Hello to everyone
I have a dream of building a silent pc
The main components i've chosen so far
MB - ASUS P8P67 (or LE version, idk, if it has worse cooling etc)
CPU - I5-2500K tray
2 x DDR3 4096Mb Hynix
OCZ VERTEX 2 60 Gb for OS
GTX 560 Ti

But first of all I need to choose a case, and from what I've learned reading on internet there is no perfect one.
Right now I choose between Antec P183 / Antec Sonata III 500 V2 / CoolerMaster Sileo 500
I also like them because of their design, I don't want something like Antec Nine Hundred
What I want from case - is the best silencing & cooling, I agree to spend some more money and buy a best case (make some improvements if needed) because it will never get old and I will have it for much longer time then CPU/GPU

Then I need PSU, I think 500W is enough for my system and for next upgrade in a 2-3 years (I'm not going to use 2 GPUs)
So what should I get, Enermax Pro(Modu?) 82(87?)+ 525W (is that enough?). Or perhapse Seasonic x-650, but maybe it is overkill by power and it's more expensive.
I'm worried not only about the noise from PSU fan, but also about high frequency electrical noise from PSU itself, which is much worse, so I want to avoid that with my.

Also, I need an advice on cooling for I5-2500K, is it possible to go with only passive or do I need to use fan? As always, it must be as silent as possible then.

Then there goes GPU. 3 options: Gainward GTX560 Ti Phantom, MSI GTX560 Ti TwinFrozr III or Point of View GTX560 Ti Beast Edition. Or I should go with something equvalent from AMD?

And the last - is HDD, 1TB or more, perhaps WD Caviar Green?

Thanks in advance for your time and help. (Sorry for my English )

G'day harpocratos! As you can see from my post count, I'm pretty new to this silent stuff myself - but it's surprisingly got me hooked and I am much more intolerant of the sound levels emitting from my PC since reading through these forums the last few days. I guess what I'm trying to say though, is take what I say with a grain of salt 'cause I'm certainly no expert. I can't help you with case choice I'm sorry.



I've plugged some basic specs into here based on your build and a few extra HDDs etc. It comes out at a recommended 428 watts required. Based on that I would reccommend this Seasonic. It is fanless and has received some pretty good reviews in here. They also have a 400W version.



Historically I've found stock cooling ok but now I've got the silent bug it's too noisy for me. I guess how much you spend on a CPU cooler is proportional to how quiet it will be. For my 2 current PCs I intend on getting a no frills aftermarket cooler (approx $50). Even at this entry level they will be far more efficient at cooling the CPU than the stock. A larger heatsink and fan goes a long way to cooler quieter machines and you don't have to spend a fortune to achieve this. As I said, how far you go quiet-wise will probably depend on your budget.


I can't help you with this either sorry.


You will definitely want at least 1 other HDD. I have used quite a few different Cavier Green drives and I'm very happy with them. I can't comment on their noise too much because my CPU fans drown them out They've been reliable drives for me anyway .

Thanks for your post!
1. About the PSU, I'm thinking that fanless is not too good, because it should draw some hot air not only from itself, but from case too. Or maybe in P183 it would not be necessary? And if my system requires 430W, i don't know if PSU 460W will fit, because it will be operating at it's peak. The problem is, i have not decided what case should i buy and if fanless PSU will be good for the chosen case.
2. For CPU cooling i've looked this table http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.c ... 498&page=3 and the first from the top which i have in the market in my area is Zalman CNPS10X Performa, it cost slightly cheaper, then Flex version (which don't have fan), and i'm thinking, that maybe without fan, Performa would do well on non-overclocked i5. If not, then i always can add fan. It's too bad, that i can't buy Scythe Orochi SCORC-1000 in Russia, or maybe i should try ebay
3. As for HDD i've already decided to go with WD Caviar Green 2TB WD20EARS, it's the best in all parameters and the quietest. And with 2TB i don't need another HDD.

I would recommed to check Boring but silent, its a very good build, very similar to what you want. The HR02 is a great cooler as long as you have some airflow in your case, i would just chose a different mobo to allow the TY140 to be used with it. The rest of his components are really good, and very quiet setup.

