Silent $700 Gaming Rig (inaudible at load!)

[st8ic]

Case: Cooler Master Silencio 550
CPU cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212+ (stock fan, 600rpm, 13dB)
Case fans: 1x Scythe Slipstream exhaust (120mm, 10dB), 2x Cooler Master intake (120mm, 14dB)
PSU: 700W Ultra modular (fans do not run due to low power load, 0dB)
GPU: XFX Radeon 7770 Double D 1GB (80W, ?dB, inaudible according to independent reviews)
CPU: Core i3 2120 3.3gHz (65W)
HDD: Seagate Momentus XT 500GB 2.5" solid state hybrid

CPU temps: 33C idle, 52C load
GPU temps: 39C idle, 65C load

I didn't replace the stock fan on the Hyper 212+ because it is virtually silent at its lowest rpm setting, and the fan never goes higher than that even under full load. I'm not convinced that a "silent" fan could generate the same static pressure at this sound level. The machine is pretty much inaudible unless you really listen for it. There is no perceptible sound difference between idle and full load. Thanks for checking out my first silent build!

[kuzzia]

Nice built! I could be worried that the harddrive might pass a little vibration over to the rest of the case, but it seems that it doesn't have any noticeable impact on the noise level. It's also good to hear that the Cooler master Hyper 212+ can be nearly silent.

What version of the SlipStream are you using?
Was it hard to route cables behind the motherboard? According to the SPCR review it was not perfectly easy since the foam takes up much of the space.

[st8ic]

Thanks! The hard drive is mounted on rubber o-rings to reduce vibration. An SSD would be the obvious choice, but it wasn't in my budget.

The exhaust fan is the SY1225SL12L. The Silencio 550 isn't bad for room behind the motherboard tray. I was able to stuff a lot of extra cables back there. The foam on the back side panel lies flat but it does make it a bit difficult to get the panel back on.