...and also far below 65W at full turbo synthetic load. Slightly OT, but I'd love to see that data. So far everything I've read shows that even a strait 8400 will, if allowed , continuously draw well over 100Watts during synthetic benchmarks (see Tom's review , specifically the Prime95 with AVX ena...

I don't have a game that requires more horsepower at the moment. I'm one year behind you with an i5-3570 / HD7850 and am sort of in the same boat: I dont NEED to upgrade anything, but the fact that Blender cant use the HD7850 (and a 10 second 1/4 HD clip takes something like 6-7 hours to render wit...

Derek Semeraro wrote:Silverstone Sugo or Node 304

I really want to stick with MicroATX though...

but it does have at least two new things integrated that the Z370 lacks; USB 3.1 Gen2 and the WiFi aspect. So something to think about. I too have been shopping Z370/H370/B360 boards for a couple weeks now. There is the MSI Z370M Gaming Pro AC which has Gen.2/10G USB and WiFi (the wifi is quasi-bui...

That would be the practical thing to do of course.

On a somewhat related note, interesting info here which suggest that, with an i7-8700, an aftermarket cooler has a marked positive effect on the all-core turbo frequency. Not so on the 8400, but interesting non the less.

I'm reading these CPUs are not hard to cool. Even so, I imagine that on a hot day that stock cooler will eventually draw attention to itself. I was thinking of a Noctua NH-U9S but would that just be wasting money?

Its curious to me why a card like the MSI Gamer X uses as much as 181Watts compared to FE solid at 150 (according to Tom's). I know that the Gamer X can essentially be forced to stock, non-OC clocks ("Silent" mode). I wonder by how much the power consumption would be reduced. I cant imagine that the...

Yea I've since ruled out the AIR240. V21 is still a contender but it seems pretty flimsy from the pictures. I'd probably need to do a hack job on the front frame to get a pair of fans side by side, and the Emmental cheese sides would have to be blocked off in order to get controlled front-to-back ai...

Just a heads up on the height of MSI TwinFrozr IV based 1070s: They are abnormally tall at 140mm. Unlike their 1060 models which have the power jack(s) recessed a bit, on the 1070 (and most others) they are flush with the top, which means another 25mm or so for your power connectors/wires, so ostens...

Very useful information. Thank you!

Derek Semeraro wrote:A 1070 is more energy efficient (and effectively, more quiet) than a 1070 Ti, but of course, it does depend on your use case.

On reflection, you make a good point.

I just love the esthetic of a cube. Puts me in mind of the original NeXT. :) Although its expensive as *&%, the CaseLabs BH4 is pretty much exactly what I want. I think there is great potential for a quiet build here. Case: CaseLabs BH4. Probably have to block the top vent aperture in order for airf...

All else being equal, an axial fan type cooler (such as EVGA FTW, Asus Strix etc) will be quieter than blower models, yes?

Indeed I am starting to completely rethink filters in general (though it might be interesting to experiment with pleated dust filters, something I've never seen tried on a PC). In their absence though, would you think that the S12 model generates enough pressure to change the air in something like a...

I understand that the S12 models are the quietest, and are actually the highest in terms of m3 of air moved (at rated speed), BUT they also have the lowest pressure so should never be used for anything restrictive (like a heat sink). My question is, at what point does a typical case become restricti...

I'm really enamored with the esthetic of the cube motif (reminds me of the original NeXT ). I want to stick to uATX though, with as plain a presentation as possible. Corsair Air240 was an option but I dislike the look of their wrap around grill. Bullet BH4 would actually be ideal but there is no way...

I do like the NH-L12S, but was still thinking about those VRMs. Of course the NH-C14S is an option, but at over a full kilo in weight, makes me nervous.

Yea its definitely spinning noise. Especially noticeable in that descending whistle as the drive spins down/turns off. The 3.5" Blue I have is actually 7.2krpm (the 1TB model is still 7200). I would think that, as you say, the 2.5" might be quieter from the lower mass etc, but then again I've come a...

Thanks for that.

Anyone have any thoughts on the Noctua NH-L9x65? Its a downfiring model, but I wonder if it would really be any quieter than the stock Intel branded fansink...

After getting other noisy items under control, I'm now noticing the one hard drive I have left, a 1TB 3.5" WD Blue. I dont get any clacking noise at all, but there is the faintest of whine which most foilks wouldn't even notice until it turns off... and you hear the whine fade off. Simple question, ...

My understanding, dating way back to when Intel first introduced the LGA775 socket, was that the placement of the VRM components is no accident: the down firing stock cooler inherently provides cooling for those components surrounding the CPU/socket itself. To this day Intel has maintained this basi...

I've long felt that the blower style GPU cooler is the best since it takes the heat and places it OUTSIDE the case. But blowers are much maligned for their noise. While doing a build for a customer recently, something finally dawned on me: that exit is tragically flawed. Consider the following I/O p...

I was actually going to start a thread asking about the AIR 240 but decided to carry on the conversation here. I absolutely love the cuboid shape. I think by finally doing away with external bays it really starts to make sense. I actually think the alternate orientation of the AIR 240, with the wind...

Thanks everyone for your feedback.

I wasn't really aware of the RM550x. Looks like it might be a winner (if a little pricey here in Canada). Do we care that the fan uses a rifle bearing?

Cheers.

I've been out of the loop for a while and I'm just wondering if the X Series is still considered a solid buy for quietness. Have they made any changes (good or bad) since 2009 when SPCR reviewed ? I see they are still... not cheap. Has anything come along which is on par with it, perhaps for a few l...

Thanks for posting this. I've been thinking of trying much the same thing with my Antec EA650 Platinum, one of the very first ones which they acknowledged were loud. Its long out of warranty now though. Now sure what I should look at for fan though.

I have what I believe is one of the very first Antec EA650 Platinum. Its always have quite a wosh to it and when I inquired with Antec way back when they said, literally, that yea the first batch had the wrong fan ramp or some such but would not consider that warranty. Anyway I held on to it but its...

Resurrecting again.... I recently posed this question and found, as el-tel did many years ago, that UPS have a not-insignificant overhead. Even a brand new "EnergyStar" rated unit I just looked at draws 20 watts....with NOTHING connected to it...all day everyday, with additional loss according to lo...

Is the G Series 550 (SSR-550RM) a safe bet?

For the past 5 years I had been happy with the stock Intel branded cooler on my Core 2 Duo. Silent? No, but by far the quietest thing in my box. Rarely, even under gaming load, ever went above 1krpm. Just upgraded to an i5-3570 and was appalled to find the heat sink is half the size/mass of the old ...