I would like to ask you for help (advice) with choosing comp

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kajovajo
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Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2012 10:41 am
Location: Czech Republic

I would like to ask you for help (advice) with choosing comp

Post by kajovajo » Fri Dec 07, 2012 11:18 am

Dear SPCR Collective,
I would like to ask you for help (advice) with choosing components and with building setup of two silent computers.

Before I decided to post this topic, I tried to do my "homework" as best as I possibly could. I read many articles on SPCR and other places as well but there are too many of them and to be honest sometimes I got overwhelmed with the information, or simply confused.

Background:
Back in 2010 I had to buy some hardware for my diploma thesis and I ended up not using that hardware for some time. Recently I remembered that I have these components, I decided to make use of them:
1)
Motherboard: K9A2 CF
CPU: AMD Phenom X4 9650 64-bit
Graphics card: Gainward GeForce 9600GT

2)
Motherboard: GA-G31M-S2L
CPU: Core2Duo E7300
Graphics card: Gigabyte Radeon x1600

The Goal:
The goal is to build two new computers using these parts, so that
- the computers are silent
- the parts are reusable (except motherboard, cpu, gpu ...). I know these components are a bit old, but for now I think they will do. When I want to upgrade the computer later, let's say in two years, I will have to replace the motherboard, cpu, memory, gpu and maybe heatsink,
but the important parts like PSU, case and fans, etc... will stay the same.


CASE:
After reading the review, I decided for the Fractal Design Define R3 case. But recently a new version, R4, has come out.
And I don't know (even after reading the post in forums and the linked articles) whether the R4 is an improvement over R3 or at least as good as R3 in the field of "silence". I read that the fans shipped with the case on R4 are more noisy than in R3.

Could you please recommend me either one of these cases or some other case provided you think it would suit me better (in a max. +50% price range)?

POWER SUPPLY:
I spent a lot of time trying to make a decision about this component. But I am still not sure which one to buy.

The PSU needs to be strong enough to support future upgrades. If I understand it correctly, the most power hungry component is supposed to be the GPU, that means the PSU needs to be able to handle even the most modern/up to date GPUs or average GPUs in 2-3 years. The idea is that I might just upgrade a GPU for a newer/higher one that is compatible with the current motherboard & etc... but I still would like to have the option to buy a newest GPU along with new hardware in the future. I thought that the PSU, if chosen correctly, could last even 5 or more years without replacement (due to hardware update).
If I understand it correctly, the dillema is: If I buy too low Watt power supply, it might not support a better hardware (GPU).If I buy too high Watt, the PSU will not be efficient and thus more noisy, etc. Therefore I think we should aim for a golden or at least bronze PSUs, is that correct? From the list of recommended PSU's, this is what I can possibly buy:

= Enermax =
Enermax Modu87+ (product number EMG600AWT) http://www.enermax.com/home.php?fn=eng/ ... 1=26&no=71
Enermax Pro87+ (product number EPG600AWT) http://www.enermax.com/home.php?fn=eng/ ... 1=54&no=68
There is very little price difference between these two in the shops where I could get them.

Kingwin is absolutely unavailable.

= Seasonic =
SS-750AM-F3
SS-750HT-F3
SS-850HT-F3
SS-860XP
SS-650KM
SS-650RM

S12II-520

M12II-520
M12II-620
M12II-620W

X-560 (SS-560KM Active PFC F3)
X-660 (SS-660KM Active PFC F3)
X-760 (SS-760KM Active PFC F3)
X-850 (SS-850KM Active PFC F3)

X-650 (SS-650KM3 Active PFC F3)
X-750 (SS-750KM3 Active PFC F3)
X-850 (SS-850KM3 Active PFC F3)

X-750 (SS-750KM Active PFC F3)

= CoolerMaster =
CoolerMaster Silent Pro M2 720W

= beQuiet! =
Be quiet! Dark Power Pro 10 550W
the Whole Dark Power Pro line
BN200 550W model
BN201 650W model
BN202 750W
BN203 850W model

For example, I was really impressed with the review of Dark Power, but it's only 550W.
What if I will buy the newest GeForce in the future, will it be enough? "Well, the product line includes a higher Watt model as well", says a little voice in my head. Well, it does, but it wasn't reviewed by SPCR, maybe it is noisy as hell or maybe there is another reason why it wasn't reviewed... Simply put, even with the Seasonic X line, I am not sure which one to go for. I would like to ask you for help - could you please give me advice about which PSU(s) you think would suit me best for the two computers?

