Please, help me to build a very quiet PC!

[Bokka]

Hello everyone!

I'm building a PC with the following features:

Motherboard: MSI Gaming H270 M3
CPU: Intel I7 7700
Ram: Corsair CMK16GX4M2A2400C16
Case: Fractal Design FD-CA-DEF-R5-BK Define R5
Video Card: Msi GTX 1060 GAMING X 6 GB
PSU: Corsair RM650x


I ask you for advice. I would like to build a very quiet PC, I do not want to hear when it is working, if not the most of a slight hum when I'm playing.

I was thinking about this model for the CPU Cooler:

Noctua NH-D15S


According to you may be fine for my configuration? Keep in mind you are not interested in overclocking.

Thanks in advance!

[CA_Steve]

Welcome to SPCR.

What are your applications? Something that can make use of the i7's hyperthreading? If gaming is the primary use, then get the i5 as games don't make good use of the i7's features...and the i5 runs cooler, hence quieter.

cpu cooler: The Noctua NH-D15S is a fine cooler, but a little overkill for stock i5 and i7 CPU.

gfx card: what's your monitor resolution?

PSU: RM550x is more than enough power and will be equally quiet for your loads.

[Bokka]

Welcome to SPCR.

What are your applications? Something that can make use of the i7's hyperthreading? If gaming is the primary use, then get the i5 as games don't make good use of the i7's features...and the i5 runs cooler, hence quieter.

cpu cooler: The Noctua NH-D15S is a fine cooler, but a little overkill for stock i5 and i7 CPU.

gfx card: what's your monitor resolution?

PSU: RM550x is more than enough power and will be equally quiet for your loads.

Thanks for the reply!!

My primary use is gaming, internet and watch 4k movies with Netflix.
The monitor will be a Samsung U28E590D (4K)

Ok for the PSU and ok for the I5 instead of the I7 for my use. Are you sure the hyper threading is not used?

And last question: why the Noctua NH-D15S is a overkill for my CPU?

[Shadout]

Looking at a new build as well. Shares a few items with your build.

Doesn't look like there is much benefit from 7700K over 7600K in most software, especially not in games.
Yet I think I'll go for 7700K. CPUs have a relatively long lifespan these days, at least compared to GPUs, and if I'm going to keep this thing for 5-6 years I feel safer going for the CPU with a few features that might start to matter more in a few years. From what I could gather, newer Dx12 games tend to be better at benefiting from hyperthreading. It just isn't mindblowing differences.
If the budget is limited though, this is probably the best area to reduce cost.
Or if you buy new PCs more regularly, then 7600K might also be better, since small long-term benefits would be irrelevant.

I don't get why a good cooler is overkill for a stock CPU either. Potentially it should just allow for slower RPM. And it does allow for changing mind on overcloking of course.
Personally going for Scythe Mugen 5, but no idea if the Noctua is better or similar.

[CA_Steve]

Games and i7: My wild swag is 80% of games' fps doesn't change when comparing i5 to comparibly clocked i7, 15% it changes, but not enough to matter, especially if gfx card constrained, and 5% of games have insane CPU requirements and can make decent and noticable use of hyperthreading. Something like Star Citizen with it's insane CPU loading. <shrugs>

<rant> If game developers got off their collective asses and made use of DX12's vastly improved CPU threading/management, there'd be even less need/use for hyperthreading/more than 4 physical cores. </rant>

Chances are, if your game is fps challenged and it isn't the GPU, then you'd be better off overclocking the i5 a bit rather than spending the extra $100 for the i7.

Speaking of which, if you plan to game at 4k, then the GTX 1060 is underpowered and you'd need to bump up to at least GTX 1070. If you plan to game at 1080p, then the GTX 1060 is great.

Netflix 4k: Definately need Kaby Lake's built in DRM, then.

Noctua: If you plan to overclock and overvolt, then a massively large cooler like the Nocuta is fine. If you don't plan to OC an i5, then you can drop down to a Noctua 120mm model (if that's your go to cooler) or go with site favorite Scythe Kotetsu. I prefer less unneeded mass hanging off my mobo.

...and here my usual suggestion to wait 2-3 months before buying/building with Kaby Lake to let the bugs work out/firmware/driver updates settle down a bit. Unless you like being an unpaid beta tester.

[quest_for_silence]

I don't get why a good cooler is overkill for a stock CPU either. Potentially it should just allow for slower RPM.

With reference to twin towers coolers like the D15, it doesn't (allow for slower RPM).

Without oc/ov actually they may perform slightly worse than more modest coolers (but still good ones, like those often recommended here): as well as racing engines they do need power to shine, because without enough heat to dissipate their larger and more numerous heatpipes/fins are just inefficient (compared to those ones used onto smaller coolers).

[Tilltech]

If you don't plan to OC an i5, then you can drop down to a Noctua 120mm model (if that's your go to cooler) or go with site favorite Scythe Kotetsu.

Or Cryorig H7.

[Hrafn]

If you don't plan to OC an i5, then you can drop down to a Noctua 120mm model (if that's your go to cooler) or go with site favorite Scythe Kotetsu.

Or Cryorig H7.

Has anybody done a comparison (including low RPM acoustics and performance) between the Kotetsu & the H7?

[CA_Steve]

I haven't seen an acoustic review of the H7 that had a noise floor below 30dB...so, while the fan drops below 400rpm, I couldn't tell you anything about it's signature. Thermally, it does well.

[Hrafn]

My working assumption is that the best coolers for low airflows (i.e. near-passive conditions) would be those with least air resistance. This would most likely mean a general design that was wide/tall but shallow (and meaning that larger, deeper coolers designed to have air forced through them at a relatively high pressure would perform poorly, as suggested above). (This design assumption excludes completely fanless coolers, which are not relying on a fan for their airflow, and are thus subject to very different constraints.)

It would also mean that more exotic fin designs might provide extra benefits in terms of reduced air resistance (but I would tend to be skeptical as to any particular design's benefits until I've seen data to back it up -- this includes the H7).