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Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 12:34 pm
by Avirhel
Hello
I need help to buy a HTPC.
The HTPC will have the following objectives:
- see movies 1080p Blu-ray 3D and 4K ready;
- Editing and encoding Blu-ray video;
- Play RPG games on max settings;
- Be a backup of all the videos and games, with the possibility of having at least 6 HDD'5.

I want it to be:
- The most silent possible;
- As efficient as possible, in terms of energy saving.

I'm starting this thread because I'm very confused, don't know what to do so I need to see everything from the start.
Thank you.

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 2:08 am
by Vicotnik
What you describe is an all-in-one super computer. Gaming box, HTPC, file server, you name it. Get a huge tower with good cooling capabilities, a handful of quiet fans, a motherboard with decent fan control capabilities. With a beefy graphics card and six mechanical HDDs quiet will be difficult.

Consider breaking it down a bit. Several systems, fewer compromises.

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 5:45 am
by Avirhel
I was thinking in this case: Silverstone SST-GD07B (Black) - 142,58 €
If I have to brake it down. One ting that 'Im thinking is to forget the gaming part and buy a PS4 later.
Its possible with this kind of case, and forgetting the game capabilities?

Thank you very much.

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 7:27 am
by CA_Steve
None of the horizontal cases handle heat as well as their vertical cousins due to inferior airflow and other compromises. They are great for HTPCs with lower end gaming card...but stuffing it full of hard drives and a higher end gfx card will result in inferior cooling/higher heat/noise.

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 4:50 pm
by Avirhel
I don´t think that is really a good idea spend so much money and don't be able to play games and have to buy the ps4 for that.

Is there a case like the mac pro? I like it :-)
So what case you recommend for the objectives I mentioned in the first post?
I only like black cases that don't show the drive bays at front. Like this one: http://www.fractal-design.com/home/prod ... lack-pearl


Thank you.

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 8:37 pm
by CA_Steve
Go for the Fractal R4. Consider using fewer HDDs in the case. If some of the HDDs are for archival purposes, just use external drives with eSATA. Plug em in when you need them.

Get an i5-4670K. If you plan to game at 1080p, then the MSI GTX 760 Gaming is a good choice. 8GB of low profile RAM. A 128 to 256GB SSD. The Scythe Mugen 4 is a good cooler. WD Greens or Reds are decent HDDs.

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 7:00 am
by Avirhel
Present config:

Case: FRACTAL DESIGN DEFINE R4 BLACK PEARL USB 3.0………...……………………..…….… 97,45 €
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO………………………………………………………………………………..169,30€
CPU: INTEL I5 4670K 3.4GHZ 6MB SKT 1150 BOX……………………..……………………………….219,40€
CPU Cooler: ???……………………………..………………………..……………………………………….??,??€

GPU:MSI GEFORCE GTX760 TWINFROZR GAMING OC 2GB GDDR5 PCI-E 3.0…………………..245,85€
Power Supply: SEASONIC P660W SEMIFANLESS MODULAR 80PLUS PLATINUM……..……..….168,52€
SSD: SAMSUNG SERIES 840 EVO ULTRASLIM 250GB 2.5" SATA III………………………………..158,90€
Memory: CORSAIR PC3-12800 1600MHZ 8GB VENGEANCE LP BLACK CL9 (2X4GB) DDR3…..85,90€
HDD: WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR GREEN 3TB 7200RPM 64MB SATA III 3.5 (x2)…………………222,3€
Drive: ASUS BW-12B1ST BLU RAY…………………………………………………………………..….…80,15€

I'm going to buy the computer here: http://www.alientech.pt/
I can't find the CPU Cooler you have mention. Is a Noctua a good choice? I don´t know which is better for this CPU.
The SSD in your opinion there is a better choice in terms or liability?
Now, with this config how can I optimize the noise and the cooling better? What you change if it was for you? Add some fans? Change the fans? I want positive pressure because of the dust. (The PC will be in my bedroom, connected to my FullHD TV, so the noise is a important factor.)

Thank you :-)

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 7:29 am
by boost
Avirhel wrote:CPU Cooler: ???……………………………..………………………..……………………………………….??,??€
Thermalright Macho Rev.A 44,55€.
Noctua coolers are fine, but more expensive. The Thermalright cooler performs well, is quiet and comes with a PWM fan most mainboards can regulate, not all Noctuas do.
Avirhel wrote:Now, with this config how can I optimize the noise better?
Not much more to optimise, unless you want to replace the graphic card cooler for an Arctic Twin Turbo 2 (and lose your warranty in the process).

