Looking for advice on a new mid-range build
Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 11:28 pm
Elder Scrolls Online is coming soon, so that looks like a good excuse to replace my current ~4 year old PC.
I'm looking to build something mid-range with gaming potential but very quiet. To give you the general idea, my current PC cost about $1600 new, of which probably $300 was attributable to silencing. I'm currently in Australia. Aesthetically, I like the idea of a single fan system, but I'm not insistent on this.
Generally I use my computer for not terribly demanding gaming, but it gets a bit of a work-out whenever a new Elder Scrolls game comes out.
I've not been following the PC components world closely, but I've had a quick look at silentpc.co.nz to get an idea of what is current.
The CPU, GPU and case are primarily what I'd like advice on, I think I can do a decent job on the rest once those are decided.
CPU: Preferably under 60W, probably $300-$400, I'll pay extra for lower power consumption.
Possibly something like the i7 4770T (http://quietpc.co.nz/haswell-i7). I have no great prejudice on AMD vs Intel - whatever currently gives the best processing power per Watt.
GPU: I generally go for the best GPU available which is both passively cooled and requires no auxiliary power cable. I've broken one or other of those rules in the past and regretted it, but I'll consider breaking them again if there is good reason. The best option I've found in a quick search is Asus HD7750-DCSL-1GD5 (http://www.asus.com/Graphics_Cards/HD7750DCSL1GD5/)
PSU: Modular, high efficiency, not overpowered, possibly fanless. The Seasonic X-400 looks excellent, and came along a bit too late for my last build but is currently the favourite for my next build. (80+ gold, modular, fanless: it hits all my feature desires.) I'll listen to counter-proposals.
Case: Current I have an Antec Solo, but surely I can get away with something smaller. It will need to accommodate the selected GPU (which will probably be double width) and a decent CPU heat sink, but beyond that, the smaller the better. Ideally will work well with a single large fan (120mm or bigger.)
CPU cooler: depends on the space available in the case. The Nofan CR-95C looks tempting (http://quietpc.co.nz/nof-icepipe) if I end up going single-fan.
Motherboard: I'm not a motherboard snob. I'll take whatever is decent quality, fanless, small enough for the case, and supports the CPU and GPU. I can probably figure this out myself once I know what CPU to get.
Optical drive: Is there any reason to get something other than a standard ~$40 drive?
Fans and hard drives I can sort out myself.
I'm looking to build something mid-range with gaming potential but very quiet. To give you the general idea, my current PC cost about $1600 new, of which probably $300 was attributable to silencing. I'm currently in Australia. Aesthetically, I like the idea of a single fan system, but I'm not insistent on this.
Generally I use my computer for not terribly demanding gaming, but it gets a bit of a work-out whenever a new Elder Scrolls game comes out.
I've not been following the PC components world closely, but I've had a quick look at silentpc.co.nz to get an idea of what is current.
The CPU, GPU and case are primarily what I'd like advice on, I think I can do a decent job on the rest once those are decided.
CPU: Preferably under 60W, probably $300-$400, I'll pay extra for lower power consumption.
Possibly something like the i7 4770T (http://quietpc.co.nz/haswell-i7). I have no great prejudice on AMD vs Intel - whatever currently gives the best processing power per Watt.
GPU: I generally go for the best GPU available which is both passively cooled and requires no auxiliary power cable. I've broken one or other of those rules in the past and regretted it, but I'll consider breaking them again if there is good reason. The best option I've found in a quick search is Asus HD7750-DCSL-1GD5 (http://www.asus.com/Graphics_Cards/HD7750DCSL1GD5/)
PSU: Modular, high efficiency, not overpowered, possibly fanless. The Seasonic X-400 looks excellent, and came along a bit too late for my last build but is currently the favourite for my next build. (80+ gold, modular, fanless: it hits all my feature desires.) I'll listen to counter-proposals.
Case: Current I have an Antec Solo, but surely I can get away with something smaller. It will need to accommodate the selected GPU (which will probably be double width) and a decent CPU heat sink, but beyond that, the smaller the better. Ideally will work well with a single large fan (120mm or bigger.)
CPU cooler: depends on the space available in the case. The Nofan CR-95C looks tempting (http://quietpc.co.nz/nof-icepipe) if I end up going single-fan.
Motherboard: I'm not a motherboard snob. I'll take whatever is decent quality, fanless, small enough for the case, and supports the CPU and GPU. I can probably figure this out myself once I know what CPU to get.
Optical drive: Is there any reason to get something other than a standard ~$40 drive?
Fans and hard drives I can sort out myself.