Hey guys,
I'm going to copy/paste the thread I posted at Gearslutz as I consider it valid for both forums, apparently represents well my thoughts and, equally important, will save me time.
I've been reading the forums as a visitor for a while. It's been so useful I could depredate my lazyness and proceed with the registering process. So here I am, first post, first thread. I hope it's not a corrupt outset!
I'm building a new DAW PC and have doubts concerning the case choice, plus the acquisition of a few other components. My main grief relates to coolness and noise, in order of relevance. However, I want to get the best out of the two.
My current system configuration is:
- Gigabyte UD5
- Core i7 920 D0 (important: going to be overclocked to around 3.4-3.8 ghz, maybe less depending of the circumstances)
- 6GB (3x2gb) OCZ Platinum 12800 triple channel memory kit
- Radeon HD5770 GPU
- 2x1TB WD Black Caviar for audio and common data + 750GB WD Black Caviar for OS only.
- Corsair HX650 PSU
- Cooler Master V8 CPU Cooler
- (Case?)
- (Additional ultra silent fans?)
- (AcoustiPack ULTIMATE 3-Layer PC Soundproofing Kit?)
Ok, so I'll start the indagation.
1. Comparing to the Antec P183, has anyone ever tested the Silverstone Fortress FT02 case or considered it as an alternative? In case of the answer being "yes", does it perform better than the Antec P183 in terms of noise and cooling? In case of the answer being "no", have you atleast heard about it as being used as a DAW case?
2. Regarding the Antec P183, does adding the AcoustiPack ULTIMATE 3-Layer PC Soundproofing Kit (reads case insulation) to it considerably helps to reduce the noise? Woult it prejudice the general cooling?
3. I've already considered replacing the stock fans. How many additionals would you recommend? Which brand and model?
Your help will be greatly appreciated! I'm on a disturbing dilema, can't wait to start working on music again!
Thanks in advance,
ravn
DAW PC- Antec P183 or Fortress FT02?+ other valid questions.
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Devonavar
DAW PC- Antec P183 or Fortress FT02?+ other valid questions.
Last edited by ravn on Thu Jan 07, 2010 6:39 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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MikeC
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Interrogation is a bad choice of words. 
Good thing I'm in a good mood.
http://www.silentpcreview.com/Silverstone_Raven_Two
I lean to the Raven2. Slightly better airflow, no need to replace fans.
Lots of minor quibbles might make it less ideal for newbie builders.
The HD5770, the 3 drives, and HX650 will combine to make something like 23-24 dba/1m your low limit. Not particularly quiet, imo. One of the Enermax Eco+ 500s would work fine and be quieter tho.
The damping might help a bit -- not more than ~2 dBA, but maybe a bit smoother overall -- tho just going with quieter drives and PSU will drop 3-5 dBA right there.
Good thing I'm in a good mood. http://www.silentpcreview.com/Silverstone_Raven_Two
I lean to the Raven2. Slightly better airflow, no need to replace fans.
Lots of minor quibbles might make it less ideal for newbie builders.
The HD5770, the 3 drives, and HX650 will combine to make something like 23-24 dba/1m your low limit. Not particularly quiet, imo. One of the Enermax Eco+ 500s would work fine and be quieter tho.
The damping might help a bit -- not more than ~2 dBA, but maybe a bit smoother overall -- tho just going with quieter drives and PSU will drop 3-5 dBA right there.
Hi Mike,
Thanks for your answer. I edited the original post and changed words. I don't really mean to sound arrogant or to offend anyone.
Regarding the Enermax, do you think the Enermax Ps Emd625Awt Modu82+ is a good option? I want to get something from the 6xx+W range to leave some room, resulting in less effort for the PSU = less noise (is that right?). Based on the Newegg's calculator, I should acquire a ~582+W PSU. I just really needed an estimative, and then pick up a more capable one for more room.
Suggestions are always well appreciated.
Thanks,
ravn
Thanks for your answer. I edited the original post and changed words. I don't really mean to sound arrogant or to offend anyone.
Regarding the Enermax, do you think the Enermax Ps Emd625Awt Modu82+ is a good option? I want to get something from the 6xx+W range to leave some room, resulting in less effort for the PSU = less noise (is that right?). Based on the Newegg's calculator, I should acquire a ~582+W PSU. I just really needed an estimative, and then pick up a more capable one for more room.
Suggestions are always well appreciated.
Thanks,
ravn
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MikeC
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- Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Those power calculators usually give you at least double the max peak your system is capable of. Usually a straight sum of all the components' max power + 20-50% more for headroom. In reality, you just can't push all the components to 100% simultaneously.
I think 500W is plenty, and 600W is even more. It's possible the high power model of a quiet series might run quieter at the highest loads, but remember that both the P183 and RV02 have independent intake vents for the PSU, making PSU fan ramp up much less likely. The Enermax modu/pro models seem to have fans that go bad (get noisy) quickly for a lot of people while the Eco series uses a different fan that doesn't have this rep.
