How [quiet] is this going to be?
Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 6:14 am
Hi all,
I am a total beginner at system building (this will be my first one) and I want to do it right and build a silent one to start off with.
I have read through most of the silencing guides etc etc on spcr and have picked components almost exclusively from the spcr recommended list.
I am very aware if my system makes noise, especially fan noise. I leave my computer on overnight to finish downloading files so silence is more of a requirement than a wish.
Here is what I learnt so far: removing moving parts reduces noise, hence if you can cool something passively it would be more beneficial. If i can get a system with low wattage draw then less heat generated (generally). I want this thing to be futureproof (by that i mean i dont have to scrap the case ,psu and other components if i want to add one more gpu to it or an hdd. I am also aware that I cant make it futureproof, i can only get some components that can be reused( case,heatsink(aftermarket), psu(less so)?).
Here is the components list (if you can comment on them that would be great)
my overall budget is up to 600-700 ish£ for base unit, but cheaper (500 ish ) would be great if possible.
CPU- fx 4100
MOBO- asrock 970 xtreme 3
RAM-
Kingston HyperX DDR3 1600MHz CL9 8GB
PSU-either Antec Truepower New 750W A/PFC Power Supply or OCZ OCZ700MXSP-UK 700W ModXStream Pro Power Supply or
Corsair CMPSU-850AXUK Professional Series Gold 850W Power Supply . dont have a clue which one to choose , bearing in mind the last one is 140£, and, to me it doesnt have anything great to pay double for than the ocz one. According to some power supply calculators out there, i will only be using \approx 250W of power, meaning that the antec psu should be silent for most of the time?
CASE- definitely antec p280. full tower so any future build fits, and so that i can stuff a few hdd's if needed.
DVD Drive- generic dvd drive -just in case , wont be used much.
network=TP-Link TL-WN781ND 150Mbps Wireless PCI Express Adapter
hdd- cant decide between 2.5 and 3.5 hdd's any suggestions on this front? 2.5 seems to be a lot quieter (any quiet, decent performance 3.5 " drives?) since getting big case will have a few hdd's anyway so low (500gb-750gb) capacity isnt a problem. also have some 2.5 hdd's around so will only need mounts for it? will also plan to run a few vm's (main os-linux, vm-windows xp/windows 7) Will place the vm on a separate hdd also.
gpu - passive cooled ati 6670 . (can you crossfire these for better performance?)
Heatsink cpu===noctua nh-d14. will also undervolt the fans to make it quieter (do i need to do this with the p280?)
Can someone confirm whether the following ( from personal experience would be great) make a big difference in noise:
I will remove the top fan that comes with the p280. Will undervolt the back 2 and place 1 Noctua NF-P12 - Case fan - 120 mm undervolted all to 7v.
My main use for this thing will be work based (normal office stuff, LaTeX document publishing, some programming,occasional gaming (pre 2009). Support for aes new instructions is almost required, unless it saves me a lot of money by not getting it.
The backround noise in my room is roughly 23db, so something on par with that will be good, less would be absolutely brilliant. I also don't want it to sound like it is about to take off when it is at load (80-100% cpu load) either.
I am open to suggestions if you can suggest any other components (except the case, i like that case ) that may be better suited for me.Also I am under the impression that amd are much cheaper than intel. Since I am not trying to build a computer in the "best rig ever" category is amd a good choice for me? or are intels(much) more power efficient that makes it worth 150£ extra to spend on parts?
I have read up on water cooling and passive cooling , got the impression that:
1-it is harder to set up /more accident prone. with passive cooling you only have convection.
2-much more expensive. Since i am not using high end components i thought there is no point spending more on cooling. Also i am not going to overclock (more likely underclock) so water cooling wont really have a great impact. My ambient temps vary from about 18c to 23c over the year.
Sorry for so many questions but i dont see any other place on the net that has any answers on this.
Some constructive critisism greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance
EDIT---In answer to the psu-no that is not the only ones availible, those are the ones i chose based on spcr reviews and (ocz) on price. I only need my computer to do work based tasks ( as I mentioned LaTex, matlab, excel/office/internet, maybe a vm here and there). I dont intend to use it as a gaming machine (for civ3, cod4, hitman bm, at hd res). I equally dont want to be constantly upgrading (works out more expensive buying something bad first and upgrading rather than buying something that is good in the first place).
Also , with the new amd/intel cpu's coming out (october ish?) is it worth waiting?
P.p.s all parts come from uk so they are ridiculously overpriced (170£ for an i5 for se for example) and the more expensive psus at 140£.
Pretty much all I want the pc to do is handle the above tasks well and not sound like a harrier taking off when it is doing it-wont mind a very gentle hum. Yes I have heard of the 2.5 " suspending hdd's but thanks for reminding me .
My major problem at the moment is this amd vs intel battle . Yes intel are faster in almost every common task but they are more expensive, as I cant pick up an intel mobo for 65£ with sata 6 and usb3. just how good is the g530 (not benchmarks wise but real world wise)? shall i compare it to a core2duo performance or more like i5-870(?) performance? Also was going to get a 750w psu so that i dont have to change it every 2 builds (how long do they last? is it even worth investing in anything except the case?)
