&tldr;? Just skip to the list ^^
My current PC is more than 6 years old now and not as silent as it once was, never mind fast enough for current software and games. Upgrading it doesn't seem wothwile, so I've decided to bite the bullet and build a new one from scratch. Since I've been out of the building game for a while I'm going to need your advice.
I work from home, so this is going to be my work computer as well as my gaming machine. Work is mostly office stuff, web apps, a bit of programming, lots of windows and applications open simultaneously, but nothing that graphics or disk I/O heavy. In that mode, it should be silent, or close to it. I'd also like to be able to do some decent gaming at 2560x1440 and while I'm neither a hardcore gamer nor an FPS junkie it should manage to run current / upcoming titles (say Watch Dogs, Witcher 3) effortlessly. When gaming, quietness is appreciated but not paramount, most games do have sound after all. (I don't use headphones, though.) Thirdly, it needs decent cooling, as ambient temeratures of >35°C are possible during the summer. There'll be no overclocking. Energy efficiency is a definite bonus, Linux compatiblility a must (but will be running Win 7 Pro for now).
Here's what I've come up with so far:
- Intel Core i5/7-4x90, 65 W TDP, exact model depending on price, not sure if I need the i7?
- Asus H97-Pro
- Crucial 16 GB RAM kit (2x8)
- Crucial M550 512 MB
- nVidia GTX 770, 220 W TDP -- how about the Asus GeForce GTX 770 DirectCU II? The 220 W TDP worries me a bit, as I've always tried to stay below 150 W before, but the GTX 760 doesn't seem to be powerful enough for 1440p, never mind future-proof. How is the power management on these, does the fan run while gaming only?
- Antec Solo II -- not exactly a current or cheap model, what else is there? (USB3 on the front panel is a must.)
- Sea Sonic Platinum Fanless 520W -- if that isn't enough power or the regular model is in fact quieter, maybe the 660W? If it's overkill, how about the 480W fanless one?
- Noctua fans -- which ones, how many, at what speed? I've got a few new ones around somewhere ...
What about fan control? The PWM-based one on various C2D boards drove me nuts, so I've just been running everything at a constant (low) voltage, but maybe things are better now?
Ok, I think that's everything. Thanks for reading -- any input is appreciated!
P.S.:
A few more thoughts on the case: My current one is the Antec Sonata III, which is ok, size-wise (~41 l), but smaller is better. Thus the Fractal Design Define R4 is rather too large at ~56 l. The Define Mini is on par with the Sonata III and actually a tiny bit smaller than the Solo II, but would require scaling back to µATX. Since there is a µATX version of the motherboard that would not be a problem, but I wonder if it's worth it ...