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 8:06 am
by Pappnaas
boost wrote:Thermalright Macho Rev.A 44,55€.
Noctua coolers are fine, but more expensive. The Thermalright cooler performs well, is quiet and comes with a PWM fan most mainboards can regulate, not all Noctuas do.
The PCGH-Edition has a more quiet fan, allowing lower rpm but cost more.

You could get along with the ENERMAX ETS-T40-TB , but the Macho is clearly the better cooler.

Regarding you choice of mainboard, do you really need any features of those overpriced gaming editions? The cheaper AsRock and Gigabyte Z87 boards start around 90 Euros. By the way, prices at your shop seem about 10-15% higher than german shops :(

For the PSU, a cheaper but also pretty silent modell would be the BE QUIET STRAIGHT POWER E9 580W CM 113€, chances are high you won't notice the PSU at all as long as your HDDs are running. It isn't Semi-Fanless, though.

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 8:28 am
by Avirhel
Pappnaas wrote: The PCGH-Edition has a more quiet fan, allowing lower rpm but cost more.
I don't find this in the store I mentioned.

The MotherBoard... I don't know. I like the Asus because of the fan control and have wifi...
Te PSU I like it to be semi-fanless.
I was thinking in positive air pressure. So I will to have to add a intake fan in the bottom of the case. This way will have 2 intake (one in the front and other in the bottom) and a exhaust fan in the back. What do you think? (My old pc is always full of dust it doesn't have positive pressure.)

Thank you :)

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 8:59 am
by Abula
Avirhel wrote:
Pappnaas wrote: The PCGH-Edition has a more quiet fan, allowing lower rpm but cost more.
I don't find this in the store I mentioned.
The PCGH edition to what i remember comes with 3pin fans, i have no experience directly with the fan included on this version, but i would prefer if it came with the PWM glidestream, same as the review on SPCR. One the plus side if the fan is better, and if you are going with asus for your motherboard, in most cases you will have the option to convert the 4pin PWM fan header (CPU_FAN), into a voltage controlled by entering the bios and fan control, and changing the Q-Fan setting from AUTO to ADVANCED.
Avirhel wrote:The MotherBoard... I don't know. I like the Asus because of the fan control. Do you recommend me other?
If you are using 3pin fan son case fans and want to control the via software, and dont mind the way that asus measure temps, then go with Asus, its a fine choice, FanXpert2 is pretty good into testing your fans and dropping them to their lowest rpms, later on you can set you own fan profile to match your desired coolling/noise. Now on pure PWM fan (all slots) or if you dont wish to use software like AI Suite III (fanXpert2), then go with AsRock or MSI, pretty decent on pwm bios fan control, just remember this motherboards usually come with only 2 true pwm headers (crosscheck the model), so if you are planning on running more fans you will need a PWM Fan Splitter, pretty cheap and effective, just gotta plan the setup correctly.

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 9:31 am
by Avirhel
Abula.
I think this is very complicated for me. I think I'm going to stay with the asus mobo and control the fans through software. It must be easier.
So, with that in mind, what CPU cooler you recommend for quiet and efficient CPU cooling, in this site? I was thinking in noctua... for the CPU and case fans... http://www.alientech.pt/index.php?cPath ... =1&sort=3a

witch fan you recommend for intake at the bottom of the case? I was thinking noctua... but don't know witch...

And the SSD is fine?

Thanks :-)

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 10:40 am
by boost
Asus' fan control works fine with the Thermalright Macho Rev.A that I linked to.
Noctua tower coolers are just as good, but more expensive.
Avirhel wrote:witch fan you recommend for intake at the bottom of the case? I was thinking noctua... but don't know witch...
None at all. The case comes with two fans, that should be ok for your system. If you want to add more or replace the fans you can buy any 12cm or 14 cm (Noctua) fan(s). 3-pin fans can be controlled by the case's fan controller 4-pin fnas can be controlled by the mainboard (if the cables are long enough especially for fans in the front or bottom position).

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 10:58 am
by Avirhel
Ok.
I want positive pressure. 2 intake fans and 1 exhaust fan at back.
Thank you.

