SPCR

I'm in the market for a new WHS and, so far, I've decided on the following parts:

Lian Li PC-Q11
Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 (already own)
Intel DG45FC
WDC 160GB Scorpio Black (for OS, already own)
2x WDC 1.5TB GP drives (RAID 1, for data)
Mushkin 2x1GB DDR2-800 (already own)
Seasonic SS-300ES (already own)

My priorities for the build are in the following order: silence, power efficiency, and reliability. Initially, I'll install Windows Server 2008 R2 as a basic file server. Eventually, I'll install WHS v2 and stream media to an Xbox 360. This server will be left on 24/7 and occassionally download torrents. I'm unsure as to what heatsink to use for the CPU. I'd prefer a fanless solution, but a quiet fanned solution would be fine. I've looked at the TR AXP-140 and Scythe Samurai-ZZ. Are there any others I should be looking at? As for my case choices, is there any reason I should choose a PC-Q08 over the Q11?

I would recommend against SSD's for a WHS OS drive. I know a lot of people at WGS like them, but the speed increase won't be noticeable in most instances, and with the tombstone system of pooled storage, it's likely to tax the balancing system of the drive controllers to the point of insanity.

Besides, for the cost, you just won't get the speed justification on a server. I'd put the SSD in one of the clients that can use a speed bump and move the storage to the server.

Thanks for the tip. I changed it to a Scorpio Black (already have one somewhere).

Going back to the subject of heatsinks, it looks like anything with a backplate is ruled out since there are components on the backside of the DG45FC that prohibit their use. The Scythe Samurai-ZZ, Big Shuriken, and Prolimatech Samuel 17 are potential candidates based on the recent Silent Home Server Build Guide. Since all these heatsinks are top-down oriented, would it be a good idea to change my power supply choice to the SS-300ET? Is a front intake fan necessary at all, even with no fan on the CPU?

So it looks like I'll be settling on a Scythe Samurai-ZZ. Keeping in mind a passively cooled CPU, would it be more efficient for the front 140mm fan to exhaust or intake air?

ck8-04 wrote:Keeping in mind a passively cooled CPU

With a Scythe Samurai-ZZ? I mean you should do better thinking twice.

What do you mean? Do you have any suggestions, then?

You are better off with a fan-cooled heatsink. There are already fans in your system, one more running quietly will have no acoustic impact but still keep your CPU way cooler under load. The Big Shuriken is probably your best bet -- despite the PITA it is to get it on. Plan on getting it on once & never take it off. Make sure to use low profile memory in case of clearance issues with the HS.

EDIT: Took a look at that Intel DG45FC. Looks like the chipset HS will prevent use of the Big Shuriken. Maybe your fanless Samurai-ZZ is the only choice in that case.

ck8-04 wrote:What do you mean? Do you have any suggestions, then?

Simply going fanned: and to stay quiet, just dial down the Samurai's fan using Speedfan.

To go fanless, even with a 65W Core 2 Duo, you need a much effective cooler (so more massive) to be safe under every possible condition, and your case's cooling power doesn't help enough.

Understood. How are the acoustics on the stock 140mm Lian-Li fan? I may just use it and undervolt it if it's decently quiet. And should it be blowing inwards or outwards since there's no rear exhaust?

ck8-04 wrote:I may just use it and undervolt it if it's decently quiet.

It should be so.

ck8-04 wrote:And should it be blowing inwards or outwards since there's no rear exhaust?

The Q11 uses it as intake to bring fresh air to mobo and PSU.

Well, I attempted to assemble the system today and there's one issue. The CPU heatsink is too tall for the case by between 5-10 millimeters. With the heatsink mounted, the PSU can not be installed. I've presented three options to myself: return the Scythe Samurai-ZZ for something shorter, replace the PSU with one that has a bottom mounted fan and attempt to run the Samurai-ZZ fanless, or replace the PSU with a PicoPSU. I like the third option the best, but I have never experimented with PicoPSUs. What do you guys think?

ck8-04 wrote:Well, I attempted to assemble the system today and there's one issue. The CPU heatsink is too tall for the case by between 5-10 millimeters. With the heatsink mounted, the PSU can not be installed.

Do you mean
(a) the heatsink and the stock fan installed; or
(b) the heatsink without the stock fan installed
is too tall and blocks the PSU?

If (a), then it is possible to get slimmer fans. Scythe make 120mm and 100mm models that are 12mm thick, as opposed to the 25mm thickness of standard fans. You might want to look into buying the 100mm version, which has 92mm mounting holes as well. With some DIY mounting or bending of the fan clips, you might be able to make the wire clips on your CPU heatsink fit this fan.

Otherwise, the picoPSU sounds like a good idea. Go for the 150XT or 160XT with the 12.5A brick, just to make sure you have enough power.

Hope that helps.

Sorry, I should've been more clear with that. I meant the heatsink with the stock fan installed. Even if I replaced the stock fan with a slimmer fan, there would be a very miniscule amount of space between it and the PSU so airflow would be restricted.

The more I think about this, the more I lean toward a PicoPSU. The PicoPSU would be advantageous in three ways: 1) it would be completely silent, 2) it would leave a void in the case where a regular ATX PSU would fit, allowing for a taller heatsink and better airflow and 3) not come with the mess of wires that a normal sized PSU would.