Long time since I have felt the need to post, as I am very happy with the noise and performance of my PC in general. However gaming performance could use a boost for ArmA 3...
nvidia 670s are still relatively cheap if you know where to look, but I would be limited to the stock cooler version. The Tech Reports comments aren't particularly kind on the acoustic properties of the stock cooler:
I was wondering whether anyone had any further experience they could offer?Yeah, well the GTX 670's cooler sounds cheap. That's why the 670 is relatively noisy at idle, even though it has very little power—and thus heat—to dissipate. The GTX 670's blower emits a rough, friction-filled whine. It's not especially loud, and heck, the thing manages not to register too high on decibel meter under load. Tucked inside of a case that insulates sound well, you might barely notice it. Still, this thing isn't Nvidia's best work.
My PC uses 800 rpm fans inside an Antec Solo, so is pretty quiet!
Thanks!