System config update:

Case: FRACTAL DESIGN DEFINE R4 BLACK PEARL USB 3.0………………………………..…….… 97,45 €
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO………………………………………………………………………………..169,30€
CPU: INTEL I5 4670K 3.4GHZ 6MB SKT 1150 BOX……………………..……………………………….219,40€
CPU Cooler: THERMALRIGHT MACHO REV.A…………………………..……………………………….44,55€
GPU:MSI GEFORCE GTX760 TWINFROZR GAMING OC 2GB GDDR5 PCI-E 3.0…………………..245,85€
Power Supply: SEASONIC P660W SEMIFANLESS MODULAR 80PLUS PLATINUM……..……..….168,52€
SSD: SAMSUNG SERIES 840 EVO ULTRASLIM 250GB 2.5" SATA III………………………………..158,90€
Memory: CORSAIR PC3-12800 1600MHZ 8GB VENGEANCE LP BLACK CL9 (2X4GB) DDR3…..85,90€
HDD: WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR GREEN 3TB 7200RPM 64MB SATA III 3.5 (x2)…………………222,3€
Drive: ASUS BW-12B1ST BLU RAY…………………………………………………………………..….…80,15€
Case fans: NOCTUA NF-A14 PWM 140MM 1500RPM (bottom of the case) ....................................................31,35€

Thanks.

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 11:10 am
by Abula
Avirhel wrote:Abula.
I think this is very complicated for me. I think I'm going to stay with the asus mobo and control the fans through software. It must be easier.
So, with that in mind, what CPU cooler you recommend for quiet and efficient CPU cooling, in this site? I was thinking in noctua... for the CPU and case fans... http://www.alientech.pt/index.php?cPath ... =1&sort=3a
The two best cooler for the money (and that are reasonable quiet) in the US are the Scythe Mugen 4 and Thermalright HR02 Macho (the one that boost linked you), both have been reviewed by SPCR and got the editors choice, both have been recommened to new builders here for a long time and most have very good experiences. Noctua coolers are fine also, specially their fans can be lower more than thermalright, but they are much more expensive usually, i like the Noctua NH-U14S, still think the macho and mugen are better options for the money. I'll leave you the links of the SPCR reviews for you to read them and decide which you like better for your build,

Thermalright HR-02 Macho Quiet/Fanless Cooler
Scythe Mugen 4 CPU Cooler: Scythe Strikes Back
Noctua NH-U14S Slim 140mm Tower Cooler
Avirhel wrote:witch fan you recommend for intake at the bottom of the case? I was thinking noctua... but don't know witch...
Try the included fans first, the Fractal Design 140mm R2 are prety decent fans that can range from 400rpm (inaudible) to 1000rpm (not that loud), what i would do if you end up going with HR02 macho (the one that boost linked above), is just get a second Thermalright TY147, the Define R4 has 2x include fractal 140mm fans, i would move the one on the back to the front (so you have 2 in) and install the TY147 on the back so you end up with pull push config on the cpu cooler.

Now if you want to change all the fans on the R4, not recommended before you try the included, then read the following SPCR roundups, should give you some very nice suggestions.
First 140 mm Fan Roundup: Noctua, Phanteks, Xigmatek
Second 140 mm Fan Roundup: Antec, bequiet!, Corsair, Scythe
Avirhel wrote:And the SSD is fine?
Yes the Samsung EVO is a pretty good SSD, for the money and for its performance its one of the most bought ssds atm.

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 11:32 am
by Avirhel
The THERMALRIGHT TY 147 140MM has the lowest fan speed at 900rpm... It should be around 600-800rpm for silence right?
I'm reading the reviews.

Thanks

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 11:50 am
by Abula
Avirhel wrote:The THERMALRIGHT TY 147 140MM has the lowest fan speed at 900rpm... It should be around 600-800rpm for silence right?
Noise and sound is very relative to each, specially also dependant on your envoirment, for example SPCR test in a chamber where its very unlikely that you have a place that quiet, where ambient noise is very low. That said, again depends on each, for me the TY147 and now the TY150 are inaudible inside my R4 at their lowest rpms, i have done mulitple builds on the macho and the original hr02 and most of the time i used the included fan (on one it ticked below 700rpm), that said there are fans that can go lower like Noctua NF-A15 PWM (its a copy in design to the TY147), so if you are not happy with the performance that the fan that i would upgrade later on.

In case you are interested, this is the FanXpert2 graph of the TY147, so this is more or less what you can expect from it,

Image

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 12:07 pm
by Avirhel
Obviously you are an expert on this :-) I don't know nothing.
I will go for your recomendations.

