Looking to build a small, quiet Gaming PC

[kenc]

After a lot of research, here is what I am looking at...

Case: Lian Li Q08 Case $110+10sh
PSU: Seasonic 400W Fanless PSU $120
(alternately, this unit looks like a good sub, but the form factor is different and I am guessing may not fit well: Seasonic 350TGM $70)
CPU: i5 3570 Ivy Bridge $200
HD1: Samsung 830 128GB SSD $100
HD2: Samsung 1TB Spinpoint F3 $70
OD : Samsung DVD Burner $15
Video: Sapphire Radeon Ultimate 7750 $125
MB: ? $100
Mem: ? 8GB $50
OS: Windows 7 64bit $100

Total: $1000 even. I did say my budget was $1K, right?

Opting for a very quiet build. The 7750 is not the fastest, but as far as I can tell should run GW2 fine and will be above the recommended specs for XCOM. And the Sapphire Ultimate is fanless, as is the PSU.

I toyed with the idea of going without a video card and instead getting the i7 with HD4000, then later adding a video card when needed. But it looks like the HD 4000 is just going to be too weak and I'd end up buying a card immediately anyway.

Still not sure what MB and memory would make best use of the above components -- so any recommendations are welcome.

 

[lehtv]

I don't think a fanless PSU is worth it in this case, that PC consumes so little power that any unit regular 80+ bronze unit should be quiet enough. PSU noise ramps up when it consumes more power, and this PC doesn't consume much power at all. Another important thing to consider is that a stock CPU fan and a 1000RPM case fan will make more noise than the PSU as well. If you really want it quiet, you want an aftermarket CPU cooler and low speed case fans.

Case : Good. Or white version for $95 shipped. Get some adapters to downvolt the fans to 7V. $110.
PSU : PCP&C MK III 400W $40 AR AP
CPU : Way overkill for a 7750, but with savings you can afford a better GPU. $200 on newegg if you buy today
CPU Cooling : Scythe Shuriken Rev. B $35. Optionally replace fan with a standard 20mm thick one at a constant low RPM.
SSD : Good $100
HDD : 7200RPM drives make noise more than 5400RPM/5900RPM ones, consider Seagate ST1500DL003 $70
ODD : Good $15
GPU : Way underpowered for a $1000 rig. Sapphire 7850 2GB $200 AR. Runs cool and quiet even without modification, but I would recommend using MSI Afterburner to create a custom fan profile to keep it as quiet as possible. Accept only near-inaudible idle fan speeds and tolerate load gaming temps of up to 75-80C.
Mobo : Asrock H77M-ITX* $100
RAM : 2x4GB G.Skill 1600 $40

= $910 AR AP + shipping + possible extras like fan voltage cables and replacement fans

*The cooler should not block the PCIe slot; when I asked Scythe about compatibility with ITX boards, they answered:

The Shuriken Rev.B cooler shouldn't block the PCIe slot, because the dimensions are nearly the same of the mounting area of the Intel specification.

You can see the mounting area outlined on the board with white straight lines, it cuts close to the PCIe slot but should fit.

 

[lakedude]

The i3 dual core Ivies are out, if that matters...

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2267988

Save a few Watts and a few bucks.?.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

Quick comment: I wouldn't recommend putting that fanless PSU in that case. The main PSU vent is on the top, and relies entirely on convection for cooling. That case has the PSU's top oriented to the side, so convection will be much less efficient. As said above, the system is sufficiently low power that its PSU will likely remain pretty quiet since the fan will never have to ramp up that high.

 

[kenc]

Thanks for the Q08 link. Just ordered that and the HD from ncix. Does anyone know where I can find a silver or white fronted DVD burner?

I don't think a fanless PSU is worth it in this case, that PC consumes so little power that any unit regular 80+ bronze unit should be quiet enough. PSU noise ramps up when it consumes more power, and this PC doesn't consume much power at all. Another important thing to consider is that a stock CPU fan and a 1000RPM case fan will make more noise than the PSU as well. If you really want it quiet, you want an aftermarket CPU cooler and low speed case fans.

