I'm getting a new dual-core-system in a couple of months. I'm 95% I'll get a zalman resirator as it will transport a lot of heat out of the system more or less noiseless, without need for casefans (for that particular bit of the heat). I probably will not get a very powerful GPU, something like a 6600 GT, so I guess the GPU-cooler on the zalman will be powerful enough.
The main things i need tips for are (not suprisingly) the only moving parts of the case:
HD, which one? And which enclosure (water-cooled?)? Seemingly most new drives are pretty quiet. For eksampe a raptor, can the seek noised be fixed by a enclosure combo, and some kind of vibration-dampening? Or should I just get a diffrent drive? (new samsungs for example).
PSU: Again, which one? I don't need all that much power, I will not have more than one HD in the case (i have fileserver). Are there any good watercooled options?
Casefan: Nexus is the best according to the faq. But what size? Are there noise penalties for getting av 120mm opposed to a 80mm? Do i need a fan at all?
Thanks in advance for any tips. Don't hesitate to ask if anything is unclear.
AtW
New dual-core-system with watercooling
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee
Quick, lazy answers - 120mm Nexus is better than 80mm for most things. Less noise for airflow produced, and what noise there is is a lower, less obtrusive frequency.
PSU - Seasonic S12 330, 380 or 430W. Depends on whether you're going Intel or AMD - Intel dual core is pretty thirsty for power. You'll need some case ventilation, and it's not worth getting a watercooled model - it'll be awkward to integrate into your cooling loop (fittings, tube sizes, etc.), it'll add restriction to the system (the Zalman pump is a bit weedy for restrictive cooling loops), and a good fanned PSU isn't really noticeable anyway.
HDD - a Raptor is fairly discreet if soft mounted, but seeking won't be silent. You might find it annoying in an otherwise silent system. If you you're more bothered about noise than performance, a Samsung P120 series is a pretty safe bet, while the Maxtor DM10 16MB cache models occupy the middle ground.
PSU - Seasonic S12 330, 380 or 430W. Depends on whether you're going Intel or AMD - Intel dual core is pretty thirsty for power. You'll need some case ventilation, and it's not worth getting a watercooled model - it'll be awkward to integrate into your cooling loop (fittings, tube sizes, etc.), it'll add restriction to the system (the Zalman pump is a bit weedy for restrictive cooling loops), and a good fanned PSU isn't really noticeable anyway.
HDD - a Raptor is fairly discreet if soft mounted, but seeking won't be silent. You might find it annoying in an otherwise silent system. If you you're more bothered about noise than performance, a Samsung P120 series is a pretty safe bet, while the Maxtor DM10 16MB cache models occupy the middle ground.
Thanks for the help, a few questions:Spod wrote:Quick, lazy answers - 120mm Nexus is better than 80mm for most things. Less noise for airflow produced, and what noise there is is a lower, less obtrusive frequency.
PSU - Seasonic S12 330, 380 or 430W. Depends on whether you're going Intel or AMD - Intel dual core is pretty thirsty for power. You'll need some case ventilation, and it's not worth getting a watercooled model - it'll be awkward to integrate into your cooling loop (fittings, tube sizes, etc.), it'll add restriction to the system (the Zalman pump is a bit weedy for restrictive cooling loops), and a good fanned PSU isn't really noticeable anyway.
HDD - a Raptor is fairly discreet if soft mounted, but seeking won't be silent. You might find it annoying in an otherwise silent system. If you you're more bothered about noise than performance, a Samsung P120 series is a pretty safe bet, while the Maxtor DM10 16MB cache models occupy the middle ground.
Yes, I'm getting an amd. About the PSU, is the restrictvness really a problem? You don't need much flow for watercooling to be effective. (about a litre every 10 seconds should be more than enough for 400 watts). But i guess it can be a lot of hassle to get a proper water-cooled PSU and install it.
As for HDs, I have alos heard newer hitachis are good, and how about enclosures, are they worth it, or is the effect very small?
AtW
Yes, the Hitachi T7K250 looks good, though I haven't seen definitive performance or noise tests yet (i.e. SR and SPCR, respectively).
Restrictiveness might be a problem, though if you're using AMD, and a relatively low end video card, perhaps the Reserator pump will still produce adequate flow with a watercooled PSU. You'll still need some case ventilation, since there are many components on the motherboard and graphics card that won't be cooled by your waterblocks.
Hard drives - well, there are plenty of options, including some nice watercooled enclosures if the restriction isn't an issue.
Check that all the parts can use the same size tubing - you might need some adaptors.
Restrictiveness might be a problem, though if you're using AMD, and a relatively low end video card, perhaps the Reserator pump will still produce adequate flow with a watercooled PSU. You'll still need some case ventilation, since there are many components on the motherboard and graphics card that won't be cooled by your waterblocks.
Hard drives - well, there are plenty of options, including some nice watercooled enclosures if the restriction isn't an issue.
Check that all the parts can use the same size tubing - you might need some adaptors.