Now starting from scratch.... since you are only using 1 mechanical hdd, go with WD Green Caviar 20EARS, its still the most quiet of the 2tb hdds. For case thinking on an ssd (2.5) and a hdd (3.5), i would recomend to check SPCR SilverStone Temjin TJ08-E: MicroATX Evolved, i just did a build around it (check my sig), its a really nice small case, only comes with 1x 180mm fan, which imo at high extremly noisy, at low still too loud to my liking, i added a fanmate and lowered it to 650rpm and its to me inaudible at 2ft, in my build went for mulitple fans, but i seen some that went just with 180 and worked pretty good, check this post, pics and temps, you probably can get by like him with just the frontal fan. The only change i would do from the pics of the build, is keep the lower hdd cage, you can install in there 1x3.5 hdd and a 2.5 ssd at the same time, that exactly how i have mine atm (pics on my sig).

For PSU, if you go with P183 i would go as the build posted on top, its good match and will allow you to grow into whatever gpus might come. Now for something like the TJ08, i would recommend Seasonic 560W 80 Plus Gold ATX 12V/EPS 12V Power Supply - X-560 SS-560KM $127 or better yet, for $4 more you can go with Seasonic 660W 80 Plus Gold ATX12V/EPS12V Power Supply - X-660 SS-660KM $131.

For GPU, i like what he did on the boring build, the Shaman is a great cooler, specially paired with TY140 (atm my favorite fan), i have no experience with either of the GPU you selected, so i cant say which is a better pick.

CPU cooling, i personally own 2x HR02s, i think its a great cooler, not as good as the big beasts like Thermalright Silver Arrow, Noctua NH-D14 or Prolimatech Genesis, but its widder fin spacing makes it ideal for a low airflow envoirment, with either case i would go with it. The new cheaper version is about to come out, Thermalright HR-02 Macho $42.99, at that price, its going to be hard to beat, specially since it comes with a great PWM fan already. The tricky part is chosing the right mobo for it, as there are some that its not compatible, check first the compatibility list. The Scythe Mugen 3 would be second on my list, also comes with a good PWM fan included that can be brought down to 300rpm via bios/software.

SSD, if you haven't bought the OCZ, i would recommend to go with something Sata III, the Curcial M4 seems to be one of the best atm, specially this week got a new firmware update that increase its performance, the sequentials are already closing to 500mg/s, atm i think its the drive to buy.

Good luck,

what's wrong with OCZ VERTEX 2 (OCZSSD2-2VTXE60G) ? it costs less then Crucial M4 and it's also SATA 3, only OCZ have 275/285 Мб write/read and M4 have 95/415 Мб, it's faster in reading, but not too much and has lower write, so OCZ seems to me more balanced, maybe there is something else i don't about SSD, because i never used them before

Unfortunately, SilverStone Temjin TJ08-E i can't buy in my region
Same thing with Thermalright HR-02

Scythe Mugen 2 Rev. B - is it better (quiter) than Zalman CNPS10X Performa?

OCZ is decietful, they switched their Vertex2 from 34nm nad to 25nm without warning their customers, and had a lot of issues with their transition, the original vertex 2 were ok, some are still running today fine, but i wouldnt gamble on OS drive with OCZ. M4 just got a firmware update to 0009, sequeantials are already going close to 500, here is a pic,



You are right about the M4 having slower writes specially you choice of size, but once you install all you stuff, you probably will be doing more reading than writing, and even then 100mg/s is plently, and their random writes are one of the fastest among ssds a today, so really dont matter much to me.

Now if you are still worried about writes, then go with Samsung 470, it comes with 170mg/s writes for 64gb, and 240 reads, probably one of the most balance small ssds out there, still i would go with Crucial M4 if i were to have a mobo with sata III port. Atm im wanting on Samsung PM830 to hit retail to upgrade from x25m, but i been more than pleased with intel ssd.

ok, you almost convinced me to buy Crucial M4
as i said, i'm new to SSD, and i will feel difference anyway compared to my 7200 Seagate 320
ocz is 25$ cheaper, but if you say they are worse now, maybe i can be serial identify, is it from the old models to know for sure
but i think i will be getting M4, thanks for the advice
and afterall, it's +4 Gb

and how long years can ssd work at 100% functional?

