I swore I would never build again...

[capecodbackup]

As I really like my Dell 745 Optiplex as it is VERY quiet, especially now that I have my Intel SSD! And I love working in the case, very easy to mess around.

So, problem is, I wold like an i7 chip and obviously, board to go with it. And I would like it to be no louder than it is now, I will move over the SSD of course.

So, assuming there is no i7 board I can fit in this case, I would carefully choose a quality QUIET case and PS, a medium i7 chip/board , and a quiet CPU fan.

It is not really the quiet calling me as my current setup is close to perfect. It is the SPEED calling me.

Has anyone down anything like this?

At 57, you would think I would have learned... "Never say never "

Thanks, Dave

[hybrid2d4x4]

Assuming you have the small form factor version of the 745, you should still be able to fit this mITX board: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813136073
More mITX boards should start showing up in the future as well, especially when the i3 line rolls out. Keeping it at the current noise level would probably be a challenge, though.

[cb95014]

Has anyone done anything like this?

I just finished a build today for an i7-860 in a Solo, and I suspect that lots of folks on this board have built something similar. The boot drive is an 80 GB Intel X25-M, and the data drive is a suspended 1.5 TB Samsung. The PSU is a Seasonic X-650, and so far the fan has never turned on. There are lots of great P55 motherboards, and this build has an MSI P55-GD65. The CPU cooler is an HR-01 (not 'plus'), and handles moderate overclocking with ease (temps never exceed 58C), even with the fan at ~700 RPM. Audio is an ASUS Xonar DX PCIe. This is not currently a gaming rig, so the GPU is an older 7600GS with a passive Zalman VNF100 cooler.

The only moving pieces are two ~700 RPM S-Flex fans and one 'real' HDD. From >1m I literally can't hear it at all, but my ears are not as good as they used to be. Short of a completely passive system I am hard-pressed to imagine how this could be quieter.

If you want to stick with your current case, consider the micro-ATX Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD4. Other than limited slots, this is a fully featured and very stable board. I recently built this into a CoolerMaster Elite 360 (viewtopic.php?t=56442&highlight=), which I think is about the same size as your Dell (so if space is an issue, consider the CM 360). One of my main concerns with keeping the Dell chassis is whether the power supply is OK for an i5/i7 build. It will probably work, but if it has problems, you are probably back to square one.

[capecodbackup]

Thanks, these are just the suggestions I was looking for. So I gather it is a Micro ATX board inside my Dell. I was not sure if they used some proprietary shape/size or not.

And I am aware of the possible not so great PSU, so I would replace if necessary. I am not a huge overclocker at all. However, given a BIOS that would allow it thru a simple change, I may try it low end and see.

I have chosen the Antec Mini P180 if I went with a new case. Loos pretty cool. I have an SSD, so drive noise/heat wold not be a factor.

That Gigabyte with a nice i5 or i7 is pretty tempting. I will be at Micro Center on Wednesday for a look around.

Dave

[cb95014]

So I gather it is a Micro ATX board inside my Dell.

From the pictures I found on the net it looks like the 745 motherboard is the same *dimensions* as a Micro ATX, but the slots are at the other end of the board. I assume this means it is some variant of the ever-popular BTX, so no normal board will actually fit your case.

That Gigabyte with a nice i5 or i7 is pretty tempting. I will be at Micro Center on Wednesday for a look around.

Dave

Cool. Have fun! The mini is a nice case which should last you a long time, but it won't fit in an overhead bin.

Don't skimp on the PSU. That is usually the main culprit for mysterious instability issues. A good one like Corsair will be useful for at least a couple of CPU generations.

FYI, Micro Center's i5/i7 CPU pricing is amazing (especially if you have a 5%-off coupon), but in my experience the board pricing is not so hot. Fry's advertised specials are the usual price leader for memory, while Amazon is often very competitive for motherboards and GPUs.

[capecodbackup]

Thanks. I actually measured the board and it was an inch bigger than a standard Micro ATX. So, as I suspected, it was proprietary.

I have been preaching the Do not get a cheap PSU for years so good to find someone who agrees with me!

There are some beauties out there.

Yeah, It may be awhile till I get the $$$ together. However, I imagine that I would need a computer in debtor's prison as well

So, best leave my Dell as a working machine. I may be able to steal the fanless Video card I put in as I believe it has built in video and that is all I need.

All roads lead to Micro Center! Dave