Quiet (not slient) OK Gaming Rig - micro-ATX

[workavoidance]

I wanted something which was relatively small (micro-ATX), was close to silent and played the latest games moderately well on a 1920x1200 screen. This is what I came up with using an existing case:

http://imgur.com/a/VJ9TU#0

Case: Temjin TJ08
http://www.silverstonetek.com/product_l ... model=tj08
I replaced the stock fans of this case with Scythe S-Flex SFF21E.
I removed the front fan completely, this was to be able to fit the longer GFX card cooling.

PSU: Corsair VX450W
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article751-page1.html

Motherboard: Maximus V GENE
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_ ... us_V_GENE/

CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-2600K Processor (8M Cache, up to 3.80 GHz)
http://ark.intel.com/products/52214/

Heatsink: NH-U12P SE2
This link is for the previous edition. http://www.silentpcreview.com/Noctua_NH-U12P_CPU_Cooler

SSD: Crucial m4 SSD 2,5" 128GB
To keep this out of the way, I simply strapped it to the case with cable ties.

HDD:
Samsung Spin Point F1 (Model HD103UJ)
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article843-page1.html
This is suspended on strong rubber bands in a 5in drive bay. Reducing noise from vibration.

GFX Card: Asus HD7850
http://www.asus.com/Graphics_Cards/AMD_ ... 50DC22GD5/

GFX Cooling: Accelero Xtreme 7970
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1103-page1.html
http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/cooling/vga/5 ... tml?c=2182

Memory: Kingston DDR3 HyperX 1600MHz 8GB


I am quite pleased with the end results:
While playing The Secret World on Ultra settings at an acceptable frame rate (40 fps) at 1920x1200.
I also run the burn in on FurMark for about 30 minutes with the following results:

The rig is in a room with an ambient temperature of about 25C.
The Motherboard is 40C
Case Fan is 700 RPM (very quiet)
CPU is about 30C
CPU Fan are running about 500 RPM (very quiet)
GPU is 50C
GPU Fans are running about 20-25% (very quiet)

So, not a monster gaming rig, nor completely silent but I am pleased with the results on the whole.

[Jipa]

I'm not the one to push kW-powersupplies to every build, but that's some serious hardware behind a small budget PSU

Other than that, looking good!

[flemeister]

Very nice!

I did a similar build a year ago, seems that the main culprit for noise in the TJ08 is the power supply fan, because it inhales all the hot air inside the PC. But otherwise pretty quiet. If I didn't have to use two optical drives, I'd probably have experimented with a PSU duct through a 5.25" bay.

[Olaf van der Spek]

I'm not the one to push kW-powersupplies to every build, but that's some serious hardware behind a small budget PSU

Other than that, looking good!

Is it? 2600K and 7850 don't consume that much power AFAIK.

[kuzzia]

I'm not the one to push kW-powersupplies to every build, but that's some serious hardware behind a small budget PSU

Other than that, looking good!

Is it? 2600K and 7850 don't consume that much power AFAIK.

I would also think that a Seasonic made 450 W PSU with five years of warranty would be able to cope with the 2600k and the 7850. The 2600k could even be overclocked though I doubt the PSU fan would spin quietly.

[workavoidance]

Hi all, thanks for the feedback.

Sticking with my older PSU was a cost saving move really, I wouldn't buy it again for that setup. However I figured it would be OK...

The 7850 should run fairly low power, I've seen peek draw reviewed at about 100W.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/ ... 70/24.html

Intel reports that the maximum load from the CPU should be about 100W also.

I've not tested it, but I would guess that the total load on the PSU would be about 250W? Does anyone have a better guess?

If that were the case (big if) then according to the PSU reviews on SPCR then I'm also in the sweet spot for efficiency on that Corsair PSU and it should be able to sustain that without getting noisy? Or it looks like that to my untrained eye.

The only thing that really concerns me is the relatively high internal MB temps.

Also, the HDD is by far the noisiest part of the system and other than spending a fortune on a bigger SSD I've no great ideas about how to improve that!

Cheers,
Jon

[Olaf van der Spek]

Also, the HDD is by far the noisiest part of the system and other than spending a fortune on a bigger SSD I've no great ideas about how to improve that!

What about a 2.5" and/or 5400 rpm (Green) one?

[Pappnaas]

You could opt for a NAS and place it next room

Your HDD is already suspended, so if your still not satisfied, you should indeed look at 2,5" or 5400er drives.

[ces]

I'm not the one to push kW-powersupplies to every build, but that's some serious hardware behind a small budget PSU Other than that, looking good!

Is it? 2600K and 7850 don't consume that much power AFAIK.

Why not get the SPCR recommended Seasonic X 650 or one of its derivatives? Under 200 watts you will have not fan movement. If you start loading it up with it has more than enough wattage and cooling capacity to handle whatever you are likely to through at it? And it is about as efficient and as stable a power supply as you will find.

[CA_Steve]

Nice build. Congrats

250W is the upper end of what the PSU would see while system is stress loaded.

How do you like the Asus 7850?

If you don't need a ton of storage, how about the 500GB single platter WD Scorpio Blue?

[edh]

Why not get the SPCR recommended Seasonic X 650 or one of its derivatives? Under 200 watts you will have not fan movement.

When the OP was looking for cost saving by using their existing PSU, buying a new high end PSU is going to push budget that could be used on something else. I would very much second using the existing PSU of that quality and although a newer high end PSU could be more efficient, it would take many many years to pay off the purchase price in electricity savings and the ecological impact of building the PSU in the first place.

Would be interested to see pictures of this! Any improvements planned?

[workavoidance]

Would be interested to see pictures of this! Any improvements planned?

Well, there are picture here http://imgur.com/a/VJ9TU#0 if that is what you mean?

As for the improvements, my next step would be getting a second SSD drive. When I'm not playing games, I spend most of my time working on photographs which are mostly stored as raw files. So, I have about 300GB of photos - which means an expensive SSD. So, I think it'll stay as it is for now. I already upgraded my monitor which was enough expense for me for a few months!