Hello everyone!

I´m about to buy a new computer, but I need advice on how to build a quiet computer.
Here is a list of the parts i´m considering.

Case: Corsair Obsidian 550D
Psu: Corsair AX650
Mainboard: Msi Z77A-G45
Cpu: Intel 3770(non -K)
Cpu Cooler: ???
Ram: KVR 1333
Graphics: HD7850

Storage:
SSD: Crucial m4 128GB
HDD: Hitachi 5k3000 2Tb or WD Green
DVD: Optiarc AD-7280S

----------------------------

I have chosen the msi mainboard because it has the layout that I want at a nice low price.
Looking in the manual, it seems the board has one 4pin pwm connector(cpu) two 4pin non pwm and two 3pin connectors.
Can quiet computing be done with this board?

I have read about "asus fanxpert" on the forums, but can I build a quiet computer without it?
I much prefer this msi board to what asus has to offer.

The Cpu I have chosen is a Intel 3770 non k model with vt-d, which I am planning to run at stock speed (no overclocking).
When it comes to cpu cooling I really don´t know.
I want it to be as quiet as possible of course


For graphics I´m looking at the HD7850, but which one?
I have been looking through the forums and Msi seems to be a popular brand here as well.
They currently have three different versions to choose from though.
Twin frozr3, twinfrozr4 power edition and new card with 90mm fan (not yet available anywhere around here),
Does anyone have experience with these cards?


opinions appreciated
Regards
/Andreas

It looks like a good, strong setup. The GPU will put out a bit of heat, so I would take out the top HDD bay to let the fan there blow cool air over the GPU. I would remove the lower fan, that SSD+HDD will run cool enough I think. Perhaps look for replacement fans that are around 800RPM to get a good balance of airflow and noise. SPCR has lots of great reviews, but you have to dig a little through them. I like Scythe, but I can get them easily and inexpensively at Newegg, if you shop elsewhere you may have more selection. I have recently had some good experiences with Enermax 80mm fans, but no idea about their 120mm fans.

For the CPU cooler, get something within your budget that isn't a stock cooler. SPCR has some excellent reviews on this, just check the latest cooler review and they have all the previous ones compared along side it. This is the latest (as of 7/24/12) 120mm CPU cooler review.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1280-page6.html

I prefer PWM CPU fans, its a little easier to deal with, but more expensive. And typically quieter when you aren't using the computer for much.

I've never used a mobo fan control to do anything other than PWM fans. I do have an AMD MSI board, and they have some nice utilities, but I've never really played with them too much. For the GPU, I don't see a difference at all between the Twin3 and the Twin4. The 90mm fan one has a higher clock speed, which means more heat output. I would think that one fan will be quieter than two, so long as the card stays cooler to keep the fan spun down. But I cant find that card anywhere, either its brand new or my google-fu is weak. Hope this all helps!

Without FanXpert (2) you could use the fan controller provided by the MSI mainboard (though I don't konw how good it is), you could use a physical fan controller, or you could buy 12-to-5 V or 12-to-7 V resistors. The latter option is very cheap, and a good choice if you want to run your fans at a constant speed. I run several Scythe Slipstream 800 rpm with 12-to-5 V and I have no problems with thermals or acoustics.

CPU cooler: Since you're not going to overclock, I believe the Scythe Mugen 3 would be a good and reasonably priced choice. Though the Thermalright HR-02 Macho is also a very good cooler, the stock fan isn't quite good enough which means that you'll need to invest in a fan = paying more money. The Mugen 3 should be able to cool the CPU quietly even at high loads. SPCR provides many thorough reviews of CPU coolers. Other good brands include Noctua and Thermalright. Prolimatech also makes a few coolers.

Otherwise, you've chosen very good components .

Thank you both for taking your time to reply,
much appreciated!

So a huge tower cooler is the way to go then.
I will certainly have a closer look at the Mugen 3 and the HR-02 Macho.


Thanks
/Andreas

SPCR has a review of the Mugen 2 (yes, 2). It should be comparable to the Mugen 3. The fan seems to be the same, with the same minimum speed (300 rpm).

And yes, tower coolers are the best for a CPU like yours. That, or really big blow down coolers. Blow down coolers provide airflow for motherboard components but tower coolers excel in cooling the CPU.

I've been tracking HD 7850 reviews that have noise level and temp data here. Some sites are better than others with noise floor, but at least it provides some comparisons.

I like the MSI PE Twin Frozr IV. It has pretty low temps at load, so there is room to lower the fan rpm profile when gaming. Haven't seen a review for the single fanned version.

Your power at full stress load will be in the ~ 200 to 225W DC range. So, you could move down to a lower power PSU and have better efficiency at idle/low load.

RAM: There's not much differences in real life performance between RAM speeds and Ivy Bridge, but DDR3 1600 seems to be the sweet spot. This Samsung RAM seems nice: low profile, low power, fast.

Nice case. Should do you well with what you have planed.

I suggest once you have the system up and running and made sure it is stable and all then you can look into tweaking your cooling setup and maybe adding bigger/better fans while monitoring how hot stuff gets. Use the motherboard software to monitor CPU+board temperatures, the graphics driver tool to monitor how hot the GPU gets and how hard the fan works and finally use a SMART tool to monitor how hot your storage runs.

The ASUS tool is nice but not necessary. I think MSI has something similar if you need it or you can go with a after market fan controller hardware gizmo like one of these http://www.xoxide.com/5fanco1.html (Just examples I haven't tried them).


No experience with a HD7850 per se, but this generation of AMD cards seem pretty good at keeping fan speeds down and also only using GPU power when it's called for. Any HD7850 should be fine but you may wanna check out the Sapphire ones as they often do something extra to keep noise down.