Antec Sonata II fans

AFG34 · Feb 14, 2006

Hi

Im getting the antec sonata II ( http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=15139 ) as my next case. It comes with 1 120mm (standard) for the back. It has 3 optional fans ( 1 front 120mm case fan 25mm thick, 1 92mm fan in the air duct to cool the CPU, 1 80mm fan for graphics cards). My question is which of the 3 optional fans should i put in it?? because i think it costs a little extra for the fans.

If it helps this is the other specs
amd opteron 165 or X2 3800
X800GTO2
corsair xms 1 gb
DFI ultra D
WE 250gb HD
LG dvd burner

MVC · Feb 14, 2006

I just, basically, gave away a Sonata. If you're going to get one, buy it with as few fans as possible and then buy good quality after market fans for where you want them.

I really haven't looked at the Sonata II, but unless they made some BIG changes it isn't a good case for cooling. Do you have any other choices?

AFG34 · Feb 14, 2006

MVC said:
....Do you have any other choices?

Not really because i am on a budget and it comes with a PSU so it saves me about $50.

I know most psu that come with case is crap but this one is antec and i have heard good things bout them.

MVC · Feb 14, 2006

afg34 said:
Not really because i am on a budget and it comes with a PSU so it saves me about $50.

I know most psu that come with case is crap but this one is antec and i have heard good things bout them.

Antec PSU's have been going downhill for the last couple of years--go check out the "Cases and Power Supplies" section of this site. If that's your only reason for buying this case.... Do a bit more research before you spend any money! You may not change your mind, but you'll at least have more info to go on.

AFG34 · Feb 14, 2006

I know antecs are not the best but not bad either. I will stay with this for now but upgrade to a better one in a couple of months.

consumer9000 · Feb 15, 2006

The new Sonata II is totally different from the old one! I've built a dozen office systems using it as my platform of choice.
Aside from the standard 3 speed 120mm rear fan, and the dual 80mm fan PSU, you can mount a 120mm fan in the front. The most radical change is the inclusion of a cold air intake duct that pulls cool air from the back of the case and dumps it over the CPU and VGA card using two optional 80mm fans. The system is adjustable and really quite slick. No longer is the Sonata a humble performer...in fact with all the fans installed it cools better than nearly any case I've seen because of the cold air intake provision.

Internal · Feb 15, 2006

My sonota I case cools quite well.

cpu 22-25c idle 32-35c underload
GPU 33-35c idle 43-48c load.

You can even mount a fan in the front if you remove a few of the transversely mounted hdd trays.(It actually has a screen that traps dust in the front)

My 380tp-II PSU works great as well.

Again :shrug:

About the sonota II case, if you DON'T end up buying fans for the CPU and GPU ductwork I'd ditch the tubing altogether.

AFG34 · Feb 15, 2006

I just went to the store todat and ordered the computer.

So you (internal) are saying that i SHOULD install a fan for the CPU and GPU?

dfrost · Feb 16, 2006

Folks at Silent PC Review that use a Sonata II case (or other cases with a similar duct) say that the duct adds considerable noise.

I found the Sonata II front panel allows noticeably more intake flow then the Mark I version, ever after Dremel mods to the latter. I'm quite pleased with Sonata I/II hybrid, but didn't like the original TP380S PSU. The Sonata II PSU is apparently much better, but advice is to NOT connect the PSU fan speed sensor connector to a MB header, as that apparently causes the fan speed to increase.

AFG34 · Feb 16, 2006

Noise isnt really an issue to me because im used to it. My current computer's fans are messed up and it is like hair trimmer.lol. And most of the time i will be listening to music. So back to the question is it better to install all the optional fans.

Internal · Feb 17, 2006

Lik I said:

Install them if you want. IT's your call either way.
I don't really know what exactly you're asking when you say "should I get them".

You see other computers run just fine without them right?

Again, it's your call.

I was just trying to say if you don't end up buying the fans, ditch the tubing(which kinda takes away the reason to buy this case IMO).

And about the comment of the 380TP-II PSU: if you're not running the very latest generation hardware that PSU is perfectly fine.

New dual-core with dual PCI-E cards, of course the PSU isn't going to cut it.

natewildes · Feb 18, 2006

Don't use the duct at all, in my sonata II, it raised the CPU temp by 11C, and only dropped the VGA temp by 1C. Buy a single 120mm fan for the front, and keep the one in the back. It has an adjustable speed dial, for 5, 7, or 12 volts. The front fan is very loud (no matter what fan) because the hard drive mounts only let a small amount of air in.

Antec Sonata II fans

AFG34

Member

MVC

Member

AFG34

Member

MVC

Member

AFG34

Member

consumer9000

Former STASIS Guy

Internal

Member

AFG34

Member

dfrost

Member

AFG34

Member

Internal

Member

natewildes

Member

Similar threads