building a new system - i want it quiet

[merk]

Hello all,

I'm thinking of replacing my system. Its starting to slow down and has some odd glitches, and the vid card just cant really keep up with the latest games:

current system is:

P2.6ghz
asus p4p800 delux mobo
1gb 400mhz ram
ATI 9700 pro

I do not want to spend top dollar for the uber system. I want something that can play most games at the higher detail settings at sat 1280x1024 and 30fps

And i really want something thats quiet. I dont need it to be utterly silent ... a small hum is ok. But this current machine sounds like a vacuum cleaner when it gets a little warm.

I dont think i want to spend the money for water cooling, at least not right now.

I havent decided on a mobo yet. But i'm leaning towards an athlon cpu. For sound i'll either pick up an audigy card or just use the onboard mobo sound.

Can any of you guys recommend a decent mid-range vid card thats not too noisy? I dont mind spending an extra few bucks to replace the stock cooling setup if it results in good quiet performance.

thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[Praxis1452]

Well the nvidia cards run cooler but you mgiht as well just get aftermarket cooling so...

If you don't mind using aftermarket cooling go for the ATI X1k series and use the Accelero X2. If not get the 7900gtx

 

[Aznguy1872]

if the 7900 gtx is too spendy i'd get the 7900 gt as its a very good card and can be found for under 300 dollars!

 

[fierydemise]

I'd say X1800XT and an aftermarket cooler, if you shop around you should be able to find that combo under $300.

 

[Jeff7181]

The heatsink/fan on the 7800GTX and 7900GTX is very quiet and works very well. If you can afford it, the 7900GTX is a very nice card. Yeah yeah, the x1900XT(X) is faster, but it's hotter and louder. Since the OP is going for quiet, I'd recommend a 7900GTX. If you don't have that much to spend, or just don't want to spend that much, a 7900GT with an Arctic Silencer would be quiet AND cool.

 

[merk]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814125021
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102015

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814131319 this one only has 256megs of memoery but the memory speed is 1400mhz

So it seems for around $120-$200 my choice is amount of memory vs speed of memory vs # of pipelines, and also 128bit of 256bit memory interface.

Which of those should i prioritize?

there'a also a bunch of 'open box' stuff listed on newegg which seems like a great price, assuming i still get the warranty.

 

[berkut7]

Definitely don't choose a card based on the ammount of memory, as long as it's 256MB you should be ok. Generally 256-bit memory interface is better/faster than 128-bit, but if a card has high clocked memory, it makes up for the 128-bit interface. Example: Radeon 9800s (pro or xt) had 256-bit memory, while 6600GTs had 128-bit memory interface but with higher clocked memory and was able to consistently outperform the 9800. I'm not too knowledgeable on the account of pipelines: but my guess is that a lot of pipelines need a memory subsystem to match.

For your budget I think the GeForce 7600GT is the best choice: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130283

Although, if you can bare rebates, take a look at these cards: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814142067
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814241009
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102013

I'm not sure how it stacks up against the 7600GT, but I think it should match it, or even outperform it, especially at higher resolutions with AA and AF.

PS: I do not know how loud/quiet any of these are.

 

[ElFenix]

if you're going for <$200 then a 7600GT and a zalman vf700 is probably your best bet for quiet


an A64 with the stock dual core heat sink is pretty quiet.

head to head review of factory overclocked 7600Gt and x1800gto

 

[merk]

what do you guys think of just keeping my current system and replacing the vid card with a new one? Other people suggested a 7800GS? The reviews of some of the models on newegg said it was quiet. Its a bit more then what i was going to spend on a vid card, but if i'm only going to replace the vid card and nothing else, i dont mind spending a bit more since its still cheaper then replacing the whole system.

If I went that route, would i have to replace my power supply? I've currently got:
24Pin, Fortron 460W FSP460-60PFN (PFC) ATX

thanks for the help

 

[redbox]

What is with you people suggesting the high end video cards the op didn't ask to get hosed with a card that will drop in price by half in 6 months. He asked for a mid range card, and a silent one at that.Try this

That card will play close to everything at your requirements, and it is a hell of alot cheaper than the other cards people have been telling you to get, plus it is passive(i.e. no noise). I would also look at the ATI x1600 that is also a good card for the money.

 

[redbox]

Try this one too : X1600

 

[merk]

thanks redbox ... should i assume then you think i should upgrade the whole system? or did you make your post before i commented about just replacing the vid card in my curent system?

thanks again for the advice/links

 

[LittleNemoNES]

put a new processor in there and a new vid card. No need for PCI-Express till next year.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819116171

and

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130275

should do the trick.

Save yourself some money and put some life into your PC.

