Antec P180 or Thermaltake Tsunami?

[Sniper82]

Any opinions on either? I like the Tsunami's looks better but the P180 seems to have better cooling solution. If I go with the P180 it will save me money on future upgrades as I won't care as much what the inside looks like(CCFL's,sleeving,UV slot motherboard,ect). But man the Tsunami looks nice.

What do you think?

 

[Ken90630]

My recommendation is to touch & check out the Tsunami in person before you pull the trigger & buy. Like you, I thought it looked good on Web sites when it came out. Then I was at Fry's one day and cruised thru their case row. They had a Tsunami on display so I checked it out. Very disappointing. The front door looks like two pieces, but it's actually just one and it feels cheap. I'm almost certain it's plastic (unlike the CM WaveMaster, which is rock-solid anodized aluminum and the case that Thermaltake ripped off for its Tsunami design). And when you open that front door, what's behind it is pretty bland, both in look and construction.

OTOH, the Tsunami has (I think) 120mm fans, so that's a plus.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm admittedly biased against Thermaltake anyway 'cuz I think they're dishonest and don't deserve a dime of our money. IMHO, they blatantly lie about their fans' performance, which should be unacceptable.

But hey, to each his own. If you really like the case, what I think is irrelevant. I'm sure you'll get plenty of glowing endorsements from Tsunami owners.

 

[Sniper82]

Well I wish I had Fry's and other places around me so I can look at stuff in person. But I have to go by online pics and stuff which sucks. I am also looking at buying a widescreen LCD and wish I could compare a 19" and a 20"/20.1" side by side but I can't. I will look at the Wavemaster aswell.

 

[Operandi]

The Tsunami and WaveMaster are a world apart in the quality department. It's just too bad the WaveMaster has such limited cooling abilities.

 

[Shadowknight]

they carry both cases at CompUSA as well, so swing by if a store is in your area - they charge too much vs. online, but you can look at them there

 

[Ken90630]

Originally posted by: Sniper82
Well I wish I had Fry's and other places around me so I can look at stuff in person. But I have to go by online pics and stuff which sucks. I am also looking at buying a widescreen LCD and wish I could compare a 19" and a 20"/20.1" side by side but I can't. I will look at the Wavemaster aswell.

I hear 'ya. I buy things online all the time 'cuz not everything I want/need can be found at a store nearby. Obviously you just do the best you can and hope for the best. Reviews can sometimes be helpful, of course, if you can find good ones. What would be cool is if you could find a vendor that carries your #1 and #2 case choices and that would let you send the first one back & exchange it for the second one if you want. You'd eat the shipping, but that might be better than getting stuck for the next few years with a case you're disappointed in. I dunno ... just thinking out loud.

If you're interested, here's a fairly decent review of the WaveMaster. It's look is one of those that you either love or hate, but since you like the Tsunami's look, my guess is you'd like the WaveMaster's look. Like all cases it has a few minor flaws (I wish it had 120mm fans, for instance), but the material construction & build quality are just outstanding.

There are some WaveMaster haters on this site, so I'm sure you'll get some contrary opinions soon. :laugh: Good luck, whatever you decide.

 

[Ken90630]

Originally posted by: Operandi
The Tsunami and WaveMaster are a world apart in the quality department. It's just too bad the WaveMaster has such limited cooling abilities.

Agreed. If you're gonna have a really hot-running rig, the WaveMaster might not be for you. I'm cruising along with an Athlon XP2600 (with a killer Thermalright copper heatsink) and an ATI Radeon 9600SE, so my machine runs pretty cool. (I'm obviously not a gamer.) It also helps that I did the top panel "blowhole" mod & put a Panaflo L1A in there. Works for me.

 

[Ken90630]

Originally posted by: Shadowknight
they carry both cases at CompUSA as well, so swing by if a store is in your area - they charge too much vs. online, but you can look at them there

Good point. :thumbsup: I forgot about that -- CompUSA used to carry (and maybe still does?) a Compaq-branded WaveMaster in silver. I think it was their 'gaming rig' or something. Other than the Compaq name stamped on it, it's identical to a stock WaveMaster. I saw it ~9 months or a year ago, IIRC.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: Ken90630

Originally posted by: Operandi
The Tsunami and WaveMaster are a world apart in the quality department. It's just too bad the WaveMaster has such limited cooling abilities.

Agreed. If you're gonna have a really hot-running rig, the WaveMaster might not be for you. I'm cruising along with an Athlon XP2600 (with a killer Thermalright copper heatsink) and an ATI Radeon 9600SE, so my machine runs pretty cool. (I'm obviously not a gamer.) It also helps that I did the top panel "blowhole" mod & put a Panaflo L1A in there. Works for me.

Yes, I've actually put a few higher end Athlon 64 systems in the Cooler Master PAC-T01, it's a beautiful case once the stupid "Praetorian" logo is sanded off.