It really depends on the nad among other things, but nad has limited write cycles, but even at 20gb a day (i think thats what intel uses) it should last above 5 years, and i doubt the average user writes that much on the daily basis, so expect above 10 years of life, but all in all, to me ssds will start to behave like CPU/GPUs, in terms of their tech chaning, until now, the biggest reason to upgrade hdds was capacity, speeds bearly changed over the past 10 years, but with ssds its moving much faster, todays ssds already starting to max sata III, thus a new standard will be release in the upcoming years, so will nad develpment, better and faster controllers, so i expect that drives will be upgrades as much as cpus, and gpus are.

An additional point on SSD's: a 60GB drive will NOT have the performance of 120GB, let alone the 240GB drives that are typically reviewed. The speed is proportional to the number of read/write channels.

Abula, still i have not decided which case should i buy
i like Antec P150, more specifically Sonata Designer but i can't buy it in my country
i like miniITX but i don't know if my components will fit in it and probably it will have worse airflow -> higher T -> more noise

Can you give me a list of cases that have nice noise reducing materials (like P183 (3 layers) or Sonata (2 layers)) and well organized airflow. Because noisy stock fans i always can replace with the silent ones, but case should be noise canceling and good cooling from manufacturer. Is it necessary to have PSU at the bottom of case (i think if it's on the bottom, than it can be fanless but if it at the top, then it better have fan as it will be much hotter because of hot air from cpu and gpu and as i've read PSU fan also take part in removing hot air from inside the case)

CA_Steve, yeah, i know that, but M4 64 is equal to 128 in write speed and 2 times slower in write, which is not a problem, because i will try to write to ssd as little as possible and it's write speed still better than my current hdd

is it true, that if using SSD for OS, then you should make 1 partition for example 30 Gb for C: and leave all the rest allocated? (to speed up performance)

Since you have limited access to what is available, and im guessing you have access to the P183, i would go that route, its a very well regarded case here. I did a build for a friend on it, i liked the case a lot, just not a big fan of grey interiors, but that's more cosmetic, personally i like a lot the Boring but silent build, i think the components you are planning are similar.

Are P183 fans that bad?
Is Antec THREE HUNDRED GAMER has worse silencing panels?
What can you say about CoolerMaster Sileo 500?
I also can buy Sonata Proto, Elite, III 500 V2, are their panels' covering layers are good at noise reduction?
I've read, that Sonata's side air vent is a bad move from antec's designers?

P183 is 200$, Antec THREE HUNDRED GAMER, CoolerMaster Sileo 500, Sonata Proto are 100$, Sonata Elite is 125$, III 500 V2 is 150$

So should i go with p183 or i can have same level of noise reduction and good cooling with sonata proto? i'm not limited in money, but i just want to get the best case for it (quiet and good ventilation)

ps. if i got it right, Proto / III 500 don't have air vent on his side, but Elite has one
so is it good or bad?

pps. Sonata Proto / III 500 does not have a plastic layer to absorb noise (but III 500 comes with a PSU Antec EarthWatts 500 W, is it quiet, is it enough for my build)?

Same question for CM Sileo 500 with PSU is it quiet and powerful enough

Silencio 500?

ppps. i've read about acoustic foam in the Sileo 500, and it really works, but i think it increases overall T inside the case, or is it only 1-2 C?

need some advice on the case

Case:
You haven't mentionned the NZXT H2 or the Fractal Design Define R3. Both are great mainstream cases geared somewhat to silent users. Antec has sadly not been innovative for a while.
I might suspect that the P183 lack room for cables behind the motherboard tray.

