Just keep in mind that I'm a fan of the subtle black kind of case--maybe with a brushed aluminum front. So that's the kind of case you generally see from those manufacturers.
Of course, you could do case mods, like installing a plexiglass side and LED strips, to spice it up if you want.
Of course, you could do case mods, like installing a plexiglass side and LED strips, to spice it up if you want.
I think I like those styles too, and the simple shape will make modding much easier. There should be the tools I need to do that in my old mans shed somewhere.
I agree about Cooler Master too, all their models look fairly dated, and there's too much mesh everywhere for my taste.
Seems like if I wanted a full tower, the cost would be about $200 or over. But I don't think I'll be needing something that big.
I'll have a look and come back here afterwards
EDIT: I've had a look at Lian Le, and I don't like their lack of cable management. I think I'll stick to NZXT, and hopefully get myself a Switch 810, if I can't afford it, I'll stick to the 410 Phantom.
Still don't know exactly what my budget is, but next Sunday (not the one coming up, but next weeks), is when I turn 18 and get my moneys
So I'll keep looking at the best options, then when the time comes, I'll make the best pick for the money I got (probably between $1400 and $1500, hope for more). But I'll make sure to consult you guys first before making my order so be tuned on that Sunday.
EDIT AGAIN: If I was going to use fraps on this build, would you suggest more than 8GB RAM?
EDIT AGAIN: another question. If I absolutely HAD to downgrade my GPU, what should I go for?
I agree about Cooler Master too, all their models look fairly dated, and there's too much mesh everywhere for my taste.
Seems like if I wanted a full tower, the cost would be about $200 or over. But I don't think I'll be needing something that big.
I'll have a look and come back here afterwards
EDIT: I've had a look at Lian Le, and I don't like their lack of cable management. I think I'll stick to NZXT, and hopefully get myself a Switch 810, if I can't afford it, I'll stick to the 410 Phantom.
Still don't know exactly what my budget is, but next Sunday (not the one coming up, but next weeks), is when I turn 18 and get my moneys
So I'll keep looking at the best options, then when the time comes, I'll make the best pick for the money I got (probably between $1400 and $1500, hope for more). But I'll make sure to consult you guys first before making my order so be tuned on that Sunday.EDIT AGAIN: If I was going to use fraps on this build, would you suggest more than 8GB RAM?
EDIT AGAIN: another question. If I absolutely HAD to downgrade my GPU, what should I go for?
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Hmmm... If you're lucky, the Phantom 630 (the model the size between the 810 and 410) will be released. The 630 is supposed to be their best model yet: the lowest temperatures, the lowest noise, a healthy feature set. It's around $160, but I have yet to see it anywhere.
Eh, you probably don't need more RAM, and adding more is pretty trivial, try waiting and seeing. If you had to downgrade the GPU, I'd go for a 7950. But before that, I'd rather get a cheaper case and CPU cooler, since those to components wouldn't really impact the gaming experience.
Eh, you probably don't need more RAM, and adding more is pretty trivial, try waiting and seeing. If you had to downgrade the GPU, I'd go for a 7950. But before that, I'd rather get a cheaper case and CPU cooler, since those to components wouldn't really impact the gaming experience.
Wow, if the Phantom 410 is your idea of sleek and subtle, I'd hate to see something that you think is ostentatious!
Opinion time!
Obsidian 550D vs Vengeance C70
Does anyone have experience with these sound-insulated cases? Does the case get enough air from the front even though it's taking air from side vents, not directly from the front? That's the main question on my mind.
I don't think my case would need a tone of air, because I'm not overclocking, and I only got 1 GPU, 2 ram sticks (for now).
They're about the same price. So yeah, do you guys think I need heaps of air flow for my system or not?
PS. If I was to get an all-in-one Corsair water cooling system, would I be better off having the pull fan config, or push? It doesn't look like a pull-push config could be fitted to either.
Obsidian 550D vs Vengeance C70
Does anyone have experience with these sound-insulated cases? Does the case get enough air from the front even though it's taking air from side vents, not directly from the front? That's the main question on my mind.
I don't think my case would need a tone of air, because I'm not overclocking, and I only got 1 GPU, 2 ram sticks (for now).
They're about the same price. So yeah, do you guys think I need heaps of air flow for my system or not?
