Antec NSK3400-based system help!

[pbecker]

Hi all,

I would very much like to build a near-silent microATX system based on Antec's new NSK3400 case. I am considering the following components, among others:

Case: Antec NSK3400
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
Motherboard: ASUS P5B-VM AiLifestyle Series (or another one which will accomodate a Ninja and has a passive chipset heatsink)
HD's: Samsung HD321LJ and HD501LJ (320GB and 500GB)
DVDRW: Samsung SH-S183A (should be short enough to fit in NSK3400)
CPU heatsink: Scythe Ninja Rev. B (or A?)
Graphics card: ASUS EN7600GS SILENT/HTD (or another passively cooled GS or GT which will fit with the other components)
Fans: 120mm Nexus fan as case fan instead of the NSK3400's TriCool, and perhaps also one mounted on the Ninja heatsink?

Any comments on this build are very welcome! These are the questions I have burning in my mind at the moment, which I would love to have answered before going ahead with my purchases:

1. Will a Scythe Ninja (rev. A or B) fit in the case? And, if not, which other heatsinks would you recommend?
2. What would be the optimal fan configuration for this setup, cooling/noise-wise?
3. Which passively cooled 7600GS or GT cards can you recommend? The ASUS one with the heatsink element bent 90 degrees on the back will definitely not fit, but the one I listed above seems to only have a relatively shallow heatsink on one side
4. Any other ideas for a DVD writer that will fit in an NSK3400?
5. I am also considering exchanging the fan in the NSK3400's PSU with an 80mm Nexus one - I am not worried about voiding the warranty, but I would like some opinions as to whether or not it will be worthwhile with regards to the noise level. I'm assuming it won't be as much of a problem anyway as was the case with the NSK3300, since the NSK3400 has a full-size ATX PSU...

Thanks beforehand - I would be deeply grateful for any advice you guys may provide Any questions, feel free to ask!

[aegan]

Gigabyte makes good passively cooled video cards -

7600GT
7600GS with HDMI
Gigabyte VGA Page, look for the "Silent Pipe II" or "Screen Cooling" ones.

- bernard

[pbecker]

Thanks for the tips I've also been looking at Gigabyte's cards, but most of them seem to have rather large heatsinks on the back side, which I fear will be difficult to fit in with a large heatsink like the Ninja... I don't mind graphics cards that take up two slots though, since I'm not really going to need room any expansion cards.

[Erssa]

Most of the things you are asking have already been discussed in other existing NSK3300/NSK3400 threads.

viewtopic.php?t=36712&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

viewtopic.php?t=38412&highlight=&sid=5d ... 1f70bfd00d

Btw, I find it funny, that you recommend Ninja for NSK3300 in the other thread and then you ask here which cooler to buy?

[pbecker]

Actually, I merely suggested that the Ninja would possibly fit - I am still not entirely sure. I haven't heard anyone say explicitly that a Ninja will fit on any specific microATX motherboard in a NSK3300/NSK3400, nor have I seen it documented with photos...

[Erssa]

Actually, I merely suggested that the Ninja would possibly fit - I am still not entirely sure. I haven't heard anyone say explicitly that a Ninja will fit on any specific microATX motherboard in a NSK3300/NSK3400, nor have I seen it documented with photos...

Well Ninja will fit NSK3300 for sure. What really matters is the placement of the socket on the motherboard and other motherboard compabilitys. I'm going to buy ninja for my NSK3400 setup.