Thanks for your prompt responses people
I am a total beginner at system building (this will be my first one) and I want to do it right and build a silent one to start off with.
I have read through most of the silencing guides etc etc on spcr and have picked components almost exclusively from the spcr recommended list.
I am very aware if my system makes noise, especially fan noise. I leave my computer on overnight to finish downloading files so silence is more of a requirement than a wish.
Here is what I learnt so far: removing moving parts reduces noise, hence if you can cool something passively it would be more beneficial. If i can get a system with low wattage draw then less heat generated (generally). I want this thing to be futureproof (by that i mean i dont have to scrap the case ,psu and other components if i want to add one more gpu to it or an hdd. I am also aware that I cant make it futureproof, i can only get some components that can be reused( case,heatsink(aftermarket), psu(less so)?).
Here is the components list (if you can comment on them that would be great)
my overall budget is up to 600-700 ish£ for base unit, but cheaper (500 ish ) would be great if possible.
CPU- fx 4100
MOBO- asrock 970 xtreme 3
RAM-
Kingston HyperX DDR3 1600MHz CL9 8GB
PSU-either Antec Truepower New 750W A/PFC Power Supply or OCZ OCZ700MXSP-UK 700W ModXStream Pro Power Supply or
Corsair CMPSU-850AXUK Professional Series Gold 850W Power Supply . dont have a clue which one to choose , bearing in mind the last one is 140£, and, to me it doesnt have anything great to pay double for than the ocz one. According to some power supply calculators out there, i will only be using \approx 250W of power, meaning that the antec psu should be silent for most of the time?
CASE- definitely antec p280. full tower so any future build fits, and so that i can stuff a few hdd's if needed.
DVD Drive- generic dvd drive -just in case , wont be used much.
network=TP-Link TL-WN781ND 150Mbps Wireless PCI Express Adapter
hdd- cant decide between 2.5 and 3.5 hdd's any suggestions on this front? 2.5 seems to be a lot quieter (any quiet, decent performance 3.5 " drives?) since getting big case will have a few hdd's anyway so low (500gb-750gb) capacity isnt a problem. also have some 2.5 hdd's around so will only need mounts for it? will also plan to run a few vm's (main os-linux, vm-windows xp/windows 7) Will place the vm on a separate hdd also.
gpu - passive cooled ati 6670 . (can you crossfire these for better performance?)
Heatsink cpu===noctua nh-d14. will also undervolt the fans to make it quieter (do i need to do this with the p280?)
Can someone confirm whether the following ( from personal experience would be great) make a big difference in noise:
I will remove the top fan that comes with the p280. Will undervolt the back 2 and place 1 Noctua NF-P12 - Case fan - 120 mm undervolted all to 7v.
My main use for this thing will be work based (normal office stuff, LaTeX document publishing, some programming,occasional gaming (pre 2009). Support for aes new instructions is almost required, unless it saves me a lot of money by not getting it.
The backround noise in my room is roughly 23db, so something on par with that will be good, less would be absolutely brilliant. I also don't want it to sound like it is about to take off when it is at load (80-100% cpu load) either.
I am open to suggestions if you can suggest any other components (except the case, i like that case ) that may be better suited for me.Also I am under the impression that amd are much cheaper than intel. Since I am not trying to build a computer in the "best rig ever" category is amd a good choice for me? or are intels(much) more power efficient that makes it worth 150£ extra to spend on parts?
I have read up on water cooling and passive cooling , got the impression that:
1-it is harder to set up /more accident prone. with passive cooling you only have convection.
2-much more expensive. Since i am not using high end components i thought there is no point spending more on cooling. Also i am not going to overclock (more likely underclock) so water cooling wont really have a great impact. My ambient temps vary from about 18c to 23c over the year.
Sorry for so many questions but i dont see any other place on the net that has any answers on this.
Some constructive critisism greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance
EDIT---In answer to the psu-no that is not the only ones availible, those are the ones i chose based on spcr reviews and (ocz) on price. I only need my computer to do work based tasks ( as I mentioned LaTex, matlab, excel/office/internet, maybe a vm here and there). I dont intend to use it as a gaming machine (for civ3, cod4, hitman bm, at hd res). I equally dont want to be constantly upgrading (works out more expensive buying something bad first and upgrading rather than buying something that is good in the first place).
Also , with the new amd/intel cpu's coming out (october ish?) is it worth waiting?
P.p.s all parts come from uk so they are ridiculously overpriced (170£ for an i5 for se for example) and the more expensive psus at 140£.
Pretty much all I want the pc to do is handle the above tasks well and not sound like a harrier taking off when it is doing it-wont mind a very gentle hum. Yes I have heard of the 2.5 " suspending hdd's but thanks for reminding me .
My major problem at the moment is this amd vs intel battle . Yes intel are faster in almost every common task but they are more expensive, as I cant pick up an intel mobo for 65£ with sata 6 and usb3. just how good is the g530 (not benchmarks wise but real world wise)? shall i compare it to a core2duo performance or more like i5-870(?) performance? Also was going to get a 750w psu so that i dont have to change it every 2 builds (how long do they last? is it even worth investing in anything except the case?)
Thanks for your prompt responses people