PS. If I was to get an all-in-one Corsair water cooling system, would I be better off having the pull fan config, or push? It doesn't look like a pull-push config could be fitted to either.
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Meh. I think that the Vengeance C70 is incredibly ugly, and I find pretty much all Corsair products overpriced for what you get. Look into the Antec 1100 or P280 if you don't like the R4.
I don't ever advocate prebuilt water cooling as the price is generally too high for what you get. The H110, for example, is 50% more expensive than the too end Noctua, and gets at best a degree or two cooler at a slightly lower decibel volume (both are essentially inaudible anyway).
I don't ever advocate prebuilt water cooling as the price is generally too high for what you get. The H110, for example, is 50% more expensive than the too end Noctua, and gets at best a degree or two cooler at a slightly lower decibel volume (both are essentially inaudible anyway).
_Rick_
Diamond Member
- Apr 20, 2012
- 3,952
- 70
- 91
The only exception to that rule would be, if the case you use limits heatsink placement over the CPU, but gives better options for radiator mounts.
That is true. I'll revise my statement to be: I don't ever advise prebuilt watercooling unless there are severe space constraints that allow only for watercooling.
I actually really like the Vengeance C70 :awe: and I could imagine myself taking this thing over to my dads and mate's places, so easy transport is fairly important. It's also got the best cable management I've seen in cases that cost this much, up to 10 fans in case I feel like pimping it with some more. The only thing I'm against is the fan mounts and vents on the side window maybe I could mod it, and replace that window with a plane one. I think I might get it, it's on the top of my list right now, but I still have to wait and see what my budget is.
maybe I could mod it, and replace that window with a plane one. I think I might get it, it's on the top of my list right now, but I still have to wait and see what my budget is.I suppose the white one isn't as egregiously bad as the olive... :shrudders:
Anyway, keep in mind that any more than 3-4 fans will result in some sound increase. You may want to get some acoustic insulation foam (which in turn makes a window basically useless and increases temperatures. There's no such thing as a free lunch).
Anyway, keep in mind that any more than 3-4 fans will result in some sound increase. You may want to get some acoustic insulation foam (which in turn makes a window basically useless and increases temperatures. There's no such thing as a free lunch).
I wouldn't really call the C70 a low-noise case. It is your standard "premium" tower that somebody happened to hit with an ugly stick on the way out the door. It shares the same basic chassis as the 550D, but that's about it.
The 550D has a heavy aluminum front door, which really cuts down on the noise coming out the front of the case. It's also got acoustic padding on the side panels to cut down on noise and more importantly vibrations. It doesn't have an acoustically-transparent side window. Oh, and it's not ugly.
So if a quiet case is what you're looking for the 550D is a better choice. I think that the R4 is a better value though.
The 550D has a heavy aluminum front door, which really cuts down on the noise coming out the front of the case. It's also got acoustic padding on the side panels to cut down on noise and more importantly vibrations. It doesn't have an acoustically-transparent side window. Oh, and it's not ugly.
So if a quiet case is what you're looking for the 550D is a better choice. I think that the R4 is a better value though.
I'm a much bigger fan of the solid sides on the R4 and Antec specimens like the P280 for sure. I'd go with either of those cases over a C70. Besides, the C70 is huge and heavy--for portability, you'd reconfigure and do something mITX like a Bitfenix Prodigy (it had handles!) Because it's mITX, it's much smaller and easier to handle (though not dramatically lighter). You'd need to get an mITX mobo (like the Gigabyte GA-Z77N-WIFI) and a short PSU (such as the Silverstone Strider).
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Ah, well it looks like I might be the only one that like the appearance of the C70 and it has handles too, on the top.
I'm going to have to wait a little longer to know what my budget is though (the waiting is KILLING ME!), so it's too early to say exactly what I'll be getting.
and it has handles too, on the top.I'm going to have to wait a little longer to know what my budget is though (the waiting is KILLING ME!), so it's too early to say exactly what I'll be getting.
Corsair withholds the weight of the C70, and do you want to know why? It probably weights around 8 kilos (roughly what the smaller 550D weights). That's not a trivial thing to lug around once it's filled with hardware. I'd estimate my mATX system at around 10-15 kilos--a full ATX system is going to be more.
Well I think I've figured out cases for now, thanks for all the advice guys.