The internal chassis is the same as the solid WaveMaster's, with a 4x80mm setup. Fans where replaced each time with either very low speed NMBs or Panaflo L1A running dynamically to system temps; actually very quiet and cool running. Of course a super efficient Seasonic S12 with it's 120mm fan helped too.

 

[Ken90630]

Originally posted by: Operandi

Originally posted by: Ken90630

Originally posted by: Operandi
The Tsunami and WaveMaster are a world apart in the quality department. It's just too bad the WaveMaster has such limited cooling abilities.

Agreed. If you're gonna have a really hot-running rig, the WaveMaster might not be for you. I'm cruising along with an Athlon XP2600 (with a killer Thermalright copper heatsink) and an ATI Radeon 9600SE, so my machine runs pretty cool. (I'm obviously not a gamer.) It also helps that I did the top panel "blowhole" mod & put a Panaflo L1A in there. Works for me.

Yes, I've actually put a few higher end Athlon 64 systems in the Cooler Master PAC-T01, it's a beautiful case once the stupid "Praetorian" logo is sanded off.

The internal chassis is the same as the solid WaveMaster's, with a 4x80mm setup. Fans where replaced each time with either very low speed NMBs or Panaflo L1A running dynamically to system temps; actually very quiet and cool running. Of course a super efficient Seasonic S12 with it's 120mm fan helped too.

Heh heh -- I recently bought that exact case (the Praetorian, in silver) for the A64 build I'm getting ready to put together. How did you sand off the logo without damaging the surface? I agree it's kinda silly (particularly for a non-gamer like me ). As if I care, what is a "Praetorian" anyway? Some kind of viking or something?

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: Ken90630

Originally posted by: Operandi

Originally posted by: Ken90630

Originally posted by: Operandi
The Tsunami and WaveMaster are a world apart in the quality department. It's just too bad the WaveMaster has such limited cooling abilities.

Agreed. If you're gonna have a really hot-running rig, the WaveMaster might not be for you. I'm cruising along with an Athlon XP2600 (with a killer Thermalright copper heatsink) and an ATI Radeon 9600SE, so my machine runs pretty cool. (I'm obviously not a gamer.) It also helps that I did the top panel "blowhole" mod & put a Panaflo L1A in there. Works for me.

Yes, I've actually put a few higher end Athlon 64 systems in the Cooler Master PAC-T01, it's a beautiful case once the stupid "Praetorian" logo is sanded off.

The internal chassis is the same as the solid WaveMaster's, with a 4x80mm setup. Fans where replaced each time with either very low speed NMBs or Panaflo L1A running dynamically to system temps; actually very quiet and cool running. Of course a super efficient Seasonic S12 with it's 120mm fan helped too.

Heh heh -- I recently bought that exact case (the Praetorian, in silver) for the A64 build I'm getting ready to put together. How did you sand off the logo without damaging the surface? I agree it's kinda silly (particularly for a non-gamer like me ). As if I care, what is a "Praetorian" anyway? Some kind of viking or something?

Well I am a gamer (a select few good ones at least) but I'm really against any name or logo on the case but "Praetorian" is extra stupid in my opinion. I'm not the only one that thought so either, as just about everyone that wanted to go with this case for their build wanted it removed.

To remove it just use very fine grit sand paper and take your time, the finer the better. I've only removed it on the anodized black versions which did leave some very fine marks that were noticeable if you knew where to look, but the silver version should be much less susceptible to marking. If you wanted to go hard-core you could probably wet sand it and leave absolutely no marks behind.

To me the name always conjured up images of LoTR, but that?s me.

 

[Sniper82]

Well the wavemaster is out. I want something with 120mm fans. I like the looks of it but I've delt with 80mm fans the several years I been dealing with PC's and now I want something that pushes more air while remainding near silent.

I read on here about P180 cases developing warp doors after a while? I was offered either one for $75 shipped. I just have to decide which.

 

[JM Aggie08]

I have a Tsunami and have no complaints. The comment about the door being cheap is pure bs. The door is made of thick metal, unlike the P180 plastic door. yes, it is in 2 diff parts, but that is to keep the drives secure in their bases, can't go wrong with extra peace at mind. cooling, i have not had problems. My temp dropped 10C when and after i got the case. Nothing about the Case is cheap, you get your money's worth, imo.

 

[teh spazz]

The P180 does warp, but I haven't gotten EXTREME warping. My front door is fine, my two sides at the back are a little warped out, but not too much. I like the P180, but I am promptly returning/selling it as it's just too big for my needs.

 

[RallyMaster]

How about a Cooler Master Mystique 631? It is basically the Wavemaster just with 120mm fans.

 

[eastvillager]

Originally posted by: Sniper82

I read on here about P180 cases developing warp doors after a while? I was offered either one for $75 shipped. I just have to decide which.

The doors use to warp, because they're a sandwich of aluminum and plastic and the two have different rates of expansion.

Anyways, supposedly that is fixed and has been fixed for awhile. You can even get a replacement door if you've got an old one.

I can tell the temperature in my apartment just by how much the front door is warped. It doesn't bother me though because the front door on mine is almost always folded back along the side(it has a nice double hinge) because I've got a breakout panel for the x-fi in one of the external 5.25 bays.

