Search the Community

So my brother is going to be upgrading his current build by building a new PC from scratch. His current build has lasted him for ~6 years and i think expects this next setup to do the same. Here is a list of his current parts that he has chosen and I just wanted to get some feedback for his build to see what everyone thinks. His main goals are to keep his build as quiet as possible while keeping costs as low as possible and to make sure it lasts several years.http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/spYNzMListed: CPU: i7-4790CPU Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFMMotherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5Memory/RAM: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Also will be adding current HDD from current build, 1TB)GPU: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIXCase: Fractal Design Define R5 Blackout Edition ATX Mid Tower CasePower Supply: be quiet! STRAIGHT POWER 10 400W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power SupplyAny feedback would be greatly appreciated thanks!

Hi all, I'm planning on upgrading my current setup to a silent/quiet gaming computer with (ideally) a tempered glass case Current Build: CPU Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4790K CPU @ 4.00GHz Motherboard ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. Z97-E RAM 16GB of crap GPU R9 280X Case Some CybertornPC case Storage 2TB HDD PSU 750W I think Display(s) ASUS VS228, ASUS VE278 Cooling 7 120 mm Orange Fans Sound Soundblaster Z How should I upgrade (I will take performance over silence of course, and I really want interior aesthetics to pop. Its just so long as I can see the inside of my computer and it doesent break 60 dB (current setup), I'll be happy 1. Budget & Location $1000 US 2. Aim Gaming mainly, I dont really want to upgrade the CPU, MOBO, or GPU. Only the cooling solution and case. I also want to switch my current storage solution to either a dual SSD setup or a boot SSD with storage for games and a Caviar Green for program files. Also, I would like a tempered glass case (RGB LED controller and/or fan controller would be cool, but it really isn't a big deal). Also if there are any recommendations for RAM, as I will probably upgrade that outside of this budget. 5. Why are you upgrading? I just want to be able to see the inside of my computer and admire it's glory (I am a sucker for beautiful computers), and I want to be able to leave my computer on and walk away from it without it bothering me (60 dB is kind of loud for a computer)

So couple months back I ordered a server it was an HP DL360 G5. I sent it back for various reasons but one of them being the noise. It was way too noisy. What I want from you guys is help on choosing a server. I want a quiet server that I can run mostly 24/7 but it's in my lounge where other people are watching tv etc. probably 30dbA is loud enough, that's what my computer's noise is I would say and that is ok. So what I need help deciding on is either should I purchase a tower server pre-built from a company such as DELL or HP or build my own server by sourcing old and/or new parts? As a kind of HTPC build. Anyway, Here are the rough specs I want: Tower Server, Micro ATX or Mid Tower Form Factor (Case) 1xPSU as long as it powers the server and has enough room for adding a couple of drives in the future. 1 or 2 CPU's with a total/combined score of 9000+ on http://www.cpubenchmark.net/ Xeon CPU's of course. An E3-Series would be nice. If not X series. X5550 would be perfect for me. 12GB or more of ram. 250GB+ of HDD space. Preferably 1TB. Any drive combination (e.g. 3x250gb, 1x250gb, 1x1tb, 2x500gb) And finally the socket. I want a socket that is flexible to upgrade it to a higher tier CPU in future. For example LGA 1366, LGA 1150. NOT LGA 771 OR LGA 775, these are a bit outdated for me. Thanks. Any comments, help or suggestions are welcome. EDIT: Uses for this server is a mini NAS. To host some video and other media files to other network users around the house. Hosted through SMB so that people on all devices can watch it with an app if it's on an android device. Also, I will be using it for 4 or 5 VMs. One of the VM's being Pfsense which I plan to run and have a quad or dual port gigabit nic inside it. Other 2 VM's are testing environments that I want to host AD in one of them and have DHCP and DNS. I like to mess about with AD so don't question why I need it for a household or anything because the answer is I don't but I like to play around with AD. The 4th VM will be download station for downloading P2P.