By the way, is there anything wrong with the Noctua U9B? Is it good quality like the D14? Should I invest the extra money into one of their higher-end ones? And finally, if I can't afford the D14, would it be fine going for the U9B, ie. am I missing out on much?
If I can't afford any of them, I'll get the 212 Evo
By the way, is there anything wrong with the Noctua U9B? Is it good quality like the D14? Should I invest the extra money into one of their higher-end ones? And finally, if I can't afford the D14, would it be fine going for the U9B, ie. am I missing out on much?
If I can't afford any of them, I'll get the 212 Evo
Noctua U9B is just less good at cooling than the D14. For that kind of price though, I'd look for something like the Thermaltake Frio. Definitely look for something that is 4-pin rather than 3-pin so you can get PWN fan control.
I found this yesterday
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6774/nvidias-geforce-gtx-titan-part-2-titans-performance-unveiled/10
And it looks like the 7970 out-performs all of nvidia's single GPU cards in about every game (I only checked Battlefield 3, Farcry 3 and Shogun 2). Which is confusing to me, because why don't nvidia just take their prices down, because they're just not worth the money.
Anyway, here is what my build is at the moment, and any recommendations are welcome (about a week until I can order this stuff):
Case : BitFenix Ghost $120
CPU : Intel Core i5 3570K $235
MoBo : ASRock Z77 Extreme4 $135
RAM : Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4x4GB) DDR3 Gold $115
GPU : Sapphire Radeon HD7970 3GB OC Edition with Boost $420
CPU Cooler : CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO $35
PSU : Corsair CX-600M $100
SSD : Samsung 840 Series 120GB $100
HDD : Seagate Barracuda 1TB $75
Total: $1335 So probably too much.
I'm going with 16GB of RAM just because I use programs like Photoshop and 3D Modelling/Animation, so I thought it would come in handy. If I need to cut my build down though, this is the first thing coming down.
Another thing that will be coming down first off is the mobo, if I need to. Instead of getting the extreme series, I'll get a pro.
I like the case, looks like it's got good cable management, enough room, looks good, and it's silent. Enough cooling though? That's all I'm worried about. Plus great price compared to Corsairs 550D, which is pretty much the same. If I absolutely had to cut back on some more though, I would get an even cheaper case, seems as they don't affect performance.
I might be speaking blasphemy here, but is the AMD FX-4300 anywhere close to the Intel Core i5 3570K?
Last thing; would my 600W PSU be enough for my system listed above, without any of the cut-backs mentioned?
Thanks again guys for all your support and input for this build, I wouldn't know how to have done this without you guys.
EDIT: Actually, one more question; is there a big difference between the 7970 and 7950? If I absolutely had to downgrade something for $100 markdown, should I get either the FX-4300 or the 7950? Because they both knock off about $100, and the mobo cost would go down about $20-30 too if I chose to go with the FX-4300.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6774/nvidias-geforce-gtx-titan-part-2-titans-performance-unveiled/10
And it looks like the 7970 out-performs all of nvidia's single GPU cards in about every game (I only checked Battlefield 3, Farcry 3 and Shogun 2). Which is confusing to me, because why don't nvidia just take their prices down, because they're just not worth the money.
Anyway, here is what my build is at the moment, and any recommendations are welcome (about a week until I can order this stuff):
Case : BitFenix Ghost $120
CPU : Intel Core i5 3570K $235
MoBo : ASRock Z77 Extreme4 $135
RAM : Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4x4GB) DDR3 Gold $115
GPU : Sapphire Radeon HD7970 3GB OC Edition with Boost $420
CPU Cooler : CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO $35
PSU : Corsair CX-600M $100
SSD : Samsung 840 Series 120GB $100
HDD : Seagate Barracuda 1TB $75
Total: $1335 So probably too much.
I'm going with 16GB of RAM just because I use programs like Photoshop and 3D Modelling/Animation, so I thought it would come in handy. If I need to cut my build down though, this is the first thing coming down.
Another thing that will be coming down first off is the mobo, if I need to. Instead of getting the extreme series, I'll get a pro.
I like the case, looks like it's got good cable management, enough room, looks good, and it's silent. Enough cooling though? That's all I'm worried about. Plus great price compared to Corsairs 550D, which is pretty much the same. If I absolutely had to cut back on some more though, I would get an even cheaper case, seems as they don't affect performance.