 

[Pens1566]

New p180s have the doors fixed.

 

[Ken90630]

Originally posted by: JM Aggie08
I have a Tsunami and have no complaints. The comment about the door being cheap is pure bs. The door is made of thick metal, unlike the P180 plastic door. yes, it is in 2 diff parts, but that is to keep the drives secure in their bases, can't go wrong with extra peace at mind. cooling, i have not had problems. My temp dropped 10C when and after i got the case. Nothing about the Case is cheap, you get your money's worth, imo.

*Thermaltake Fanboy Alert*

The only "pure bs" here is that post. "Thick metal"? If that door is made of metal, then I'd say it's the kind of thin aluminum that soda pop cans are made of. I could bend that door in half with my bare hands. I stand by my original opinion that it simply feels cheap.

And what does "yes, it is in 2 diff parts, but that is to keep the drives secure in their bases" mean? How does the Tsunami's door keep the drives in their bases? What have you been smoking?

This concludes the Thermaltake Fanboy Alert for Friday, June 30, 2006. We now return to our regularly scheduled programming.

 

[Ken90630]

Originally posted by: Sniper82
Well the wavemaster is out. I want something with 120mm fans. I like the looks of it but I've delt with 80mm fans the several years I been dealing with PC's and now I want something that pushes more air while remainding near silent.

That's cool. Can't fault you for that if you really need the better 'fannage.'

You might also consider Silverstone cases. Many in the Temjin series have anodized/brushed aluminum construction like the WaveMaster and Praetorian cases do, and I think some (if not all) of them use 120mm fans. They're kinda pricey though :Q and not quite as good looking (IMHO), but the latter is a matter of personal taste.

 

[Ken90630]

Originally posted by: Operandi
To remove it just use very fine grit sand paper and take your time, the finer the better. I've only removed it on the anodized black versions which did leave some very fine marks that were noticeable if you knew where to look, but the silver version should be much less susceptible to marking. If you wanted to go hard-core you could probably wet sand it and leave absolutely no marks behind.

Thanks. I'll see what I can do. I've got some very fine sandpaper around here somewhere. I wonder if acetone or another paint remover, paired with a kitchen scouring pad, might do the trick. Maybe I'll swab a drop or two on a hidden spot on the case somewhere and see if it affects the surface.

 

[Skott]

My biggest gripe about the P-180 is the door. Antec made a fantastic case but they skimped on the door quality. The local CompUSA in my area has two P-180s on display and both doors are warped. Pretty badly too. I have seen alot of posts here on this website complaining about door warpage as well. A real shame they didnt spend the money on a metal door but instead went with cheap plastic. A perfect example if you cut one corner it can ruin the whole design.

 

[Shadowknight]

Skott, Antec fixed the problem by adding in another layer of aluminum on the door. The door is now identical to construction to the rest of the case; three layers made up of al/plastic/al. The plastic isn't "cheap", it's a fairly good quiality. The reason the design uses plastic is because the case is meant to minimize vibrational noise. Plastic touching plastic is going to generate less noise than metal touching metal.

 

[Ken90630]

Originally posted by: Shadowknight
Skott, Antec fixed the problem by adding in another layer of aluminum on the door. The door is now identical to construction to the rest of the case; three layers made up of al/plastic/al. The plastic isn't "cheap", it's a fairly good quiality. The reason the design uses plastic is because the case is meant to minimize vibrational noise. Plastic touching plastic is going to generate less noise than metal touching metal.

Shadowknight is, as they say in Britain, "spot on." Here is an excerpt from an article on quieting PCs from SPCR.com:

7. The case

Currently, the case of choice for both SPCR and many other websites is the Antec P180 covered on SPCR here and here. It offers much better cooling than most other cases and uses panels comprised of an aluminum/plastic/aluminum sandwich to cut down on vibration and to act as a thicker wall to keep noise in ....

There have been some issues with warped doors on early production models, but newer versions are out which provides aluminum material on the inners portion of the door, reinforcing the door as a whole. If you don't like silver, endpcnoise and svc offer a black model. The endpcnoise model is more expensive, but a portion of the profits goes towards maintaining SPCR. The one from svc, the P180B, does not. They are differentiated by the possession or lack thereof a SPCR specific logo on the front.

 

[Sniper82]

how do I know if this dude has a newer Antec? Does the new ones stand out a certain way?

 

[Skott]

Originally posted by: Shadowknight
Skott, Antec fixed the problem by adding in another layer of aluminum on the door. The door is now identical to construction to the rest of the case; three layers made up of al/plastic/al. The plastic isn't "cheap", it's a fairly good quiality. The reason the design uses plastic is because the case is meant to minimize vibrational noise. Plastic touching plastic is going to generate less noise than metal touching metal.

Did they? I didnt know that. That is indeed good newsI I'm going to look into this because if its no longer a problem it could change my plans for my next build. Thanks for that update SK!