HEATSINKS:
Before I found out about SPCR I thought that i'd go with Gelid Tranquillo Rev.2, because one seller recommended me this product for the AMD processor. Also someone wrote on SPCR forums that in conjunction with this fan "Scythe_SY1225SL12M_Slip_Stream" it is a good heatsink. However, I found out that recently this product was reviewed on SPCR and that it's not that good (i.e. there are better alternatives). So I am looking for two heatsink, one for AMD and one for Intel processors.

I am a bit cofused here as well, because when i searched my usual sellers I sometimes got multiple products for the recommended heatsinks. Because I know that products sometimes change (although advertised as a guaranteed improvement) can make the product much worse I'd like to ask you for your opinion here as well.

= Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme =
only non C revision available.

= Prolima Megahelms =
Only Revision C is available for me.

= Prolima Armageddon =
Available.

= Scythe Mugen 2 =
Only these products available
SCYTHE Mugen 3 PCGH Edition (product code: SCMG-3PCGH)
SCYTHE Mugen 3 Rev. B (product code: SCMG-3100)

By 'Scythe Mugen 2' did you mean any of those? Could you please give me a product code?

= Thermalright HR-01 Plus =
Unavailable. Only 'Thermalright HR-02 Macho revA' available.

= Cogage TRUE Spirit 1366 =
Available.

= Zalman CNPS10X Quiet =
Unavailable.

= Noctua NH-U12P =
Only NOCTUA NH-U12P SE2 available. Is it the same product perhaps?

I am planning on using up all of the four dimm slots on both of the computers. I know that it's hard to guess whether a particular heatsink will collide with some dimm slots, but if you have a suspicion that this heatsink might cause trouble with any of the motherboars, please let me know, so that I can try to write to the manufacturer or my usual seller perhaps.

If it's possible, please recommend me a heatsink that would
- fit both the current and a newer kind of the same type of processor
- would fit the setup in the case that you'd recommend for me
- would not block the dimm slots

If you'd recommend to change the fan that is shipped with that particular heatsink, could you please tell me which one should I use as a replacement?

I really liked the review of Scythe Mugen 2 - particularly the possibility of adding a second fan. Which fan would you recommend with this heatsink?
Would you recommend a different fan when two fans are deployed?
To what RPM would you advice to slow it down (both in single fan, and two fan mode) for the current processors?
Do you think that in general i'd have to go with higher RPMs if I change for a newer CPU? Or you'd recommend a completely different fan(s) for a newer cpu? (if yes, couldn't I use the second fan in the first case scenario with the cpus that i currently have?)

HDD:
Which SSD disk would you recommend to buy?
For normal (3,5") hdd, do you think that this
http://s8498340.shoplite.de/shopdata/go ... ipt?a=3888
might be a good alternative to
this http://www.silentpcreview.com/article39-page1.html
?

FANS:
Question: I read a guide http://www.dansdata.com/fanmaint.htm and they suggest to put a drop of machine oil into the fan.
Do you suggest to do this with a new fan? Or do you think it's not a good idea to do at all ?

SETUP:
Because I've had very little experience with building computers lately and a lot of things changed since I last did, I don't feel confident to make decisions about where to put the PSU, how to orientate it given a certain case and a certain PSU, how to orientate the heatsink, where to put the components for optimal airflow etc... .
Given the other components you (hopefully) will recommend for me, could you please tell me how to acutally set it up inside?
Which fans, how many, would you recommend for the given case? Where should I put them etc..
Could you please draw me a picture of the setup for optimal airflow?