I am building a Rackmount server out of an old computer and I realized that the previous cooler will not fit in the new case (it was a closed loop water cooler with a 120mm fan). I need to purchase a small air cooler to fit in this computer. It doesn't have to be fancy, there will be no overclocking. This computer will be powered on 24/7, and will be in a room that volume needs to be kept to a minimum. Budget is not an issue. CPU: i5 3570k (TDP 77W, Ivy bridge, LGA1155) Case: iStar D Storem D-400-7p 4U (look inside the case, there is a metal bar that runs across) MoBo: Asus P8Z77-V

Hi there! It's my first post on the forums, so first I'd like to say "Hi!" to everyone. I'm planning onto build myself a new PC and I'm stuck at various parameters, so I figured that I'd ask for help here, as those forums are famous for vast HW knowledge. I've seen topics quite similar to this one, but none of them fit my needs perfectly, therefore I've decided to start a new one. Thing is: I want to build the machine optimal for my very specific needs, and I don't want to blow the budget while doing this. And what are my needs? Well... - I'm first and foremost a programmer, therefore I can get by with a pocket calculator with most of the things I'm doing... - Sometimes I also like to do a little graphics/video/audio editing. Nothing proffesional, but rendering a video a little bit faster would be a nice feature, as well as dedicated audio card with stuff like separate headphones output (amateur dj). - And I'm very passionate about gaming, especially old-school gaming. I'm very picky about it, too. Practically not interested in most modern AAA titles at all. Plus: I'm using Linux as my only operating system, so I can forget about DirectX12 titles, at least for a while. Machine characteristics I'm looking for present themselves as follows: - Machine must be quiet. This is the highest priority requirement. I have heard enough buzzing and whirling in my lifetime, ever since my very first 286. Time to finally change it. I've watched Linus's episode on ultimate quiet PC, as well as did some reading on such profiled builds. Yet I'm still confused by stuff like water cooling, static vs huge fans cooling, as opinions differ from person to person. - Machine must have long lifespan. I'd like the components to be reliable, because I'm using my PC for work. Stable and failure-free environment is a must. Failing component can really get into my way, big time. The biggest issue I have is the one with SSDs. For the stuff I'm usually doing, HDD speed is the main bottleneck, and I like my system to be very much responsive. I dream about RAID-0 on PCI SSDs, but I've heard that those are prone to fail over time. Two raided 250GB SSDs ( or maybe four 128GB SSDs?) would fit my needs just perfectly, but I'm affraid about such system's stability. I'm also thinking about two mirrored RAID-0s; one did on SSDs, other one on traditional HDDs, that's four 250GB drives (two of which I already have). Would such a setup yield performance drops? I'd like to just move my existing operating system and my data to the new rig. Those take roughly 0.5TB of space and I probably won't expand it in the next few years, if ever. - Machine must be upgrade-able. I'd like to upgrade GPU and whatnot after two or three years without the need to buy a new motherboard ( and as we all know, such an operation almost always snowballs into new build ) .When it comes to gaming, I've investigated a lot and it seems that two gigs of DDR5 VRAM should be just perfect for me (I believe that Wolfenstein New Order is the most demanding title in my collection). Yet there are many factors to concider: GPU reliability and robustness, noise level, memory bandwidth, many different type of processors on the GPU board and their goals, and so on... I won't lie to you - I find all of those very confusing. All and all, I'd also like to play 2016's DooM once Wine guys will implement Denuvo support in the future. About the resolution: I just LOVE 4:5 1280x1024 office-type monitors and I don't plan to shift to widescreen anytime soon. I'm not proffesional graphic nor designer too, so Quadro-like pro cards can be ruled out. About RAM: I've never, ever exceeded 7GB of RAM, and usually I'm just a little above 5GB with what I'm doing. Two 4GB chips of fast RAM (DDR4?) in dual-channel like configuration will be just perfect. Or maybe four 2GB chips on quad channel, if such are available? Point is: no more than 8GBs of RAM, configured in the best way possible. - Machine must be upgrade-able, again. Thing about power supply - those confuse a hell out of me. On one hand, I certainly don't need gigaWatts of power, but what if I upgrade to some futuristic GPU in a few years and it would turn out that I need like those twelve six pin PCI power chords to run it? ( exaggerated, of course, but I hope that you get my drift ). Also, scary stories about mixing lower tier PSUs with high-end components and breaking them... - Machine must be quiet, again. I live in Poland and it's not that easy to get quiet components out here (especially on used HW market). If there are some common components that can be made quiet ( for example by manipulating fan's RPMs ) you may included it, too. But dedicated quiet components are most welcome, including the case, PSU, GPU, and so on... The more quiet it gets, the better. As for the machine dimensions - not important at all. Can take up whole room if it needs to. - It must be... cheap? I'd be grateful if the budget for a such a build would not exceed $1000. With my needs, however, this should not be a problem... or should it? Thanks in advance for all replies! P.S. If you'd like to include short description for your recommendations, arguments for why and how, explain to me various details of decisions you'd make in my place or include links to various resources, I'd be just grateful. I want to know as much about my PC as possible. Cheers! -

