SPCR

here is the build...i would like any feedback you have...im trying to keep under 1000...its around 975 with all these parts from newegg right now


CASE
ANTEC Black Solution Series ATX Mid-Tower Case with 350W Power Supply, Model "SLK3700-BQE" -RETAIL
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDe ... ory=BROWSE

DRIVES
NEC 8X Black DVD+RW/-RW Drive, Model ND-2500A, OEM Bulk
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDe ... ory=BROWSE

Lite-On Black 16X DVD-ROM, Model SOHD-167T, OEM
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProdu...ufactory=BROWSE

NEC 1.44MB Black Internal Floppy Drive, OEM
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProdu...ufactory=BROWSE

HARD DRIVE
SAMSUNG 160GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model SP1614C, OEM Drive Only
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDe ... ory=BROWSE

RAM
Corsair Value Select 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDe ... ory=BROWSE
(not sure about ram)

VIDEO CARD
ATI RADEON 9800PRO Video Card, 128MB DDR, 256-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP -RETAIL
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDe ... ory=BROWSE

MOTHERBOARD
ASUS "K8V SE Deluxe" K8T800 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProdu...ufactory=BROWSE

or should i get msi neo platinum?

PROCESSOR
AMD Athlon 64 3000+, 512KB L2 Cache 64-bit Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProdu...ufactory=BROWSE

trying to keep below $1000...is this a good case...is it good ram...is it quiet?

also what mobo and ram for this?

The tiny video card fan is pretty noisy. You may want to look into grabbing a VGA silencer or a Zalman heatpipe.

Also, that 16X LiteON drive is *reaaaaaaaaaaly* noisy when it spins up. The LG GDR-8162B is a pretty decent drive, and generally quieter than the LiteON.

Hello & Welcome to SPCR!

You are on the right track, but you left out one critical item: the CPU heatsink & fan. I'll suggest the Zalman 7000 Al/Cu.

Also, I would consider a Samsung or an Asus optical drive -- do you really need to write DVD's? If so, you might want to consider the Sony which can write both kinds of DVD's. And Sony makes quiet floppy drives, too.

I would go with a passively cooled video card -- as was mentioned, the video card fans are usually quite noisy.

You will want to undervolt the case fan, or if the motherboard has fan control in the BIOS, it would be worth it. The BQE PS needs to have a cool case in order to minimize it's fan noise -- it isn't loud, but it is not silent either.

I have not used the MSI -- it is a brand new board and it might be fine, but it might also have some "teething" problems -- check for reviews! The Asus would be fine, especially if you need CnQ. If you are going to Fold (and you should!), then I might suggest another board I have used: the AOpen K89 Max, as it has excellent undervolting for the CPU, though CnQ doesn't seem to be supported yet -- this might be old info, however. Check out the threads on CnQ and undervolting...

I had good luck with this RAM on the AOpen (it is an great value and has lower latency than the Corsair you linked to!):

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 219&depa=1

and this RAM work great on the Asus (which has awesome latency for a lot less than the Mushkin 2-2-2 Special):

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 290&depa=1

IHTH

Yeah that video card fan will annoy you if want silence. I would go for the HIS 9800pro that newegg has. It comes with the VGA silencer installed and is very quiet.

Hi. Great suggestions from other forum members.
I'd pass on that case if you will keep the door closed most of the time. I don't know about you or anyone else on this forum, but I reboot often as I'm tweaking my machine (noise and performance). The Antec cases have the power switch inside the door and you have to open the door to get to it. Pain in the butt. I snapped the door off of my case with my swivel chair 'cause I left it open when power cycling. Something to consider.

If you're going to get into DVD writing, I'd pass on the NEC. The Pioneer 106/107 have much better media compatibility and reliability. Check this site for more info. The Lite-On is a great DVD ripper (excellent DVD5, decent DVD9) but it is FAR from a quiet drive. Be prepared for the noisy tray and the "disc scraping" noise that occurs as the disc spins up. I have two of them.

