Hi,
I am planning to build a silent mini-ITX computer and I need some advice.
- Proc: Intel i7-2600K
- Mobo: Asus P8H67-I Deluxe
- RAM: Kingston Value Ram KVR1333D3N9K2/4G (2x2GB)
- SSD: OCZ Vertex 3, 120 GB
- Hard: WD Caviar Black WD2002FAEX, 2 TB ???
- DVD: Samsung 24X SHS243D
- PS: Seasonic X-560
- Case: Lian Li PC-Q11 ???
- OS: Windows 7, 32-bit
I live in Canada. The computer will sit on my left, under the desk (an L-shaped desk). Silence is most important, but so is speed. I'll be doing a lot of DVD conversions, no gaming. I wish I could overclock a bit, but since OC means using a video card, I'll do without it.
[I have to install a 32-bit OS because I use a lot of 16-bit programs, which wouldn't run in a 64-bit OS (unless someone can indicate a 32-bit alternative to Quick Basic, with a similar syntax, which I doubt).]
My questions:
- Is there any speed loss by going mini-ITX instead of micro-ATX ?
- Does the 2600K allow integrated graphics ?
- Is the stock processor's heatsink/fan good enough ?
- Is the Caviar Black too noisy, even when suspended ? Would an enclosure be of any real help ?
- The most troublesome: is the Q11 a good choice for my system ?
Thanks in advance.
Links:
Processor: http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=52 ... e=i7-2600k
Mobo: http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_ ... ifications
RAM: http://www.ec.kingston.com/ecom/configu ... 3D3N9K2/4G
SSD: http://www.ocztechnology.com/ocz-vertex ... 5-ssd.html
Hard disk: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/catalog/
DVD: http://www.samsung.com/ca/consumer/offi ... cification
PS: http://www.seasonic.com/product/pc_retail.jsp
Case: http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/pr ... =64&g=spec
Silent mini-ITX project
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee
Re: Silent mini-ITX project
1. nosinLog wrote:My questions:
- Is there any speed loss by going mini-ITX instead of micro-ATX ?
- Does the 2600K allow integrated graphics ?
- Is the stock processor's heatsink/fan good enough ?
- Is the Caviar Black too noisy, even when suspended ? Would an enclosure be of any real help ?
- The most troublesome: is the Q11 a good choice for my system ?
2. yes
3. don't know... consider the 63mm high zalman cnps7000 cooler set on low or a Scythe big shuriken
4. subjective... I prefer them... but not good enough for many people around here. Consider a Velociraptor or a black scorpio.
5. Q11 is good. Use a FSP Group FSP300-60GHS-R 300W Micro ATX / SFX 80 PLUS Certified Power Supply to get more room for a cpu heat sink. See: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817104075
(it is a small PSU but mounts as a full sized one)
Re: Silent mini-ITX project
What`s your goal in terms of silence? Does the computer need to be inaudible? Perhaps you could give us a reference point we can compare your planned build against.
Overall, variation in performance between motherboards is fairly small, in the range of 2-5%.
The 2600k does have an igp, in fact, it has a fully enabled one, unlike some other sandy bridge cpus which use only half of the shaders.
The stock cooler is fairly quiet at low loads, at high loads it`s easily audible as it produces a rather tonal noise but it`s still not particularly obtrusive. It helps if you have a motherboard with smooth fan control. Asus is probably a good choice, avoid Gigabyte at it`s fan controllers tend to be a bit too agressive. You might still want to look at aftermarket heatsinks. I don`t think you need something particularly big to cool the 2600k, the biggest improvement will come from using a better fan than the one provided by intel.
Considering the disk drive, I would recommend using an enclosure like the scythe quiet drive. Then, place it on a thick piece of open cell foam at the bottom of the case. This should eliminate both airborne and vibrational noise. A lot of people ask where they can source foam suitable for this. Well, a large scotch brite sponge will work very well, so there`s no need to buy overpriced acoustic foam. I usually recommend using quieter drives, but since you will be dealing with large video files, a drive like the black is probably a better choice.
The lian li q11 looks good, indeed, if I wanted to build a similar system, it would probably be my #1 choice.
Ces`s suggestion of using a smaller psu to provide extra clearance for the cpu cooler is also sound advice. Even if you end up using a compact cooler, both the cooler and psu will end up breathing more easily. The fsp 300-60gh is a good psu, don`t know about it`s noise level though. You certainly don`t need a 500 watt psu for this build, even 300 watts would be overkill.
Using a pico psu is another solution, you`d get better efficiency at low loads and even more clearance, possibly permitting the use of a tower cooler. Unfortunately it won`t leave you much headroom for overclocking which could be an issue if you plan to upgrade to a z68 board in the future. By the way, anyone knows when z68 boards are due? Is it worth waiting for one (taking into account that it might be an extra month or two until mini itx models are available)?
Overall, variation in performance between motherboards is fairly small, in the range of 2-5%.
The 2600k does have an igp, in fact, it has a fully enabled one, unlike some other sandy bridge cpus which use only half of the shaders.
The stock cooler is fairly quiet at low loads, at high loads it`s easily audible as it produces a rather tonal noise but it`s still not particularly obtrusive. It helps if you have a motherboard with smooth fan control. Asus is probably a good choice, avoid Gigabyte at it`s fan controllers tend to be a bit too agressive. You might still want to look at aftermarket heatsinks. I don`t think you need something particularly big to cool the 2600k, the biggest improvement will come from using a better fan than the one provided by intel.