 

[merk]

hmm, yeah right now i'm leaning towards just getting that vid card. I think the CPU is ok for what i use it for. I think the vid card will give me the biggest bang for my dollar.

thanks for all the suggestions from everyone

 

[redbox]

Tell me a little about what you are wanting to do with your machine and if you are going to overclock. Also how is your psu and ram. I am looking at Newegg right now and I think I can get a system put together for under $490 that will give you better performance than what the guy above me suggested. I wouldn't recomend staying with intel right now if you want good gaming. In a few months that will change when conroe comes out cause it looks like a nice value in performance. However you will have to go to ddr2 and a new motherboard also a new video card if you don't switch to pci-express now. I suggest a small investment now, you know something to bridge between the techs. Wait for conroe and AM2 to fight it out and lower DDR2 prices and in about a year or two jump on the better conroe and AM2 with better DDR2 and DX10 and windows vista. Just my two cents.

Do tell me what you want this machine to do and what budget you are looking at. Don't forget the psu and ram.

Thanks

 

[redbox]

Ok here it is I would pick this set up if you want absolute silence

Motherboard It has passive heatsinks on the chipsets= no noise, it is dual core compatable, has agp and pci-express, sata and sata II, plus it's cheap.

CPU
This is a great processor, it is dual core and will provide future and present gaming, plus it will provide extra number crunching in apps.

GPU
This compares with the x800 series and 6800 series, plus it is passive= no noise.

This would be more powerful and silent pretty much with only a cpu fan, intake, exhaust, and psu fan.

Total price 541.98 without shipping.

Tell me what you think. We can play with the video card or cpu if you don't want that much silence or don't think dual core is the way to go.

Thanks

 

[akugami]

Overclock your CPU. Replace the video card with a faster one. No need for PCI-Express since you're not the type of gamer that needs ultra high super duper quality settings. Your needs are actually quite modest. If you really do feel like upgrading, I'd wait for AM2 and Conroe to come out in the next few months. Evaluate which is better bang for the buck and then get that system.

 

[redbox]

I tend to agree with akugami you would be better suited waiting until somethings come out here in a couple months. But hey it's your money.

 

[merk]

right now the most intensive stuff i do with the pc is gaming. But i also do use it with visual studio to do some programming. But nothing uber. Some modest windows apps or web sites.

Right now it seems like the gaming (what a surprise) is whats dragging behind.

If the $541 system is supposed to tide me over for just a few months until the cpu wars are over, i think i'd rather spend the money on that 7800gs, which some of the user reviews said was quiet, and it should give me better performance then the 7600, no?

So what would the performance difference be between getting just the 7800gs agp card, vs getting the system you spec'ed out?

Oh and my current PSU is 24Pin, Fortron 460W FSP460-60PFN (PFC) ATX and memory is i believe (4) 256meg kingston chips at 400mhz.

I usually never play at resolutions above 1280x1024 (since thats my lcd's native resolution). I'm only using a single display although at some point in the future i might make it a dual display.

So.... which way do you think i should go? 7800gs? 7600? going from my 9700pro, how big a difference would i see with the 7600 vs the 7800 ?

thanks again guys for all the help

 

[redbox]

The system I put out there was supposted to last a year or 2 so that DDR2 prices, motherboard prices, and Dx10 could get out and mature.

From what you said I would stay with that motherboard selection (it is very vesitile).
I would get this CPU And this GPU If you like mail in rebates it is a X1800xt 512 for 286.99 after mail in rebate just two dollars more than the 7800gs and you get so much more. If you don't like rebates then This one can be had for $319. with the motherboard cpu and the rebate it is $466 before rebate it is $496

with the motherboard cpu and sapphire it is $498

those would be a major step up from your system, I game with a 7800gt overclocked heavily and those cards I just linked would do quite a bit better than my card in these new games coming out i.e. oblivion.

I think that waiting for the new conroe and amd to mature would be a good way to play it.

 

[merk]

heh ok now you are starting to swing me back to buying a new system. Dont you love decisive people like me?

The one thing though i dont like is that the user reviews i just read on that graphics card mentioned it runs hot and can be loud. Is there another card you can recommend thats a little more on the quiet side? Or some aftermarket cooler (thats not uber expensive) to quiet it down?

The PSU and RAM i have in my current system will suffice for the one you spec'ed out?

thanks again for your help!!

 

[redbox]

what whould you want to keep the price under for an aftermarket cooler?

 

[redbox]

My brother has a vf900 that he says he would sell to you for $45 shiped.
edited for mispelling.

 

[merk]

honestly, i dont know. I'll have to do a quick look on newegg and see what other coolers are available and what their pricing and user reviews are.

hmm ok nm ... ALL the reviews for the vf900 seem to be outstanding. So i guess what I'll do is decide if i want to order this system, and if so, i'll try it without the cooler first. If its too noisy/hot then i'll grab the vf900.

if i can bug you with one more question: the vid card takes up 2 slots so i'd basically be sacrificing the PCI-E 1x slot ... does this cooler make the card any bigger so that it takes up any more slots? I dont think i really need to worry about it since the only other card right now that maybe i'd considering putting in there would be a sound card.

and once again, thanks for the help

 

[redbox]

the cooler won't make it bigger than a 2slot cooler, I don't think you would use the pciex1 slot anyway.