked at the Torrent but I'm still a bit skeptical that an open airflow case can be quieter than my old Define R5.
I'll look into the Coolermaster, thanks.


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## jamieboo (Mar 17, 2022)

strojo said:


> Fractal Define series are quiet and easy to build in. Plenty of size options too.


Indeed!


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## jamieboo (Mar 18, 2022)

Oh I don't know. I'm stuck again!
Some people I say the Meshify 2 - which is more designed for airflow rather than silence - might be a good choice and, because the fans don't have to work as hard, it can actually be virtually as quiet as a sealed box silent case. Anyone here use a Meshify 2?
My gut says to stick with the Define 7 but when will it come in back in stock?! Also, I am a bit concerned about the CPU cooling capabilities. After all the 12700k can run a little hot.
Any more thoughts?

Thanks


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## Simeon (Mar 18, 2022)

I have been using the BeQuiet Silent base and use it in an inverted setup.
I am going to move to the Silent Base 802 which gives you flexibility in passive soundproofing as well as a mesh option or a combination of the two approaches.
I am also going to install my first All In One radiator cooler as well which will be interesting in an inverted setup.
I have been very happy with the Be Quiet cases and fans.

Joyfully,
Simeon


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## Monkberry (Mar 18, 2022)

Simeon said:


> I have been using the BeQuiet Silent base and use it in an inverted setup.
> I am going to move to the Silent Base 802 which gives you flexibility in passive soundproofing as well as a mesh option or a combination of the two approaches.
> I am also going to install my first All In One radiator cooler as well which will be interesting in an inverted setup.
> I have been very happy with the Be Quiet cases and fans.
> ...


I built a new PC in 2019 and bought the BeQuiet Dark Base Pro 900 REV 2. It was a gigantic case but amazingly quiet with their proprietary fans. Don't think I will go for that large of a case for my next build but I have been extremely happy with that company.


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## Pictus (Mar 19, 2022)

jamieboo said:


> Oh I don't know. I'm stuck again!
> Some people I say the Meshify 2 - which is more designed for airflow rather than silence - might be a good choice and, because the fans don't have to work as hard, it can actually be virtually as quiet as a sealed box silent case. Anyone here use a Meshify 2?
> My gut says to stick with the Define 7 but when will it come in back in stock?! Also, I am a bit concerned about the CPU cooling capabilities. After all the 12700k can run a little hot.
> Any more thoughts?
> ...



If you do not have a hard disk, an airflow case is a better option.
The best is the one you see in the Best Noise-Normalized Thermals.
IF you have a power hungry GPU an airflow case is also a better option.
The Fractal Define 7(not the compact) is very good because its front door is
a second layer of noisy control, the same goes for the R5, but if you are
going to keep the door open, better the Meshify/Torrent.

With this https://linustechtips.com/topic/1099996-fancontrol-my-take-on-a-speedfan-replacement/
you can test with your R5 case if it is better with the front door open and fans at slower RPM
or front door closed and fans at higher RPM.

BTW, you can improve the R5 with better fans.


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## jamieboo (Mar 19, 2022)

Thanks for the responses everyone!



Pictus said:


> If you do not have a hard disk, an airflow case is a better option.
> The best is the one you see in the Best Noise-Normalized Thermals.
> IF you have a power hungry GPU an airflow case is also a better option.
> The Fractal Define 7(not the compact) is very good because its front door is
> ...



Thanks Pictus

I have no hard disks, it's all gen 4 NVMe's - another reason why cooling is important!
So you really think an airflow oriented case might indeed be a better bet?
I suppose a key consideration is how hard does my PC have to work on the occasions when I really do need silence.
I do a lot of professional voice-over recording (for TV audio-description services) which obviously demands a quiet environment. But the software I use for this work is extremely lightweight and runs in Chrome and probably doesn't tax a machine much beyond an idle state. And after looking at various comparative noise charts it seems that, at idle, airflow cases are usually objectively quieter.

Have you found this? Can anyone corroborate this? I'd love a second opinion!

That reasoning does point towards a Torrent or Meshify 2 being good choices. Right?

(Of course, another bothersome thought is that if I'm unlucky enough to have significant coil whine somewhere in my system, then a 'Silent' case would be a better choice in that particular situation.)

