SPCR's Holiday ATX Gaming Build Guide

Want to talk about one of the articles in SPCR? Here's the forum for you.
Joxx
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2014 11:54 am

Re: SPCR's Holiday ATX Gaming Build Guide

Post by Joxx » Tue Nov 25, 2014 10:33 am

MikeC wrote:GPU Tweak allows up to 5 custom profiles to be saved. When rebooted, it goes back to the last profile used.
Is that reboot the PC with GPU Tweak as a startup program?

MikeC
Site Admin
Posts: 12285
Joined: Sun Aug 11, 2002 3:26 pm
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Contact:

Re: SPCR's Holiday ATX Gaming Build Guide

Post by MikeC » Tue Nov 25, 2014 11:36 am

Joxx wrote:
MikeC wrote:GPU Tweak allows up to 5 custom profiles to be saved. When rebooted, it goes back to the last profile used.
Is that reboot the PC with GPU Tweak as a startup program?
iirc, the system just starts with that profile in place whether GPU Tweak is loaded or not. But someone else should double-check on this, as our system has been disassembled.

Joxx
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2014 11:54 am

Re: SPCR's Holiday ATX Gaming Build Guide

Post by Joxx » Tue Nov 25, 2014 12:00 pm

Thanks Mike.

MikeC
Site Admin
Posts: 12285
Joined: Sun Aug 11, 2002 3:26 pm
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Contact:

Re: SPCR's Holiday ATX Gaming Build Guide

Post by MikeC » Wed Nov 26, 2014 1:44 pm

FYI, this build was upgraded with a Fractal Design Define R5 --
http://www.silentpcreview.com/Quiet_ATX ... R5_Version

Das_Saunamies
*Lifetime Patron*
Posts: 2000
Joined: Tue May 15, 2007 1:39 am
Location: Finland

Re: SPCR's Holiday ATX Gaming Build Guide

Post by Das_Saunamies » Thu Nov 27, 2014 12:13 am

MikeC wrote:FYI, this build was upgraded with a Fractal Design Define R5 --
http://www.silentpcreview.com/Quiet_ATX ... R5_Version
Quick but diligent! The results are very promising indeed, and it's good to see many common issues addressed by Fractal: flush and sealed top, flush ModuVents, open vent slats with breathing room, no zip ties, bottom filter pulls out from the front etc. The case is also so modular it should suit just about any build imaginable.

The excellent-sounding fans are a nice cherry on top.

Lucky that you got the case just in time for the build tests; my hat's off to Fractal for a job well done on all fronts.

PS. It is not explicitly mentioned even on the Fractal specs page, but the fans are 3-pin, non-PWM models. Bit of a bummer for automatic control, since you can't use a splitter cable or PWM-only mobo control for them (PWM having fast established itself as the standard, mind). Fractal includes a completely superfluous 3-speed fan controller behind the front door.

Mescalero
Posts: 61
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2007 9:02 am
Location: TU-BS, Germany

Re: SPCR's Holiday ATX Gaming Build Guide

Post by Mescalero » Sun Nov 30, 2014 5:28 am

Great timing, I was about to post questions for something like this on the board.
One thing, I would like to know, though.
:?: Why do you use a 650W PSU when the maximum AC power draw was 290W? The reason I'm asking is because I wonder whether I can continue using my oldish Seasonic 380W PSU for a system similar to yours.

MikeC
Site Admin
Posts: 12285
Joined: Sun Aug 11, 2002 3:26 pm
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Contact:

Re: SPCR's Holiday ATX Gaming Build Guide

Post by MikeC » Sun Nov 30, 2014 8:15 am

Mescalero wrote:Great timing, I was about to post questions for something like this on the board.
One thing, I would like to know, though.
:?: Why do you use a 650W PSU when the maximum AC power draw was 290W? The reason I'm asking is because I wonder whether I can continue using my oldish Seasonic 380W PSU for a system similar to yours.
Good question.

The first reason is on-hand availability -- we don't always have every product we really want to use on hand. The more appropriately rated PSUs on hand were...

1) Seasonic G360 -- 80+ Gold but its fan would have ramped up too much under load
2) Seasonic G550 -- might have worked but it was already in use in another build
3) 300w, 400w, 460w, & 520W fanless 80+ Gold/Platinum PSUs from Seasonic, Silverstone, Rosewill -- Given the chosen case, these would be radiating heat upwards, directly under the video card. Not a good thing to keep the card's cooler fans running as slowly as possible. A fanless PSU would be better used in a case w/ traditional top position or isolated chamber for PSU.

From a power efficiency point of view, the ideal PSU would be no more than ~400W, but we don't know of any fan cooled PSUs of that rating which stay super quiet at ~260W load (the approx output of the PSU at 290W AC). A Seasonic X560W would have been better than the X650; alas we didn't have one.

It is unlikely that your older Seasonic 380W (which one? an S12?) would stay running quiet enough to be a non-factor acoustically running this system at full load for any extended period. The current crop of semi-passive, super quiet PSUs leverage their high efficiency to extend their low/no fan speed operation into higher power loads. It wasn't possible (safely, reliably) before 80+ Gold/Platinum. But it might be worth trying out before getting a new PSU.

theoryzero
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:06 am

Re: SPCR's Holiday ATX Gaming Build Guide

Post by theoryzero » Mon Dec 01, 2014 11:08 am

bbalex wrote:theoryzero, the Strix will never turn on its fans, as long as you don't start demanding games. But the free flow of air around it, and the way the card is placed are critical to achieve this.

If you look at the various reviews on the net, you notice they are all (well, most) carried out on open benches, where the motherboard is horizontal, and there is no wall around the video card, or which could trap the hot air from its fans. And I can confirm that with a similar open desk build, I never noticed the two Strixes I had ever spin their fans unless I started a somewhat demanding 3d game. The fans on the Strix seem to be entirely GPU temperature controlled. They usually idled at 35 degree (with 20 degrees C ambient), and while using the computer the temperatures would slowly creep but go no higher than 55 degrees. The 970 Strixes seemed to start their fans at around 66 degrees, and would stop them once they cooled back to 53 degrees (there's a hysteresis here).

Very likely it's the air flow that is causing the creeping temperatures for you, sadly.
A bit of a follow up here. So, with the single Strix 970, I have three monitors connected (GPU goes into a higher power consumption mode when more than one monitor is connected) and in my idle use, I'm frequently doing photo processing with Photoshop. Photoshop /does/ use the GPU, and apparently in my system, it is enough for the temperature to creep up to 65C/66C and start up the fans. I tried improving airflow with the case, it is very cool in my basement this time of year, and I even tried leaving the case open to see if that helped. No dice.

However, I just got a second Strix 970 and enabled SLI in my rig. During idle (no Photoshop) the temps are very stable at 40-42C on GPU 1 and 29C on GPU 2. With Photoshop running, the GPUs go up a few degrees C, but never above 45C on GPU 1 and 34 on GPU 2. Likewise with some simple games, the GPUs stay at under 66C and the fans never spin up.

I'm extremely happy with the noise from my gaming rig now. Yes, when playing a game that stresses the GPUs, the fan noise is louder than it was with a single card, but as I mentioned before the fan noise signature on these Strix cards is not bothersome to me like so many other GPUs I've had before it. Also, as luck would have it, the second card also has no coil whine whatsoever.

Mescalero
Posts: 61
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2007 9:02 am
Location: TU-BS, Germany

Re: SPCR's Holiday ATX Gaming Build Guide

Post by Mescalero » Tue Dec 02, 2014 1:24 pm

MikeC wrote: From a power efficiency point of view, the ideal PSU would be no more than ~400W, but we don't know of any fan cooled PSUs of that rating which stay super quiet at ~260W load (the approx output of the PSU at 290W AC). A Seasonic X560W would have been better than the X650; alas we didn't have one.

It is unlikely that your older Seasonic 380W (which one? an S12?) would stay running quiet enough to be a non-factor acoustically running this system at full load for any extended period. The current crop of semi-passive, super quiet PSUs leverage their high efficiency to extend their low/no fan speed operation into higher power loads. It wasn't possible (safely, reliably) before 80+ Gold/Platinum. But it might be worth trying out before getting a new PSU.
Thank you for the answer.
Considering the expense of the other components I think I would try to keep as many of my old parts, also minimizes electric waste. Especially PSU (Seasonic S12 sounds right) can be swapped quite easily. Throwing away my Noctua heatsink is more heartbreaking... :(

Edit: Just found out that Noctua offers kits to mount old heatsinks to the 1150 mounts. And best of all: free of charge! All I have to do is find the bill for the heatsink from back then. Now that's customer service! :)

ckellmeyer
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Jul 13, 2013 4:01 am

Re: SPCR's Holiday ATX Gaming Build Guide

Post by ckellmeyer » Tue Dec 30, 2014 11:46 am

(I don't think i saw a post regarding this)

Did you ever replace the front stock fan with the Antec? if so, did you just use one in front or two?

MikeC
Site Admin
Posts: 12285
Joined: Sun Aug 11, 2002 3:26 pm
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Contact:

Re: SPCR's Holiday ATX Gaming Build Guide

Post by MikeC » Tue Dec 30, 2014 12:02 pm

ckellmeyer wrote:Did you ever replace the front stock fan with the Antec? if so, did you just use one in front or two?
No it wasn't done. Overall impact would have been minuscule, though. A better change would be to open up the front filter/grill for the fan so it's less impeded for airflow, then fans could be run slower.

In the R5 version of this build, we compare the fans in the new Fractal case with the Antec TrueQuiet -- and it's actually a tad quieter. No need for any fan swaps there, as the Antec is generally one of the quietest fans we've tested. I've actually asked Fractal for more samples of the new case fan to test separately.

ckellmeyer
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Jul 13, 2013 4:01 am

Re: SPCR's Holiday ATX Gaming Build Guide

Post by ckellmeyer » Tue Dec 30, 2014 12:30 pm

Thanks! i plan to remove my r4 front grill tonight and see. great work...

[email protected]
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2015 1:45 pm

Re: SPCR's Holiday ATX Gaming Build Guide

Post by [email protected] » Mon Jan 05, 2015 1:58 pm

First off, thank you very much for the guide.

I build the system as specified with 2 changes:

Asus GTX 970 Strix
Seasonic X-650
be quiet Shadow Rock Slim

And the R4.

I will replace the fans with Antec TrueQuiets as soon as they arrive, but so far I'm VERY happy with the results.

The R5 case was not available anywhere when I built this...
So if I want to pimp the R4 a bit...

I add 3 Antecs (2 front, 1 back), Forcibly remove the plastic grille behind the door and I'm good to go?
The door will stay closed, as I don't intend to add a DVD drive.

Cheers and thanks again,

CA_Steve
Moderator
Posts: 7650
Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2005 4:36 am
Location: St. Louis, MO

Re: SPCR's Holiday ATX Gaming Build Guide

Post by CA_Steve » Mon Jan 05, 2015 4:33 pm

Try it with the Antec Fans and then see if you need to remove the fan grill. The temps/noise might be good as is.

[email protected]
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2015 1:45 pm

Re: SPCR's Holiday ATX Gaming Build Guide

Post by [email protected] » Mon Jan 26, 2015 11:33 am

Hello again, a short update after finally receiving the Antecs :-) Seem to be in very short supply at the moment...

Installed 2 in the front, 1 in the back. They run at ~250 rpm with the system idling or 2d gaming...

I'm happy for the blue led on the tom of the computer, I can hardly tell if it is running otherwise :-D

I removed the bottom HDD bay, will look into a way to put the one drive into the 5 1/4 bay later. For now it is
sitting on a bit of foam at the bottom of the case. It is mostly storing games, the two SSD take care of the system.

I removed the plastic grille because it was easy to do...
I was not able the place the filter in place again because the Antec attachments get in the way of it sliding into place.

I'd say it is still worth it, because even if the previous fans where mostly quiet, the fact that the
resonance was around 100 Hz made it easy to pick up.

Thanks again for the guidance.

quest_for_silence
Posts: 5275
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:12 am
Location: ITALY

Re: SPCR's Holiday ATX Gaming Build Guide

Post by quest_for_silence » Mon Jan 26, 2015 1:53 pm

[email protected] wrote:Seem to be in very short supply at the moment

AFAIK they're EOL.

polyt
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2015 12:15 pm

Re: SPCR's Holiday ATX Gaming Build Guide

Post by polyt » Fri Mar 27, 2015 12:18 pm

3/27/15 @ 1300 PST R4 on Shell Shocker at Newegg.

Wanted SFF but may just...

Post Reply