Antec 900 ideas and questions

[deadlysyn]

I have an Antec 900 that my water cooled quad rig is in, but I have a few complaints about it, even after owning it for a year. I was at a local Fry's Electronics a couple weeks ago, just browsing around, when I came up to the Antec cases. I noticed the newer Antec 900 (might be 900 Two?) has a much less restrictive design on the front bay covers. It looks very similar to the one at the top 200mm fan, more of a diamond weave or honeycomb shape, where the ones on my 900 are just a countless number of tiny holes. As we all know, holes like that actually restrict airflow by quite a bit, and tend to create unneeded noise. I was hoping that I might be able to find replacement covers like the new style, but haven't been able to find much. Anybody have any ideas?

There are a few more things that I am working on as well. I plan to replace all of the blue LED Tri-Cools with something with a green LED instead. I was thinking about some Yate mediums on my Rheobus, but I am not sure how those LED's will react to the voltage drop (they will probably be at around 7V most of the time). You guys are probably wondering what I am thinking, trying to quiet it down by switching the front bay covers and changing out fans, with those Delta screamers in my sig, but most of the time they run at around 5V or so, and really not that loud. I might crank them up a bit when it really gets warm, but I try to keep them as quiet as possible. I am actually thinking about replacing them with something a little quieter, like some Panaflo's or SanAce's.

I have already cut the mobo tray for better wire management, but the cable that runs my HDD's is still semi visible near my water pump, as well as the SATA cables. I plan to flip the HDD's around one of these days (when and if I can get some time) so that the connections are toward the fans, instead of out the back of the drive bays. Since my Neo 500 PSU has a rear exit 80mm fan, I'm not going to worry too much about cutting a hole to flip the PSU, just yet.

Anybody have any other idea's that I'm not thinking of? I will likely break the entire system down when I do my annual loop tear down, cleaning, and inspection, and get the inside of the case painted black, since I don't care too much for the silver. Pretty much everything I am doing to the case at this point is purely to try to reduce noise or aesthetic. If you have any ideas, I would love to see them.

 

[deadlysyn]

Anybody?

 

[j0rd]

im not sure but maybe you could find some new grills at a hardware store, they proly will need cutting down and painting though.

 

[deadlysyn]

I am actually looking for ones that have a semi stock appearance. I am actually going to shoot out a PM to one of the Antec reps we have here, and see if they can point me in the right direction for the drive bay covers. I may even post something up in the classies to see if someone here has some they want to get rid of.

 

[velozzity]

I believe that you can purchase the hard drive cage which has the front grills attached for $25 approx each at antecs online store, not sure why they could'nt just sell you the grills and you attach them yourself to the hard drive cages you already have....I wish they would have just kept the outside looks of the original nine hundred (which i have), painted it black inside, added maybe the different grills and some cable holes at the bottom near psu, and called it revision 3 or what not...

 

[deadlysyn]

I believe that you can purchase the hard drive cage which has the front grills attached for $25 approx each at antecs online store, not sure why they could'nt just sell you the grills and you attach them yourself to the hard drive cages you already have....I wish they would have just kept the outside looks of the original nine hundred (which i have), painted it black inside, added maybe the different grills and some cable holes at the bottom near psu, and called it revision 3 or what not...

That's the thing, the cages at the Antec store are like $30 for the 900 Two and the 1200. I thought about going that route, since it would be two less things I would need to paint. I think the 900 Two was really the design they should have shot for from day one. The big thing is, I'm not concerned with the fan filters. I would hate to spend the money on the drive cages just to throw the filters away, and I really don't have the money for that, technically. The Antec reps haven't been active here for over a month, so sending out a PM might be a bit pointless. I am going to look around the website some more, and see what I can find for an email address, and shoot one out. I already have a thread posted in the classies.

 

[velozzity]

Yeah i just recently replaced my big boy 200mm with one i ordered from amazon.com during a time when antecs website was saying out of stock and i got some revision one that looked way cheaper and was significantly lighter than the first one with a hub about half the size, maybe it will surprise me and be better than the first, but by first impression it looked like a piece of crap compared to the original. Considering that the actually metal of the ninehundred is solid im thinking about contacting antec and buying a replacement top panel with buttons and new plastic fan mounts for the day they either strip out or stop working, the metal of the case i can take apart and paint again as i already have...i almost pulled the trigger on a CM 690II advanced but just couldn't do it, i like the front fan design of the nine hundred and the originals looks just too much......

