Post
by Aneon » Sun Dec 15, 2019 11:59 pm
Good news. I have received all the parts and have been up and running since about a week.
TLDR: Super happy. Surprised at how quiet it is when gaming. Slight coil whine from GPU at load.
I installed the GPU in the standard top slot to maximize intake of cool air underneath its fans (never tested the alternative). The PSU is installed with the fan downwards, to pull in air from the bottom and not compete with the GPU's air intake. I installed the Samsung M2 in the top slot, and the Intel M2 in the bottom slot, avoiding the middle M2 slot right under the GPU.
I connected the 3 case fans directly to the motherboard, ignoring the built-in case fan controller, and it seems to be working great (it controls the case fans with voltage as they're 3-pin and lack PWM-support). I'm using the default Silent profiles on all fans in the Gigabyte bios, and they are very quiet. According to Hwinfo all fans are running at around 500 RPM at idle (GPU fans at 0 RPM), and could probably be pushed lower to inaudible levels.
I had to change a hardware switch on the GPU from performance mode (P mode) to quiet mode (Q mode) which changed the fan curve of the GPU, and turns off the GPU fans completely at idle, at the cost of higher temperatures. I'm surprised at how quiet this card is even under load compared to my old GTX 970, although I do hear a slight high-pitch noise, probably coil whine, which is a bit annoying, although I've heard it can get better over time. At least I think the whine is coming from the GPU, as it only happens during GPU load.
I have removed the front door of the case, changed to the mesh top, and am using the "open layout" inside the case, to maximize air flow rather than sound dampening. I might experiment with closing the front and/or top some day, especially to reduce GPU coil whine noise. But using the open layout I could definitely push for even lower fan curves of CPU/case fans.
Current temperatures in my 24° C living room:
CPU (idle): 30°, 500 RPM
CPU (gaming): 60-70°, 800 RPM
GPU (idle): 50°, 0 RPM
GPU (gaming): 65-75°, 1000-1300 RPM
M2 drives (idle): 45° for top slot, 34° for bottom slot.
M2 drives (gaming): 60° for top slot, 40° for bottom slot.
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