First, I have two things to say:
1) This is my first computer build and I have very little knowledge about putting the parts together other than things I learned off of the web.
2) I want my case to be quiet, yes, but extreme silence isn't that important to me since I want to overclock and game a lot and I'm not really anal... so I guess this is more of a Quiet PC than a Silent PC...
Info on what parts I have/have ordered (those that are relevant):
Antec P180
3000+ Venice --> XP-90 --> 92mm Panaflo medium speed
Fortron Blue Storm AX500
2 DIMMs of RAM
Samsung 200gig (SATA)
EPox EP-9NPA motherboard
Leadtek PX6800 GT
2 PCI cards (1 is a half height)
1 optical drive (NEC 3540A)
So... basically my questions are:
- Should I skip using the VGA duct entirely? If not, should I buy a 80mm x 15 mm fan?
- Should I buy one 120mm fan for intake? Recommendations?... how is this: Link
- Should I replace any of the other fans on the p180 or are they fine for my purposes?
- Do I need to buy a seperate fan controller, and if not, how do I adjust the speeds of the fans and where do I connect them? (Sorry for this n00b question...) If I do get a fan controller, what is a good, but not too expensive one?
- Any other cooling related info I might need (video card, chipset..?)
- Should I get any cable sleeving.. would that help at all? Extra cables?
- Any other tips on cable organization and assembling my new PC?
Sorry for all these questions, some of which are dumb, but I would really love the help from you knowledgable people...
Help me with my build (P180)
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee
Well I've lurked for months in order to get my new system together so I guess I'm long overdue to contribute.
Shazkar, I purchased the same model of motherboard for my new P180 so I have a few comments to make on that. First, there are only three PCI slots available on the 9NPA+ and you will absolutely lose the topmost to the cooler on your video card. I've had the opportunity to fit two Radeon X800XLs in my system, one with an Artic Silencer 5 and the other with a Zalman VNF700 and both gobbled up that top slot. If you are planning on adding another PCI card later you will definitely have to plan for that.
Second, the placement of the 24 pin power supply header on the Epox can make cable management difficult and may interfere with the VGA duct. You will notice that the connector is located to the left of the CPU socket and not on the right edge as in many other similar boards. My Seasonic S12 just barely has enough reach to wind around the back end of my video card and under the CPU heatsink to reach that connection but I opted instead to just let it arc over the video card. That got in the way of the VGA duct as there is already very little room between it and the card. Your mileage may vary of course but it's something to keep in the back of your head.
Three, the northbridge cooler has a somewhat whiny fan but you may not notice it at all once the case is closed up and other parts are spinning, clicking and whirring. I ultimately went with a Zalman passive solution but I would suggest holding off a little until you have time to decide or completely if the procedure seems difficult for you. Then again you may want to just get a replacement now as you would have to pull everything apart later to get the old cooler off and the new one on. That and they're only about $6.
I'll leave others more knowledgable about fans and controllers to comment in that area. Once thing I can tell you though is that the P180s stock Antec Tri cool fans are loud even at the 'low' setting. I tried using my Vantec fan controller to bring them down a bit but they started to click at the speeds I was looking for. These things just weren't designed to run at very quiet speeds. If you find that they are too loud for your tastes you may want to consider replacing them altogether.
Shazkar, I purchased the same model of motherboard for my new P180 so I have a few comments to make on that. First, there are only three PCI slots available on the 9NPA+ and you will absolutely lose the topmost to the cooler on your video card. I've had the opportunity to fit two Radeon X800XLs in my system, one with an Artic Silencer 5 and the other with a Zalman VNF700 and both gobbled up that top slot. If you are planning on adding another PCI card later you will definitely have to plan for that.
Second, the placement of the 24 pin power supply header on the Epox can make cable management difficult and may interfere with the VGA duct. You will notice that the connector is located to the left of the CPU socket and not on the right edge as in many other similar boards. My Seasonic S12 just barely has enough reach to wind around the back end of my video card and under the CPU heatsink to reach that connection but I opted instead to just let it arc over the video card. That got in the way of the VGA duct as there is already very little room between it and the card. Your mileage may vary of course but it's something to keep in the back of your head.
Three, the northbridge cooler has a somewhat whiny fan but you may not notice it at all once the case is closed up and other parts are spinning, clicking and whirring. I ultimately went with a Zalman passive solution but I would suggest holding off a little until you have time to decide or completely if the procedure seems difficult for you. Then again you may want to just get a replacement now as you would have to pull everything apart later to get the old cooler off and the new one on. That and they're only about $6.
I'll leave others more knowledgable about fans and controllers to comment in that area. Once thing I can tell you though is that the P180s stock Antec Tri cool fans are loud even at the 'low' setting. I tried using my Vantec fan controller to bring them down a bit but they started to click at the speeds I was looking for. These things just weren't designed to run at very quiet speeds. If you find that they are too loud for your tastes you may want to consider replacing them altogether.
Thanks for the help so far. I haven't gotten my case or my PSU yet, they should come sometime today, but I have my mobo so I see what you mean about that connector...
I'm not going to replace my video cooler now, maybe in the future, but I don't want to take off the Leadtek cooler and spend that extra cash at the moment...
But the chipset cooler is something I'll look into.
For now I'll just buy one 120mm fan, unless it's true what someone told me that those Mad Dogs are actually good like Yate Loons somehow, then I'll grab 3. I can replace fans later if they are too loud I guess.
Hmm... Telamon, one question... it looks like you still have the VGA duct in. Did you install a thin 80mm fan in, or did you not bother with that? Any specific advice about the duct?
Oh, and thanks for the help and friendliness.
I'm not going to replace my video cooler now, maybe in the future, but I don't want to take off the Leadtek cooler and spend that extra cash at the moment...
But the chipset cooler is something I'll look into.
For now I'll just buy one 120mm fan, unless it's true what someone told me that those Mad Dogs are actually good like Yate Loons somehow, then I'll grab 3. I can replace fans later if they are too loud I guess.
Hmm... Telamon, one question... it looks like you still have the VGA duct in. Did you install a thin 80mm fan in, or did you not bother with that? Any specific advice about the duct?
Oh, and thanks for the help and friendliness.
VGA Duct
Actually no, I don't have the duct installed right now. With enough fiddling I'm sure I could have made it fit despite the power supply connector being where it is but I decided not to install it for a little extra quiet. Although I do remember one member reporting a successful installation of an 80x80x25mm fan on the inside of the duct which would give you maximum clearance between it and your video card. That might be worth a search.
Good luck with the build and be sure to give us an update when you put it all together.
Edit: Here it is. Shadowknights rig in the gallery might answer some more questions about the duct and that 25mm fan.
Good luck with the build and be sure to give us an update when you put it all together.
Edit: Here it is. Shadowknights rig in the gallery might answer some more questions about the duct and that 25mm fan.