Also you may want to run the fans sans hard drive cages if you have'nt already with exception of the one actually holding the hard drives, i have the 2 upper intake fans somewhat staggered with one that blows air directly over memory and cpu area, but i guess i see your on water so that might not be necessary. Also when painting it make sure you take it apart and rivet it back, its hard as crap to paint one area without getting overspray into another....for simple black a semi gloss engine enamel is very durable and since it has ceramic in it has a slight texture that does'nt look totally smooth and shiny therefore hiding imperfections....also about the sata cables if you have'nt sleeved them then it helps them blend into the background once the case is painted black...just a few thoughts.





Funny how it takes a photo to convince you its time to clean out the dust again just when you thought it was clean hahahah

 

[deadlysyn]

Here is a thread with some pics of my rig in it's semi current state. There is one minor difference, the IDE cable is gone, since I have switched to a SATA optical. I also have a small kink in the tubing between the GPU and res, so my temps are a little higher than I like for the time being. They are still safe, but higher than I want them. My Delta screamers are running at 7V, and all of the tri cools are on the low setting. It is decently quiet, but I can still hear the air going through those little pin holes in the front bay covers. The wire management is driving me nuts as well, it looks pretty atrocious. It's just a matter of turning the drives around, drilling a few more holes in the mobo tray, and extending the front panel connectors. Once I have a day that I can do a complete tear down (about the time I break down the loop for cleaning), I should get most of it done. I'm trying to find the drive bay covers via the classies for now. If that fails, I will try Ebay, and then going to Antec.

 

[velozzity]

Hey Deadlysyn,

I just called Antec today at there customer service tech support number and a guy actually priced me the top panel both with and without the buttons and wired usb/firewire ports and the plastic fan mounts sans hard drive cages, i don't see why if they can sell me those pieces separate which are not listed on their online store why they can't sell you the grills for either the 900v1 or 900v2.

 

[deadlysyn]

Hey Deadlysyn,

I just called Antec today at there customer service tech support number and a guy actually priced me the top panel both with and without the buttons and wired usb/firewire ports and the plastic fan mounts sans hard drive cages, i don't see why if they can sell me those pieces separate which are not listed on their online store why they can't sell you the grills for either the 900v1 or 900v2.

In that case, I may have to give them a call and see what they will do. It doesn't seem that they should be too expensive.

 

[velozzity]

Yeah the fan mounts are like $2-3 apiece dont remember exactly and the top panel is like 15 bucks, so a really simple piece like the Grills should be a dollar or two at most imho, i figure like $10-15 for set would be reasonable, heck if they sell you some tell me how much they were, i might replace mine because my s-flex E at 12v is the loudest fan in my case (it makes a whining noise not annoying but noticeable) and i think that the new grills might stop the air noise im hearing and offer less restriction.....reason im thinking about buying a spare top panel and big boy 200mm + the fan mounts is realistically the only thing that would wear out is the plastic, and that about has the entire case covered....if the paint eventually peels off, which i doubt (i used the same paint on the windshield wiper blades of a truck i used to have and it lasted like 4 years in the rain and mud without peeling so i dont think it will come off the computer without me hitting it with a screwdriver or something to scratch it off by accident) I can always paint it over since the metal of this case is really solid and better than most i have seen.

UPDATE:

When confirming my order today with Antec i asked about the grills, yes they can be bought for $1.95 apiece, not the cheapest in the world but still reasonable at approx. $16 a set if you are only using 1 5.25" slot in the front for a optical drive, cheaper if you are using more.

 

[deadlysyn]

UPDATE:

When confirming my order today with Antec i asked about the grills, yes they can be bought for $1.95 apiece, not the cheapest in the world but still reasonable at approx. $16 a set if you are only using 1 5.25" slot in the front for a optical drive, cheaper if you are using more.

$1.95 a piece is actually better than I was expecting. I may end up just going that route instead of bothering with the classies or flea bay. Altogether, I would be looking at about $12, since I have a Rheobus, optical, and a 5.25 multi function. How much was shipping on what you ordered from them?

 

[velozzity]

Shipping was like 7 dollars, but that was like the top panel, big boy 200mm, 3 plastic fan mounts, plus a the plexi for my side door (they covered that under warranty since it was cracking), i figure shipping on yours should be <$5, plus you have to figure your in AZ so UPS ground would get to you real fast versus all the way over to me in Georgia.