Let me know your thoughts!

Thanks


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## MartinH. (Mar 19, 2022)

My new pc has a Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 Rev B and I *HATE* it. It is close to impossible to properly put on the sides again without like 2 extra sets of hands or contrived setups. It's the most pain in the ass to close case that I have owned in my entire life. And you need to open both sides to properly switch out hard drives. Contrast that with my old Chieftec big tower where I only need to open one side, that has a handle mechanism and is trivially easy to open and close. Hope I don't need to buy another case in the next 10 years but damn... I'm prioritizing easy hardware access much higher next time. 

You wanna know how I had to close the Nanoxia case's side so that it doesn't jam or misaligns? I had to put the side panel on a rubber foam mat, put the PC on the side panel and slide the PC onto the panel! Only that way there was enough pressure on all the edges with the dozens of small hooks that don't slot in correctly if there's no pressure because the side panel itself isn't built in a way that prevents it from bending under its hown weight.


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## Pictus (Mar 19, 2022)

jamieboo said:


> Thanks Pictus
> Let me know your thoughts!



I am glad to help, if your motherboard has coil whine, send it back!
Well, you can get a case with multi configuration.
And improve further with https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09LR5XQ6R (better fans).


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## jamieboo (Mar 19, 2022)

Pictus said:


> I am glad to help, if your motherboard has coil whine, send it back!
> Well, you can get a case with multi configuration.
> And improve further with https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09LR5XQ6R (better fans).



I must say, I'm really inclining towards the Meshify 2 now.
Would the Arctic P14 fans also be of benefit to a better airflow case like the Meshify 2? I've always been a bit confused by the advantages or otherwise of static pressure fans in less impeded systems.
But I do recall a video which found the Arctic P14s to be best for pretty much everything! On that subject, you've linked to RGB variants. Are the regular Arctic P14 PWMs just as good?

Thanks


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## Pictus (Mar 19, 2022)

You are welcome.
Buy the case and if the default fans is not silent enough, buy the Arctic RGB.
The RGB version is better because has a ring around the helix and they
do not resonate in some RPM.


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## thevisi0nary (Mar 19, 2022)

Simeon said:


> I have been using the BeQuiet Silent base and use it in an inverted setup.
> I am going to move to the Silent Base 802 which gives you flexibility in passive soundproofing as well as a mesh option or a combination of the two approaches.
> I am also going to install my first All In One radiator cooler as well which will be interesting in an inverted setup.
> I have been very happy with the Be Quiet cases and fans.
> ...


If you don't want the size of the 802 but want the modularity, I learned recently from BeQuiet that the mesh front panel of the PureBase 500dx is compatible with the regular 500 and can slot into the front replacing the solid panel. I plan to order it when mine arrives.


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## jamieboo (Mar 19, 2022)

Pictus said:


> You are welcome.
> Buy the case and if the default fans is not silent enough, buy the Arctic RGB.
> The RGB version is better because has a ring around the helix and they
> do not resonate in some RPM.


Thanks again Pictus.
Can you link to somewhere I can read about the RGB fans being better than the regular P14s? Not that I don't trust you! But I just like to read up about this stuff.

Thanks.


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## Pictus (Mar 20, 2022)

I am gladt to help, not the P14, but P12 vs P12 RGB 0dB


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## PaulieDC (Mar 20, 2022)

Simeon said:


> I have been using the BeQuiet Silent base and use it in an inverted setup.
> I am going to move to the Silent Base 802 which gives you flexibility in passive soundproofing as well as a mesh option or a combination of the two approaches.
> I am also going to install my first All In One radiator cooler as well which will be interesting in an inverted setup.
> I have been very happy with the Be Quiet cases and fans.
> ...


Another Vote for Be Quiet cases. Great cases and a price tag to match!

A less expensive option is the Coolermaster Silencio S600. I built PCs for two local churches for their streaming rigs, and I had to pop in a couple RGB fans so they could visually see the PC was running, to remind them to turn it off! Even running in my office when I built them and did the burn-in time, this case is really quiet. I added a couple more fans in the top and front and it didn't make a difference. the side panel is glass but it's quiet because it is pretty dense, heavier than you expect when you remove it.


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