SOLVED Building a silent gaming pc! [Build inside]

[Markus91]

What do you think? Suggestions? (I will not have more than 1 GPU, and I will not overclock it at the moment)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($212.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9B SE2 37.9 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.99 @ Mwave)
Motherboard: MSI H87-G43 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($98.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: A-Data XPG Gaming Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: A-Data XPG Gaming Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($174.00 @ Mac Mall)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($519.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($18.90 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($18.90 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($18.90 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Other: Fan Controller ($25.99)
Total: $1395.60
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-20 16:00 EST-0500)

 

[Mandrake4565]

1. Looks good though, I'd pick up a matching set of 2*4g of ram over buying single sticks.
2. I would also pick up a 120mm heatsink over the 92mm one you picked such as CM 212 Evo, it will probably run a bit cooler due to it's size and possible be quieter.

3. What screen resolutions you playing at? Do you really need a 780?

4. If you're not planning on SLI in the future you really don't need a 650w Psu. Though, nothing wrong with the one you picked, this would be perfect, if you want to save money, up to you.

5. Also shop around on different sites and see if you can bundle anything together.

 

[Markus91]

Thanks for the help! What ram would you suggest? And, the 212 is louder than the noctua, at least on paper..

and, I'm playing at 1920x1080.. I just want a silent a powerful gpu really...

And same goes for the psu, I went for silence.. ^^

 

[Black C5 Z06]

If you're not going to multi-gpus, take a look at a mATX board and the Fractal Define Mini.

Take a look at this cooler instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608040&ignorebbr=1

Also, save some money and just buy one of those Noctua fans. That's what I did. I have the two stock Fractal fans in front as intake, and the Noctua A14 as exhaust in the rear. Icy cool system (I fold 24/7) and I keep the fan controller on 5V. Can not hear a thing. Can't tell it's on.

 

[Markus91]

If you're not going to multi-gpus, take a look at a mATX board and the Fractal Define Mini.

Take a look at this cooler instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608040&ignorebbr=1

Also, save some money and just buy one of those Noctua fans. That's what I did. I have the two stock Fractal fans in front as intake, and the Noctua A14 as exhaust in the rear. Icy cool system (I fold 24/7) and I keep the fan controller on 5V. Can not hear a thing. Can't tell it's on.

Good idea! I'll see if I can make it work.. thanks for the suggestion! (What motherboard do you recommend?)

 

[Black C5 Z06]

I don't like to take the OC option away, and I like good warranties, so I'd try to see if you could swing a Gryphon and 4670K. You can OC and not increase your noise if that's what you're worried about, especially with a good cooler.

If the Gryphon is too much, then anything from Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte with a Z87 chipset and the physical layout you like is what I would recommend.

 

[Mandrake4565]

Thanks for the help! What ram would you suggest? And, the 212 is louder than the noctua, at least on paper..

and, I'm playing at 1920x1080.. I just want a silent a powerful gpu really...

And same goes for the psu, I went for silence.. ^^

Understood and it's your build so you need to do what makes it right for you. Only reason I mentioned the above is to possibly save you money. A 780 @ 1080p is total overkill but if it's what you want, again I get it.

As far as a motherboard goes and Cpu for that matter, I didn't realize it before but I would get the 4670k and a z87 board. If you're going all out on a Gpu why not get a Cpu and Motherboard you can overclock on as well. just food for thought.

I don't think I've read a bad review yet on any Z87 motherboards so it's pretty much up to you. I have a Asrock Z77 Extreme 4 with a I5 2500k on it and it's a great board. The Z87 version of it is really good as well. I also have a Asus Maximus Hero Z87 with a 4770k on it and it's also a great board.

Last question is where on this big blue marble do you live, anywhere near a Microcenter? They have some pretty sweet deals on I5 4670k's and a Z87 motherboard walk in combo.

 

[GTXJackBauer]

What do you think? Suggestions? (I will not have more than 1 GPU, and I will not overclock it at the moment)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($212.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9B SE2 37.9 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.99 @ Mwave)
Motherboard: MSI H87-G43 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($98.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: A-Data XPG Gaming Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: A-Data XPG Gaming Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($174.00 @ Mac Mall)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($519.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($18.90 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($18.90 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($18.90 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Other: Fan Controller ($25.99)
Total: $1395.60
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-20 16:00 EST-0500)

Welcome to OCFs!

