Opinion on 2 cases

[Kilauea]

I personally find the Antec Sonata Plus 550 to be quite nice. Its a little pricy, but the PSU included fits my needs, so the combo isn't as bad actually. But I would like some opinions on the case itself regarding the size to fit GPU, noise, cooling(if I would get it, I would surely get 1 or 2 92mm fans). My rig would be mainly about basic stuff (internet, office) and some moderate gaming. What kind of fans would you suggest ? (I would also probably consider change the tri-cool fan for one mobo controlled.)

On the other hand, my cousin would simply like a cheap case that would give him sufficient cooling without being too loud. He doesn't care much about looks, it needs to fit his rig and that's it. For him, I was thinking a Coolermaster Elite RC-330. How would this case handle those things.

Thanks a lot for your time, I am hoping I can get some personnal experience as well as some information from someone more knowledgeable than me(quite sure, it will be easy to find here )

[stoanee]

I had the Elite RC-330 (my son has it now) and it is a budget case for sure but it gets the job done. Inside it contains a Asus P5K-SE mobo, Xeon 3110, Thermalright Ultima-90, 500gb hdd, dvd burner, 8800GT & Corsair 620 watt psu.

[Kilauea]

What are your impressions of that case ?

[crazyhorsejohnny]

Sonata III is also a nice case and comes with a very good power supply.

[enaberif]

Plus 550 = Sonata III with a few internal differences.

RC330 is definitely a cheapie case but it works fine.

[crazyhorsejohnny]

Originally Posted by enaberif

Plus 550 = Sonata III with a few internal differences.

RC330 is definitely a cheapie case but it works fine.

And the Sonata III is about $50 less expensive.

[Kilauea]

I know the Sonata is a fair bit cheaper, but isn't the EA 500W a really average PSU, while the NeoHe 550 is a few steps ahead ?
I also find the looks of the Sonata III to be ok at best, but I agree its quite a bargain for a case and PSU combo.

And btw, what brands of fans are good and quiet without being ridiculously pricy?

[sswilson]

Originally Posted by Kilauea

I know the Sonata is a fair bit cheaper, but isn't the EA 500W a really average PSU, while the NeoHe 550 is a few steps ahead ?
I also find the looks of the Sonata III to be ok at best, but I agree its quite a bargain for a case and PSU combo.

And btw, what brands of fans are good and quiet without being ridiculously pricy?

YL's when they go on sale at NCIX. (Worth the wait IMO).

[crazyhorsejohnny]

Originally Posted by Kilauea

I know the Sonata is a fair bit cheaper, but isn't the EA 500W a really average PSU, while the NeoHe 550 is a few steps ahead ?
I also find the looks of the Sonata III to be ok at best, but I agree its quite a bargain for a case and PSU combo.

And btw, what brands of fans are good and quiet without being ridiculously pricy?

I wouldn't say it's average at best. If you don't need tons of power it does the job. Take a look: JonnyGURU.com - Power Supply Reviews and more! - Reviews - Antec EarthWatts EA-500 500W

Yates are cheap and do the job. Also take a look at Scythe S-FLEX. More than Yates but probably a bit better too.

[486]

I'd recommend a case with 120mm fans only. CM has some basic cases perfect for the use you intend.