Recommendations for a Quiet Haswell Build
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 10:30 am
Hi all!
I've come here to ask silence seekers advice on case fans and a CPU cooler. Usage is probably around 80% light use, 10% heavy workload, 10% gaming.
My current build is based around an aging P180 with sound dampening foam and some Nexus 120mm fans. It's quiet, but it's time to retire the old beast. My new system will be built around the following hardware (sound-relevant items in bold):
CPU: Intel i5-4670k (with a mild - moderate OC, depends on acoustic performance)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PLUS
RAM: Crucial Ballistix 16gb
SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 512gb
GPU: Future upgrade
PSU: Kingwin LZP-550 (Choice was between this and a Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 10 550w. I liked the idea of a passive PSU below a certain temp so I chose this. If anyone here has a better ~550w recommendation, shoot)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (with extra noise dampening)
Case fans!
I'll be swapping out the stock Define R4 fans with 2 quieter ones. Must be 140mm, low RPM, motherboard controlled. Here's my shortlist:
- Phanteks PH-F140TS (chosen after favourable SPCR review)
- Be Quiet Silent Wings 2 140mm
- Thermalright TY-141 (I've read these are better that the TY-140s when in a vertically mounted position due to their bearing)
CPU Cooler!
- Phanteks PH-TC14PE
- Thermalright Silver Arrow SB-E (or SB-E Extreme), or some other Thermalright cooler - availability isn't great on these in Canada, though
- Prolimatech Genesis with a set of 140mm fans from the above list
- Something else? Be Quiet?
I like the idea of the Phanteks because I can have a universal set of fans in my case, all low RPM (800 or less). The same goes for Thermalright case fans + CPU cooler.
What I'm looking for is quiet operation. While gaming, I can ramp up fan speed to handle temps. But under light workload, I'd like it to be very quiet. Any advice? Thanks in advance!!
I've come here to ask silence seekers advice on case fans and a CPU cooler. Usage is probably around 80% light use, 10% heavy workload, 10% gaming.
My current build is based around an aging P180 with sound dampening foam and some Nexus 120mm fans. It's quiet, but it's time to retire the old beast. My new system will be built around the following hardware (sound-relevant items in bold):
CPU: Intel i5-4670k (with a mild - moderate OC, depends on acoustic performance)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PLUS
RAM: Crucial Ballistix 16gb
SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 512gb
GPU: Future upgrade
PSU: Kingwin LZP-550 (Choice was between this and a Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 10 550w. I liked the idea of a passive PSU below a certain temp so I chose this. If anyone here has a better ~550w recommendation, shoot)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (with extra noise dampening)
Case fans!
I'll be swapping out the stock Define R4 fans with 2 quieter ones. Must be 140mm, low RPM, motherboard controlled. Here's my shortlist:
- Phanteks PH-F140TS (chosen after favourable SPCR review)
- Be Quiet Silent Wings 2 140mm
- Thermalright TY-141 (I've read these are better that the TY-140s when in a vertically mounted position due to their bearing)
CPU Cooler!
- Phanteks PH-TC14PE
- Thermalright Silver Arrow SB-E (or SB-E Extreme), or some other Thermalright cooler - availability isn't great on these in Canada, though
- Prolimatech Genesis with a set of 140mm fans from the above list
- Something else? Be Quiet?
I like the idea of the Phanteks because I can have a universal set of fans in my case, all low RPM (800 or less). The same goes for Thermalright case fans + CPU cooler.
What I'm looking for is quiet operation. While gaming, I can ramp up fan speed to handle temps. But under light workload, I'd like it to be very quiet. Any advice? Thanks in advance!!