Help Getting Started

hanise · Post by **hanise** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 12:59 am

I need a new PC. My current PC is from 2005 - mid-tower, Windows
XP Home, Asus A8V Deluxe, AMD Athlon 64 3200+ at 2GHz, 1GB RAM,
passive FX5200 video card, some quiet components.

I'd like something current - faster, even quieter, for general
use, a little video encoding, light/low-end gaming, and fooling
with Linux (dual-boot w/XP). I don't need to overclock and hope
not to underclock/undervolt. Besides quiet, stability and
compatibility are paramount; I'm not a modder.

Although my last couple systems have been AMD, poking around on
this site, I'm thinking an Intel i5 is at a sweet spot for
balancing performance/heat/price. Or should I consider others?

Anandtech shows the i5 idle power is 83W and heavy load is 184W -
but most other similar processors were even worse! Can it still
be air-cooled very quietly?

If the i5 is good, what's a good motherboard for it? I don't
need high-end video support. Does the form factor matter much?
Seems like both ATX and Micro ATX are currently sold - do most
mid-tower cases support both of them?

psiu · Post by **psiu** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 5:55 am

Based on your current hardware and stated needs, you could probably go much cheaper with slightly older hardware (ie C2D and DDR2). Throw in a Geforce 9400-9600 (I believe Nv has better Linux compatibility, but you should double-check that) and a modern HD (I've been quite happy with the WD Blue 640GB as a system drive on 3 systems now) and you should be all set with what you want.

I'm not as familiar with NV card so see which of the mid-range cards is the best balance of speed and power-draw. On the ATI side I would say the 4670 is a no-brainer but I don't think 3d acceleration is there in Linux yet? Or maybe that was just the older cards I tried before...

edit: mATX will fit in any ATX case.

bonestonne · Post by **bonestonne** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 6:08 am

I agree with psiu, older hardware will be just as good, and won't break the bank.

For what you're thinking about, you could go with any wolfdale C2D with 4gb of DDR2-1066 and be fine when it comes to power. I'd go with a P45 chipset, probably Gigabyte, I have MSI and would rather the Gigabyte, but price and layout got me quick, then I got it...oh well.

As for graphics and linux support, its kind of equal right now. The newest models from both ATI and nVidia have their problems...I have the 9600GT and originally had problems with support, but after doing a clean install (at first I just dropped it in hoping it would find the driver quickly by itself) it worked fine. I haven't used ATI in linux in a long time, so I can't tell you about the new cards. Linux has always been more of a case by case basis for support in my opinion, there are people with computers that are physically the same, but one works fine, the other is buggy...with no explanation.

I also agree with the WD640 drives, even I got one and love the performance.

JamieG · Post by **JamieG** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 2:49 pm

Gigabyte sells a 9600GT Silent Cell which is completely passively cooled, which could be pretty good for your needs. (There is also a 9800GT Silent Cell if you wanted more gaming power.)

While it sounds like a Core 2 Duo / P45 system would meet all your needs, you might want to factor in future upgrade paths if you tend to keep your computer for a while. If this is relevant, the Core i5 750 with a LGA-1156 motherboard that meets your budget would be a good balance. Gigabyte and Asus make good motherboards, so something from their P55 range should fit your budget.

These processors can be cooled quietly. While it is an expensive heatsink, something like the Prolimatech Mega Shadow with quiet fans (look for Nexus or Scythe fans) would be enough to cool the i5 750. Add a Nexus Value 430 PSU and you'd have a pretty quiet system.

It sounds like the Antec Solo would be a pretty decent case to house this system as well.

Try pricing it out and see if it fits your budget.

Post by **NeilBlanchard** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 5:30 pm

Welcome to SPCR!

hanise · Post by **hanise** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 1:23 am

Thank you so much for all of your responses - and for the
welcome, Neil!

CPU: psiu and bonestonne - thanks for the suggestions but JamieG
has it right - I like to spend a bit more on a CPU to get another
year or two out of it. Also, I take from the [lack of] comments
that I don't really need to consider AMD.

Motherboard: good to know on mATX. So I'll look at Gigabyte or
ASUS or MSI for motherboards. Given a mid-tower case, any reason
to choose between ATX, Mini-ATX, or Micro-ATX?

Video: I'd think the 9600 is popular enough to have good Linux
support (but will check further). Thanks on the Gigabyte card;
Wikipedia Nvidia GPU summary shows TDP of 95W or 59W - will it
cool OK with modest airflow? Or would a 9500 or 9400 be better?
A NewEgg note on that card says it needs a 450W PSU minimum!

HDD: Thanks for the suggestion; I'm not too picky about the drive
since I'll elastic-suspend it which quiets most drives.

Cooler: NewEgg doesn't have that one - any other recos? (Or a
better place than NewEgg - would like to get all items from one
place if possible). Not many LGA-1156 coolers - best NewEgg
match is Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro - good reviews but uses a
92mm fan.

Case: Solo looks good; are the included fans OK, or should be
replaced with Nexus or Scythe?

P/S: Nexus Value 430 sounds good (matching the one SPCR
reference/recommended list that's up to date), though a couple
NewEgg posts say cables aren't ideal. Also, above claim about
9600 needing 450W+ - will this P/S really do OK with an i5 and
9600GT?

Pricing: I roughly priced out an i5 system and it's within my
budget. I looked at a couple of online quiet system vendors and
they seem to charge quite a premium over the parts cost - is
there a reason besides labor/warranty? I've put systems together
before but not recently; I have typical electronics workbench
stuff, but are there extra bits I'm forgetting - cables, thermal
grease, special tools, bits of hardware, odds and ends, ... ?

thejamppa · Post by **thejamppa** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 1:35 am

I've run 9600 GT with 350W PSU with C2D cpu with no problems. Its not wattages really, its the amperages on the lines. High quality 400W+ PSU's have better amperages on the lines than most crappy or no-name 600W+ PSU's.

That is why its always important to use high quality PSU's from reliable names.

psiu · Post by **psiu** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 6:29 am

thejamppa wrote:I've run 9600 GT with 350W PSU with C2D cpu with no problems. Its not wattages really, its the amperages on the lines. High quality 400W+ PSU's have better amperages on the lines than most crappy or no-name 600W+ PSU's.

That is why its always important to use high quality PSU's from reliable names.

Yep...

AMD vs Intel: I think AMD certainly has the bottom locked up for decent performance/price, but Intel has the performance locked up going higher.

Nvidia vs ATI: Normally I would say ATI, but everything I've heard over the years has indicated NV is better in Linux. Again, worth checking to verify current compatibility (including 3d and video acceleration, idle and load power reduction, screen resolution/multi-screen issues, tv-out, etc).

Solo has built in suspension. Put the included fan on low and see if it works. Or just grab a replacement and possibly a front 92mm at the time of order. I think Newegg has the Slipstreams now, so there you go. Nexus 430 would be more than enough for that system.

jackylman · Post by **jackylman** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 3:54 pm

ATI's closed-source Linux video drivers will do PowerPlay (power management) and 3D. They won't do HD video accel though.