I've reviewed the NZXT H2, and briefly compared it the Define R3:

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=62822

CPU-cooler:
I would definitely advice you not to go passive. I assume that you will overclock your CPU, so passive cooling will become even harder to achieve. Besides, even the smallest amount of airflow can have a tremendous impact on thermal performance.I don't even believe that you can run an overclocked cpu without having other fans
running at a higher rpm.
Personally, I'd recommenend the Mugen 2. It's cheap compared to other high-end CPU coolers, and it is very easy to control the fan with ASUS AI Suite (read my review of the NZXT H2.)

SSD:
The OCZ Vertex probably has a mature & stable firmware now. But you should consider one other thing, though:
the 25 nm version only have 51 GB of actual storage capacity:

http://www.storagereview.com/ocz_vertex ... d22vtxe60g

whereas the Crucial M4 GB has ~59 GB (64 GB minus 7 %). That's a total difference of 8 GB and together with OCZ's unfontunate failure records, I would go for the M4.
The performance of SSD's have for long exceeded what average users & enthusiasts need, so the primary concern is reliability. And companies should be rewarded if they produce reliable products. Crucial have even managed to make an original firmware that does not need to be updated, unlike other SSD's. The firmware updates only brought fixes to much isolated issues and to boost performance (the most recent update). This is not my personal judgement, but Crucial's own statement on their website where you can download the firmware update.

Harpocratos, which case do you like the most? I'm sure you'll get help to make it quiet.

unfortunately, i can't buy them in my country
i've already bought ssd - Crucial M4 64Gb, and HDD WD20EARS, they are great


from the list of cases, available for me to purchase, i like P183 and Sileo 500, but i probably go with antec

You wouldn't need to get fans right away, you could always upgrade. You could try out the stock fans, they may be okay.

from the list of cases, available for me to purchase, i like P183 and Sileo 500, but i probably go with antec[/quote]

Definitely the Antec. I've described what a pain it is to install a system in the Sileo 500 in my review of the NZXT H2. The built quality is poor and the design is archaic in the computerworld. The PSU is top-mounted and there's no room behind the motherboard for PSU cables. No one should suffer a case with no room behind the motherboard in this decade.

Definitely go with the Antec. As I remember, it has some room behind the mo-bo tray. And even if it doesn't, then cables can be hidden in the lower chamber, unlike the Sileo 500.

okay, here we go again
i've noticed the review of Cooler Master Silencio 550
So is it better than P183 (noise damping, cooling) or no
the price difference is not too big

thr only one thing that i don't like in P183 is the power\reset buttons hidden behind the door

My advice is to buy the P183 V3. It is a very solid case, with nothing rattling, no imperfections, nicely finished. Most importantly, it really is very, very quiet, because of its architecture and materials.

Having said that, if you want to have more than 4 hard drives, then I would advise against it, as it gets crowded easily. Otherwise, in my opinion, it is the best case in terms of acoustics on the market. Replace the fans, and you'll have a quiet system.

Right i whould never use any other case then the fractal r3 its superior http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/case ... 3_review/1

both in silence and airflow.On that site is alot of rewiews check it out it will help you pickout your stuff you want and need

goodluck

with what fans should i replace stock ones in the P183?

stefan73, i like R3, but i can order it only from another country and i don't know is it really worth this extra trouble comparing to P183 delivered right to my door in 1 day
can you tell me is it worth it?

Definitely go with P183 V3. Unlike the initial P183 and my own P180 it has support for SSD, it has cable management features, and it has a little better airflow.
Define R3 does not match the build quality of P183 and this is the most important element. Forget about the other small details because they can be solved.