Case : Good. Or white version for $95 shipped. Get some adapters to downvolt the fans to 7V. $110.
PSU : PCP&C MK III 400W $40 AR AP
CPU : Way overkill for a 7750, but with savings you can afford a better GPU. $200 on newegg if you buy today
CPU Cooling : Scythe Shuriken Rev. B $35. Optionally replace fan with a standard 20mm thick one at a constant low RPM.
SSD : Good $100
HDD : 7200RPM drives make noise more than 5400RPM/5900RPM ones, consider Seagate ST1500DL003 $70
ODD : Good $15
GPU : Way underpowered for a $1000 rig. Sapphire 7850 2GB $200 AR. Runs cool and quiet even without modification, but I would recommend using MSI Afterburner to create a custom fan profile to keep it as quiet as possible. Accept only near-inaudible idle fan speeds and tolerate load gaming temps of up to 75-80C.
Mobo : Asrock H77M-ITX* $100
RAM : 2x4GB G.Skill 1600 $40

= $910 AR AP + shipping + possible extras like fan voltage cables and replacement fans

*The cooler should not block the PCIe slot; when I asked Scythe about compatibility with ITX boards, they answered:

You can see the mounting area outlined on the board with white straight lines, it cuts close to the PCIe slot but should fit.

 

[mfenn]

Total: $1000 even. I did say my budget was $1K, right?

Uhhhh...

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
Preferably < $800.

 

[mfenn]

Thanks for the Q08 link. Just ordered that and the HD from ncix. Does anyone know where I can find a silver or white fronted DVD burner?

The cover on the Q08's 5.25" bay is meant to stay in place when using a standard optical drive. The built-in button has a little piece of adjustable plastic that you can align with the actual drive's button and the top part flips down when the tray ejects. That way, you don't have to worry about the color of the drive itself.

 

[kenc]

Uhhhh...

Sorry -- that was TIC 🙂

Thanks also for the info re OD cover.

 

[kenc]

Alright. It's all ordered, now the waiting begins. Thanks to everyone for all the advice! You all finally talked me into the 7850.

Thanks especially to lehtv for this final configuration.

I'll let you know how it works out!

I don't think a fanless PSU is worth it in this case, that PC consumes so little power that any unit regular 80+ bronze unit should be quiet enough. PSU noise ramps up when it consumes more power, and this PC doesn't consume much power at all. Another important thing to consider is that a stock CPU fan and a 1000RPM case fan will make more noise than the PSU as well. If you really want it quiet, you want an aftermarket CPU cooler and low speed case fans.

Case : Good. Or white version for $95 shipped. Get some adapters to downvolt the fans to 7V. $110.
PSU : PCP&C MK III 400W $40 AR AP
CPU : Way overkill for a 7750, but with savings you can afford a better GPU. $200 on newegg if you buy today
CPU Cooling : Scythe Shuriken Rev. B $35. Optionally replace fan with a standard 20mm thick one at a constant low RPM.
SSD : Good $100
HDD : 7200RPM drives make noise more than 5400RPM/5900RPM ones, consider Seagate ST1500DL003 $70
ODD : Good $15
GPU : Way underpowered for a $1000 rig. Sapphire 7850 2GB $200 AR. Runs cool and quiet even without modification, but I would recommend using MSI Afterburner to create a custom fan profile to keep it as quiet as possible. Accept only near-inaudible idle fan speeds and tolerate load gaming temps of up to 75-80C.
Mobo : Asrock H77M-ITX* $100
RAM : 2x4GB G.Skill 1600 $40

= $910 AR AP + shipping + possible extras like fan voltage cables and replacement fans

*The cooler should not block the PCIe slot; when I asked Scythe about compatibility with ITX boards, they answered:

You can see the mounting area outlined on the board with white straight lines, it cuts close to the PCIe slot but should fit.

 

[mfenn]

:thumbsup: Awesome!