New PC, take 2
A few months ago I was ready for a new pc and posted here. For reasons I won’t go into here that got delayed (cough… iPad, $900… Ouch)
On the plus side in that time the gtx 600 series, and ivy bridge CPUs have come out as well as stupidly over priced hard drives have dropped somewhat.
I’ve spent the weekend doing some whirlpool reaserch and come up with the following. Let us know your thoughts.
Specs after the break…
| Motherboard | Asus P8Z77-V | $209 |
| CPU | Intel I7 3770K | $375.00 |
| CPU Cooler | Noctua NH-D14 | $86.00 |
| Case | Antec P183v3 | $154.00 |
| Power Supply | Silverstone ST75F-P 750w modular | $128.50 |
| Graphics Card | eVGA GTX 680 SC | $689.00 |
| DVD | Pioneer DVR-219LBK | $25.00 |
| Hard Disk 1 | Intel 520 – 120GB SSD | $191 |
| Hard Disk 2 | Seagate ST2000DM001 2TB Barracuda, 7200RPM | $135.00 |
| Hard Disk 3 | Seagate ST2000DM001 2TB Barracuda, 7200RPM | $135.00 |
| RAM | Corsair 16GB 1600mhz DDR3 | $130.00 |
| Sound Card | Sound Blaster x-fi xtreme | $75 |
| Speakers | Creative GWT40-SII | $122 |
Total $2454
+ few extra hundred added for build (can’t be bothered spending the time building it), Windows, and on site warranty (got about $1500 worth of replacements under warranty with my last build, well worth it)
Comments
Questions...
Will the 750 supply cut it?
A sound blaster card?
I’m not sold on ssdd! And don’t think 120 g for a main drive is enough! My 120 is pushing capacity and I’m a “not on the cdrive” nazi!
And fuck me graphics cards are soooo expensive compared to everything else!
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Power supply… Yeah apparently 500 to 600ish will cut it for single gpu even if its top end like the gtx 680. I don’t trust that though, so went the 750 getting lots of recommendations on wp.
Sb card… Yeah wasn’t happy with the on board sound on my last asus board and I’m getting a lower end asus this time which has only a mid range on board sound. Always regretted not getting one so tout I’d try with this pc. Was tossing up between xifi and asus xonar models about the same price.
Ssd… I’d love the 256 gb but just can’t justify the cost. I’ve been running on a 150 raptor for years so I think I’ll be able to squeeze into the 120…. Hopefully.
Graphics…. Sure is. I pay the cost here for getting a new graphics card in high demand. Chances are I’ll have to wait a few weeks for this. Most places are charging 730 for it cos of the shortage already. Havi g said that it’s over 300 cheaper than the 8800gtx ultra I got in my last pc…. That was nuts.
Hmm My 2 Cent's Worth
The ssd have a look at this range ssd
The PSW you will need over 750+ Wats, that 680gtx is going to suck a sh&t load of power a full tilt PSU
The Case there are two, the key here is air flow air flow air flow
case1
case2
ta
Robag
Speakers
Great ch0ices there Fuzz interesting the speakers have n0 subw00fer but reading the reviews it has very l0w bass resp0nse and yer Ive still g0t me creative 2.1 setup fr0m 10 years ag0
n0mad
Thanks
Thanks for the tips guys.
Holy shit Robag, did you just recommend me a $785 SSD, that thing looks fantastic….
Initially I was looking at either a Corsair or OCZ series SSD with the sandforce controller as they seemed to be the rage about 6 months ago when I started looking. All that seems to be recommended these days over at whirlpool are either the Crucial M4 (mostly the 256GB, but i think the 128GB is ok too – that’s the one I’d be looking at). Or the Intel series, 330 or 520. They seem to be getting recommended based on reliability mostly I think.
Case wise… I ummed and erred about this for a while. WP reccomended Fractal Design R3 for every build. I compared pretty closely, even found a thread comparing the Antec P183 and P193 against the Fractal. For silence and build quality the two Antecs seemed to come up on top.
I did initially look at the P280… I just dont know about that one. There was something about the design that didn’t do it for me. It was similar, but they changed the hard drive bay thing to not be in separate compartments. With you recommending it though I’ll definitely give it another look as I did disregard it fairly quickly. The other one I probably won’t go with just because of the side window. The pc goes in a bedroom that gets slept in (when I’m in trouble with the wife…) and the PC stays on overnight sometimes. So its nice to not have bright lights flashing thru a glass side window.