Rest of the system looks great. I'd go with the Neo Platinum, as I have one. Either way I'd upgrade the Northbridge chipset heatsink to a Zalman passive one. You can run the retail heatsink/fan (HSF) if you want, and then upgrade later. The Zalman 7000A as suggested is an excellent choice.

Best of Luck,
-Evan-[/url]

QuaiBoy wrote:Hi. Great suggestions from other forum members.
I'd pass on that case if you will keep the door closed most of the time. I don't know about you or anyone else on this forum, but I reboot often as I'm tweaking my machine (noise and performance). The Antec cases have the power switch inside the door and you have to open the door to get to it. Pain in the butt. I snapped the door off of my case with my swivel chair 'cause I left it open when power cycling. Something to consider.

If you configure the power saving modes on your PC correctly, and have the right keyboard (one with a sleep switch), you need never use the power button. Ditto the reset switch, unless you like to hard-lock your box!

But I know what you mean though, the door is a double-edged sword. It certainly gets in the way when I use my CF reader. When my box is next up for modding (next weekend I hope) I'm going to try to alter the door mountings to stop it swinging around so much.

Ok here's my comments:

If you're willing to cut 'n mod and/or you want to bungee suspend your hard drive, go with the 3700AMB, instead of the BQE.

Artic cooling VGA silencer for the 9800 pro

Regarding SATA drives in general, some have reported difficulty in changing accoustic management settings. Thus, consider a PATA equivalent or try 'n make sure accoustic management will be accessible.

Go for the dual-layer NEC 2510 just a couple bucks more

Zalman 7000AlCu HSF

Globe, Nexus or Papst 4412 120mm exhaust fan, undervolted

300watt Seasonic super silencer rev A3 or other PSU from top of recommended list, especially if you decide on the AMB. FYI, you can buy the AMB cheap from Directron sans PSU.

Hi,

I'm also quite a newbie on the silence part of computers. And I'm willing to buy more or less the same configuration as mastrduke.
I've taken note of all the information given. But I still have one question.
On my current conputer, I set my HSF into "sucking" mode with a duct to the case fan. It didn't change my CPU temp but improved a lot my case temp. I know all HSF cannot be used that way. My question is, which HSF can be safely used in sucking mode ? Is the Zalman 7000Al-Cu ok ?

Thanks

I forgot to say I'd like to put in place the same duct system in the 3700BQE

sethi2002 wrote:Hi,

I'm also quite a newbie on the silence part of computers. And I'm willing to buy more or less the same configuration as mastrduke.
I've taken note of all the information given. But I still have one question.
On my current conputer, I set my HSF into "sucking" mode with a duct to the case fan. It didn't change my CPU temp but improved a lot my case temp. I know all HSF cannot be used that way. My question is, which HSF can be safely used in sucking mode ? Is the Zalman 7000Al-Cu ok ?

Thanks

Spydercat did it with the zalman 7000, there's an article on the SPCR main page, countercurrent somethingorother. IMO, it would be best to stick with a heatsink designed for sucking, like an Alpha. Problem is, these are not as efficient as the Zalman 7000 or SP series Thermalrights. Check out the new tower type heat pipe coolers. They are very efficient and are prime candidates for exhaust ducting in either suck or blow. Just make sure the model you select is mountable on your motherboard in a front to rear airflow config. Many can only be mounted up & down on socket 478 mobos. Not sure 'bout the situation w/ A64. Oh, and also take precautions of the way over spec. mass of these heatsinks. Bluefront has suggested he would use an adjustable extra support arrangement w/ wire & hobby shop turnbuckles.

Good luck & be sure to let us know what you decide 'n how you make out.

Buy a Sony floppy drive instead of Nec.

Cheers,

Jan

nething else...or does htis look good...and i switched to a sony floppy and im taking out the dvd burner and will buy one later when dual layer media prices drop

1.)is the sonata better than the bqe?
2.)is the power supply from the bqe big enough for my system?
3.)should i get msi neo platinum motherboard?
4.)should i get 1 gig of ram and does that ram work with msi board well?
5.)should i get the ice q 9800 pro or should i spend the extra 40 bucks and get the 256 ddr 256 bit 9800 pro?

