Silent Air Cooled Build - 'Open' Case Labs BH8 vs 'Closed' Jonsbo W2?

[AngryGoldfish]

I'm going to be replacing my almost four-year-old Fractal system with something a little more high-end (at least in terms of chassis), and I have a question. I'll still be focusing on silence without liquid, but this time I want a more compact case, one that still allows for neat cable management, HDDs, and full ATX motherboards. Sadly, there are only a few on the market that cover that niche. The one I've always intended on building in is the Jonsbo W2. I love the little guy. And the other one is the Case Labs BH8. Until it was released, nothing from them fit my needs.

The W2 could be a great 'silent' case because it's so closed up. Solid aluminium panels and thick tempered glass should help reduce noise. But temperatures will no doubt be higher due to this, and considering I'll be buying Vega I need as much airflow as possible. The BH8 fits that criteria by offering more fan mounting position and open ventilation—plus if I ever wanted to add an AIO or go fully liquid, the case does support radiators well (I mocked up a quick soft tubing idea using a 5.25" bay reservoir/pump combo. But this could compromise noise dampening. So my question is:

Sacrifice on cooling and upgrade-ability with the closed W2 - it's sexy, more affordable, smaller (it will fit on my desk while the BH8 will struggle), and possibly quieter

vs

Sacrifice on silence and cost with the open BH8 - it's sexy, more water cooling friendly, offers superior airflow (fan speeds could theoretically be reduced), and is built to the highest standards

 

[Bartacus]

If your focus is silence, I'd have to vote for the W2. I love Case Labs products dearly, but if you're not doing a custom loop, I don't find they're worth the extra coin. However, if you will be doing a custom loop at some point, there is no better choice than Case Labs.

 

[AngryGoldfish]

Yeah, I think the W2 is still the best case for me. It's just so poorly suited to adding even an AIO. They're possible to install, but it would be very cramped. I've seen a few really nice custom loops in the case, but again it's really cramped.

The BH8 is such a nice case. I just don't know if the close to €400 I'd have to pay for it (shipping is $80, import duties, plus the actual cost of the case) would be worth it.

 

[Bartacus]

That's for you to decide, but considering Case Labs focus on water cooling, I'd be hard pressed to spend that much money for air cooling. What you are seeking is tough to find (full ATX in a smaller form factor). Why the small size requirement though? Is it desk space you're trying to save? I can't see you finding ANY chassis that fits your criteria without having the serious drawbacks you're already seeing (cramped fit). AFAIK, there IS no way to do ATX in smaller FFs neatly.

 

[AngryGoldfish]

That's for you to decide, but considering Case Labs focus on water cooling, I'd be hard pressed to spend that much money for air cooling. What you are seeking is tough to find (full ATX in a smaller form factor). Why the small size requirement though? Is it desk space you're trying to save? I can't see you finding ANY chassis that fits your criteria without having the serious drawbacks you're already seeing (cramped fit). AFAIK, there IS no way to do ATX in smaller FFs neatly.

When I say small form factor, I'm also talking about cases like the Corsair 460X, NZXT S340 Elite. The W2 is the smallest I've found a case to be while still fitting high-end hardware, but I'd be happy to go for something bigger like the S340 as they can still fit high-end hardware, but not as big as the Define R5 or Enthoo EVOLV ATX.

 

[NeverBackDown]

Can always get the Define C for smaller ATX cases? It also has the sound damping foam which would aid you in this effort to keep it silent.

 

[AngryGoldfish]

Can always get the Define C for smaller ATX cases? It also has the sound damping foam which would aid you in this effort to keep it silent.

The Define C is an awesome case, but I already have the Define R4 and I'm bored of the aesthetics. If Fractal released a high-end aluminium chassis with sound dampening materials and a new aesthetic in the Define C size, that would be perfect. But I'm looking for something a little more premium and different than what Fractal are currently offering.