Please validate my approach...

macraider · Post by **macraider** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 1:32 pm

I'm new to this site (found following a Google link to a review) and I'm trilled... I have a very LOUD pc... time for an upgrade/update.

Because I do a lot of digital photography review and editing as a hobby, I'm going to upgrade my existing CPU to an Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 -- thanks to the price drop -- and I might as well re-build the machine as a quiet(er) PC at the same time. Here are my plans (items in bold will be new purchases):

Case: Antec Solo
Fans: Nexus Real Silent Case Fans (1 x 120?, 1 x 92?)
PSU: Corsair HX520
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
HSF: Thermalright Ultra-120 or XP-120
MOBO: Intel Extreme Bad Axe D975XBX
RAM: 3GB (2 x 512, 2 x 1GB)
Video card: ATI Radeon X850 XT PE
Hard drives: WD Caviar SE16 7200RPM (2 x 250GB)
Monitors: HP LP2065 (2 x 20" LCD)

I have a few questions that I would appreciate feedback on:

1. Is it worth it to replace the case fan in the SOLO? How many fans in total do I need? (Stock machine, no over-clocking planned.)

2. Is the heatsink going to fit? Are there better suggestions (from a fit perspective) inside a SOLO case?

3. I got a great deal at the time on the video card and could get another one if I wanted (but now it would cost $199 for the second). Should I have two video cards to more efficiently drive my two (20" LCD) monitors? Is buying another ATI X850 XT PE the best use of that $199?

I welcome all comments.

Thanks in advance!
Chris.

stromgald · Post by **stromgald** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 3:12 pm

1. The SOLO comes with one 120mm Antec Tri-Cool fan. At the lowest of the three speed settings, its fairly quiet. Quiet enough for most people IMO. You might want to hold off on getting the Nexus fans until you find out the Tri-Cool is too noisy. Or you could get one and use the Tri-Cool if necessary on the CPU heatsink.

I would recommend looking into getting Yate-Loon D12SL-12 fans instead. They're basically the same as the Nexus fan, but at 1/3 the price and has a slightly higher top speed (Nexus just adds some resistance to the fan). The higher top speed (and extra noise) shouldn't be much of an issue if you control your fan voltage (through the motherboard or otherwise).

2. Both heatsinks should fit the case. It's more of an issue with the motherboard. I know the Scythe Ninja has been put in Antec P150/SOLO cases before, so I don't think either of your heatsinks will have a problem. Just make sure the motherboard is compatible. You should be able to look that up on thermalright's website. I know the Scythe Ninja has issues with some newer Core 2 Duo boards because of how close some capacitors are to the CPU socket.

3. I'll leave this to others since I'm not an expert on monitors and multiple video cards.

I don't think you need an intake fan unless you're going to have 3-4 hard drives in the system. The PSU fan and the exhaust fans should be enough to cool a Thermalright Ultra-120 without a fan on the heatsink. The only problem is cooling on the other motherboard components. It might also be beneficial to close up any unnecessary vents to force air through the front lower intake to cool the hard drives. This minimizes the need to have a 92mm front fan.

Also, do you have a picture of the heatsink/fan you have on your graphics card? If it's dumping heat back into the case, you might want a 92mm fan up front.

angelkiller · Post by **angelkiller** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 4:31 pm

macraider wrote:3. I got a great deal at the time on the video card and could get another one if I wanted (but now it would cost $199 for the second). Should I have two video cards to more efficiently drive my two (22" LCD) monitors? Is buying another ATI X850 XT PE the best use of that $199?

The X850XT PE is a decently powerful card. About equal to a X1650XT. So getting another one for $200 is a ripoff. I also don't think it's necessary. First, I thought image editing was a 2-D application. So GPU power has nothing to do with that. (I could be totally wrong though). Second, a X850XT PE is plenty power to game on a single 22in display, so simply driving two in Windows won't be a problem. (Not much power is required for this, a 7300gs would be just as good.)

While considering graphics, what are you using to cool it? I do not know how loud the stock cooler is. In my experiences, they are pretty loud, and can kill a quiet system. You might want to consider replacing it. Common replacements include a Zalman VF-900, Thermalright's HR-03, and Arctic Cooling's Accelero X2. From what I've heard (from other people), the Zalman is still a bit loud, even on the lowest setting. From personal experiences, the Accelero X2 is pretty quiet on low RPM's. (Lower than 30 in Ati Tray Tools). The best solution is definately Thermalright's HR-03. It may be able to run passively, eliminating all noise.

Hope all this helps!

macraider · Post by **macraider** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 7:18 pm

Thanks! I appreciate the responses.

The more I read about graphics, the more I hear that in fact my one card should be fine. I don't play game very often, so the biggest stress on the card will be Microsoft Vista's new Aero interface (if/when I upgrade to that).

[There were two typos in my original post... my monitors are only 20" so I will stick with the one card for now and see how it goes... unless I run into problems with Windows Vista.]

Maelwys · Post by **Maelwys** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:47 am

Your build looks a lot like my own, so I can comment on a few things. For starters, I would think about replacing the included Antec Tri-Cool fan with a Yate Loon or Nexus - because you're using a Corsair HX520, that Tri-Cool fan will be the primary noise you'll hear, even on low.

Also, on the subject of fans, I would hold off on getting a 92mm fan for the front just now - I've found that putting one there only really had an effect on my hard drives, which run pretty cool already.

For the CPU cooling, I'm using a Scythe Ninja passively and it works extremely well with plenty of room. The Thermalright Ultra-120 only adds 10mm onto the height of the Scythe, so it will fit as well with no trouble.