Also if you order directly from Antec and they arrive beat up or scratched you can tell them the were screwed up and send proof and they should ship you more free of charge they seem to take care of their customers.

 

[Greywalker]

There are a few more things that I am working on as well. I plan to replace all of the blue LED Tri-Cools with something with a green LED instead. I was thinking about some Yate mediums on my Rheobus, but I am not sure how those LED's will react to the voltage drop (they will probably be at around 7V most of the time). You guys are probably wondering what I am thinking, trying to quiet it down by switching the front bay covers and changing out fans, with those Delta screamers in my sig, but most of the time they run at around 5V or so, and really not that loud. I might crank them up a bit when it really gets warm, but I try to keep them as quiet as possible. I am actually thinking about replacing them with something a little quieter, like some Panaflo's or SanAce's.

There is some clout to the adage "If it's not broke, don't fix it."

Good Luck man.

 

[mxthunder]

As far as Good green LED fans, the Coolermaster R-4's cant be beat. High static pressure, nearly silent, cheap, and they come in many different colors.

 

[deadlysyn]

There is some clout to the adage "If it's not broke, don't fix it."

Good Luck man.

When it comes to case modding, it doesn't need to be broke to need to be fixed.

As far as Good green LED fans, the Coolermaster R-4's cant be beat. High static pressure, nearly silent, cheap, and they come in many different colors.

I may have to look into the R-4's, but the Yates have always seemed pretty hard to beat at around $6 or $7 plus shipping. Static pressure isn't too big of a concern for me with these fans, since they will just be for case air flow. I am still wondering how the LED's would react to them being run at 7V though.

 

[velozzity]

I had a different mentality when replacing my fans and it may not make sense but here goes....if there is any truth to the cfm/noise ratio that countless reviews show then scythe s-flex and the gentle typhoons are consistently in the top, yes they are more expensive, but with ratings like 150,000 hours on the s-flex and 100,000 on the Gentle Typhoons, then the extra 7 dollars per fan is well worth it. I figure if they last half of their MTBF rating it will still be long enough to the point that i will probably build another pc. About the R4's, the couple I tried on a Coolermaster V8 started rattling within a few months of buying them to the point I had to actually bump my pc to make them quiet down then they would later start to screech again. Im a firm believer that you get what you pay for in most cases and call me unlucky but i think its luck of the draw on the R4's and I live entirely too far from a Pc store to drive to one to replace them (like 75 miles one way) and don't want to wait for newegg to deliver and pay more for the shipping than the fan costs. However when the R4 worked properly it was one of the quietest fans I have used on any heatsink...I also personally don't believe that bling and high performance go hand in hand necessarily in the fan department, the very best fans usually are simple don't have much in the looks department

 

[deadlysyn]

I had a different mentality when replacing my fans and it may not make sense but here goes....if there is any truth to the cfm/noise ratio that countless reviews show then scythe s-flex and the gentle typhoons are consistently in the top, yes they are more expensive, but with ratings like 150,000 hours on the s-flex and 100,000 on the Gentle Typhoons, then the extra 7 dollars per fan is well worth it. I figure if they last half of their MTBF rating it will still be long enough to the point that i will probably build another pc. About the R4's, the couple I tried on a Coolermaster V8 started rattling within a few months of buying them to the point I had to actually bump my pc to make them quiet down then they would later start to screech again. Im a firm believer that you get what you pay for in most cases and call me unlucky but i think its luck of the draw on the R4's and I live entirely too far from a Pc store to drive to one to replace them (like 75 miles one way) and don't want to wait for newegg to deliver and pay more for the shipping than the fan costs. However when the R4 worked properly it was one of the quietest fans I have used on any heatsink...I also personally don't believe that bling and high performance go hand in hand necessarily in the fan department, the very best fans usually are simple don't have much in the looks department

To be really honest, I have never really been a big fan (pun intended) of the CM R-4's. Something in the specs just doesn't seem right about them. Maybe it has to do with the fact that just the amount of airflow they claim throught a 120mm hole (not counting the size of the fan hub as well) is technically going to be louder than 19db. On top of that, you also have to factor in blade noise and motor noise. It seems they claim the same amount of airflow as a medium speed Yate, at 19 db, where the Yate is rated at 30 db or so. Personally, I would lean toward the 30 db being more accurate, or CM is misleading people with the CFM ratings, or possibly both. I have read a lot of mixed feelings on them, so it's kind of hard for me to make a judgement on them without first hand experience. I have first hand experience with Panaflo, Delta, and 3 different models of Yates. I can vouch for all 3 of these brands, and have even had atleast 1 of each of the 3 brands for over 2 years, and all of them are still working like new.