So the updated config is:

Case: FRACTAL DESIGN DEFINE R4 BLACK PEARL USB 3.0………………………………..…….… 97,45 €
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO………………………………………………………………………………..169,30€
CPU: INTEL I5 4670K 3.4GHZ 6MB SKT 1150 BOX……………………..……………………………….219,40€
CPU Cooler: THERMALRIGHT MACHO REV.A…………………………..……………………………….44,55€
GPU:MSI GEFORCE GTX760 TWINFROZR GAMING OC 2GB GDDR5 PCI-E 3.0…………………..245,85€
Power Supply: SEASONIC P660W SEMIFANLESS MODULAR 80PLUS PLATINUM……..……..….168,52€
SSD: SAMSUNG SERIES 840 EVO ULTRASLIM 250GB 2.5" SATA III………………………………..158,90€
Memory: CORSAIR PC3-12800 1600MHZ 8GB VENGEANCE LP BLACK CL9 (2X4GB) DDR3…..85,90€
HDD: WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR GREEN 3TB 7200RPM 64MB SATA III 3.5 (x2)…………………222,3€
Drive: ASUS BW-12B1ST BLU RAY…………………………………………………………………..….…80,15€
Case fan (back): THERMALRIGHT TY 147 140MM………………………………………………………12,20€

Now its missing the mouse and keyboard. I had one logitech before with batteries it was very bad... I had to replace batteries all the time ... i ended using the old one with the cable until now :-) So I think I will go for the cable as well i think... let me see... well I will found one that I like.

Thank you all for the help! I was really lost!

When I have the PC I post here some photos :-D

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 12:55 pm
by Abula
Avirhel wrote:So the updated config is:

Case: FRACTAL DESIGN DEFINE R4 BLACK PEARL USB 3.0………………………………..…….… 97,45 €
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO………………………………………………………………………………..169,30€
CPU: INTEL I5 4670K 3.4GHZ 6MB SKT 1150 BOX……………………..……………………………….219,40€
CPU Cooler: THERMALRIGHT MACHO REV.A…………………………..……………………………….44,55€
GPU:MSI GEFORCE GTX760 TWINFROZR GAMING OC 2GB GDDR5 PCI-E 3.0…………………..245,85€
Power Supply: SEASONIC P660W SEMIFANLESS MODULAR 80PLUS PLATINUM……..……..….168,52€
SSD: SAMSUNG SERIES 840 EVO ULTRASLIM 250GB 2.5" SATA III………………………………..158,90€
Memory: CORSAIR PC3-12800 1600MHZ 8GB VENGEANCE LP BLACK CL9 (2X4GB) DDR3…..85,90€
HDD: WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR GREEN 3TB 7200RPM 64MB SATA III 3.5 (x2)…………………222,3€
Drive: ASUS BW-12B1ST BLU RAY…………………………………………………………………..….…80,15€
Case fan (back): THERMALRIGHT TY 147 140MM………………………………………………………12,20€
I like all the components, most were reviewed by SPCR and got editiors choice, you are on route on getting a very good performing and reasonable quiet PC.
Avirhel wrote:Obviously you are an expert on this :-) I don't know nothing.
I will go for your recommendations.
As i said, it depends on each, some find 600rpm a little over what they want other find it inaudible, it will also depend on your ambient noise and the stress you have your PC, but i like the combo of the macho and exhaust of TY147. But if you want more quiet fans, look into the ones reviewed on the two links i posted, the Antec True Quiet 140mm seems like the best sounding and they drop extremely low, would be ideal fans for changing all case fans if you were to look for a quieter setup, that said, i think its best to test what it comes first, it might be good enough for your and you don't spend extra, you can always upgrade later on if you feel like it.
Avirhel wrote:Now its missing the mouse and keyboard. I had one logitech before with batteries it was very bad... I had to replace batteries all the time ... i ended using the old one with the cable until now :-) So I think I will go for the cable as well i think...
Keyboard and mouse are very relative to each user, i personally dont mind the noise of mechanical keyboards, i really enjoy using them and feeling the clicks, etc. My recommendation is Logitech G710+ and Logitech G400, but on mouse the most important thing is how does it feel in your hand, this is something that i value more than dpi, lights, software, etc, overall i find the shape of the MX500/510/518/G400 to be the best that i have used, and i will continue buying them as long as they make them, but here if you can go test in stores to get a feeling of the grip and specially if its comfortable for your hands.

If you want a more quiet keyboard, i like the Logitech Illuminated (the wired version), its very similar to the travel on laptops, its not dead silent but its not noisy either, its a nice keyboard for someone looking for less noisy keyboard. If you like wireless and hated the consumption on them, look into Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750, it charges itself with the solar panels (even with the light of your monitor or room). Now nieither of the them are meant for gaming, are more for other purposes, so i still recommend the G710+ if you dont mind the noise of mechanical keyboard, and if you don't mind, then a lot of superb keyboard opens, recommended you check GEEKHACK a forum/community that dedicates purely on keyboards, in there you will find everything, specially brands that you never heard off that are premium in quality, but be careful, that place is addicting into how people describe their experiences, so use it wisely to gather info about what you are considering.

