I've been doing more and more recording on my desktop lately, and I've quickly realized that my current build is way too loud. It probably doesn't help that I'm running it in a case that no longer has sides on it (long story.)
Anyways, I would like to find a new case that is as quiet as possible and still has room for both video cards on my build. I also have a rather large Zalman CPU heatsink/fan (I think it might be this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118223 ) that I would like to replace with a closed water cooling system if possible I would also like to try to water cool my graphics cards someday but I imagine that would be worthy of a thread of it's own.
I also have a bunch of HDDs hooked up right now. I have 3 3-1/2" HDDs 2 2-1/2" HDDs an SSD and 2 DVD burners. I can probably consolidate down to 2 3-1/2" and the SSD, and I honestly don't need the DVD burners anymore,and if I ever do I could always just hook them up externally. Removing some of the HDDs would also mean I could eliminate my extra Sata card.
But back to the point, if you guys have any good suggestions for quiet cases it would be much appreciated. Size really isn't an issue, so a large case would be fine as long as my ATX motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157280 ) will mount correctly and Its quiet. Space for mounting radiators would be nice but not entirely necessary, and the more hard drive space the better.
If you want watercooling and silence, I think the Silencio 652 fits your needs perfectly: http://www.coolermaster.com/product/Detail/case/mid-tower-silent-series/silencio652.html. I am not entirely sure about doing a custom waterloop with two graphic cards in the case though.
I am positive that someone will recommend you a Fractal Design Define R4, but that has limited water cooling potential (the fans at the top aren't offset and the case isn't as tall as the Silencio, so it is possible that a top radiator will collide with your motherboard, the two front fans are clip in, so there isn't really a way to mount a radiator there), and the Silencio is just as quiet.
If you're not that interested in the quiet aspect of the case, you can always go with a Corsair Obsidian 750D, great case and killer looks: http://www.corsair.com/us/pc-cases/obsidian-series-pc-case/obsidian-series-750d-full-tower-atx-case.html. It might be too big for your mATX board though. But I think you should be able to do a custom water loop with two graphic cards with no problems (mount the HDD bay in the bottom fan mount, mount a 360 radiator at the top, mount the freaking thickest radiator on the face of the earth in push-pull in the front, put the pump and reservoir in the 5.25" bays).
Another not as quiet, but good watercooling potential case is the Fractal Design Arc Midi R2: http://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/arc-series/arc-midi-r2. You can fit a 240 radiator at the top (360 if you forego the 5.25" bay), one in the front, and still have room for all your HDDs if you move the HDD cage where the bottom fan is (provided you have a short enough PSU). You can mount the SSDs on the back of the motherboard tray. And the front an the top fan mounts are covered in foam that functions as an air filter and blocks some of the noise too (although this isn't a quiet case).
If you want a smaller size case, which is silent and has limited support for watercooling, then you can try the Silencio 352: http://www.coolermaster.com/product/Detail/case/mini-tower/silencio352.html. It has room for 3 HDDs and 4 SSDs, although generally speaking doing a custom water loop in a small case will be difficult.
I would recommend the NZXT H630 :http://www.nzxt.com/product/detail/120-H630.html. Its pretty much everything you want. It can fit 2 360 Radiators( with drive cage removed ) on the top and front of the case, it has a lot of hard drive cages and SSD mounts behind the motherboard tray, nice fan controllers, and really thick sound damping foam. You can also try the Fractal Design Define XL R2 as it pretty much has the same features but is a little less better sound damping. The choice is your's my friend. Good luck and Hoped this help :)
Thanks for all the info there! Will definitely keep all this in mind.
I've never really had good luck with Cooler Master products but I like the 652 case. I can't find a link to buy it in the US though, any word on that?
The 750D looks like a good option, and I've had better luck with Corsair than CM, but it sounds like you're saying this would be a lot louder than the other options? Is it just the fans included with this case or just the sound dampening in general? If I can get the 750D quiet I think it would be perfect.
I don't know what it is but I don't really like the look of the Midi R2, but it looks like it would also be a really good option if I kept the GFX air cooled.
Thanks again for all the info! I think I'll pick up a 750D and see what I can do with it, but if you know anything about gettting a Silencio 652 in the US I'd be more than happy to get one of those instead.
Wow! I really like the NZXT in white, at It seems like I could fit everything in there rather easily. Thanks for the info, I'll look into the H630 some more before I make my final decision!
Sorry, I don't live in the US. And by not as silent I meant that it doesn't have sound dampening foam. The case is solidly built, with thick steel panels. Here's a good review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCqSFB1wWl0
As a side note, don't think that sound dampening foam will make your computer silent no matter what fans you use. If you want a silent computer, your other components should be silent as well, not just the case.
Thanks again for the info! I really like the look of the NZXT case so I think I'm going to go with that instead, but I'll keep an eye on the ones you suggested and pick on up if they go on sale for a future build.