 

[Jolly-Swagman]

I had a different mentality when replacing my fans and it may not make sense but here goes....if there is any truth to the cfm/noise ratio that countless reviews show then scythe s-flex and the gentle typhoons are consistently in the top, yes they are more expensive, but with ratings like 150,000 hours on the s-flex and 100,000 on the Gentle Typhoons, then the extra 7 dollars per fan is well worth it. I figure if they last half of their MTBF rating it will still be long enough to the point that i will probably build another pc. About the R4's, the couple I tried on a Coolermaster V8 started rattling within a few months of buying them to the point I had to actually bump my pc to make them quiet down then they would later start to screech again. Im a firm believer that you get what you pay for in most cases and call me unlucky but i think its luck of the draw on the R4's and I live entirely too far from a Pc store to drive to one to replace them (like 75 miles one way) and don't want to wait for newegg to deliver and pay more for the shipping than the fan costs. However when the R4 worked properly it was one of the quietest fans I have used on any heatsink...I also personally don't believe that bling and high performance go hand in hand necessarily in the fan department, the very best fans usually are simple don't have much in the looks department

To be really honest, I have never really been a big fan (pun intended) of the CM R-4's. Something in the specs just doesn't seem right about them. Maybe it has to do with the fact that just the amount of airflow they claim throught a 120mm hole (not counting the size of the fan hub as well) is technically going to be louder than 19db. On top of that, you also have to factor in blade noise and motor noise. It seems they claim the same amount of airflow as a medium speed Yate, at 19 db, where the Yate is rated at 30 db or so. Personally, I would lean toward the 30 db being more accurate, or CM is misleading people with the CFM ratings, or possibly both. I have read a lot of mixed feelings on them, so it's kind of hard for me to make a judgement on them without first hand experience. I have first hand experience with Panaflo, Delta, and 3 different models of Yates. I can vouch for all 3 of these brands, and have even had atleast 1 of each of the 3 brands for over 2 years, and all of them are still working like new.

Would have to agree with both of you regarding CM-R4's, have a couple Red LED ones in the Wife's Rig and they after about 6 months also got that Rattle as if they were out of balance or something,
Took the out of case re-oiled were ok on test bench, but after an hour back in here Rig they Rattled / vibration again, so taken back out for now just waiting to get something to replace them with.
I should really call CM, to get replaced, just havent got around to it!

 

[velozzity]

Well if i had a fan controller i would recommend getting the s-flex F fans which run 1600 rpm (google them many reviews undervolt very well for a higher speed fan and can quiet down almost to silent whereas many other 1600rpm fans cant).

The only negative to them is when used as a pull fan in a very restrictive environment (as in push pull for a megahalems) they do get somewhat of clicking sound (the pull fan does) but they are far quieter than the the coolermaster blademasters which they replaced. As a push fan on a cpu cooler they are extremely quiet..also can say good things about the gentle typhoons, they are very quiet for the cfm they put out...i have yet to use Yate Loons but will have to try some one day when the few cheap fans that came with my sons pc case that i just bought him (are NZXT fans) wear out. Also if you are stuck on coolermaster the Blademasters are nice but slightly louder. I would however say they are in fact misleading consumers on the cfm/noise numbers or have non standard ways of measuring them that they don't disclose. I wish more high end manufacturers would get on the bandwagon of making the larger sized fans because it really makes me consider buying a case that only uses 120mm's.

On another note about the Big Boy 200mm, Deadlysyn if you are still using the original one, the rev. 1 of that fan has a hub about half the size and to me puts out the same amount of air at medium speed that the original version put out at on low. If you forsee yourself buying a spare any time soon and not replacing the case within the next few years, i would do it now because the older model fan (which is what you see all the time when you google big boy 200mm) is not being manufactured anymore and stock is limited. I have two coming ,one that i am going to put in the case instead of the Rev. 1, and one as a backup. I would encourage you to do the same if you are going to stick with the Nine Hundred for a While