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 1:40 pm
by Avirhel
I'm thinking about it. I am really sensitive to noise.
I think my ps3 slim is noisy, but most people I know think its very quiet.
So I will think about the fans very seriously. I don't know if I really should change them all for the Antec True Quiet 140mm...
I think is best go for the quiet ones, they are nor very expensive.

Current config:
Case: FRACTAL DESIGN DEFINE R4 BLACK PEARL USB 3.0………………………………..…….… 97,45 €
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO………………………………………………………………………………..169,30€
CPU: INTEL I5 4670K 3.4GHZ 6MB SKT 1150 BOX……………………..……………………………….219,40€
CPU Cooler: THERMALRIGHT HR-02 MACHO PCGH-EDITION……………………………………….52,85€
GPU:MSI GEFORCE GTX760 TWINFROZR GAMING OC 2GB GDDR5 PCI-E 3.0…………………..245,85€
Power Supply: SEASONIC P660W SEMIFANLESS MODULAR 80PLUS PLATINUM……..……..….168,52€
SSD: SAMSUNG SERIES 840 EVO ULTRASLIM 250GB 2.5" SATA III………………………………..158,90€
Memory: CORSAIR PC3-12800 1600MHZ 8GB VENGEANCE LP BLACK CL9 (2X4GB) DDR3…..85,90€
HDD: WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR GREEN 3TB 7200RPM 64MB SATA III 3.5 (x2)…………………222,3€
Drive: ASUS BW-12B1ST BLU RAY…………………………………………………………………..….…80,15€
Case fans (3) : ANTEC TRUE QUIET 140MM FAN..………………………………………………………46,05€

This THERMALRIGHT HR-02 MACHO PCGH-EDITION is better? The price is identical. The fan is smaller but the minimal speed is lower.

Abula, this Antec True Quiet 140mm fans have 750 RPM of max speed. Tree (2 intake at front and one exhaust at back) is enough? Or I should buy a 4rd one and place it at the bottom of the case as intake to?

Well I have to buy a UPS too, for safety, right? I bought some for my other pc... all dead in some months of use...

I'm going to see that keyboard and mouse recommendations :-)

Thank you :-D

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 4:01 pm
by CA_Steve
Your system will consume no more than 300W under stressed load (Prime95 + Furmark) and probably less than 250W while gaming. You can easily drop down to a 550W class PSU. Consider the Corsair RM550. Good reviews all around.

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 4:17 pm
by Avirhel
CA_Steve wrote:Your system will consume no more than 300W under stressed load (Prime95 + Furmark) and probably less than 250W while gaming. You can easily drop down to a 550W class PSU. Consider the Corsair RM550. Good reviews all around.
I will add more HDD's in the future and need to upgrade the GPU. Probably I still don´t need the 660W, but under that the seasonic doesn't have a fan and I want a Platinum semi-fanless.

Thank you.

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 10:21 pm
by Abula
Avirhel wrote:Well I have to buy a UPS too, for safety, right? I bought some for my other pc... all dead in some months of use...
Well have to... no, recommended yes, i always have my PC behind UPS, by the electric flow in my country is not always stable enough, but have friends that never buy one and are fine, just a matter into how much you value your equipment or even your work, as sometimes is a lot of effort in doing something to be taken in a flash. If you want a quality UPS, i would check for APC or Cyberpower (triplitte a distant 3rd), both imo are top contenders for consumer grade UPS, but what model i guess will depend on what you have available, the kind off protection and uptime you want.
Avirhel wrote:Abula, this Antec True Quiet 140mm fans have 750 RPM of max speed. Tree (2 intake at front and one exhaust at back) is enough? Or I should buy a 4rd one and place it at the bottom of the case as intake to?
Well here i would try 3 frist (2in 1 out), and work from there if you feel you need more. You gotta understand that Antec True Quiet 140 are suppose to be really quiet, but they wont move much air, specially thinking that FanXpert2 will drop them to 200rpm, they bearly move air, but here is where you must tweak your graphs to your personal liking or chose more or less fans depending on how much you gain in temps or lose in noise, etc.
Avirhel wrote:This THERMALRIGHT HR-02 MACHO PCGH-EDITION is better? The price is identical. The fan is smaller but the minimal speed is lower.
Never knew there was a special model of the macho, i did see a Mugen 4 with that designation, but it came with twin fans and 3pin instead of 4pin pwm fan. In all honesty, now that you are going with antec fans that will drop extremly low, you might want to consider CPU fan that will drop as low, for example Noctua NF-A15 PWM will drop also to 200rpm on CPU_FAN, thinking on this, you might even consider the Noctua NH-U14S, that's also a great cooler, just a little more expensive, but already comes with the fan.