Considering the disk drive, I would recommend using an enclosure like the scythe quiet drive. Then, place it on a thick piece of open cell foam at the bottom of the case. This should eliminate both airborne and vibrational noise. A lot of people ask where they can source foam suitable for this. Well, a large scotch brite sponge will work very well, so there`s no need to buy overpriced acoustic foam. I usually recommend using quieter drives, but since you will be dealing with large video files, a drive like the black is probably a better choice.
The lian li q11 looks good, indeed, if I wanted to build a similar system, it would probably be my #1 choice.
Ces`s suggestion of using a smaller psu to provide extra clearance for the cpu cooler is also sound advice. Even if you end up using a compact cooler, both the cooler and psu will end up breathing more easily. The fsp 300-60gh is a good psu, don`t know about it`s noise level though. You certainly don`t need a 500 watt psu for this build, even 300 watts would be overkill.
Using a pico psu is another solution, you`d get better efficiency at low loads and even more clearance, possibly permitting the use of a tower cooler. Unfortunately it won`t leave you much headroom for overclocking which could be an issue if you plan to upgrade to a z68 board in the future. By the way, anyone knows when z68 boards are due? Is it worth waiting for one (taking into account that it might be an extra month or two until mini itx models are available)?
Re: Silent mini-ITX project
I just ordered one. I will let you know. It had some kind remarks about it in the newegg forums.ntavlas wrote:he fsp 300-60gh is a good psu, don`t know about it`s noise level though.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817104075
and
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817104031
The unit is VERY quiet. I can't even hear it, and with the CPU fan installed, the more enclosed CPU fan/HD are actually more audible.
Very quiet, large temperature activated fan that blows up from inside case
Pretty quiet, good airflow characteristics.
All voltages remained within 2% during a 48 hour cpu burn in test using Prime95. PSU even has enough power to Run up to ATI X16-- or Nviai 76-- series cards. This beats many PSU's double the cost that couldn't hold better then 10% during the same Prime95 test
Very quiet - I never noticed a noise coming from it.
Stable - never had issues, even when running full tilt
Active PFC, high efficiency, very quiet 120mm fan
Supplied with quiet 120mm Adda brushless ball bearing fan. Honeycomb pattern o air vents cut down on noise
(there do appear to be a fair number of comments complaining about its short life... though this is the prior version of the current PSU)
Re: Silent mini-ITX project
Hi,
I found out that the Z68 chipset is due very soon, on May 11 probably. I need to change my plans. But first, I want to say I am glad about the clarifications you both gave me. It's a relief to know that the 2600K will do, and that the performance variation between motherboards is so small.
I'll get a Z68 in a micro ATX form factor. It's disappointing, but the wait for a mini ITX mobo might be too long. I've always wanted to do some overclocking, just for fun. I suppose I'll have to get better RAM. I am not sure which ones.
I would like the computer to be completely unaudible. The one that I've been using for years is a Dell Optiplex with a 1 GHz processor. The processor fan is the only one running, and the case is open, under the desk. I can hear the fan whisper. It's not loud, but I wish I wouldn't hear it at all. I also use a netbook. Its noise bothers me a lot.
If it's really necessary, I'll get the Caviar Green instead of the Black. Unfortunately, the notebook drives aren't as fast and the Velociraptor isn't large enough. Changing Black to Green won't sacrifice much speed if I can take advantage of the new ssd caching technology:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/z68 ... 888-3.html
ntavlas, how do you think the sponge method compares with the stretch magic ? viewtopic.php?t=11674
I have yet to examine the zalman cnps7000, the Scythe big shuriken, the scythe quiet drive and the FSP300-60GHS-R. ces report on the latter is encouraging.
I am still very much puzzled about the enclosure. My first choice was the Solo, but it has several shortcomings. The Sonatas won't do, for different reasons (either the PS is included, or the front ports are outdated, or the appearance is deceptive, etc). Any suggestions ?
I have installed Free Basic. It's a 32-bit compiler. I have to check if I can compile my Quick Basic programs. I hope I can use Windows 64-bit.
I found out that the Z68 chipset is due very soon, on May 11 probably. I need to change my plans. But first, I want to say I am glad about the clarifications you both gave me. It's a relief to know that the 2600K will do, and that the performance variation between motherboards is so small.
I'll get a Z68 in a micro ATX form factor. It's disappointing, but the wait for a mini ITX mobo might be too long. I've always wanted to do some overclocking, just for fun. I suppose I'll have to get better RAM. I am not sure which ones.
I would like the computer to be completely unaudible. The one that I've been using for years is a Dell Optiplex with a 1 GHz processor. The processor fan is the only one running, and the case is open, under the desk. I can hear the fan whisper. It's not loud, but I wish I wouldn't hear it at all. I also use a netbook. Its noise bothers me a lot.
If it's really necessary, I'll get the Caviar Green instead of the Black. Unfortunately, the notebook drives aren't as fast and the Velociraptor isn't large enough. Changing Black to Green won't sacrifice much speed if I can take advantage of the new ssd caching technology:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/z68 ... 888-3.html
ntavlas, how do you think the sponge method compares with the stretch magic ? viewtopic.php?t=11674
I have yet to examine the zalman cnps7000, the Scythe big shuriken, the scythe quiet drive and the FSP300-60GHS-R. ces report on the latter is encouraging.
I am still very much puzzled about the enclosure. My first choice was the Solo, but it has several shortcomings. The Sonatas won't do, for different reasons (either the PS is included, or the front ports are outdated, or the appearance is deceptive, etc). Any suggestions ?
I have installed Free Basic. It's a 32-bit compiler. I have to check if I can compile my Quick Basic programs. I hope I can use Windows 64-bit.