making up my mind
Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 3:51 am
Hi,
over the last couple of weeks i read a lot of articles here on the board, as i plan to make some changes to my PC. Lots of interesting articles and reviews! That being said, i need some help in making up my mind... Stick with water cooling or switch to fan based system?
Currently i run Core i5 2,67ghz, HD 5870 system which is based on a heavily altered case that i built about 10 years ago. It based on a 420x420 radiator which is no longer available on the market (something like http://www.aliexpress.com/item/420mm-14 ... 63104.html). In the original build i used a water cooled PSU, so the only noisy elements left were HDD and pump, as i cooled my old system passively. Back then no cases existed (to my knowledge) that would fit the big radiator, so i made physical changes to some random case that was wide enough for water cooling.
Since my last upgrade (to my core i5, about 4 years ago), i have to turn on additional fans especially in the summer months (up to 35°C ambient temperature).
That being said, i am kind of a fetishist, as i really cant stand computer making any sort of noise while i am working. My ambient noise level is very low. When i play games, i usually use headphones (RTS, FPS, Grand strategy games), so noise level wouldnt bother me as much. I really dont mind doing some changes myself, and i dont mind spending some money, as i typically use my systems for years.
Where i need help:
Should i make a new system based on water cooling, or should i pick a semi passive fan based system?
In either case please share your advice on components you would recommend taking a look at. Especially advice on case, psu, gfk, cpu, board would be highly appreciated.
My personal ranking of importance:
1. Silence.
2. Performance when i play games (currently mostly DOTA), but wearing headphones for this.
3. Easy maintenance (HDD access, etc) as my current case is really a pain
Components i would reuse:
2x Samsung 840 Pro SSD
2x WD 2TB disks
over the last couple of weeks i read a lot of articles here on the board, as i plan to make some changes to my PC. Lots of interesting articles and reviews! That being said, i need some help in making up my mind... Stick with water cooling or switch to fan based system?
Currently i run Core i5 2,67ghz, HD 5870 system which is based on a heavily altered case that i built about 10 years ago. It based on a 420x420 radiator which is no longer available on the market (something like http://www.aliexpress.com/item/420mm-14 ... 63104.html). In the original build i used a water cooled PSU, so the only noisy elements left were HDD and pump, as i cooled my old system passively. Back then no cases existed (to my knowledge) that would fit the big radiator, so i made physical changes to some random case that was wide enough for water cooling.
Since my last upgrade (to my core i5, about 4 years ago), i have to turn on additional fans especially in the summer months (up to 35°C ambient temperature).
That being said, i am kind of a fetishist, as i really cant stand computer making any sort of noise while i am working. My ambient noise level is very low. When i play games, i usually use headphones (RTS, FPS, Grand strategy games), so noise level wouldnt bother me as much. I really dont mind doing some changes myself, and i dont mind spending some money, as i typically use my systems for years.
Where i need help:
Should i make a new system based on water cooling, or should i pick a semi passive fan based system?
In either case please share your advice on components you would recommend taking a look at. Especially advice on case, psu, gfk, cpu, board would be highly appreciated.
My personal ranking of importance:
1. Silence.
2. Performance when i play games (currently mostly DOTA), but wearing headphones for this.
3. Easy maintenance (HDD access, etc) as my current case is really a pain
Components i would reuse:
2x Samsung 840 Pro SSD
2x WD 2TB disks