I would like to make myself a bit more clear (because my english is obviously terrible, I have difficulties expressing myself) - this is, vaguely put, the 'kind' of answer I am looking for:
===
For PC1, given the components you wrote, we recommend you this case, this psu, this heatsink and these fans (perhaps provided with an alternative and maybe a short discussion why).
You are going to set it up in the following way: put psu here, with the intake positioned 'so'. Rotate the heatsink this way so that the airflow flows like this.
You should use these two fans for the heatsink, this is how you orientate them (i honestly cannot tell which way the fan blows by looking at it). From the rest of the fans you puy this into this case position that one there etc... . You should slow the fans down so and so (*) for this many RPMs (or voltage).

Then, in the future, if you change for a better gpu, employ other fans, or increase the voltage/rpms... if you change for different hardware, change the positions or the number of fans perhaps...

Analogously for PC2.
===
You know, something like that.

(*)
Which fan bay would you recommned for the cases?
Would you recommend Zalman ZM-MFC1 Multi Fan Controller over the fan controller that comes with the Fractal Design Define R3/4?
I also noticed that Zalman produces some other multi fan controllers as well, like ZM-MFC3 or ZM-MFC1 Combo. I looked at them and i noticed, that both of them offer one additional PWM fan. I don't know, but I thought that this is reserved for the cpu fan - is really a good idea not to let the motherboard regulate the cpu temperature?

Do you think, that given the current graphic cards that I have i'd need to deploy 'Arctic Cooling Accelero S1' / 'GELID Icy Vision'?
Do you have any experience with deploying dust filters with your fans? If yes, which manufacturer do you have experience with? Doesn't the filter increase the noise a fan makes?

Finally I would like to thank the SPCR team and the community for the great work that you guys are doing. I think that the approach you have and the quality of information that you provide is just fantastic.

I would like to thank you in advance for your reply and help.

Best Regards,
Karol

edh
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Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2008 1:49 pm
Location: UK

Re: I would like to ask you for help (advice) with choosing

Post by edh » Fri Dec 07, 2012 2:33 pm

I would say you are overestimating PSU requirement. Future proofing never works, you always seem to end up regretting something. Therefore buy for now. You have two setups so you could go with a split strategy if you wanted. The Seasonic G series is very good and available from 360W upwards with the 460W+ models being modular.

Graphics card cooling with an S1 would be good, both graphics cards would then run passively.

I wouldn't recommend any fan controller. Modern motherboards have good fan control onboard and what is the point in only being able to manually adjust fans? You either want the system cooled sufficiently or not. You can also 5V, 7V, 6V or load fans down with resistor cables to get the right volume level.

MikeC
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Re: I would like to ask you for help (advice) with choosing

Post by MikeC » Sun Dec 09, 2012 9:07 pm

System 1: GeForce 9600 GT pulls ~95W max. Phenom X4 9650 has the same TDP. Add mobo, RAM HDD, etc... maybe 250W max at peak draw. You don;t even need 500W.

System 2: C2D is a 65W part. Radeon x1600 TDP is maybe 45W. Add the usual other components... max power is maybe 160W at peak assuming 1-2 drives.

-- Buy the most efficient highly ranked PSU <500W you can find. Seasonic G or X series, Enermax Modu87+, etc.
-- For CPU, the Mugen 3 is a great value & extremely quiet, perfectly good for either CPU.
-- Forget oiling a fan until & unless it clearly gets noisier.
-- Any half decent case will do, your components are not challenging thermally, so you can run fans super slow/quiet. You will only need one case 120mm fan, blowing out the back.
-- Your video cards might be the noisiest things (if not passive). You will find out, and if necessary, swap the cooler for a good Arctic Cooling or Gelid.
-- Try to use to motherboard's fan controls first, with SpeedFan if necessary. You definitely do not need a fan bay.

Look to the SPCR recommended pages (and reviews) for more component specifics if necssary.