I still think its best to try whats included first and don't overspend (i should follow more my own advice), but its up to you, SPCR did wonderful 140mm roundups that nets the Antec True quiet as the best sounding of all them and as you said its cheap, so its a nice choice, i personally didnt went with it, as i wanted full PWM fan control and on a none ASUS motherboard, but its fine, fanXpert2 should take care of dropping the fans as low as possible and you should end with a virtually inaudible PC at idle, and probably very quiet at load.

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 9:38 am
by Avirhel
Abula, you have 4x Noctua NF-A14 PWM. I need to understand better the "full PWM fan control".
I know the MSI motherboard has better hardware, but the Asus have better software and have wifi.
I will go for the NOCTUA NH-U14S CPU cooler. If I go for Noctua for the CPU cooler I think I might go for Noctua all the fans... im going to see the review again.

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:56 am
by Abula
Avirhel wrote:Abula, you have 4x Noctua NF-A14 PWM. I need to understand better the "full PWM fan control".
I know the MSI motherboard has better hardware, but the Asus have better software and have wifi.
I went with full PWM fan control out of other reasons. I tried asus before, but had issues with the motherboard and the way that asus design their software, specially the way the measure CPU temps and thus the control on the fans, this is not to say its bad, just not the way i like it. I would have stayed with Asus if they offered better BIOS fan control, but the restrictions on ROG boards are very high on pure bios, so i went with MSI, and their BIOS fan control is much better, and from what i have seen AsRock also has very good BIOS PWM fan control. But PWM fan control is not better or worst, just different way of managing the fans, i still believe that FanXpert2 is best (maybe speedfan is better but harder to setup) and the easiest to setup and have it running in no time, the only important thing is to understand how it works so you chose the best fans for each slot, specially to use 3pin fans on CHA_FAN 1,2,3, and if you can 4pin PWM fan on the CPU_FAN header, the rest FanXpert2 will take care. But dont buy PWM fans for CHA_FAN headers, in my experience specially with noctua pwm fans is that they are unstable under low voltage, and sometimes they stop being ran that low. Overall i prefer bios fan control to not have anything extra running, specially with Asus you need the full AI SUITE III as FanXpert2 comes embed on it, a lot of things that i dont use are loaded, but its not a big deal either, less than 3% CPU utilization on IDLE with it running.
Avirhel wrote:I will go for the NOCTUA NH-U14S CPU cooler.
The HR02 Macho and Mugen 4 still offer way better value for your money, i only suggested the Noctua NH-U14S out of your comment into being very noise sensible, thus prefering the really low rpms the antec will give. On the Asus motherboard with fanXpert2 running, the TY147 will idle close to 600rpm, this might or not be too much for you, personally i find it adequate, but in terms of tolerances and preferences we are all different, thus my suggestion into having a fan that will have much lower capability like NF-A15PWM, the fan is almost mirror to the TY147 in terms of design, it will fit great on the HR02, here is a pic of me mounting one on mine.

Image

Now i suggested the NH-U14S out of thinking that HR02 + swap of fans will end up almost the same price as going with the NH-U14S, but you can go with the HR02 macho and swap the fan later on, whatever is fine, and this way you could even try the TY147 and see how it works out before upgrading the fan, but up to you, both coolers are really good, HR02 macho and the Mugen 4 have been regarded as very quiet cooler and great value for your money, the NH-U14S will also fall in this category if was cheaper.
Avirhel wrote:If I go for Noctua for the CPU cooler I think I might go for Noctua all the fans... im going to see the review again.
My suggestion goes back into read the reviews again, SPCR did a great job doing a couple of roundups fairly close together with a lot of fans, even on those you will see Noctuas and they didnt come out as the best, they even prefered the old 140 over the new ones. I value a lot what MikeC and Lawrance say about the tone of the fans, so in here Antec true quiet 140 wins, so going all noctuas might not end up as quiet, although tbh i have droped off my noctuas so low that i dont hear them, but if i didnt go with full PWM BIOS fan control, i would have go with Antec fans, they are simply the best in tone and very cheap fans, now the question is weather they are enough for your cooling or what speeds will you need them to run to satisfy the cooling needs of your setup, but this question only you will be able to answer once you build and have it running.