In the interests of brevity:
1. No.
2. Yes, though it's not that quiet.
3. I don't see why not, it's had some good reviews. Google for one and check there's nothing wrong eith it (by your standards).
4. 1 GB is a sensible amount for a gaming machine. Don't know which brands will work best, but most should be fine, depending on how hard you want to push the speed and timings.
5. Get the IceQ. 256 MB isn't worth it on a 9800 Pro - by the time games need that much, you'll have upgraded to the next generation of cards.

None of this is from personal experience, but I read forums and websites quite a lot, and I'm confident of my answers.

I just finished building a new machine with several of the parts you have mentioned, so I'll add my thoughts on those items:

mastrduke wrote:1.)is the sonata better than the bqe?

I've got the Sonata case and am very impressed with it. I just looked at the online info about the BQE for comparison. They are quite similar cases, with the exception that the Sonata's finish might be nicer (if that matters to you), and the Sonata's PSU is a bit better (380W versus 350W, and TruePower series which is better than SmartPower). That's not to say that the SmartPower 350S won't be enough for your system, just that those are the main differences I see between the two cases.

3.)should i get msi neo platinum motherboard?

I've got one of these in my new system as well, and love it. It's been solid as a rock thus far, and has performed very well in the various benchmarks I've run. Can't think of a single reason not to recommend it.

5.)should i get the ice q 9800 pro or should i spend the extra 40 bucks and get the 256 ddr 256 bit 9800 pro?

I don't know anything about this "Ice Q", but I've got a normal 9800 Pro in my new system, and it is easily the loudest thing in the box. Anything that would keep the videocard noise down would probably be worthwhile if quietness is a major issue (which it must be if you are asking around here).

I got the 256MB version because it was only a few bucks more for me than the 128MB version, and because the 256MB version of the card may be more easily flashed into an XT model from what I understand. But when comparing stock cards, the extra memory of the 256MB version doesn't seem to offer any performance benefit, as others have said.

thx for all ur input....will flashing the bios to make it a 9800xt will it lower the life of the card if i left it at stock settings?

will i need to put a new fan on it or will the stock heatsink be good enuf?

Moved to the fancy new System Advice forum.

mastrduke wrote:thx for all ur input....will flashing the bios to make it a 9800xt will it lower the life of the card if i left it at stock settings?

The thing is that a lot of the current 9800 Pro cards are shipping with the XT's R360 chipset rather than the R350, which apparently means that they can be flashed into a full XT without any harm whatsoever. As to whether you would get the R360 version or not, well, that's the luck of the draw. And there are plenty of people who overclock the stock R350 9800 Pro to clock rates higher than the standard XT rate ... but in those cases some aftermarket cooling is probably desirable.

As for me, I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet. I gather that the only way to tell if you have the R360 version is to remove the stock cooler (thus voiding the warranty) and look, and I'm not sure if I even want to do that.

i heard that all of the new 256ddr that are being shipped by saphire are the correct core to do it with...the ones at newegg are supposed to work...from other people ive talked to about it that is what i have picked up

anything wrong with this setup? or is it ok?

Don't know why nobody mentioned this...but...

Why not just get the NEC 2510 instead of the 2500? And why the 16x DVD too? The NEC's will read DVD's and the 2510 is dual layer for only a few more bucks. If anything scrap the DVD player and replace it with a 52x burner, you can always use Drivespeed to quiet it down on reads.

is the included psu with the antec bqe enough to power this system...even if i use a nvidia 6800 graphics card?

is this case fairly quiet?

The supplied PSU should be enough to power your system however it may struggle if you overclock the processor, use a gig of ram and get an nVidia 6800. As you probably know the power needs of the 6800 varies from model to model so it really depends on your exact configuration. I would personally try the system with the Antec PSU and then replace it if necessary.

Interitus is right, the 2510 adds dual-layer for hardly any cost.
I found that the LG GSA-4120B is about $10 more from newegg. If I remember correctly its a far better drive than the NEC but i'd recommend you check afew reviews first to be sure.