Final suggestions on setup and questions?

Ok, so here is my first water cooling setup that I plan to buy and the main objectives of this are price and keeping it quiet. Most important is the silence.

Dtek TC-4 P4 $36
Dtek JR-120 Radiator $35
Dtek shroud $10
Eheim 1048 $58
Tubing $9
T-Fitting
Clamps $8

Total: $157 + shipping

So I guess the main question is abot the pump. Do I really need an eheim because I know they are more expensive compared to similare pumps but I want it to be quiet. If there are any pumps that are quiet and worth recomending im open for suggestions. Thanks.

Your list looks good.

If you don't want to pay for an Eheim, you could look at the Danner Mag3. I've heard good things about them, but I don't know how quiet they are. Probably quieter than your case fans, but I'm not positive.

The Danner Mag 3 is probably one of the loudest pumps used for watercooling. That doesn't mean it's very loud, but you might be able to notice it in a very quiet setup.

The Hydor L20 or L30 would be a cheaper option, and probably closer to the Eheim's noise level than a Mag 3.

So would the L30 be good enough for future upgrades? And anyone that has first had experience, is it pretty quiet? Thanks.

The L30 is about as powerful as a 1250 Eheim. It should be quite adequate. It's supposed to be reasonably quiet as well.

Quiet is my main reason for wc'ing. To get there run a submerged pump/res combo and rad fan at 7v.

Pump noise is a common complaint. Isolation is the key. The reason submerged is so quiet is it serves to isolate vibration as well as providing sound insulation. Since probably <1% are in it for the quiet aspect, this benefical aspect of submerged is rarely discussed.

Although many get excellent results with free standing pumps sitting on vibration dampening materials such as foams.

One suggestion: Save yourself $10 and get the aluminum topped TC-4.

IMHO, the Eheim would be a very nice choice for your system. There's little doubt that they are the quietest out there, and you're only using one block. The Hydors are very nice as well, but again, nothing really matches the reliability of an Eheim. Expensive, but worth it.