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 2:23 pm
by Avirhel
Well. I'm stuck. I like to have the best control of the fans possible. I don´t know if I should go for the MSI or the Asus for that propose. If I go for MSI I get no WiFi. The Noctua CPU cooler is fine, but the others Noctua I think its a little expensive. But I´m afraid that the Antec True Quiet 140mm fans don't have enough air flow and the system don't be well optimized in terms of temperature, and then I have to buy other fans and that will get even more expensive.


Current Config:
Case: FRACTAL DESIGN DEFINE R4 BLACK PEARL USB 3.0………………………………..…….… 97,45 €
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO………………………………………………………………………………..169,30€
CPU: INTEL I5 4670K 3.4GHZ 6MB SKT 1150 BOX……………………..……………………………….219,40€
CPU Cooler: NOCTUA NH-U14S…………………………………………………………………………….70,40€
GPU:MSI GEFORCE GTX760 TWINFROZR GAMING OC 2GB GDDR5 PCI-E 3.0…………………..245,85€
Power Supply: SEASONIC P660W SEMIFANLESS MODULAR 80PLUS PLATINUM……..……..….168,52€
SSD: SAMSUNG SERIES 840 EVO ULTRASLIM 250GB 2.5" SATA III………………………………..158,90€
Memory: CORSAIR PC3-12800 1600MHZ 8GB VENGEANCE LP BLACK CL9 (2X4GB) DDR3…..85,90€
HDD: WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR GREEN 3TB 7200RPM 64MB SATA III 3.5 (x2)…………………222,3€
Drive: ASUS BW-12B1ST BLU RAY…………………………………………………………………..….…80,15€
Case fans (4) : ANTEC TRUE QUIET 140MM FAN..………………………………………………………61,40€

Now... MSI or Asus... for best fan control...

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 3:16 pm
by Abula
Avirhel wrote:Current Config:
Case: FRACTAL DESIGN DEFINE R4 BLACK PEARL USB 3.0………………………………..…….… 97,45 €
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO………………………………………………………………………………..169,30€
CPU: INTEL I5 4670K 3.4GHZ 6MB SKT 1150 BOX……………………..……………………………….219,40€
CPU Cooler: NOCTUA NH-U14S…………………………………………………………………………….70,40€
GPU:MSI GEFORCE GTX760 TWINFROZR GAMING OC 2GB GDDR5 PCI-E 3.0…………………..245,85€
Power Supply: SEASONIC P660W SEMIFANLESS MODULAR 80PLUS PLATINUM……..……..….168,52€
SSD: SAMSUNG SERIES 840 EVO ULTRASLIM 250GB 2.5" SATA III………………………………..158,90€
Memory: CORSAIR PC3-12800 1600MHZ 8GB VENGEANCE LP BLACK CL9 (2X4GB) DDR3…..85,90€
HDD: WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR GREEN 3TB 7200RPM 64MB SATA III 3.5 (x2)…………………222,3€
Drive: ASUS BW-12B1ST BLU RAY…………………………………………………………………..….…80,15€
Case fans (4) : ANTEC TRUE QUIET 140MM FAN..………………………………………………………61,40€
All seem great components, either reviewed by SPCR, and other that are referred as the most quiet of their gen like the GPU, imo it should turn out very quiet.
Avirhel wrote:But I´m afraid that the Antec True Quiet 140mm fans don't have enough air flow and the system don't be well optimized in terms of temperature, and then I have to buy other fans and that will get even more expensive.
This is a well founded worry, as the antec will drop extremely low.... around 200-300rpm when fanXpert2 is controlling them (you can change this by changing the graph on fanxpert2), overall the Fractal Design Define R4 is a great case, but the front is very restricted with filter, a door and an extra door, but i run my noctuas (all 4 case fans) at 225rpms and my idle is around 30C, so i think you should have very similar results, on gaming usually dont break 60C, on prime95 i start to get into high 70s, but still all with in safety and very quiet, i think you should end up similar to mine, probably even more quiet, but all the setup you should do it personally upon testing the hole setup assembled and running.
Avirhel wrote:Well. I'm stuck. I like to have the best control of the fans possible. I don´t know if I should go for the MSI or the Asus for that propose. If I go for MSI I get no WiFi.
Now... MSI or Asus... for best fan control...
I think you shold go ASUS in terms of its much easier to setup and you can run whatever 3pin fans, on MSI you will be binded to Noctua PWM 4pins 140mm fans (or similar, but not much options here) to be able to control them similarly to Asus fanXpert2. Also the WIFI seems important to you, so i think you will be happier with Asus than MSI. Also the wired nic is intel much better than Killer 2205 that comes in the MSI.