Hey guys, This is my first post, and a somewhat strange question. My case fans are a bit noisy, I was wondering if putting small pieces of electrical tape between the case and the fan would reduce vibration/noise. Let me know what your thoughts are, and thanks for reading. -Will

I'm looking into possibly getting an aftermarket cooler for my new FX-8350 (AM3+ Socket) as I have heard that the stock one can be loud at times. I'm going to be living with roommates so I want my build to stay as quiet as possible so as not to disturb anyone. Does anyone have any suggestions for a quiet aftermarket cooler somewhere in the ~$50 range keeping in mind that I don't care to much about overclocking.

Hi guys. I need help with my build. Im looking for a nice and quiet render performance. CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (£293.88 @ Aria PC) CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler (£56.90 @ Amazon UK) Motherboard: ASRock Z170 Extreme4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£122.29 @ CCL Computers) Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (£69.32 @ More Computers) Storage: Corsair Neutron XT 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£84.12 @ Amazon UK) Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£67.80 @ Amazon UK) Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card (£382.92 @ Amazon UK) Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case (£89.99 @ Amazon UK) Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£79.99 @ Amazon UK) Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-AC56 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter (£52.62 @ CCL Computers) Total: £1299.83 I dont know about gpu's or cpu's for good performance on a workstation. Could you recomendme some changes or anything that could help me? Thank you

Hi, I don´t know which of these to choose (or maybe some other models too). Can you please help me? I require no noise when I am not playing or doing hard work on PC. I am also very intolent to hight tones (I mean "electronic whistle", I am sorry, don´t know how to write it correctly.), so I prefer power supply which is more reliable in that way. I am running Intel i7-6800K, Asus x99 strix (motherboard has 8 + 4 pin optional for CPU) and MSI GTX 1070 X. If I miss any info let me please know. Thank you!

Hi guys, New to this forum but have been watching Linus Tech Tips on the tube for a while. Planning on building an i3 / gtx 1060 gaming 'console' (ie, living room computer) that I want as quiet as possible. I'm planning on using a quiet case such as the fractal design r5 and a be quiet dark rock pro 3 cpu cooler but I'm wondering what my options are as far as quiet PSU's that won't break the budget. The be quiet ones seem a bit expensive. I really only need the computer quiet / silent when at relatively low loads such as when watching a movie but can handle a bit of noise whilst gaming I suppose.