Your parts list looks pretty good. I would advise buying all of this during Black Friday week next week. Should save you some more there.

Some of the changes I would do though is buy a bigger case for more air support to keep that 780 nice and cool and possibly any future upgrades i.e. AIOs etc. The Corsair Carbide Series Air 540 is a fabulous air cooling case as well as AIO and some custom H20 for those that would be interested. Basically for the Noctua fans and the case you chose in your list, you can get this case for the same amount of money and not have to buy any fans for it since it comes with the corsair fans installed with dust filters.

The other thing I would do is as stated before, switching the CPU cooler for the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO as its known to be one of the best CPU air coolers out there.

For GPU I would just switch to EVGA because of their customer support and warranty policy.

What fan controller are you referring too? No optical drives?

Those would be the changes I would make and nothing else.

 

[Markus91]

Guys, thanks a lot for your help! I was never expecting this much help... So thanks! And, I've been considering the define mini instead of the r4.. And..I've also considered passively cooling the CPU to eliminate noise.

And the GPU is totally up for discussion. I don't know a lot about computers. I just wanted a strong and silent card for gaming. I want to max out BF4 for instance. ^^

I don't like to take the OC option away, and I like good warranties, so I'd try to see if you could swing a Gryphon and 4670K. You can OC and not increase your noise if that's what you're worried about, especially with a good cooler.

If the Gryphon is too much, then anything from Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte with a Z87 chipset and the physical layout you like is what I would recommend.

How about this simple little thing? http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gab85md3h

For the define mini.. ?

Understood and it's your build so you need to do what makes it right for you. Only reason I mentioned the above is to possibly save you money. A 780 @ 1080p is total overkill but if it's what you want, again I get it.

As far as a motherboard goes and Cpu for that matter, I didn't realize it before but I would get the 4670k and a z87 board. If you're going all out on a Gpu why not get a Cpu and Motherboard you can overclock on as well. just food for thought.

I don't think I've read a bad review yet on any Z87 motherboards so it's pretty much up to you. I have a Asrock Z77 Extreme 4 with a I5 2500k on it and it's a great board. The Z87 version of it is really good as well. I also have a Asus Maximus Hero Z87 with a 4770k on it and it's also a great board.

Last question is where on this big blue marble do you live, anywhere near a Microcenter? They have some pretty sweet deals on I5 4670k's and a Z87 motherboard walk in combo.

I live in Europe, so very far away from all the giant pc suppliers And, the GPU is completely up for discussion. I've never overclocked before, so I'm saving it for my next build.. The aim here is silence, so if you can recommend a better GPU, go ahead mate ^^ And, the CPU seems to be my best choice, it's just a few % below in benchmarks against the 4770, and a lot cheaper.

And, the whole motherboard part confuses me as ****.. I don't know what it actually does,, except hold all my parts..

Welcome to OCFs!

Your parts list looks pretty good. I would advise buying all of this during Black Friday week next week. Should save you some more there.

Some of the changes I would do though is buy a bigger case for more air support to keep that 780 nice and cool and possibly any future upgrades i.e. AIOs etc. The Corsair Carbide Series Air 540 is a fabulous air cooling case as well as AIO and some custom H20 for those that would be interested. Basically for the Noctua fans and the case you chose in your list, you can get this case for the same amount of money and not have to buy any fans for it since it comes with the corsair fans installed with dust filters.

The other thing I would do is as stated before, switching the CPU cooler for the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO as its known to be one of the best CPU air coolers out there.

For GPU I would just switch to EVGA because of their customer support and warranty policy.

What fan controller are you referring too? No optical drives?

Those would be the changes I would make and nothing else.

Thanks for the welcome my friend! And, I'm not going with a fan controller after all, but I was getting a nzxt sentry.. And I'm not getting optical drives. I don't use them, all they do is make noise.

And I was actually planning on getting a smaller case, the define mini.. It's elegant and discreet. And everyone seems to be recommending the 212 evo.. But.. on paper the noctua is more silent, which is my top priority really.. But,, apart from that, I was thinking of completely passively cooling the cpu, since I will be having some pretty good airflow in the case.. ^^

And feel free to suggest a better/more silent gpu! ^^

 

[Mandrake4565]

Markus91, a few things.

The smaller the case the less room you're going have to mount fans, less fans will mean the ones there will have to spin faster to remove the Air, which will create the noise you don't want.

