I've started running a mild undervolt :D and underclock :( on my AMD 4800+ just to keep the temps down when I'm gaming. If I run the stock voltage and clock speed, temps spiral up until it locks in games. Still in the process of tuning it.. I'm hoping I can undervolt some more and get back up to sto...

One thing I'd suggest is to consider a board with integrated graphics, unless you are planning on doing 3D work or games.

Yeah that problem with the thermal sensor is a real pain in the arse. My 4800+ has a problem with that too. At idle temps the sensor values seem pretty sensible, but at higher temps the readings are way too high. Although it is wrong, it does seem to be consistent in the error, so for mine I know th...

Oops! Missed that bit about the 3 HDDs! Like others have said, that will probably be the biggest source of noise, and may prevent you from using the PicoPSU. As long as it's got enough expansion slots for your needs and you don't plan on adding more RAM, the GA-MA74GM-S2 should do the trick. Keep us...

Welcome to SPCR! You going with the stock CPU cooler / fan? If so, that will probably be the loudest thing in the machine when it's loaded up. Would you consider a picoPSU? You'll need to check, but I think with that CPU / motherboard combo you should be able to do it and it will mean one less fan. ...

Don't know about small cases but if the lack of the slots for peripherals is limiting your case choice, could you get external USB versions of one or more of your desired peripherals (IR receiver, card reader), perhaps eSATA for the optical drive?

You haven't mentioned fans, which will be probably the biggest thing which will determine noise.

But I think that CPU and video card in such a small case will not be a recipe for quiet.

I've had no problems with pushpins on the Minja.. definitely prefer it to the hassle of removing the mobo for a bolt-thru.

I went for the 1500 RPM models using similar reasoning to you - they can still spin right down and be very quiet, but if you need to cool something that's getting hot you can still crank them up if you want.

Good advice.. RTFM! I did, but unfortunately it doesn't state a maximum load for that header. But, I did find something else that confused me. The CPU fan and sys fan headers are both four pin headers. But the pinouts are different according to the manual! CPU FAN pin 1 - GND pin 2 - +12V / Speed co...

Thanks for the info kunaakos. I have a manual fan controller lying around from my old PC, so if I can't get automatic control going, I'll probably use that. I'd prefer auto control, but having knobs on the front of the PC would certainly be better than having to open the case to crank up the tri-coo...

Thanks dhanson. I've used speedfan before just for temperature monitoring, but never for fan control. I'll check it out.

Anyone got an answer to my 2nd question, about PWM vs analog fan control?

Thanks for the tipoff mate! Might have to stock up on a few.

So, I'm mostly happy with my PC now. My Antec 300 build has five fans in total, and is quiet enough for my liking: - Scythe S-Flex F for CPU heatsink, controlled from mobo CPU fan header (idles at 700 RPM) - Scythe S-Flex F for rear case, controlled from mobo system fan header (idles at 700 RPM) - A...

+1 on the 300, I just bought one and I'm very happy with it. I've never had such a well constructed case before, but it's not ridiculously expensive - actually cheaper than the Solo where I live.

I recently bolted my Thermalright HR-01 down with four bolts, four nuts and eight spring washers I bought from my local hardware store for about five dollars. You just need to get the right diameter bolts and not too long. So far so good.

Seems like the only original bits will be the case, PSU and disks right? If the budget allows, I'd suggest you get a new case (to fit bigger fans), PSU, and some quiet 120mm fans. This will probably make a big difference to the overall noise level. As speedkar pointed out, you may well find your PSU...

Well, after a dramatic day, things are better. Short version: You guys were right. I installed an HR-01, CPU now stabilizes around 60 deg C on long sessions of Left4Dead. Idle temperatures and fan RPM also lower. Thanks for the help! The temperatures I'm quoting are using Everest ultimate edition. I...

So, I've assembled my system, and after some trial and error I have the following configuration: - Antec Three Hundred case - Vent in side panel blocked - Rear 120mm Tri-Cool replaced with 120mm Scythe S-Flex 1500 RPM, controlled by system fan header - Top 140 mm Tri-Cool set to Low - Front 120mm Sc...

I think this is a pretty standard build, but I always find it's worth checking with the experts here before I buy anything. I already have in a cheap MicroATX case: - Athlon X2 4800+ 2.5GHz (Brisbane) - Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H - WD 640GB HDD I also have (not installed yet): - Sapphire Radeon 3850 Ult...

Sure is. Check which processes are using the CPU and network bandwidth to try and find out what's going on.

Nobody watched this??

Hacktastic DIY spirit + corporate sponsorship = good times

I think this is an interesting topic. Would be nice to see an in depth article on this including benchmarks and pros and cons. I agree that it's annoying to have the disk churning away at a swap file when you have 8GB of RAM and you never use it all. I also think it would be useful to disable paging...

Keep us updated drownmypc! I'm looking forward to seeing your work.

Thanks jamppa. For PSU, can you recommend anything in this list? http://www.netplus.com.au/products-listing.asp?code=PW20&group=Power%20Supplies I bought the ThermalTake there and should be able to exchange for credit. For anyone in Aus who is interested, I found this ebay store which stocks bits li...

I have the following PC: AMD Athlon 4800+ X2 (Brisbane core) Gigabyte MA78GM-S2H 8GB DDR2 Sapphire 3850 Silent Heatpipe Western Digital 640GB hard disk drive Pioneer DVDRW Gigabyte GZ-M2BPD-710 Mini Tower case Thermaltake SPTT430 PSU At the moment I have: - stock CPU cooler including fan - stock 80m...

Does anyone know where I can get one of these in Australia? Previously, PC Case Gear stocked them, but they told me they can no longer get them. Ordering from overseas will be very expensive - postage is as much or more than the fan itself from the overseas vendors I have found, if they ship oversea...

Chris,

Before we can answer your questions, please tell us more about your requirements. Do you want a pre-built machine, or are you happy to build one yourself? What CPU and RAM requirements do you have? How many hard disks and what size do they need to be?

Bruce.

For what it's worth, I've got 8GB of Kingston ValueRAM in my PC and I've had no problems so far (I've exercised the RAM a fair bit, using it as a networked RAM disk, haven't noticed any problems yet). No extra cooling. I was tempted by 16GB, but the cost was about four times greater than 8GB at the ...

Hey, I'm not a fan guru, but I've built a PC based on fan recommendations here. I've never used the Noctuas, but I have Scythe S-Flexes (1600 RPM model slightly undervolted) and I find them very quiet, although still audible (I think you'd have to spin any fan very slowly not to hear it at all). The...