Silent config for Coffee Lake 8400 no OC

[Bokka]

Hello everyone!

In the next days I should assemble a PC with this configuration:

- Case: Fractal Design R5 Black Window
- Motherboard Asrock Z370 extreme4
- CPU: Intel I5 8400
- Ram: 2x8gb 3000Mhz Corsair
- Power supply: Corsair RM650x
- CPU Cooler: Arctic Freezer 33
- SSD: Intel 600p 500Gb M.2.
- Monitor: Dell SE2717H
- Video card: integrated one (for now)

Before seeing answers with obvious objections, I would like to point out that:

1) I know that the Z370 chipset if not overclocking is wasted. I'm not going to overclock, but currently the H370 motherboards are not seen and I have to order the components next week.

2) I know that the power supply is oversized and not a little, but as you may have noticed the video card is missing. With the prices that are there now I can not afford it, then as soon as things are settled I will proceed to purchase. It will certainly be a Radeon, to take advantage of the FreeSync feature of the monitor. So the "oversized" power supply maybe I find it good in a second moment, even if almost certainly a 550W will be enough and will move anyway.


Since I've never tried it as a brand, can I opt for an Asrock, or remain on the "classic" Asus (which in the case will be a Z370 prime-a)?

As for the Arctic heatsink, on the site they say it is also compatible for Coffee Lake CPUs, since they have the same socket as the previous generation, but I have not found a compatibility table with the various motherboards. On the website PcPartPicker tells me that there are no known incompatibilities, but for security I wrote an email to those of Arctic to have a confirmation, hoping that they answer me.

As a second hard drive, I will probably add a 1Tb SSD sooner or later when prices fall, but for now video card and second HDD are postponed to a date to be allocated.


I forgot: the main thing I look at is practically only one: it must be as silent as possible. So quiet that if there are not the various LEDs on I do not have to realize that it is on

Any suggestions?

I have choosed the RM650X because the fan if is not loaded are off, and the cpu cooler too = 0db system when I'm in windows.

Thanks in advance!

[Riok]

I forgot: the main thing I look at is practically only one: it must be as silent as possible. So quiet that if there are not the various LEDs on I do not have to realize that it is on

Hello,

- Case: I have an R5, it's top. The two included fans are really good. With the software of the ASUS motherboard:
in silent mode: they turn OFF at idle
in standard mode: very low 400/450 RPM at idle

- Power supply: Corsair RM650x. Too much I guess since power usage is really getting low. Look at what kind of GPU you aim for

- CPU Cooler: Arctic Freezer 33. No no. Get a scythe, that's way more cool.

- Video card: No gaming ? no card ? For 1080p gaming you could try to get a used gtx 970 or a 1050...

[lodestar]

I get where you're coming from with the Arctic Freezer 33, it would allow you to have a complete semi-passive PC provided the case fans can be controlled. As Riok has said, the Asus Fan Xpert software allows you to turn off the case fans completely under idle/low system stress conditions but you would need to get the Asus equivalent of the Asrock motherboard to do this. In terms of cases, I think the R5 is overkill for your proposed system. You could consider the Silverstone KL07 Kublai which essentially is a far more compact R5 with an equal or better sound quietening and cooling performance.

[Bokka]

Thanks for the replyes!

What exactly model of scythe should I buy? When the system is in idle state it will be inaudible?

Asrock have it's own software for the fan management, I don't know if it's good like the asus Fan Expert.

For the video card, case and power supply I have wrote in the future I will upgrade it, I don't know for now wich video card I will buy, but surely will be a Radeon and will be a mid range card, like an actual rx570 or 580, but it will depends of the price. That permise me to use the freesync technology of the monitor.

[lodestar]

What exactly model of scythe should I buy? When the system is in idle state it will be inaudible?

If you want to go Scythe I would suggest the Mugen 5 Rev.B which is fitted with a 300 to 1200 rpm fluid bearing fan. If it idles at its claimed 300 rpm it should effectively be inaudible. In the US it should cost around $50. By spending just a bit more you could consider the Noctua alternatives such as the NH-U14S at about $65. Again, with the right motherboard settings, the CPU fan on the Noctua would be effectively silent under idle or low system stress conditions.

[Riok]

Thanks for the replyes!
What exactly model of scythe should I buy? When the system is in idle state it will be inaudible?

Yes, if you get the stuff recommended on SPCR you can achieve that.

- Motherboard
For asrock fan control I would search Abula's posts here in the forum. He made some good contributions. My first asrock board (H97 Pro 4) wouldn't allow the 3 pins fan of my R5 to stop at idle, neither would the software. I was very disapointed with that so I swaped for an asus (Z97-A). I was happy to check the fanless mode but today I won't give it so much importance.
At the time of writing, my R5 is open 30 cms away from me and I had to lean inside to check if the fans were running or not... and yes they were running. That's how quiet thoose things are nowadays. Fans are running at their lowest speed, 400rpm. So to have fan stopped or running so low doesn"t make a real difference for me.

- Case
I was surprised with the R5 as it is really big. Today I won't hesitate to get a smaller tower like the Kublai which sells for the same price as my R5 over there. It looks great. One remark is that is has a large PSU cage and no fan blowing on the PSU so I would hesitate to put the corsair PSU inside ? Iodestar you think it's ok ?

- CPU Cooler
I was just joking with Scythe because it is often recommended here I don't know what iodestar is talking about when he mentions achieving a semi passive system with the Arctic Freezer 33 but that sounds cool.

- Power supply
I had a look at your config on this power supply calculator and your load wattage should be around 358W, which you will probably never reach in real life scenarios.

[lodestar]

...Today I won't hesitate to get a smaller tower like the Kublai which sells for the same price as my R5 over there. It looks great. One remark is that is has a large PSU cage and no fan blowing on the PSU so I would hesitate to put the corsair PSU inside ? Iodestar you think it's ok ?

The PSU shroud on the Kublai has a removable plate that allows an additional bottom front fan to be fitted. As this additional fan would blow air under the shroud directly at the PSU it should definitely cool it.

I don't know what iodestar is talking about when he mentions achieving a semi passive system with the Arctic Freezer 33 but that sounds cool.

The fans on the Arctic Freezer 33/33 Plus only turn on at 40% PWM cycle. So most motherboard BIOS controls and/or fan control software would allow the fans to be set to stay off except under high-system stress conditions. The RM650X fans would broadly remain off under the same set of conditions. So you would get a PC that except under load would have no fans running, and no fan noise. Its an alternative to running CPU fans at as low an idle speed as possible.

[Bokka]

I would like to ask you something else: in principle, even if I know that on an I5 8400 not overclocked there will not be much difference, among these 2 CPU cooler, what is the best as dissipation and noise?

- Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B
- Be Quiet! Pure Rock (the normal version, NOT slim)

In both idle (when I am in windows) and in load state (when I'm gaming for example)?