With intel the I5 series Cpu's that can be overclocked are the K designation ie 4670K and the motherboards are the Z-87. The difference in price between the I5 4670 and 4670k is 10 euro. If down the road you decide that you want to up grade, you will probably be able to sell the 4670k Cpu for significantly more money then a locked 4670. If in the future you decide you need more performance from the cpu, there is free extra performance from an overclockable chip. Mildly overclocking a 4670k is relatively easy, though it will increase heat and therefore noise because the fans will be spinning faster to cool it. If you get an unlocked chip you need a Z-87 motherboard to overclock it.

As far as the heatsink goes this is where my brain is at, yes the Noctua is a really good heat sink as far as quality goes and can be silent. The CM Evo 212 is arguably one of the best heatsinks at it's price point as far as keeping the Cpu cool. In the comparisons I've seen on Intel Cpu's the Coolermaster bested the Noctua U9B by at least 10c. Now me thinking out loud, because the Noctua is running hotter the fans will have to spin faster to keep the Cpu cool during normal usage. Where the CM 212 Evo will not have to spin up as fast because it's heatsink alone can dissipate more it by itself. Yes with the fans at 100% on both heatsinks the Noctua is quieter but a normal speeds my thinking is the CM Evo will be. I also own the older CM 212 + and when I'm just using it for gaming I cannot hear it, though I'm probably not a sensitive to the noise as you are.

 

[Markus91]

Markus91, a few things.

The smaller the case the less room you're going have to mount fans, less fans will mean the ones there will have to spin faster to remove the Air, which will create the noise you don't want.

With intel the I5 series Cpu's that can be overclocked are the K designation ie 4670K and the motherboards are the Z-87. The difference in price between the I5 4670 and 4670k is 10 euro. If down the road you decide that you want to up grade, you will probably be able to sell the 4670k Cpu for significantly more money then a locked 4670. If in the future you decide you need more performance from the cpu, there is free extra performance from an overclockable chip. Mildly overclocking a 4670k is relatively easy, though it will increase heat and therefore noise because the fans will be spinning faster to cool it. If you get an unlocked chip you need a Z-87 motherboard to overclock it.

As far as the heatsink goes this is where my brain is at, yes the Noctua is a really good heat sink as far as quality goes and can be silent. The CM Evo 212 is arguably one of the best heatsinks at it's price point as far as keeping the Cpu cool. In the comparisons I've seen on Intel Cpu's the Coolermaster bested the Noctua U9B by at least 10c. Now me thinking out loud, because the Noctua is running hotter the fans will have to spin faster to keep the Cpu cool during normal usage. Where the CM 212 Evo will not have to spin up as fast because it's heatsink alone can dissipate more it by itself. Yes with the fans at 100% on both heatsinks the Noctua is quieter but a normal speeds my thinking is the CM Evo will be. I also own the older CM 212 + and when I'm just using it for gaming I cannot hear it, though I'm probably not a sensitive to the noise as you are.

You're a great help mate! But, I was really hooked on a small, discreet case. Won't a Fractal Define Mini cut it? with 3 140mm fans? Also, I changed it, so that it's the k version of the motherboard. You're right, 10$ worth it.

Here's the build so far.

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($225.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($75.24 @ Amazon)
Memory: A-Data XPG Gaming Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: A-Data XPG Gaming Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($174.00 @ Mac Mall)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($519.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: Fractal Design Define Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($99.98 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($18.90 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($18.90 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($18.90 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ Microcenter)
Total: $1321.87

I changed the PSU to the 750w, simply because it's cheaper..

What do you think? Would it work with that case? And what gpu should I get?

 

[Black C5 Z06]

On the new mother board, make sure you get a Z87 chipset so you have better overclocking abilities.

You can make a small case such as the Define Mini perfectly quiet. You just have to use good fans and spin the slower, such as the Noctuas you mentioned. Be aware, though, you selected 140mm fans and those will not work with the front and rear of the Mini. I would suggest buying a single Noctua 120mm fan (I like the NF-F12) and just use the two supplied Fractal 120mm fans in the front as intake.

Instead of two single dim kits, get a single dual channel kit for your RAM.
For a cooler, you can get the Hyper212 Evo and put a Noctua fan on it, or just get one of the 120mm Noctua coolers if you want the quality and it already comes with a Noctua fan.
Other than that you're good. You'll be able to remove one of the front hard drive cages, so you'll be perfectly fine on cooling.

