HomeElectronicsSonata Elite Case |
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3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Well-constructed, good looking case. Very quiet! Mar 31, 2009
By S. Jentsch
I purchased this case with the intent that I wanted something that was as quiet as possible, and that had the internal and external storage that I needed, and the front port access I wanted.
This case hit on pretty much every count! I purchased an Antec Earthwatts 500W power supply to go with this, and used both as the basis for a new Core i7-based system.
I am using the stock cooler that came with the i7-920. For performance, I chose to go with a 300GB 10,000 rpm WD Velociraptor system drive and a 640GB WD Caviar Black data drive. I knew these would generate some noise, but the performance trade-off was worth it. The two video cards are fanless, so there's no noise coming from them. The case fan can be set for three different speeds based on your needs, and there is also a second fan that can be installed over the expansion slots, which I am not using.
Now that it's built and the side panels are on, it's difficult to hear that the machine is running. CPU and case temps are well within norms. I do hear the occasional clicking from the Velociraptor, but I expected some noise from it, and it's not annoying at all.
I was unprepared for how nice the black finish was going to be -- it's similar to an automotive finish. While it does tend to attract dust, it is very attractive, and it's almost difficult to hide it under a desk! The case construction is also very solid, and the side panels are also treated with heavy sound deadening material, which not only makes them add to the quietness of the case, but also to the overall heft and sturdiness of this case.
The front USB ports are useful, but my motherboard didn't have a spare connection for the eSATA port, so I can't speak for that. The blue power and hard drive activity LED's are very bright and intense; illuminating a darkened room easily. I like that the reset and power buttons are behind the door -- it keeps wandering hands off the important stuff!
Are there any cons? Nothing serious, but I would change a few things if I could:
I'd like for the door covering the drive bays to be switchable from left swing to right swing.
I'd prefer the front ports be at the top instead of the middle of the case. My system is near the floor, so they would be easier to reach if they were at the top front of the case (but not behind the door).
The bracket just beneath the power supply looks like it might make replacing the power supply difficult without possibly having to remove the motherboard! I hope I don't have to find out any time soon, but this would be a major pain if that's the case.
Overall, I'm very happy that I chose this case. It's quiet, has plenty of external and internal storage. It's well-built and looks good, too!
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 good looking and quiet case Sep 23, 2009
By nick reading
This is a darn nice case. I've used cheaper cases in the past, but now I'm glad I spent extra[...]and got this. It looks really, really good -- sleek. It's also extremely quiet -- I have to check the lights to even know its on. I make music with computers and appreciate having one that isn't honking and wheezing all over.
I'm not a huge computer DIYer yet, but as far as I could tell this one had ample space and good layout to take all the components I wanted inside.
Build quality is solid, with pieces easy to remove/replace, screws fitting holes, and firm rather than flimsy overall structure.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Great Case Dec 29, 2010
By Robert Lincoln
This has way more space than I needed, but the extra is nice. It provides all the cables you need. The fan is very quiet (I don't use the extra, second fan). Nice to have the filter on the outside that is easily comes off for cleaning.
Suggestions: there is a strut or structural bar that makes placing the power supply and other items a bit of a challenge. Couldn't this be made so it unscrews to temporarily take it off and placed out of the way?
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Stylish, well made case that is almost silent Sep 10, 2010
By Soothmidas
This was my 1st computer build, so I don't have anything to compare the Sonata Elite case with other than my pre-built Dell and Mac G4, but I am very happy with the styling, materials and design of this case.
I used a Micro ATX motherboard, that fit easily, it has holes marked with an "A" for mounting an ATX motherboard (which also were appropriate for my motherboard). I also installed a rather large processor cooling unit (Scythe SCMG-2100) and graphics card (GIGABYTE GV-N98TSL-1GI GeForce 9800 GT) that both fit - although the graphics card is a tight fit. I selected those components in order to make the case as silent as possible. The case is extremely quiet, the only time that sound is noticeable is when the optical drive is spinning and the front panel is open (closing the front panel reduces the sound of the optical drive significantly).
The design of the case makes adding up to four 3.5" hard drives very easy. It also contains an additional mounting point for a 2.5" solid state drive (the outer left wall where the four 3.5" drives are mounted) but I will be unable to utilize that feature because of the size of my processor cooling unit and graphics card. I can always use a 2.5" to 3.5" adapter to mount a solid state drive in one of the four 3.5" drive bays.
This case is designed for easy cable management, hiding unused cables behind the opposite panel from where you install components. The front case LED's all worked as well as the front inputs (2 usb, 1 eSATA and headphones/mic inputs). There is also a lock on the front panel, although I do not use that. Temperatures in the case are very low - I am only using the 2 fans that came with the case and have them at their lowest (and most quiet) settings. The fan that mounts on the side will need to be removed in order to get to certain components, but it is very easy to mount/remove it from the case.
Overall I am extremely pleased with this case and would recommend it to others. I purchased this one instead of the Sonata III because I was using a Micro ATX board and my components required a power supply over the 500W power supply that comes with the Sonata III. The only con I can think of is that I have to remember to open the front panel when ejecting a disk from the optical drive.
So in conclusion, if you are looking for a quiet, stylish, well-made case that can house common ATX motherboards, this is a good case to consider.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Love this case Jan 20, 2009
By Zhang Zhuge
"JZ"
Looks nice.
Very quiet.
High quality build.
Easy access to drive bays.
Drives are placed on grommets to reduce vibration noise
Adjustable-speed case fan and slot fan.
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