My entry level to stilent PCs - "The struggle"

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lwlwlwlw
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My entry level to stilent PCs - "The struggle"

Post by lwlwlwlw » Fri May 15, 2015 5:52 am

Hello SPCR!

I recently bought a new PC which I posted on reddit with pictures:

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard: MSI B85-G43 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Tactical 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Crucial MX200 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Antec 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

Every person I ask says it is completely silent and I am obsessed, but how wrong they are. When it is silent in my room PC is definitely audible. Time for some upgrades! (and I can still RMA all the components)

So, I have a few questions:
1. I want to swap the PSU for be quiet straight power 10 600W. I posted the topic in SPCR yesterday and I am quite convinced to get it. Is it the best option in similar price? (I am quite convinced that it is :) )
2. Is scythe kotetsu still the best choice for silent CPU cooler? Stock intel cooler is better than I expected but not good enough.
3. Are Antec True Quiet 140mm the best option for case fans? I want to get 2/3 of them to get 4 intakes/1 exhaust.

Any comments are appreciated! :)

CA_Steve
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Re: My entry level to stilent PCs - "The struggle"

Post by CA_Steve » Fri May 15, 2015 6:45 am

Your PSU thread for reference.

Yes, the downsides to getting the 600W over the 500W is price and lower efficiency at idle and non-gaming loads.

I found the stock intel cooler to be abysmal (see signature thread). The Kotetsu is still the best in price /performance for non-overvolted CPUs.

Probably don't need that many fans. The stock 1 in and 1 out should work fine. Re-test after replacing the cpu cooler and psu and see.

quest_for_silence
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Re: My entry level to stilent PCs - "The struggle"

Post by quest_for_silence » Fri May 15, 2015 11:37 am

lwlwlwlw wrote:Any comments are appreciated! :)

Usually the MSI boards control PWM fans in a better way than 3-pin ones, but I don't know your one: check the case fan settings in your UEFI.

Check also if SpeedFan can control your MSI graphics fans (as it can control some Radeon cards): in case, you might even be able to stop the fans at lower temps, and set a custom fans curve, so lowering the overall noise level.

Abula
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Re: My entry level to stilent PCs - "The struggle"

Post by Abula » Fri May 15, 2015 8:40 pm

lwlwlwlw wrote:1. I want to swap the PSU for be quiet straight power 10 600W. I posted the topic in SPCR yesterday and I am quite convinced to get it. Is it the best option in similar price? (I am quite convinced that it is :) )
I think its a good swap, personally i havent tested bequiet, but heard good things.
lwlwlwlw wrote:2. Is scythe kotetsu still the best choice for silent CPU cooler? Stock intel cooler is better than I expected but not good enough.
One of the best, probably the best for the money.
lwlwlwlw wrote:3. Are Antec True Quiet 140mm the best option for case fans? I want to get 2/3 of them to get 4 intakes/1 exhaust.
As Quest posted MSI is all about knowing what it can do and what fans you should buy, their BIOS fan control is pretty solid, as long as you understand what fans to use where. CPU_FAN1 and 2 are full PWM fan headers and SYS_FAN 1,2,3 are Voltage controlled headers, limited to 50% as their minimum. You have to plan what to use on each.

lwlwlwlw
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Joined: Thu May 14, 2015 4:47 am

Re: My entry level to stilent PCs - "The struggle"

Post by lwlwlwlw » Sat May 16, 2015 6:26 am

Huge thanks for help once again! :)

Okay, i will definitely buy the kotetsu.

I want 2 more fans just because I will feel better about my system.
For the fans - my Define R5 fans have 3 pins (those are standard fans that come with the case) and I control them with case controller. They are not the problem since on the medium setting they are not audible.

About the fan plugging:
1. If I get the Antec TrueQuiet should I plug them into the same controller (it has 3-pin plug open) or into the motherboard? (I have 4-pin headers free and they are controllable through bios.) From what I read those fans are quiet at 50% setting.
2. Is it safe to plug the 3-pin Define R5 fans into the 4-pin case connectors?

For the PSU I am still divided between 600W and 500W. I contain my confused feels in the PSU thread.

quest_for_silence
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Re: My entry level to stilent PCs - "The struggle"

Post by quest_for_silence » Sat May 16, 2015 8:56 am

lwlwlwlw wrote:1. If I get the Antec TrueQuiet should I plug them into the same controller (it has 3-pin plug open) or into the motherboard?

You have to try. Think also to buy more Fractal fans, instead.

lwlwlwlw wrote:2. Is it safe to plug the 3-pin Define R5 fans into the 4-pin case connectors?

Yes.

Derpington
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Re: My entry level to stilent PCs - "The struggle"

Post by Derpington » Sat May 16, 2015 9:34 am

3. Are Antec True Quiet 140mm the best option for case fans? I want to get 2/3 of them to get 4 intakes/1 exhaust.
I assume you want to add 2 x bottom intakes, since opening top / side vents doesn't work for a silent build. I have this case and after adding two Scythe fans on bottom intake I noticed no effect except maybe 1-2C lower motherboard temperature. Granted, my graphics card is very low power, so maybe it would help more for hotter cards, but I still doubt there would be significant differences.

2 x front intake on medium (Fractal Design fans) is probably enough, especially if you remove the HDD cages for unrestricted airflow. I use that and a 140mm Noiseblocker on rear exhaust. It's worse cooling than my old case which had a top exhaust as well, but a lot more quiet.

quest_for_silence
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Re: My entry level to stilent PCs - "The struggle"

Post by quest_for_silence » Sat May 16, 2015 12:21 pm

quest_for_silence wrote:You have to try.

To the OP: I meant, you may hook up the Fractal fans to the mobo's case fan header, and then record the speed at various settings, in order to compare with the speeds when hooked up to the case fan controller, which has fixed voltage settings (the mobo header has a temperature variable speed, and it may even be an advantage from a flexibility standpoint). In that way you may elaborate a more educated guess about the expected Antec speed in both scenarios.

lwlwlwlw
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Re: My entry level to stilent PCs - "The struggle"

Post by lwlwlwlw » Sat May 16, 2015 1:42 pm

Ok, I tried the motherboard pins and Case Fan works properly. I can also regulate its speed via bios from 60% to 100% (tested in comparison to medium-speed case-controlled same-type fan. I checked which one stops spinning first when shutting down :P ).

So, the Fractal Fans are actually quite expensive (as for fans), but I am really impressed with them, I guess I will go for matching guts.
Can someone confirm that this is the correct fan for FD R5?

quest_for_silence
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Re: My entry level to stilent PCs - "The struggle"

Post by quest_for_silence » Sun May 17, 2015 12:24 am

lwlwlwlw wrote:Can someone confirm that this is the correct fan for FD R5?

Yes, it should be so: take note that NewEgg sell them considerably lower than the seller you linked.

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