I used to simply suggest buying the largest PC enclosure possible, and going with cumbersome and expensive extra accessories... Not any more...

There are very few, if any, PC enclosures specifically designed for quiet computing. We are finally starting to see more and more cases now, however. It started with the Antec Sonata, which was a great first step for silent PC enthusiasts. Then came the vastly improved P180 which took things even further. Now there is what I consider to be the best silent PC case around - the Antec P183.

Upon first glance, you should immediately be able to see that this isn't your average tower case. There are several aspects of the P183 that make it perfect for silent and quiet systems. First of all, the PSU sits at the bottom of the case so it is isolated from the heat generated from the rest of the system. This keeps the power supply fan running at as low a speed as possible. If you go with one of the units we recommend and put it in this case, I guarantee you will not hear it.

It doesn't stop there though - the enclosure is 3 layers, dampened with a middle plastic layer. And all installation areas are grommeted, to eliminate the transfer of vibration. Airflow is well designed, bringing fresh air from the front of the case, blowing it across the hot components, and expelling it out the back, with large, silent case fans.

There just aren't any smarter cases out there - anyone with an ear for silent PCs should be looking at the P183.

Home Theatre Cases

If you're looking to build a silent home theatre PC, my single recommendation is the Antec NSK2480 Silent mATX Enclosure. It is a well designed mATX enclosure that comes with a quite silent power supply. Combined with an integrated graphics motherboard and the Zalman slim CPU cooler we noted before, you will have a very quiet home theatre system.

Next Page: Silent Hard Drives