Also the reason I keep coming back to the P183v3 is it’s basically the same case I have now and I’m pretty happy with what I have now.
The build has the ability to overclock (not as good as sandy bridge cpus, but it still does ok) but I’m not really looking to overclock intiially. Just want a fast, silent build (thus the top end quiet cpu cool, and top end cpu).
Speakers… yeah again I’m not dead set on them. But they came up with good reviews, and I like the idea of decent sound coming out of something without the need to add a sub woofer into the room.
Lol, I was still running my cheap altec lansing from nearly 10 years ago too. Right now I’m using a 2.0 crappy logitech from about 9 years ago. About time for an upgrade here I think for sure.
case
loving that second case, Robag… bookmark, bookmark BOOKMARK!!
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I still think hands down this is still the best case for style, cooling and price. http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=6606. Ask kippa, he got one too and I have built 3 other systems for people with that case. Great cable management too.
Also for cpu cooling, try one of these. They work great and maintenance free. http://ple.com.au/ViewItem.aspx?InventoryItemID=606903&CategoryID=444
Antec P183
ok, now i checked what it looks like, and i’ve confirmed it… its the same as mine….
I wouldnt recommend it!
well actually i would, but i suggest you also get 2-4 additional 175mm fans!
liquid cooling....
who is using it?
apparently liquid cooling actually makes MORE noise for only a negligible difference in temp vs air cooling!
thoughts?
Well...
I have started setting up systems with the Corsair Hydro Series. Works perfect with little to no extra noise. No need to top it up, all sealed and maintenance free. Also that case I posted, doesnt need any thing extra but you can add to it if you like. I have fully blinged the case out with lights and LED fans.
...
Yeah I’m kinda avoiding the bling. Just looking for silent, black. I’ve got the p182 I think. Or 180. They’re all very similar that’s wh I’m defaulting to it, unless I can find something that suits.
I was considering replacing the two stock antec fans with 2 120 mm noctua fans, and adding one more up the front. 30 a piece though. But I think I’ve convinced me, my old antec stock fans rattled after a bit… But that was probably cos I never cleaned out the air filters.
Question… Do u guys open ur cases up and clean them out often….. Ever… Filters etc?
Just out of interest shad, how come u suggest for getting the case and against it. Runs hot for u?
...
Liquid cooling… Very interesting, I’d need to read some reviews
Always meant to share this...
Here is the pics of my current setup. Figure now is a better time then ever to show you. Here is that case I was talking about. Though I still dont have the Corsair Hydro Series cooler yet.
http://imageshack.us/g/37/img1681y.jpg/
case
I’m with delta on the case , it comes with 3 fans inbuilt 1 120mm and 2 200mm i bought an extra because i didn’t know that it came with fans and the case is colder then my fridge. it also has a lot of space.
My heat/p183
Ok, quick and dirty cause we can probably have a convo elsewhere!
The case is great! looks even better. However it’s only got 2 extraction fans. But scope to have 4 more intake fans!
The CPU, from what I’ve cared to pay attention to runs fine heat wise, noting that I only have the standard CPU cooler, and you now/are ordering a chunky sink/fan attachment ( although I do have an extreme mobo with a big built in sink… Anyway off track!
Problem is, my graphic card. Evga Gtx285 over clocked/extreme/classified dealie! And it works epicly and it, in my opinion holds a pretty big candle to the 4/500 series in terms of performance (I run all my games – cause I have the mindset “I paid lots of money to be able to see/someone spent the time programming it – so I want to see/play with the wavy grass on! This does cost me my kdr as I’m hiding behind stuff which everyone else can’t see and in fact I’m standing in the open!) anyway
The fckin fan in that thing is like a space shuttle in blast off! No the fans fault really but the temp gauge on the graphics card regular, during games gets to 90-95 degrees! If I’ve got my gas heating/or the room gets hot (it does in summer) and the room temp is high, my PC does shut down the game without warning because it hits 101degrees!
Aking the side of the case off actually makes this worse AND the dust is horrible! ap your better off keeping it on! And the noise is increased! ( see more on noise below)
So can I get. Water cooled gpu!
