Most Future Proof and Quiet system around $1500 or so?

[TheNewGuy8]

So I was hoping to put off this upgrade, but my current system is freaking out, and acting very strange. I'm currently troubleshooting that, but it'll take some time, and by the time I'm done I'd like to just upgrade and sell the current system once its fixed.

I'm pretty current on the situation of parts right now, and am looking to get the most future proof and quiet system for around $1500 or so. Budget is loose, but obviously the cheaper the better.

I'm interested in dual core, since I do alot of photo editing, and will be doing video editing soon, as well as game playing and lots of system background tasks.

The system I've been living with is 2.5 years old, and for the past year or so i've had to tone down the games I've been playing, which is painful to do, as im sure you all know. Here's my current system:

*P4 3.06 HT 533 FSB with an XP 120 (I lost the AMD retention clips, but assume i can get more somewhere so I can re-use this HSF since its awsome)
*Radeon 9700 Pro
*Asus P4P800-E Mobo (agp, sata, P4, etc.)
*1gig PC 3200 memory (2x512) value ram I think (I didnt know about timings when I bought it) running dual channel
*Audigy Platinum 2
*4x LG burner (from when they were new)

So it's been a good system, but is now obviously pretty old. I want to go AMD obviously, and am looking at the X2 3800+/Opty 165 or something around there. I've never OC'd before, but have heard its pretty easy on these AMDs and am very interested in trying it.

AS for video, I'm interested in getting the most future proof system I can, which can be paralleled with bang for buck. I assume at this point that is the 7800GT. I'm very interested in the x1900 and the 512 mb version cards out there, but I'm not sure if the price is worth it, when in a year I can upgrade to another $300 card and get even more performance if the 7800GT is good for now. So any advice here is appreciated.

Also - i'm interested in a quiet computer. This may be hard with overclocking, but with 120mm HSF and 120mm fans in the case. I currently have an Antec Lanboy case with 120mm intake and exhaust fans. Its been a great case, and its a great size (pretty small) - but if something else out there is better I'd be interested (need 120mm fans, a window, and if possible no door).

I'm also very interested in RELIABILITY - I've had toooooo much ****** break on me recently. So I know PSU is important for this - so I'd like to get something good - Fortron or the Antec Neopower looked good (though that great deal outpost had just went out of stock).

So ya, I'll leave it there. Look forward to comments,

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: TheNewGuy8
So I was hoping to put off this upgrade, but my current system is freaking out, and acting very strange. I'm currently troubleshooting that, but it'll take some time, and by the time I'm done I'd like to just upgrade and sell the current system once its fixed.

I'm pretty current on the situation of parts right now, and am looking to get the most future proof and quiet system for around $1500 or so. Budget is loose, but obviously the cheaper the better.

I'm interested in dual core, since I do alot of photo editing, and will be doing video editing soon, as well as game playing and lots of system background tasks.

The system I've been living with is 2.5 years old, and for the past year or so i've had to tone down the games I've been playing, which is painful to do, as im sure you all know. Here's my current system:

*P4 3.06 HT 533 FSB with an XP 120 (I lost the AMD retention clips, but assume i can get more somewhere so I can re-use this HSF since its awsome)
*Radeon 9700 Pro
*Asus P4P800-E Mobo (agp, sata, P4, etc.)
*1gig PC 3200 memory (2x512) value ram I think (I didnt know about timings when I bought it) running dual channel
*Audigy Platinum 2
*4x LG burner (from when they were new)

So it's been a good system, but is now obviously pretty old. I want to go AMD obviously, and am looking at the X2 3800+/Opty 165 or something around there. I've never OC'd before, but have heard its pretty easy on these AMDs and am very interested in trying it.

AS for video, I'm interested in getting the most future proof system I can, which can be paralleled with bang for buck. I assume at this point that is the 7800GT. I'm very interested in the x1900 and the 512 mb version cards out there, but I'm not sure if the price is worth it, when in a year I can upgrade to another $300 card and get even more performance if the 7800GT is good for now. So any advice here is appreciated.

Also - i'm interested in a quiet computer. This may be hard with overclocking, but with 120mm HSF and 120mm fans in the case. I currently have an Antec Lanboy case with 120mm intake and exhaust fans. Its been a great case, and its a great size (pretty small) - but if something else out there is better I'd be interested (need 120mm fans, a window, and if possible no door).

I'm also very interested in RELIABILITY - I've had toooooo much ****** break on me recently. So I know PSU is important for this - so I'd like to get something good - Fortron or the Antec Neopower looked good (though that great deal outpost had just went out of stock).

So ya, I'll leave it there. Look forward to comments,

you have pretty much summed it up yourself. get a good psu, the 3800 or 165, the xp120 is excellent and a 7800gt. also, the 120mm fans are usually quieter than a smaller fan becasue they spend at a lower rpm and are also perceived quieter because of the frequency at which they make noise at.

i would go a 2x1GB ram package too. and maybe a nec/benq newer dvd burner. other than that, that is about it.