Okay so I really need a new pc case. I have been looking for a while and would like some opinions on what the best case with very little sound (My pc is on my desk to show it off this means it's only 50cm or so away from me) while also having a very visually appealing design ( I would REALLY like a tempered glass side panel) my motherboard is atx and i would like space to support watercooling if i decide to go that way in the future Also (if this wasn't hard enough already) I don't really want to completely break the bank on this as I am thinking about upgrading the guts of my machine too feel free to give suggestions on fans and other cooling solutions that fit this if you wanna

Hi, I am planning to build a machine. I don't know much about hardware, I am new the forum. I work from home so I spend a lot of time in front of my machine. I would like to build a PC that performs, is stable & is quiet. Location: Vancouver, BC What is it for? I code for work and for fun. And I also play games: * Coding * Use a lot of virtual machines: memory hungry * Use a few different run-time environments (such as hadoop psudo-cluster) * End up using a lot of memory and the more cores I have the smoother everything runs under load * End up using a lot of display-real-estate * Games: * fps: crysis, far-cry, witcher, batman, etc * simulation: football manager, etc * strategy: civilization, etc Display 4K I'm thinking of getting a 4k display (in a few month). I'm thinking of (Acer XB321HK). It is very expensive, but monitors usually last me 6-8 years. Cooling * Air cooling, a lot of my thinking is based on this article: (http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1498-page1.html) * Cooling: Scythe" Mugen Max High Performance Quiet CPU Cooler Machine * Case: Corsair Carbide 600Q * Power Supply: SilverStone Strider Platinum 750W * Motherboard: ASUS X99-A II ATX * CPU: INTEL® CORE™ I7-6800K Processor * Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 DRAM 2400MHz C14 * Video Card: Asus Rog Strix Geforce Gtx 1070 Oc 8GB * SSD Drive * Probably 2 Mechanical Hard-drives Questions The memory I've chosen is it compatible with the CPU & motherboard (I think it is - but like to confirm) The memory kit I've chosen is 4x8 could I replace it with 2x16. The 2x16 is cheeper and offers future upgrade (I can add another 2). I realize that there is some performance hit going with 2 slots instead of 4 (how bad would it be? I'm guessing it won't be noticeable) At some point in the future I may decide to sli the card is that possible on this motherboard & video-card pairing? If I ever decide to sli is the 750W power adequate? Is it an overkill? Any other other input is appreciated...

Hello all, Here's the basics. My roommate in college has concerns about my very loud gaming keyboard. I am prepared to buy a new, quieter, one if needed but I don't wanna spend more than 150$. Basically, what's the quietest and best gaming keyboard under 150$? Or, how can I modify my Corsair k65 to be quieter?

Hello, I am building a new PC and my final part is the GPU. I have it down to a 27db max and I was wondering if there are any good video cards that make such low noise. I am gaming at 1080p and would like ultra settings. Right now I am looking at the EVGA 1070 FTW but I was wondering if anyone knows of anything quieter. Thank you! Also, please be courteous to all and don't start any AMD/NVIDIA bs as I don't care about the brand, just silence and performance.

So I am looking into getting a second 140mm fan to add to the front of this case: Corsair carbide 330R Titanium Case I currently have the stock 140mm intake fan, and pulled out the 120mm exhaust as I mounted my Arctic Liquid Freezer 120 in push/pull on the rear exhaust. the hard drive cage is nearly full, so I would be putting a fan over that. However, I still want this computer to be silent, as it is now. Currently I am trying to decide between a Corsair AF140 or the equivalent Noctua. I am tempted to move the stock fan down to be over the hard drive cage, and use an AF140 or Noctua in its place for restriction free airflow. Let me know. Thanks!

Hello, I am currently planning to buy me a silent pc build. I currently have these chosen as a good fit for me. However I am wondering if you guys or girls have any improvements or remarks on it. Motherboard: Asus Z170 PRO GAMING - € 149,89 CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K Boxed - € 349,- GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 1070 GAMING X 8G - € 527,50 Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX CMK16GX4M2 - € 84,95 Case: be quiet! Silent Base 800 Zwart - € 112,95 PSU: be quiet! Power Zone 650W - € 98,- CPU cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock 3 - € 58,95 SSD: Crucial BX200 480GB - € 118,97 HDD: WD Blue WD10EZEX, 1TB - € 46,95 Fans 3x: be quiet! Pure Wings 2, 140mm - € 26,16 (total) thermal paste : Arctic Silver 5 - 3,5 gram - € 5,95 The total price will be around € 1580,- and I don't really want to go higher then this. Thanks in advanced!, Tim