Recently I have built an almost silent performance PC using the following parts:

CPU - I7 2600K
Cooler - Noctua NH D14 using included ULN adapters
MB - Asrock Z68 xtreme4 using included USB bracket for 1 SSD (I installed it replacing the floppy as it was not used)
RAM - 2x4gb G.skill 2133Mhz C9 without the included fan
HDD - WD500AAKS 500GB SATA2 7200RPM
SSD - Intel V25 40GB for OS and OCZ Vertex 2 120GB for games
Opti - LG DVD Writer
GPU- MSI GTX580 - replaced stock cooling with Arctic Cooling Accelero Extreme Plus
Audio - X-Fi xtrememusic
PSU - Corsair AX1200

The case is Antec P180. I got rid of the stock fans (3). I replaced them with Scythe silent fans (fixed 900rpm) but i recommend you also Nexus Basic or better the Enermax TB Silence fixed 600rpm which are inaudible even outside the case. I got rid of the upper drive cage. After I replaced the stock cooling of my GPU (the most important gain in quietness by miles) it became too long. Also is important that I moved the Scythe fan from the front of the cage/case about 15 cm inside fixing it with 2 straps of foam from the motherboard packaging. Now the system is inaudible at day time and at night I can barely hear it at about 1m.

But you can do even better at a +5C cost on your CPU. Cover the top vent with foam (inside the case of course for better aesthetics). Thus you will remain only with 2 fans (1 in the back and 1 inside the case in front of the GPU). The Noctua Fans should have enough power to draw cold air directly from the upper front. You can even replace them with NEXUS Basic as suggested also in a SPCR review (quieter and more powerful). Noctua NH-D14 is also the only cooler that can support without problems (even mild overclock) a power hungry CPU. You can try it fan less but i suggest in this case to keep the top fan. You can play with both choices.

There are also other coolers that are extremely good with low RPM fans: Prolimatech Mega or Super Mega or Thermalright Silver Arrow. If you keep the top vent also you can try Gelid Tranquillo which I believe almost dead silent (not to mention it is inside the case).

I hope that my experience will help you. Have fun customizing you build.

Antec CP-850 is Antec High Current Pro 850W (HCP-850EC) ? or they are different models
and should i buy it for P183 or Corsair AX850 or 750
they are identical to noise level and price, but corsair 850 comes with Gold 80+, while antec is simple 80+
but i don't know, how good will Corsair perform in P183? is it need to be installed fan top or bottom? will it perform good (i mean cooling)
and i'm not sure about length of cables in corsair

About Antec's PSU i can not comment.

But if you read my previous post you will see that I use a Corsair AX1200 ....same as AX850. It fits nicely with the fan blowing down (normal position). The cables are long enough. The CPU 8pin cable can go behind the motherboard tray to be plugged where you need it. My motherboard has the 8pin right on the upper edge.

But looking at your config I believe a much smaller PSU is more than enough. Please look also for a fan less PSU if you can: Seasonic X-460FL - 460watts. If not Seasonix X 650 is very good. If you still want more both Antec CP-850 and Corsair AX850. I would give an edge to Corsair (fan less at low loads).

based on this comparison http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1203-page4.html Seasonix X 650 is more noise at 400+ load
and i'd like to have more room to upgrade \OC or dual video cards
so i probably go with Corsair AX850. Or AX750
Will it be compatible with SLI mode?

Let me share my experience with quiet PSUs with you. I've tried several. It is basically true what the reviewers say. If it is 80+ efficient, AND if has ample headroom (say 850 W), it will perform quietly. Also, make sure you look at the fan speed curve, if available. Antec publishes curves for, at least some, power supplies. You need to be realistic about your power needs. If you're going to use SLI, you need to go with a high wattage, and 80+ (or higher) PSU. Seasonic is every good. My experience with Seasonic AX- & Antec's CP-series has been fantastic.

Those Corsairs will be compatible with SLI. But I personally prefer not to go SLI for the reason of micro-stuttering and min frame rates: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/rad ... 95-15.html

"Again, given comparable pricing, we'll take the single-GPU card any day. And even then, not having to worry about micro-stuttering would compel us to pay a little more."

with what fans should i replace the stock ones from Antec P183?
SСYTHE Slip Stream ?
how many would i need? 2 or 3
i'm thinking of closing top air vent, but maybe i will install one fan inside the case for hdds

Yes, to Scythe, either Slip Stream or the PWM version. Both are awesome. I think three fans (two intake, one exhaust) will be adequate. Yes, you can close the top vent, though you don't have to. Putting a fan on the top HDD cage will add a bit of airflow for your video card, if it needs it.