These are just my suggestions. I am all about silence. Like I said, I have a Define R4 and I only have the 3 case fans, nothing on my cooler, and even when folding 24/7 my system is perfectly silent.

 

[Markus91]

On the new mother board, make sure you get a Z87 chipset so you have better overclocking abilities.

You can make a small case such as the Define Mini perfectly quiet. You just have to use good fans and spin the slower, such as the Noctuas you mentioned. Be aware, though, you selected 140mm fans and those will not work with the front and rear of the Mini. I would suggest buying a single Noctua 120mm fan (I like the NF-F12) and just use the two supplied Fractal 120mm fans in the front as intake.

Instead of two single dim kits, get a single dual channel kit for your RAM.
For a cooler, you can get the Hyper212 Evo and put a Noctua fan on it, or just get one of the 120mm Noctua coolers if you want the quality and it already comes with a Noctua fan.
Other than that you're good. You'll be able to remove one of the front hard drive cages, so you'll be perfectly fine on cooling.

These are just my suggestions. I am all about silence. Like I said, I have a Define R4 and I only have the 3 case fans, nothing on my cooler, and even when folding 24/7 my system is perfectly silent.

I'd rather get 3x 120mm noctuas, 2 for front, 1 for back. (2 intakes and 1 outtake for possitive pressure) would I really need a fan for my cpu cooler? Can't I go completely passive? ^^

 

[Mandrake4565]

On the new mother board, make sure you get a Z87 chipset so you have better overclocking abilities.

You can make a small case such as the Define Mini perfectly quiet. You just have to use good fans and spin the slower, such as the Noctuas you mentioned. Be aware, though, you selected 140mm fans and those will not work with the front and rear of the Mini. I would suggest buying a single Noctua 120mm fan (I like the NF-F12) and just use the two supplied Fractal 120mm fans in the front as intake.

Instead of two single dim kits, get a single dual channel kit for your RAM.
For a cooler, you can get the Hyper212 Evo and put a Noctua fan on it, or just get one of the 120mm Noctua coolers if you want the quality and it already comes with a Noctua fan.
Other than that you're good. You'll be able to remove one of the front hard drive cages, so you'll be perfectly fine on cooling.

These are just my suggestions. I am all about silence. Like I said, I have a Define R4 and I only have the 3 case fans, nothing on my cooler, and even when folding 24/7 my system is perfectly silent.

^^^^This about sums it up.

As far as a Gpu goes I'd get a 7970 w 3G of memory it's still overkill for 1080P but it will save you a good amount of money, something like this.

 

[Markus91]

I'm getting a bit confused with the 120mm noctuas, there's like... 20 different models..

How are these? http://pcpartpicker.com/part/noctua-case-fan-nfs12auln (The quietest ones at pcpartpicker)

And thanks for all your help, both of you.. ! I appreciate it greatly!

^^^^This about sums it up.

As far as a Gpu goes I'd get a 7970 w 3G of memory it's still overkill for 1080P but it will save you a good amount of money, something like this.

Is that GPU silent? ^^ and will it max out bf4?

How about this version?

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-video-card-matrixhd7970p3gd5 might be more silent..

 

[Mandrake4565]

Hears a review for BF4 You be the judge, as far as silence goes the more eye candy you have turned on the harder the card will work and generate more heat therefore the fans will spin faster. You'll have to look at reviews on the 7970's and see where the noise profiles fall. I believe the Asus Matrix is a really good card as far as it's fans and heatsinks are concerned but have never had one.

 

[Markus91]

Hears a review for BF4 You be the judge, as far as silence goes the more eye candy you have turned on the harder the card will work and generate more heat therefore the fans will spin faster. You'll have to look at reviews on the 7970's and see where the noise profiles fall. I believe the Asus Matrix is a really good card as far as it's fans and heatsinks are concerned but have never had one.

You got me sold.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/262DL

That's the build so far. Still not sure about fans,, and cpu cooler... :/

 

[Black C5 Z06]

NF-F12 for the fans IMO.
I always believe in pressure optimized fans.
I wouldn't go completely passive unless you're using the biggest like the NH-D14.

 

[Markus91]

NF-F12 for the fans IMO.
I always believe in pressure optimized fans.
I wouldn't go completely passive unless you're using the biggest like the NH-D14.

Thanks! and the nh-d14 isn't a passive cooler.

 

[Xeon_KI]

7970 for $300 or more is too much