The build over is the parts i have. My 290x overheats easily if i try to OC it and the fans get really loud because of how hot it gets. At stock goes to 93-94 celsius and stays there. I'm looking for a new case because i want to cool my gpu properly and not go deaf at the same time. Currently i'm considering the define r5 and define s. I was wondering if someone here knew of a better alternative to those cases in the price range of the define s and r5. Optical drives dont matter.

I am currently in the middle of a huge upgrade on my PC, I have just changed my case and PSU to ready up for my 1080. I am not doing the last couple of bits which include changing the case fans, CPU Cooler and adding an SSD. I have chosen to go with 3x140mm Be Quiet! Silent Wings 2 for case fans. I then began looking at CPU Coolers and am thinking to either go with a Be Quiet! Dark Rock 3 or Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3. But then someone bought the Be Quiet! Dark Rock TF to my attention so now I am unsure. I currently have a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo, it has served me well but it is time for a change. Currently, I have done some light overclocking resulting to my idle temperature being around 40-50 Celcius. (Not that high but I do want to overclock more :D) I am also trying to get my PC as quiet as possible, I have swapped my PSU to an RM750X and the fans will be swapped to Silent Wings 2. What CPU Cooler do you think I should use for best performance and still maintaining almost complete silence? Thanks for any help, Dexter

Hey guys, I plan on getting a new PSU, but I don't know how much I have to spend. The following points should be covered: 1. It should be able to handle my FX-8350 and GTX 960 with still leaving room for upgrades and overclocking 2. It should be as quiet as possible 3. It should be a good one, as I am having problems with my Corsair VS650 when overclocking because the voltage for the CPU is not stable... 4. It should be as cheap as possible Looks are not important at all because if I have the money to make my PC look sexy one day, I will do some modding stuff anyways. So if it looks ugly I can (try to) make a PSU cover (only semi-modular would be nice to have, but not essential) How much wattage would you recommend? Is a Gold-rated PSU important for overclocking, or would silver just work fine, too? Is there any manyfacturer to avoid? Which exactly can you recommend? Thanks for your help

Have a H100i GTX and the stock fans sound like a tornado even with my ATH-M50x's on. I've watched videos on both the SP120 and NF-F12 and it seems like they're pretty much at the same noise level, both being very quiet compared to the stock performance fans. I know the NF-F12 are a little more expensive than the SP120 quiet editions, but they are rated to be dust and waterproof so wasn't sure if you guys have had any personal experiences with either of these fans that would sway my decision.

Hey all, Upgrading my old system. Was noisy and ran hot while editing/ rendering videos. Just got a define S. Trying to figure out which GPU to put in. Not sure if I should wait till the 1070s fully hit (i.e. are actually available) for a deal on the 970s, in which case what model should I go for. Since my last rig was loud and hot, I'd prefer being quiet and cool.Budget is around $300 +/-. Mostly video editing, and some starcraft 2. current build: Mobo: gigabyte 970 ud3 CPU: AMD FX 8350 GPU: evga GTX 560 RAM: 16gbs ddr3

I'm in pursuit for QUIET CLC or AIO CPU cooler. I'really don't want a jet engine or humming noise in my room where I sleep. Can you recommend some ? Thanks!

Can anyone recommend pumps that are on the quiet side? I know they're not gonna be as quiet as an air cooler, I just don't want to be taken by surprise and end up with something that sounds like a truck. I'm just trying to look around and take stock of what's out there at the moment to keep things in mind for a potential upgrade within the next year or two.

I'm looking for a 750W power supply for my next build that I'm trying to get it as quiet as possible. Does anybody have any recommendations as to a good PSU with a silent idle mode? Preferably 80+ Gold or better. Thank you in advance for all help.