CA_Steve
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Re: I would like to ask you for help (advice) with choosing

Post by CA_Steve » Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:05 am

One comment on the video cards. Repurposing is fine, but those puppies are ancient/power hungry. Before you opt to spent more money making them quieter, consider:
- The X1600 has about the same processing power as the iGP in a current generation CPU. :) An HD 6570 is about as twice as fast, uses less than half the power and is available fanless for $50.
- The 9600GT (95W TDP) is about as fast as the HD 7750/GTX 650. A fanless 7750 (55W TDP) is $100.

kajovajo
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2012 10:41 am
Location: Czech Republic

Re: I would like to ask you for help (advice) with choosing

Post by kajovajo » Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:29 am

First of all I would like to thank you all for reading through my long post and for your quick and, above all, very helpful replies.
- Thanks MikeC for your very helpful reply. I really appreciate it.
- Thanks CA_Steve for pointing out the HD 7750 gpu. I am actually very happy you did. For some reason I didn't want to let the nVidia GT card go waste - although older, it is still unwrapped/new. However when you pointed the HD card out, I looked into it and realized my mistake immediatelly. I might even be lucky and be able to sell the GT card on one of the auction/bazaar sites around.
- Thanks edh for suggesting that I don't try to future-proof everything. In general it really probably doesn't work + time excess spent dealing with trying to do so is probably way
more expensive then actually buying a whole new system later. It helped me to move forward

Secondly, I would like to apologize that I reply back with such a delay. Something unexpected happened, that I had to deal
with immediatelly, and then it took me quite a significant amount of time to read through some additional articles and forum posts on this site (+time spent comparing prices etc etc...).


Since the time of my original post one thing has changed though - I am not going to build two computers, but only one.
In the spirit of the other posts in this section, here is an updated list of components for the build. Note: Items highlighted in bold I already have:
  • case: Fractal Design Define R4
    Motherboard: GA-G31M-S2L
    CPU: Core2Duo E7300
    Heatsink: Scythe Mugen 3 rev. B
    Memory: Kingston HyperX 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 1066; Item code: KHX8500D2K2
    PSU: bequiet! Dark Power Pro 10 550W
    GPU: HD 7750 passively cooled (I can get either Sapphire HD 7750 Ultimate 1GB GDDR5 (code: 11202-03-40G) or ASUS HD7750-DCSL-1GD5 (code: 90-C1CS13-L0UAY0BZ))
    HDD: WD20EZRX
    SSD: Intel 520 Series 120GB
    Opt. Drive: samsung-sh-224bb
I know the PSU is probably an overkill for this system, but I really really want to try this PSU out :) Furthermore, I am planning to replace the motherboard, CPU and GPU in approx. a year. What I'll build now should do ok for one year. Around this time next year, the prices will drop further and I am planning to buy core i5-3750K, a decent Z77 motherboard and either the GTX670 from the SPCR review that is quiet out of the box or an HD alternative - I already checked, and the PSU should be perfectly capable to power it.

Questions:

# 1 #
I have an option to choose between two versions of Scythe Mugen 3 Rev. B:
- a classic version with one pwm fan
- a PCGH version, which is the same heatsink but with two SY1225SL12L (800 rpm) fans

If I chose the first option, I know I'd just have to plug the PWM fan into the CPU_FAN header on the motherboard and that's it.
My question it about the second option:
If I am not mistaken, those fans are not PWM and thus have 3-pin headers. Can I plug the 3-pin fans into a Y PWM fan splitter?
Will the motheboard be still able to control the RPMs of the fans as with the PWM version? (I think it won't, but I am not sure)
What would be the easiest way to control the cpu fans then? Is there something like a power reduction from 12V - to 5/7V but for fan header?

# 2 #
In SPCR Scythe Mugen review, two reference fans were used. Do you think the two SY1225SL12L (800 rpm) fans shipped with the PCGH version of the heatsink are at least as good as the SPCR reference fan or do you think the reference fan is better (i mean specifically for this use)?

To furthermore complicate this decision - there is the third option to buy the classic version of the heatsink with pwm fan and then buy an additional pwm fan. That
way both fans could be controlled with CPU_FAN header. Would this be substantially better than going with just 2 non-pwm fans?

