Super-silent (mid tower) case and fan combo
- by Dennis G.
I want to build a HTPC for music/video/blu-ray playback (no gaming). I don't need an expensive HTPC case but just want to go with a standard medium tower case. However, I want it to be super silent so it doesn't make any annoying fan/disk noises when I watch movies. Ideally, it shouldn't make any noticeable noise at all.
I understand that choosing a board, CPU and graphic card that run cool and don't consume a lot of power is important for designing a quiet machine, and I think I got that covered. However, there are so many choices in regards to cases, fans and power supplies that it's hard to get started.
What are your recommendations for a case/fan (cpu+case)/power supply combination that run absolutely silent and can cool a standard Intel system with a low-power (possibly passively cooled) graphic card?
I'm usually a fan of Antec cases, would an Antec Mini P180 be a good starting point? If so, which case fans, CPU fan and power supply would you recommend?