I might be speaking blasphemy here, but is the AMD FX-4300 anywhere close to the Intel Core i5 3570K?
Last thing; would my 600W PSU be enough for my system listed above, without any of the cut-backs mentioned?
Thanks again guys for all your support and input for this build, I wouldn't know how to have done this without you guys.
EDIT: Actually, one more question; is there a big difference between the 7970 and 7950? If I absolutely had to downgrade something for $100 markdown, should I get either the FX-4300 or the 7950? Because they both knock off about $100, and the mobo cost would go down about $20-30 too if I chose to go with the FX-4300.
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The biggest criticism I have is that you should look for a 2x8GB set of RAM rather than 4x4GB (it helps to have expansion room). Corsair Vengeance RAM is also typically overpriced (in the states, &75-85 is where I'd look).
A smaller criticism is that modular isn't necessary if you get the right size (500W in your case) for what you need. You'd have like 2-3 SATA power cables extra--not a big deal to hide away in a HDD cage.
I personally like the Ghost even though Dustin Sklavos (the resident case reviewer at Anandtech) doesn't--that's a solid choice. You may need to buy a couple of fans to experiment with to get optimal cooling, but once you're done, it's quieter and as cool or cooler than the R4. The price of the extra fans does make it a slightly less good value, but it's a nice case.
A smaller criticism is that modular isn't necessary if you get the right size (500W in your case) for what you need. You'd have like 2-3 SATA power cables extra--not a big deal to hide away in a HDD cage.
I personally like the Ghost even though Dustin Sklavos (the resident case reviewer at Anandtech) doesn't--that's a solid choice. You may need to buy a couple of fans to experiment with to get optimal cooling, but once you're done, it's quieter and as cool or cooler than the R4. The price of the extra fans does make it a slightly less good value, but it's a nice case.
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Seems like RAM is a different case in Australia. I can get a 2x8GB set for $100, but they're just plane and got no heat spreaders. I'm fine with going with a set of 4, because if I end up getting more RAM in the future, I'm just going to buy a whole new set.
I can't seem to find a better value PSU online in Australia, that has 80 plus bronze, without modular. Unless you can find one?
I could always upgrade the case's fans in the future, and not right now.
So would you recommend switching the CPU (maybe to an AMD processor), or stepping down the GPU, if I had to cut back $100 bucks and had no options left?
I can't seem to find a better value PSU online in Australia, that has 80 plus bronze, without modular. Unless you can find one?
I could always upgrade the case's fans in the future, and not right now.
So would you recommend switching the CPU (maybe to an AMD processor), or stepping down the GPU, if I had to cut back $100 bucks and had no options left?
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Hmmm... You say you game and photoshop... The best way to cut down would be to switch to a Xeon around $260 (for the hyperthreading, something that's useful for photoshop), drop to an H77 motherboard, and get rid of the cooler--that affords good photoshop performance. AMD's most competitive solution (the FX 8350) is also $200 and requires no aftermarket cooler (plus the motherboard is typically cheaper).
Dropping from a 7970 to a 7950 is also possible (saves $100).
Dropping from a 7970 to a 7950 is also possible (saves $100).
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I can get a Xeon 1230 for the same price as a 3750k. Do Xeon need the H77 chip boards?
If I was going to go with AMD, I wouldnt get anything larger than 4 cores, because it seems pointless. Unless I'm wrong? I'm not sure.
If I was going to go with AMD, I wouldnt get anything larger than 4 cores, because it seems pointless. Unless I'm wrong? I'm not sure.
Torn Mind
Lifer
- Nov 25, 2012
- 12,046
- 2,763
- 136
The Xeons can run on any motherboard that is compatible with it--not all are--regardless of chipset(B75, Z77, H77). It is just a waste of money to get a Z77 board instead of the H77 one because the Z77 one is more expensive. Of course, if you really need features like eSATA ports or whatever, then only the really high end boards have that...but you don't.
DSF
Diamond Member
- Oct 6, 2007
- 4,902
- 0
- 71
If it were me, I'd definitely be comfortable stepping down to the 7950 at your resolution. It's already a fast card at stock and generally overclocks quite well to boot. Full disclosure, I don't always feel compelled to play games with the settings maxed out.
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