Good things about the case are the heat management on the other stuff through segregation of the psu is good, and the fans aren’t too noisy, when on low or medium (yog can control the 2 extactors externally) but I’m running mine on high… With the rocket ship it’s fucken noisy! Enough so I can’t hear much going on outside the room even woh my headphones off!
The filters on the case (intakes) need vacuuming every week, they are removable and that’s all good! And it shows me they work and air IS getting into the case! However I’d love to add 2 more fans! Which would hopefully reduce the extractor fan speed, lowering the over all noise but also lower the gpu temp/fan noise by proxy!
So is it the cases problem? No it’s the gpu! But am I lookin to the case to help reduce the problem? Yes! And reduce noise? Hell yes!
Thanks...
Perfect reply. THat’s highlighted a few things I should be looking at. I’ve got a similar PC to what you have now except much older CPU. It’s P182 I think case, so very similar to yours….. just quietly… I dont think i’ve ever bothered to open it up to vacuum the inside lol. I vacauum the top and back fans from the outside regularly and they do get a lot in there but I’ve never removed them. I wonder if thats in my model…
Either way, if I do stick with the P183v3, I’ll definitely get 3 Noctua fans. 2 to replace the two antecs that come with it, and 1 to go into one of the optional front fan areas.
Also… I’m gonna have to do a bit more reading on whether with the GTX 680 temperature and fan noise are as much of an issue. I read up on it a month or so back and I think in general it got worse in the 400 series, then better in the 500 series… Don’t remember what happened with the 600 series.
I’m sure there was a water cooled version of the gpu.. but it depenended on a fully water cooled case which is more effort than I’m willing to put in right now. Will get back to you, thanks.
Kip, delta, ro, will do some reading on those other cases you’ve recceomended to see if they fit the bill better. Thanks all.
OK
After a bit of review reading it looks like
At load:
GTX 280SC (my existing blown up card) – 86 (that’s fairly consistent with what I’ve found)
GTX 285 (Shad’s card) – 85 (although I’ll take this as an 86… their review said the 280 was 85)
GTX 580 – 76
GTX 680 – 78
GTX 680 SC (my potential card) – 80
So in general a bit lower… but I might consider the non SC edition of the EVGA card. Although… for 2 degrees screw it.
And noise wise… the 280 series said once it got to 86, the fan would be at full ball and I know what that sounds like. Am sure we’re hearing the same thing there.
For the 680 series
“As we can see, maintaining temperatures at its higher clocks doesn’t involve this card increasing its fan speeds. The SC+ actually maintains the exact same acoustical profile as the reference version which means it likely won’t be heard over the other fans in your case. “
Which is good.. means I may as well get the 680 SC, noise wise. Doesn’t actually give me much reference for how loud that actually is though.
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/53144-evga...
Need to find a review of the 280 to see how loud in db it was to compare.
Fuzz
damn
Hot damn I want the Signature 2 series. Special cooling and two silent fans….. drools.
Pump noise!
I’d hazard a guess water cooling pumps would still create noise!
I know from my fish tank, they ain’t quiet
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Am pretty happy with the air cooler I got. Have to change my ram to either low profile corsair or 8gb gskill dimms to fit the cooler… Anyone hate gskill?
Quick question about case fans… Not sure what the deal is these days. I know u can control the stock case fans with three switches on the back of the antec cases. Is it possible to do the same if u repla e them with other fans? I’d hate to have to open the cae each time to switch the cable just to change the speed ( the noctua co e with three cables… Normal, low noise and ultra low noise.)
I'll open up mine and take a photo
Ill open up mine and take a photo, I’m pretty sure you should be ok Aslong as your fan has the appropriate wires and you connect the up properly!
case
get the antec nine hundred two v3 gaming case…..they are pimpin (blue leds so pretty) and work well!
lol
and I’ve never washed the intake fans on the case in over three years of the antec 900 cases, even up here in qld
OK...
I think this is what I’m going with:
Too lazy to add it up.
Thanks for the advice guys.
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Oh and 3 Noctua fans replacing the stock antec ones.
/
$2,407.50
N0w try that 0ther st0re…..
n0mad
What's the discount for 2
.
Lol
Surely u don’t want one yet
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