Silent gamer desktop on a budget
Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 4:00 pm
Hello there SPCR
I'm new here, and looking for advice on building my first low noise budget gamer PC.
The goal is to enjoy a very low noise idle/low load system, while being able to play Starcraft2. Possible Total War: Rome2 in the future. I don't care about the noise level while gaming. I don't expect to ever upgrade the system, why I'm going for the cheapest Haswell chipset, B85, which however supports the selected parts (at least I think so). Unlikely upgrades are limited to more RAM and new GFX.
Parts selected so far:
Antec New Solution NSK3480-EC (a bit noisy PSU included however recommended by SPCR)
ASUS B85M-G (Alternative: Gigabyte GA-B85M-HD3 Rev.1.0, lacking 16GB RAM support but has selected RAM on QVL)
Crucial Ballistix Tactical 2 x 4 GB 8-8-8-24
SanDisk Ultra Plus 128 GB (For operation system and programs. I have lots other HDDs for data, of which I'll install one)
Problems:
1. Core i5 I5-4570 (84W) or 4570S (65W). S for lower power, I'm guessing that the CPU is not bottleneck anyway, and lower power will lead to lower fan speeds. Maybe I don't even need to upgrade from the included heatsink+fan in the Intel Boxed set.
2. No experience with the noise level of included CPU fan. Need to upgrade, and if yes, to what "size"?
3. Which GFX to get. Either Radeon HD 7750 (55W) or 7770 (80W) and which actual board to get. 7770 is clearly faster but with significantly higher power. The price difference is small, so if it's possible to cool 7770 with low enough noise, it would be the choice.
Questions:
0. Am I on the right track here, will this set-up ever be (very) low noise?
2. CPU: Is it worth is going for the S model for the lower power consumption at the expense of performance? Price seems to be the same.
3. Assuming a CPU choice, do I need an other heatsink+fan than the included in the Intel Boxed-set. I have no experience with the noise level of the noise level of the included fan. If I need a new cooling system, any comments on the "size"?
4. GFX: In short, which technology to go for. Can the 7770 be low noise, or should I go for 7750? 7750 can even go fanless it seems, but not sure whether the case has enough airflow to justify this.
Of cause all noise levels are relative, and I'm aware that my case isn't as quite as it could be. But it's damn cheap! And recommended by SPCR, so it can't be all bad. I'm sort of aiming at a system where the general noise level is not higher that what the case (PSU) justifies.
I'm looking forward to any answers. All comments are welcome, that includes "Go back and do your fucking homework before you post, newbie!"
FYI: I'm from Denmark.
I'm new here, and looking for advice on building my first low noise budget gamer PC.
The goal is to enjoy a very low noise idle/low load system, while being able to play Starcraft2. Possible Total War: Rome2 in the future. I don't care about the noise level while gaming. I don't expect to ever upgrade the system, why I'm going for the cheapest Haswell chipset, B85, which however supports the selected parts (at least I think so). Unlikely upgrades are limited to more RAM and new GFX.
Parts selected so far:
Antec New Solution NSK3480-EC (a bit noisy PSU included however recommended by SPCR)
ASUS B85M-G (Alternative: Gigabyte GA-B85M-HD3 Rev.1.0, lacking 16GB RAM support but has selected RAM on QVL)
Crucial Ballistix Tactical 2 x 4 GB 8-8-8-24
SanDisk Ultra Plus 128 GB (For operation system and programs. I have lots other HDDs for data, of which I'll install one)
Problems:
1. Core i5 I5-4570 (84W) or 4570S (65W). S for lower power, I'm guessing that the CPU is not bottleneck anyway, and lower power will lead to lower fan speeds. Maybe I don't even need to upgrade from the included heatsink+fan in the Intel Boxed set.
2. No experience with the noise level of included CPU fan. Need to upgrade, and if yes, to what "size"?
3. Which GFX to get. Either Radeon HD 7750 (55W) or 7770 (80W) and which actual board to get. 7770 is clearly faster but with significantly higher power. The price difference is small, so if it's possible to cool 7770 with low enough noise, it would be the choice.
Questions:
0. Am I on the right track here, will this set-up ever be (very) low noise?
2. CPU: Is it worth is going for the S model for the lower power consumption at the expense of performance? Price seems to be the same.
3. Assuming a CPU choice, do I need an other heatsink+fan than the included in the Intel Boxed-set. I have no experience with the noise level of the noise level of the included fan. If I need a new cooling system, any comments on the "size"?
4. GFX: In short, which technology to go for. Can the 7770 be low noise, or should I go for 7750? 7750 can even go fanless it seems, but not sure whether the case has enough airflow to justify this.
Of cause all noise levels are relative, and I'm aware that my case isn't as quite as it could be. But it's damn cheap! And recommended by SPCR, so it can't be all bad. I'm sort of aiming at a system where the general noise level is not higher that what the case (PSU) justifies.
I'm looking forward to any answers. All comments are welcome, that includes "Go back and do your fucking homework before you post, newbie!"
FYI: I'm from Denmark.