Mostly Silent Gaming Build

[JBDan]

Went ahead and ordered the Fractal R3 Black. I realized I was being too picky, and that no one case out there is perfect for me. Being in Michigan, heat isn't an issue for 8 months out of the year, so airflow isn't critical. Silence however, is. If I find this case inadequate for my next build two years down the road, oh well. I'll have to buy a new case like everyone else.

Thread complete. Thanks again for all the suggestions. I'll post some pics when I have rig built.

Very nice. The case is very quiet and the airflow is also very good with a tidy 'smart' fan setup. The price is good and from the outside the case is quite attractive.

I did beat it earlier only because I'm so used to more rigid steel cases. You'll be happy I believe if it gets to you safely

Hoping it ships "gently" to you. Might want to open the box and check the case before the driver drives off.

After some googlin' Fractal Design is having issues with shipping....specifically UPS. Imagine that A larger issue imo is the weight vs case strength. Because of the insulation (bitumen) adding significant weight to the case and the fact the steel that is used is very thin (although not much thinner than a lot of cases out there), if that box is tossed around or dropped, even with its good packaging, it will torque and bend. The box mine was delivered in was pristine, the case was not.

GL post pics!

 

[Zap]

I think the area of RAMdisks for gaming remains largely untested. I've read several threads from other forums where a guy comes in wondering if a RAMdisk will help load times and stuttering

I've tried it around a decade ago. :awe: I was always the first one loaded in Quake 3.

Unless you actually run the game from RAM disk, I don't think there would be much benefit.

 

[mnewsham]

I've tried it around a decade ago. :awe: I was always the first one loaded in Quake 3.

Unless you actually run the game from RAM disk, I don't think there would be much benefit.

Im gonna have to see how big the SWTOR install will be :hmm: My laptop can fit 16GB if the game is less then 12GB then i can just install it there

 

[XLNC]

I've tried it around a decade ago. :awe: I was always the first one loaded in Quake 3.

Unless you actually run the game from RAM disk, I don't think there would be much benefit.

That's what I'm planning to do. I will allot 10-12GB for the RAMdisk and basically mount the entire game folder using NTFS junctions or symbolic links, whichever is supposed to be best.

Funny thing is, I'm not doing this for an advantage in multiplayer, which I'm sure would be nice. I'm doing this because I'm the most impatient bastard on Earth, and waiting for anything when it can be prevented annoys me. Also, a long loading screen takes you out of the immersion in a game.

 

[XLNC]

So I got my rig up and running, without the case and Noctua CPU cooler. Those should be here sometime next week. Is it a good idea to stress test the rig with only the stock CPU cooler? I won't be overclocking until the CPU cooler arrives. I already tested the RAM overnight and it looks fine.

 

[mfenn]

So I got my rig up and running, without the case and Noctua CPU cooler. Those should be here sometime next week. Is it a good idea to stress test the rig with only the stock CPU cooler? I won't be overclocking until the CPU cooler arrives. I already tested the RAM overnight and it looks fine.

Glad you got it working! The stock cooler is perfectly sufficient for maxing the system out at stock (or even with a bit of an overclock). It'll be loud as hell, but it will keep the CPU cool enough.

 

[XLNC]

Case was delivered today, and it looks sweet! I got everything except CPU cooler installed. That should be here Wednesday. Space is a bit tight, but I'm glad I got a case of this size instead of full tower.

New problem, old PSU's 80mm fan is making a racket. Never noticed it before since old rig sat on the floor further away from me. New rig is up on top of the table next to me. Even the R3 can't do enough to silence it. Looks like I'll have to upgrade that too.

Took some pics, will upload everything once rig is finalized.

 

[Zap]

Funny thing is, I'm not doing this for an advantage in multiplayer, which I'm sure would be nice. I'm doing this because I'm the most impatient bastard on Earth, and waiting for anything when it can be prevented annoys me. Also, a long loading screen takes you out of the immersion in a game.

Well, you'll have to spend time every boot to copy into the RAM drive. Basically a reboot clears it. I think you would get very similar performance from a few of the fastest SSDs in RAID0.

New problem, old PSU's 80mm fan is making a racket. Never noticed it before since old rig sat on the floor further away from me.

Ah yes, the PCP&C "Silencer." That name is a misnomer.

 

[XLNC]

I don't mind the initial loading and unloading since I'll only reboot when required. Also, the Dataram RAMdisk software does it automatically, and even gives you an option to backup contents every XXX seconds. It does take an extra 30 seconds however. I do have to invest in a good UPS (and now, PSU) though.

Oh, and I'm enjoying my Blackwidow Ultimate mechanical keyboard. I just want to keep typing more and more and more...

 

[JBDan]

Excellent it arrived safely. That keyboard is sweet lets see that rig when it's ready

 

[XLNC]

Excellent it arrived safely. That keyboard is sweet lets see that rig when it's ready

I definitely see what you mean when you said it's not as sturdy as other cases. I already broke the 5.25" to 3.5" plastic face plate. The steel chassis on the inside isn't as strong as my previous case (CM 690), but I'm glad it survived shipping. I'll have to be a bit careful with it from here.

 

[XLNC]

I hope you guys don't mind me resurrecting an old thread. I kept fiddling with the build for a while and didn't want to post pics until I was happy with it. I ended up replacing the old PSU with the new Corsair AX 750. I love the black cables and the system is now almost inaudible at idle. I ended up going way over budget but I'm at a point in my life where I can splurge a bit. Here are just a couple of pics.

The desk is the Ikea Galant with A legs, and the chair is from Ikea too. It's a very comfortable setup and it's exactly what I wanted. Hope you like the pics.

 

[Zap]

Are those modular cables stock?

 

[mnewsham]

Very nice clean build you have there. Wish i had the money for a nice desk, i usually spend everything on the computer :awe:

 

[XLNC]

Are those modular cables stock?

No, the single sleeved cables are from NZXT, should've clarified that. The stock modular cable included with the PSU is all black and very nice also, just not single sleeved.

Very nice clean build you have there. Wish i had the money for a nice desk, i usually spend everything on the computer :awe:

Thanks! The desk configuration was actually very important to me. I highly dislike desks with slide out keyboard trays and those bars that hit your shin every time.

 

[aphelion02]

That mesh-chair looks nice! Where did you get it? / What model is it?

 

[XLNC]

It's the Ikea Markus chair. The black comes in leather while other colors are cloth based. I opted not to use the included arm rests so I can slide chair closer to the table at any given height.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00103102

 

[mfenn]

Galant FTW!

Oh an nice job on the PC as well. :awe: