SPCR

Hi

I'm looking for some help in building a small tower PC around some existing components. May aim is to make it as quiet and efficient as possible as it'll sit on the floor next to my TV.

Current parts:-
Motherboard - ASUS PQ5L
CPU - quad core duo q8200
Graphics Card - ATI radeon hd 46500
Memory - 4 x Corsair CM2 2048 800mhz
Hard Disk - 2x 500gb
DVD Drive

I've been looking at the Silverstone TJ08 case as the size is about right.

I'm looking for advice on whether this is a good case to use and if it is what's the best power supply and fans to use with it.

Any advice will be well received as I've not build a silent PC before.

tysarn wrote:I'm looking for advice on whether this is a good case to use

It's one of the favourites of SPCR team.

tysarn wrote:and if it is what's the best power supply and fans to use with it.

I guess anything (silent, quiet) of at least 200W will suffice: it depends on your budget.
So I mean you can bank on SPCR Reference and Recommended lists to find out some alternatives compatible with your needs.

About the fans, at first sight you need just one: so pick a cheap SPCR favourite, a Nexus Real Silent Case Fan or a Scythe Slipstream M and use as exhaust.

Said that, the overall noise of your system strictly depends of your parts (and relevant budget): you haven't said which cpu heatsink, and above all which disk drives: the TJ-08 have to be modded to suspend drives, while it has just two 5,25 bays in order to fit any noise absorption enclosure for drives.

Another alternative would be to get an Antec NSK3480 and swap the included Earthwatts PSU to a fanless Seasonic X-Series PSU. There are vents in the top of the 3480 that will allow a fanless PSU to vent hot air.

Swap the rear Antec fan for a Nexus Real Silent or Scythe Slipstream, S-Flex or Gentle Typhoon fan. Add a tower-style heatsink and another quiet fan mounted on that and you should be good to go.

There are a number of systems in the General Gallery forum using the NSK3480, so have a look at these. If you are ok with doing a bit of case modding, you can cut some holes in the motherboard tray area of the case to route cables from the PSU behind the motherboard for better airflow.

Thanks for the responses but after some searching around I've decided to change my case choice to the Lian Li PC-V352.

I'll probably put a Nexus Value 430 PSU in. Now all I need to decide on is what CPU heatsink to go with.

Any opinions on this case choice or advice on what heatsink would best fit this setup?

I'm hoping at some point to upgrade the motherboard and cpu but this is a down the road change.

tysarn wrote:Any opinions on this case choice or advice on what heatsink would best fit this setup?

You need to stay under ~110mm height, so the best fit is more probably that not a Thermalright AXP140 with a fan of your choice.

Something more oddly sized, such as its master fellow V354 or a LanGear DaBox, may give more freedom of choice, while V352's fans should be of good quality if we look at SPCR findings about the Lian-Li PC-Q08.