TL;DR – To last the next 5 years of gaming, go with high end i5 CPU or 2014/2015 i7 model? Prefer DDR3 to save on cost. Considering CPU selection, do older motherboard chipsets affect performance? I am a college student expecting to graduate in 2 years. Money is tight, but I am willing to pay extra for quality parts that will last. I need a system that can last 5-6 years without any upgrades. I will not be overclocking or too worried about CPU/GPU temperatures. It must be quiet <40 dB. 1. Budget $700-$900 2. Location Colorado, United States 3. Aim Quiet: The computer will be in my bedroom a few feet from my bed. Compact: I live in smaller apartments and move about twice a year. I value efficiency and modular components. It is okay if it runs a little warm. Longevity: Financially, it will need to last about 5 years. Affordable: Must be within budget. However, I will pay extra for higher quality parts (lower cost in the long run). Performance: Movies and AAA gaming. I do not overclock and will drop settings to maintain playable fps. Games include: · Overwatch · League of Legends · Battlefield 4 · Fallout 4 · Counter Strike Global Offensive · Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor · Civilization V · Tomb Raider series · Assassin’s Creed series 4. Monitors I currently use a 1920x1080 monitor, but I would like to upgrade to a 2560x1440 monitor in the future. 5. Peripherals Keyboard, mouse, headset w/mic, digital optical to external audio receiver running two speakers. 6. Why are you upgrading? My GTX 660 TI failed two months ago. And as excited I am to replace it with a GTX 1070, I thought it would be a good time to consider the longevity and performance of my current build. Built in 2011, all of the parts are outside warranty. Most games run at 45+ fps on medium/high settings at 1920x1080. 7. Current 2011 Hardware Case NZXT LEXS-001BK Motherboard GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3P CPU Intel Core i7-860 CPU Cooler i7-860 stock RAM G.SKILL ECO 8GB (4 x 2GB) DDR3L Power Supply COOLER MASTER Silent Pro M700 Fans Case stock, 120mm x3, 140mm x1 Video Card (Borrowed) GTX 670 Nvidia reference 8. Proposed 2016 Upgrade Case Corsair Carbide Series Air 240 $90 Motherboard MicroATX* $150** CPU Intel i5 vs i7* $220-$320** CPU Cooler DEEPCOOL GAMMAXX 400 $30 RAM 16GB DDR3 vs DDR4* $70-$90** Power Supply EVGA Supernova G2 550W or G2 650W $70-$90** Fans Noctua NF-F12 PWM 120mm $20/ea. $80** Video Card Non-reference GTX 1070 – NOT included in cost for upgrade. *Determined by CPU selection **Budgeted amount Total: $670-$850 GTX 1070 cost is NOT included, but should be considered for performance. I consider the cost sunk as I need to return the borrowed GTX 670. 9. Brand Preference Cases: None Motherboard: Gigabyte or ASUS (open to MSI or ASRock) CPU: Intel CPU Cooler: None RAM: G.Skill, Corsair, Crucial (Open to HyperX) Power Supply: EVGA or Corsair (open to Seasonic) Fans: None 10. Upgrade Discussion CPU: The small gaming performance differences between the i7-4770K, i7-5930K, i5-6600K, and i7-6700K in videos like this (and other benchmarks) are negligible to me. Furthermore, I’ve read that gaming performance is not affected by hyper threading in i7 models pushing me to cheaper i5 models. To last the next 5 years of gaming, go with high end i5 CPU or 2014/2015 i7 model? RAM: For gaming, there is no noticeable difference between DDR3 and DDR4 so I would prefer DDR3 to save on cost. Motherboard: The new Z170 chipset matches with DDR4 and the new Skylake processors, but given my assessment on the RAM above, the only difference seems to be PCI express lanes to the processor. I plan to only have one graphics card, no additional slots, and no SLI. Considering CPU selection, do older motherboard chipsets affect performance? Thank you for your consideration and opinion! -M.Kehres