# 3 #
I read somewhere that when you have two fans with different speeds on a heatsink one of the configurations is not good - it was either that it's not good that the faster fan blows into the back of the slower fan or maybe the other way around. Can you please tell me if there are some setups that are not recommended or give me some information about this subject (or point me in the right direction)?

I tried googling "heatsink push pull configuration" and read the articles from tomshardware and overclock.net but couldn't find the information/page again.

# 4 #
What does a push-pull configuration mean?
In the SPCR review of Scythe Mugen, it was stated that the heatsink was testeed with two fans in a push-pull configuration. On the technical specification page of Scythe Mugen they write about something called "M.A.P.S. (Multiple Airflow Pass-Through Structure)" and there is this picture
next to it (the arrows represent fans and their orientation)

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Is that what is meant by push-pull in the SPCR Scythe Mugen article? Or is this

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a better configuration?

# 5 #
Out of curiosity - I read in the review of PSU beQuiet! Dark Power Pro 10, that the PSU can regulate up to four case fans.
How does it work? Does the PSU increase the RPMs of the regulated case fans according to the power output or according the a sensor reading PSU temperature?

I am thinking about a scenario where a GPU is starting to overheat (let's say the discussed fanless HD 7750 that draws 55W) but the PSU is still fine - not overheating, the power drawn is very low - and thus the RPM of the case fans (that should cool the GPU) is not rising. Is this made up scenarion possible or did i misunderstand how the PSU controls the case fans?

# 6 #
This question is not vital to the build - I would just like to educate myself a little bit:
How do you judge/find the amount of heat that a certain build emits and then whether a particular number, placement, speed of fans is going to be enough to cool it?
Is there an algorithm approach for this? Are there any rough/simplified "tables" for this?
Estimating that when traveling every 1m/s cools you down 1 Celsius degree, there should be some way to make very rough estimates.
But maybe I should open a separate topic for this elsewhere in the forums.

# 7 #
Is there a substantial difference between similarly RPM-rated 120mm Scythe GentleTyphoon fan, 140mm Silent Series R2 fan (from r4 case) fan and 120mm Scythe SlipStream fan when used as a case fan?

# 8 #
I don't require a cd/dvd-burner per se. It's just that the Samsung SH-224bb is just ~2$ more expensive than Samsung SH-118AB (just cd/dvd-reader).
I tried googling and searching the forums to see whether someone has this opt. drive and/or can confirm it is not too noisy - without success.
If you know that this drive is noisy please tell me before I buy it or please recommend another opt. drive.

Thanks for you reply in advance.

Best Regards,
Karol

bonestonne
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Re: I would like to ask you for help (advice) with choosing

Post by bonestonne » Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:06 pm

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That's a proper Push/Pull configuration. The fans both direct air in the same direction. Optimal fan positioning if you must use two separate speed fans, the slower fan pushes air towards the heatsink, the faster fan pulls the air away from the heatsink. Depending on the speed differences, this could cause an air pressure issue that could create unwanted noise. Within a few hundred RPMs difference likely wont make a difference, but a large difference in RPM will.

To further expand on what others are saying, you'll never need to use more than 500W with either system you're looking to build now, nor will you hit that mark with a brand new system, as power usage has decreased with newer generation hardware.

The Enermax Pro87+ is a great unit, but much more power than you need. I've used two for a customer's identical builds. Even for his usage, I'm not sure his system "needs" the 600W. Even if you purchase a very powerful GPU in the future, unless you go for a crossfire or SLI setup, you will not need more than 500W. I would look at the Antec High Current Gamer 400W or 520W if you're really that concerned about this matter. The High Current Gamer is rated by it's continuous output, so the peak output is actually a fair amount higher than it's sticker rating. For your specific use, I would only get a 400W-450W power supply. You really don't need anything more than that, even in the future. You're looking for silent operation, not an Overclocked SLI gaming machine, so you could save your money and go for the quality components that you will need for silent operation.