I wonder why you need such a powerful video card... for a DAW, won't a budget model do? Although I guess it doesn't really draw that much power.
I think 500W is plenty, and 600W is even more. It's possible the high power model of a quiet series might run quieter at the highest loads, but remember that both the P183 and RV02 have independent intake vents for the PSU, making PSU fan ramp up much less likely. The Enermax modu/pro models seem to have fans that go bad (get noisy) quickly for a lot of people while the Eco series uses a different fan that doesn't have this rep.
I wonder why you need such a powerful video card... for a DAW, won't a budget model do? Although I guess it doesn't really draw that much power.
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bonestonne
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Power Supply Calculators are always wrong...if SPCR made their own, it would probably be a good ~100W lower than all others (in most cases).
Unless you plan to upgrade to a dual socket motherboard, 500W is more than enough, with some headroom. maybe 550 at the most, but 600 and up is completely unnecessary.
About the cases, I'm strange with my cases, I hate doors in front of my optical drives, so I would probably lean towards the Fortress FT02 over the P183, but I don't like the layouts of the Fortress FT02 or the Raven2.
I would lean towards a Cooler Master case, cheap, great airflow, and suspend the drives. the Stacker series could do that, I like my Elite 330, cools my current build very well, very quietly.
At the same time, I don't understand why people overclock the new i7's and i5's...I know someone with an i7 920, which is leaps and bounds over his old QX6800. So much power on tap (keep in mind very little is actually multi-threaded) you don't need more, just more efficient programs.
I digress.
I would think the rest of the system is configured fine, but I'd be interested to know what audio gear you're looking to put it, as some companies are less than friendly when it comes to recording at high bitrates.
Unless you plan to upgrade to a dual socket motherboard, 500W is more than enough, with some headroom. maybe 550 at the most, but 600 and up is completely unnecessary.
About the cases, I'm strange with my cases, I hate doors in front of my optical drives, so I would probably lean towards the Fortress FT02 over the P183, but I don't like the layouts of the Fortress FT02 or the Raven2.
I would lean towards a Cooler Master case, cheap, great airflow, and suspend the drives. the Stacker series could do that, I like my Elite 330, cools my current build very well, very quietly.
At the same time, I don't understand why people overclock the new i7's and i5's...I know someone with an i7 920, which is leaps and bounds over his old QX6800. So much power on tap (keep in mind very little is actually multi-threaded) you don't need more, just more efficient programs.
I digress.
I would think the rest of the system is configured fine, but I'd be interested to know what audio gear you're looking to put it, as some companies are less than friendly when it comes to recording at high bitrates.
You don't need a high end GPU for a DAW, go with a fan-less model. You really don't any GPU at all with decent integrated graphics.
Once you've got a well designed case, quality fans, and a quiet PSU it's most likely that it's going to be the HDs that you hear. I would consider a SSD for the OS and programs and then quiet lower speed drive(s) for recording on to, the WD Green being a great option. I know, dozens of audio tracks seems like a lot of data and that you would need the fastest 7200RPM drives, but that's not the case. To put it in perspective, you can run at least 24 96/24 tracks over firewire. So the difference between a slower spinning drive verses a 7200 is not important for DAW purposes.
Once you've got a well designed case, quality fans, and a quiet PSU it's most likely that it's going to be the HDs that you hear. I would consider a SSD for the OS and programs and then quiet lower speed drive(s) for recording on to, the WD Green being a great option. I know, dozens of audio tracks seems like a lot of data and that you would need the fastest 7200RPM drives, but that's not the case. To put it in perspective, you can run at least 24 96/24 tracks over firewire. So the difference between a slower spinning drive verses a 7200 is not important for DAW purposes.
Hey guys,
Thanks for all your responses.
I actually plan to use the computer for some video editing and, besides, I do a lot of Photoshop work. But the build was actually thought mainly as a DAW in mind.
What do you think of the Liberty ECO PSU?
Still trying to decide which case I should get. I like the Silverstone more in quite a few ways, but the popularity and amount of good reviews for the P183 stops me from making a choice. EndPcNoise, for example, uses the P183 for their DAW PCs. This makes me think if, in regards of noise, the FT02 beats the P183.
I'm really indecisive.
Thanks for all your responses.
I actually plan to use the computer for some video editing and, besides, I do a lot of Photoshop work. But the build was actually thought mainly as a DAW in mind.
What do you think of the Liberty ECO PSU?
Still trying to decide which case I should get. I like the Silverstone more in quite a few ways, but the popularity and amount of good reviews for the P183 stops me from making a choice. EndPcNoise, for example, uses the P183 for their DAW PCs. This makes me think if, in regards of noise, the FT02 beats the P183.
I'm really indecisive.