 

[Tostada]

Just to give you a place to start:

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800 Retail $295 (ZipZoomFly)
mainboard: DFI LanParty UT nF4 Ultra-D $129.84 (newegg)
video: XFX GeForce 7800GT 256 $289.99 (ZipZoomFly)
HDD: Western Digital 250GB SATA WD2500KS $104.9 (ZipZoomFly)
RAM: Mushkin 2 x 1024MB DDR500 $214.99 (ZipZoomFly)
CD: NEC ND-3550A black DVD-R $43.88 (newegg)
case: Cooler Master Centurion 5 ATX $60.98 (newegg)
PSU: SeaSonic S12 430W $107.99 (newegg)

That's $1,247.57 delivered, and it's very close to the system I just built.

The X2 3800 with DDR500 RAM with a DFI board is the easiest overclock you'll get. Just put it together, turn it on, set the HTT to 250 and you're running at 2.5 GHz with the stock heatsink on default voltage. The Opteron has more cache, but that only gives it a 1.0%-1.5% performance boost in benchmarks, and it's harder to overclock synchronously because it has a lower multiplier (at 2.5 GHz the Opteron is already running the RAM at DDR556).

I just don't like paying another $33.50 for the Opteron when it performs almost identically but is harder to overclock. The best part of the Opteron is the better heatsink. Most people are going to recommend the Opteron, though, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that.

Normally I just go with cheap memory, but you really want DDR500 to overclock an X2/Opteron, and that Mushkin stuff is really good. If you do get an Opteron, it can handle speeds beyond DDR500 without lowering the timings.

The motherboard is $1 cheaper at ZipZoomFly, but motherboards are a good thing to always get at NewEgg. Even the best brands show up DOA sometimes or have problems, and nobody will give you a hassle-free RMA like NewEgg.

The XFX 7800GT is a good card. It's the quietest 7800GT I know of, and it comes overclocked a little. Wanting a high-end video card and wanting a quiet system is hard to pull off unless you want to start installing massive aftermarket coolers on everything.

The Ultra-D is a great board, but the 2nd PCI-E x16 slot is mostly useful if you're going to have a 3rd monitor hooked up to it.

Those DFI boards also have a weird on-board audio riser, which bumps into some cases. On that CoolerMaster case, you want to use some kind of wire clippers to cut a little notch in the 120mm fan bezel in the back so it's not squeezing the riser card (if you're using onboard audio). I assume you'd use your current Audigy, so it doesn't matter.

The best way to make your system the most future-proof is to just get good stuff. Spending extra to get something that may be more upgradable never works out as well as people think. For example, getting a ridiculously expensive motherboard just so it'll last longer is a waste since most of the time you upgrade a CPU you're going to want a new board.

Most people will tell you to get a 500W PSU. The 430W SeaSonic is more than enough unless you're running SLI 7800s and several hard drives. Nothing wrong with getting a 500W, but a 600W is just silly.

I guess I wouldn't bother getting a new case since you've already got a nice one. It's just on there since it's the case I have. It doesn't even have a window, so you wouldn't like it.

 

[JMoore]

Get a silencer on the gfx card, and maybe use a passive cooling solution on the chipset. I would use the Antec P-180 for your case and a Seasonic PSU. That will make for a quiet system.

A fan controller might be nice to.

 

[TheNewGuy8]

Tostada - thanks so much for all the info. The DDR 500 seems like a good choice for an easier overclock - and its not *too* much more over the value ram stuff - plus its high performance anyway, so thats great.

JMoore - what is the Antec P-180 - an aftermarket cooler? I'm not familiar with that. I have no problem installing aftermarket stuff. I have an Arctic cooler on my 9700pro at the moment. And getting rid of small chipset fans is great by me - those tiny wining fans are killer.

Again thanks for all the suggestions - I'll go look at reviews for all this stuff and come back with more questions

 

[Bobthelost]

The antec p180 is a case desinged to be quiet for overclocked/ high spec computers. I've got one, it's a bit of a bitch to work in, but a great case for keeping the noise down.

Look at http://www.silentpcreview.com for reviews on quiet components and building tricks.

 

[TheNewGuy8]

I've been looking through silentpcreview and at various reviews.

I read alot of problems from peopel who used the DFI Ultra-D board with the Seasonic S12 power supply.

 

[Bobthelost]

There have been issues, still ongoing ones too. However seasonic are supposed to be quite good at replacements, might not be worth the risk, but if you want quiet and powerful it's a seasonic or an antec phantom 500. That's it.

Well, other than the Enermax liberty and NeoHE, but good as they are they still don't beat the seasonic.

 

[bob4432]

you could always go the epox board that everybody raves about. i don't think it has the sam max ram V but otherwise from what i have read is a pretty good o/cer.

 

[JMoore]

Originally posted by: TheNewGuy8
I've been looking through silentpcreview and at various reviews.

I read alot of problems from peopel who used the DFI Ultra-D board with the Seasonic S12 power supply.

Then go with a diffrent MB. DFI may be the best for ocing, but others are very, very close. I'd prob go with the Epox board because it is cheap, yet everyone seems to love it (ranks right up there with DFI). You have to remember though that your computer is only as quiet as your loudest compnent. I don't know how load your chipset cooler is going to be, but I might think about getting something for it.

Edit: Check this out. http://www.newegg.com/product/Product.a...256MB+GDDR3+PCI+Express+x16+Video+Card