I would only purchase a CPU cooler with a single fan. You have no need for two fans, and if you're looking for silent operation, adding more fans will be counter intuitive. Also, in regards to a 3 pin fan on a PWM header, the answer about the RPM control is "sometimes." Not all 3 pin fans respond to RPM control, sometimes it's the motherboard not being able to control the 3 pin fan, sometimes the fan will only run at a given speed. For the Scythe Mugen 3 Rev. B, I would go for the classic version with PWM fan. You only need one fan, and PWM keeps it simple. If it needs more cooling, the motherboard will speed up the fan as necessary. If you wanted to reduce the speed of a standard 3 pin fan, you'll have to look at Noctua LNA and ULNA 3 pin fan adapters. They are made for just that purpose.

#5 about the beQuiet PSU, it's fan controller is thermal control out of the PSU itself. Increased load will increase heat in a PSU, so try not to overcomplicate this. If the GPU was under enough load to overheat, it will be drawing a significant amount of power, and the PSU would be under load. Whether the controller will be able to bring the fans up enough to react to that temp change is a different question. I wouldn't leave my case fans to be managed by PSU load, but it is a somewhat reliable system when you think about it. Modern motherboards have PWM control for all the fans (not just CPU) and that's a more reliable system because it reacts to the temp based on sensors around the motherboard. The PSU would still have it's own fan for cooling, so it would be a less complicated, and more reliable setup. Remember that using the PSU for your fan controller will also require cable routing to the PSU from the fans. Depending on the case, this could be sloppy. Not all fans have long cables, and part of a quiet computer is keeping the cables neat so they don't obstruct airflow.

#6 Judging the amount of heat depends on the components. Good reviews will give you a lot of temperature readings throughout load levels so that you could get an idea of what similar hardware will output in terms of heat. There's no simplified table, just a lot of keeping track of what you're using. CPU coolers make a big difference in heat output because a larger tower cooler will dissipate heat more evenly, and temps will be lower than an identical system that uses either stock cooling, or a bad cooler. This is because a stock cooler is designed around the basics. It's going to be good enough to keep the temperature within operating specifics, not to keep temps down under a prolonged load.

#7 This is mostly depending on the CFM rating of the fans. I keep my case fans to an absolute minimum. Usually only an exhaust fan on the back, sometimes adding a top exhaust fan. This is also system dependent, because a system with a low heat output will only need a fan to keep steady airflow through the case, where a high heat output system will need to continuously cycle a large volume of air throughout the case to keep temps down.

On another note, I would not personally trust the 2TB WD drive with anything at all. I see many 1TB and 2TB drives fail often. I had a Seagate 1TB drive come into the shop I work in today completely dead. I couldn't explain why, but they often suffer from hardware failure within 1 year. Both Western Digital and Seagate drives, any model. If I knew what caused it, I would say so, but unless you really have a reason for that much storage, I would suggest something smaller. The new Western Digital Red series could be a viable alternative, there are users on here who report lots of success with them. For a 1TB drive in my own personal computer, I would only look at Hitachi drives and nothing else. There will be users that disagree, but I can't deny my personal experience.

kajovajo
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2012 10:41 am
Location: Czech Republic

Re: I would like to ask you for help (advice) with choosing

Post by kajovajo » Sat Feb 02, 2013 7:48 am

Thank you bonestonne for your very helpful reply and for answering all of my questions. I really appreciate it.
On another note, I would not personally trust the 2TB WD drive with anything at all. I see many 1TB and 2TB drives fail often...
I actually ended buying a 1TB drive, but I still went with Western Digital. The reason is that I wanted a "green", lower RPM hard drive. But thank you for the warning - it's not that I wouldn't
trust your experience, but the failure/warranty claim rate for these green wd drives (ezrx), that my HW supplier reports, is very low - actually under 1% so far.


The components have already arrived :). Unfortunately they forgot to throw in the thermal paste that I ordered, so I am waiting for them to ship it additionally (I didn't want to go with the scythe thermal paste) :( . So at the moment I am waiting. But for some strange reason, even just looking at the pile of components, packaged in shiny boxes, makes me somehow happy :D.

If I find some time I will try to take some photos and even maybe write a little bit about my experience building the computer.

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