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 4:54 pm
by Avirhel
I think that's it :-D

Final Configuration:

Case: FRACTAL DESIGN DEFINE R4 BLACK PEARL USB 3.0………………………………..…….… 97,45 €
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO……………………………………………………………………………..169,30€
CPU: INTEL I5 4670K 3.4GHZ 6MB SKT 1150 BOX……………………..…………………………….219,40€
CPU Cooler: NOCTUA NH-U14S……………………………………………………………………..…….70,40€
GPU: MSI GEFORCE GTX760 TWINFROZR GAMING OC 2GB GDDR5 PCI-E 3.0…………………..245,85€
Power Supply: SEASONIC P660W SEMIFANLESS MODULAR 80PLUS PLATINUM……..……..….168,52€
SSD: SAMSUNG SERIES 840 EVO ULTRASLIM 250GB 2.5" SATA III………………………………..158,90€
Memory: CORSAIR PC3-12800 1600MHZ 8GB VENGEANCE LP BLACK CL9 (2X4GB) DDR3…..85,90€
HDD: WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR GREEN 3TB 7200RPM 64MB SATA III 3.5 (x2)…………………222,3€
Drive: ASUS BW-12B1ST BLU RAY…………………………………………………………………..….…80,15€
Case fans (4): ANTEC TRUE QUIET 140MM FAN..………………………………………………………61,40€

Thank you all for the great help. Specially you Abula for the patience of answering to all my doubts :-)
SPCR is the best forum I have found for Silent Computing.
Take care :-D

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 5:17 pm
by Abula
Avirhel wrote:I think that's it :-D

Final Configuration:

Case: FRACTAL DESIGN DEFINE R4 BLACK PEARL USB 3.0………………………………..…….… 97,45 €
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO……………………………………………………………………………..169,30€
CPU: INTEL I5 4670K 3.4GHZ 6MB SKT 1150 BOX……………………..…………………………….219,40€
CPU Cooler: NOCTUA NH-U14S……………………………………………………………………..…….70,40€
GPU: MSI GEFORCE GTX760 TWINFROZR GAMING OC 2GB GDDR5 PCI-E 3.0…………………..245,85€
Power Supply: SEASONIC P660W SEMIFANLESS MODULAR 80PLUS PLATINUM……..……..….168,52€
SSD: SAMSUNG SERIES 840 EVO ULTRASLIM 250GB 2.5" SATA III………………………………..158,90€
Memory: CORSAIR PC3-12800 1600MHZ 8GB VENGEANCE LP BLACK CL9 (2X4GB) DDR3…..85,90€
HDD: WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR GREEN 3TB 7200RPM 64MB SATA III 3.5 (x2)…………………222,3€
Drive: ASUS BW-12B1ST BLU RAY…………………………………………………………………..….…80,15€
Case fans (4): ANTEC TRUE QUIET 140MM FAN..………………………………………………………61,40€

Thank you all for the great help. Specially you Abula for the patience of answering to all my doubts :-)
SPCR is the best forum I have found for Silent Computing.
Take care :-D
Looks great, hope you upload some pictures once you get it running, remember to install AI SUITE III so you get control of the fans, probably on the initial startup might not be super quiet as you dont have control of the fans and that should happen after you format and install the AI SUITE III.
Case fans (4): ANTEC TRUE QUIET 140MM FAN..………………………………………………………61,40€
Remember the Asus Z87 PRO only has 3x CHA_FAN headers (1,2,3), so if you going to run 4th fan you will need a Y splitter. Else just get 3 fans.

Re: Help: HTPC built for Bu-ray and RPG games.

Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2013 4:43 am
by Avirhel
Ok :-)

I'm having a doubts regarding the CPU. I don't know if I should go for the I7 4770 (281,60€). The Hyper-Threading Technology is used in some games and in video encoding. I will use video encoding. Its only 62 euros more and I don't think I'm going to do overclock (I don't thing I will need the K version). The I7 4770K is only 15€ more than the I7 4770... Do you think the K version is good for Quiet PC, to underclock or undervolt or something? I don't want to do overclock.

And for the cooling system, the water cooling is more effective from what I read... it has a fan too. Can´t this fan be used at back has exhaust fan as well and I buy one less ANTEC True Quiet? The cooler the CPU the better life spent and performance... right? Like the CORSAIR HYDRO SERIES H90 (80,60€), for example. It has a 140mm fan as well.
I've be reading and they recommend that the fan of the CORSAIR HYDRO SERIES H90 be used as intake (I understand, because that way the cool air of the outside of the case cools down better the radiator/CPU), so I'm thinking if its possible to be at the bottom as intake fan.

Thank you :-)