i7 860 build advice needed

[grimlock2003]

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
In addition to the typical stuff, processing digital photos (RAW) and scanned negatives, VMWare Workstation (work related). Plan to run a few BOINC projects on a least a few cores when the machine isn't being used heavily. Gaming isn't really an issue.

A quiet and reasonably power efficient system are important, quiet being the more important of the two. It doesn't have to be silent, just not sound like a plane taking off.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
$1,000, give or take $100 not including tax or shipping.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA.

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
I have more experience with Intel and Nvidia products.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
IDE DVD burner, one or two SATA drives for storage.

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
Yes, the parts I've listed below are a result of searching here and other sites.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Default speeds.

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.
Not much of a gamer, but my monitor is 1680x1050.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Within the next month or so.


Here is what I've come up with so far:
Intel i7 860 Processor - $279 @ Newegg (no Microcenter in town unfortunately)
GIGABYTE GA-P55M-UD2 LGA 1156 Intel P55 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - $105 @ Newegg
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ - $109 @ Newegg
Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W - $75 @ Newegg
Windows 7 Pro x64 OEM - $140 @ Newegg
[Optional - may use existing boot drive] Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB - $99 @ Newegg
Video: ??
Case: ??
Aftermarket CPU cooler: ??

Total: $708-$807

These are the core components I'm comfortable with. If there are better components please let me know. If it is recommended to get a better CPU cooler than the stock version, since the chip will often be at 100%, any recommendations are most welcome.

I really need help on case and video card selection. Like I mentioned above, noise level and efficiency are important.

Also, my (temporary) desk is only designed to fit computers up to 17.5 inches tall, so that may be an issue, but I can put the machine elsewhere if needed. I've found a few that fit that requirement, with the COOLER MASTER ELITE 335 C-335-KKN1-GP for about $50 as an option. Don't know if something along the lines of the Antec Sonata / Three Hundred would be a better option.

Since I'm not a gamer I don't need a high-end card, but something CUDA capable is preferred since I believe Photoshop, etc can take advantage. A quite, CUDA capable card in the $100 rage would be ideal. Dual DVI would be nice too. Right now I'm thinking about going with the BFG Tech BFGE98512GTGE GeForce 9800 GT 512MB for $100 at Newegg. I'm really out of the loop in GPU tech so I'm not sure if there is something better in the same price range.

Thanks in advance. Hopefully I can get this worked out soon so I can replace my poor P4/AGP system.

 

[mfenn]

i7 + Small case + Limited Space + BOINC != Quiet

To get a heavily utilized i7 to be quiet requires a pretty big heatsink, which may not fit into your case. But a big case won't fit into your desk. 1 of the 4 has to go.

 

[grimlock2003]

i7 + Small case + Limited Space + BOINC != Quiet

To get a heavily utilized i7 to be quiet requires a pretty big heatsink, which may not fit into your case. But a big case won't fit into your desk. 1 of the 4 has to go.

After spending the morning looking into cases, I'm gonna be happier with something a little bigger than what this desk can manage. That's OK, I'll just sit the PC next to the desk and use the CPU "cubby" for other storage. This will no doubt help with airflow as well. Once I move I'll get my normal desk out of storage and space won't be an issue.

 

[mfenn]

Good point. The limited space is the easiest to ditch. I can just sit the computer next to the desk. This will no doubt help with airflow as well.

After spending the morning looking into cases, I'm gonna be happier with something a little bigger than what this desk can manage. That's OK, I'll just sit the PC next to the desk and use the CPU "cubby" for other storage. This will no doubt help with airflow as well. Once I move I'll get my normal desk out of storage and space won't be an issue.

OK sounds like a plan. Your current component selections look good, although a 650W power supply isn't really necessary.

If you want that 860 to be quiet, you'll need to get something like a Promilatech Megahalems, Thermalright VenomousX, or a Noctua NH-U12P (basically anything that will mount a 120mm fan). I'm partial to Noctua since they ship their fans with nifty little voltage reducers.

As for cases, something like an Antec 300 or Coolermaster HAF will serve you well.

The 9800GT would be fine, but you might as well step up to the GTS 250, since it has more SPs and the prices are similar. Just make sure to get one with GDDR3.

 

[M0RPH]

You can get W7 Home Prem for $95 link

The Geforce GT 240 is a good low power card.

If you want better power efficiency get a lower wattage PSU. 400W would be enough.

 

[grimlock2003]

Ok, based on the feedback here I've made some changes/additions:

Traded the Antec EA 650 PSU for a EA 500.
Decided to go with the Antec Sonata Elite Case - I prefer the understated design compared to the Coolermaster models.
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 - Was also looking at the Coolermaster 212, but it may cramp the motherboard a bit. Will look some more before iI purchase, but one of those two should do the job. Should I just use the paste that comes with the HS since I'm not overclocking or get some Arctic paste?
I do think I will stick with the 9800GT. Reviews say it is quiet and it is dual DVI and a single slot card.

With these added I'm still in the $925 range. I may just need a DVI extension cable depending on where the tower gets placed. They are less than $10 at Monoprice though.

Thanks again. If either one of those coolers looks like a bad idea just let me know.

 

[mfenn]

Ok, based on the feedback here I've made some changes/additions:

Traded the Antec EA 650 PSU for a EA 500.
Decided to go with the Antec Sonata Elite Case - I prefer the understated design compared to the Coolermaster models.
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 - Was also looking at the Coolermaster 212, but it may cramp the motherboard a bit. Will look some more before iI purchase, but one of those two should do the job. Should I just use the paste that comes with the HS since I'm not overclocking or get some Arctic paste?
I do think I will stick with the 9800GT. Reviews say it is quiet and it is dual DVI and a single slot card.

With these added I'm still in the $925 range. I may just need a DVI extension cable depending on where the tower gets placed. They are less than $10 at Monoprice though.

Thanks again. If either one of those coolers looks like a bad idea just let me know.

The Freezer 7 Pro and Hyper TX3 are good heatsinks, but neither are particularly quiet when the CPU is at load. You should look into the 120mm sized coolers that I suggested if you want the system to be quiet while doing BOINC. Gary had no trouble mounting big heatsinks to the UD2.

The paste that comes with all of these heatsinks is just as good as AS5.

 

[MisterDonut]

Might just be me, but the VenX, ProMeg, and higher-end Noctua coolers can get a little pricey. As always, I would recommend the Mugen 2, but the heatsink is massive. It hovers just over your DIMM slots, but will fit the RAM you have selected. I dunno if that would matter at a price tag of $40.

 

[mfenn]

Might just be me, but the VenX, ProMeg, and higher-end Noctua coolers can get a little pricey. As always, I would recommend the Mugen 2, but the heatsink is massive. It hovers just over your DIMM slots, but will fit the RAM you have selected. I dunno if that would matter at a price tag of $40.

At $75, the NH-U12P isn't a bad deal. You get a heatsink and 2 $20 fans for your money. I agree that the Mugen 2 would be good as well. It isn't as quiet as the others, but it isn't loud by any means.

My main concern is that the OP wants the machine to be quiet while running BOINC, which will load the CPU to 100%.