Low noise High end Desktop help me figure it out

[n-ster]

I love my desktop. High-end quality parts, 3930K, basically 280X Crossfire etc, what's not to like?

Well simply put, noise. Also I have an upgrade itch and can get a XX% discount at www.ncix.com Sky is the limit in terms of budget, I want the best for my needs

I want to stick to simple, air cooling for now and if not satisfied I'll buy WC later

GPU - In love with MSI 780 Ti Gaming, seeing as it's a great sound versus performance ratio
CPU Cooler - Dark Rock Pro 3? U14S, D15 (but thats backordered)
Case - FT02 (backordered) looks great, any alternatives?
Fans - What is the best? AF120 Quiet and Phantek 140mm look nice

 

[buildzoid]

Go for a custom water cooling loop with 2 480mm or more radiators and low rpm noctua fans it'll be much quiter than any kind of air cooling.

 

[n-ster]

TBH I'm too lazy to build and maintain a custom WC etc. Maybe if it's a kit I could do it.

 

[Sasqui]

LARGE fans and W/C are your friend. HAF 932 has behemoth fans that you can hear, but it's a gentle, smooth sound.

PWM is also key. You'll only hear the fans when they're really needed.

 

[Hilux SSRG]

LARGE fans and W/C are your friend. HAF 932 has behemoth fans that you can hear, but it's a gentle, smooth sound.

PWM is also key. You'll only hear the fans when they're really needed.

I own a HAF 932 and that's correct - the large 200 and 230mm fans help minimize noise. Worth considering OP.

 

[n-ster]

I don't think the HAF 932 is the level of quiet I am looking for as it would let a lot of the internal noise out as well. For the CPU cooler I'm thinking H110 or H100i or H220 on lower settings should be enough. idk what fans are good though.

 

[Hilux SSRG]

Then you might be in the market for a Zalman computer case - I think they offer what you want possibly?

Good review here/

 

[cadaveca]

MSI 780Ti and H220 sound like good low-noise options to me. But on that note, you might as well get a reference 780Ti and a waterblock with the H220, since it's basically a pre-built custom kit.

Antec P280 isn't great for airflow..I already haz one.

 

[Kursah]

My Lian Li case is much quieter than my HAF932 was...though I had a first gen 932...not sure if much has changed.

Custom water is the way to go of budget is of no limit and you want the quietest. If you don't have the motivation for it, may I suggestion a good air cooling solution as well? My Noctua U14S has been AMAZING. 150mm fan is very quiet and capable with my OC'd 4770k. Can even put a second fan on and run both low speed and be very effective. It is large...but my memory clears.

Get a case with insulation, one-two front intakes at 140mm, solid side panels with foam insulation liners, one to two 140mm top exhausts, leave the rear 120mm exhaust empty or use for GPU water cooling using an AIO. I have a GTX770 with the windforce cooler, and while multitudes quieter than my old HD5870, it's still the noisiest component in my system. Get a 295X2 if budget is truly no limit...good sound and great temps (see TPU's review).

Run low speed 140mm fans, insulated case, PSU with large fan and high efficiency (gold or platinum), and enjoy.

That's my two cents...not great but where I would start if I were in your shoes. Aim high if you have the budget...enjoy quiet + powerful for years!

 

[n-ster]

Yea a u14s or d15 is something I looked at as well. 295x2 is a bit much for me and louder then the 780 Ti anyways and I feel in love with the 780 Ti so I'm probably getting it no matter what.. Thanks everyone I'll do some research and come up with a list

 

[Bo$$]

I bought a Gainward phantom GTX780 Believe me, this card is cooler than the Gigabyte windforce x3 and the MSI cooler and makes barely any noise!
Do consider it, it's a real star!

 

[20mmrain]

in a few easy words, Custom watercooling loop.

Large rad/s quiet fans (larger sizes the better 140mm's on the rads and 200mm for the case)
you can also insulate the case if you want

 

[thebluebumblebee]

IMHO, what you are trying to do is hard. High performance and silent computing seem to be diametrically opposed. (I have no experience with custom water) Here's what I would suggest:

The case should be large to accommodate a large number of slow fans. I also have a P280, and it does a pretty good job, but only having 2 120 mm fans (I'm using 2 AF120/PE's) in the front is a real letdown, for such a huge case. (should have been 2 (or better yet, 3)140 mm's, get it?) NZXT H440? It's reviewed here on TPU, but sneaky reviewed it over on tweaktown as well. NZXT H630? It's that flow of air that causes me reservations with the Refine R4 and Nanoxia Deep Silence 1, although the Deep Silence 5 looks interesting. (Mount the cooler for an AIO behind the front fans), Silverstone Fortress FT02/Raven RV02

CPU cooling: I like to go with an air cooler so that the sound is buried inside the case. D14/15, TPC812, that be quiet! Dark Rock 3 looks interesting (and would go with a black/red H440, MSI gaming, and your motherboard if looks matter to you)

 

[the54thvoid]

Custom water loop. You did say you had no budget restrictions.

Let me sell it to you. I game with an i73930k @ 4.4GHz at 1.38-1.4v and a GTX780ti Classified at 1215 core and 1875 memory at 1.2v. I have 2 x 360 rads and 6 noctua fans running consistently at about 700-800rpm, with a D5 vario pump. Temps are well within control and i keep my fans rpm slow. My system never requires the fans to ramp up.

Frankly, high end silence IS water. Hey, this is TechPowerUp after all - go forth and mod.

Should add, a good custom loop will cost several hundred $'s.

 

[n-ster]

I've reconsidered air coolers as I realized I want something reliable too and I don't need too much cooling power and also found that their idle noise levels can be REALLY low. Hence I am considering the Dark Rock Pro 3. Case-wise the FT02 is something magnificient IMO and despite it being back ordered as become my 1st pick. The Fractal R4 looks good, though not even close to the premiumness of the Fortress IMO. Fan-wise the Phanteks 140mm F140TS look nice as well as Corsair's AF120 Quiet, idk if I need these or not though.

So the list would be:

Case: FT02 (backordered but could wait...)
CPU Cooler: Dark Rock Pro 3 or D15/u14s
GPU: MSI 780 Ti Gaming (will this be OK for vertical mounting?)
Fans: a few AF120 Quiet and F140TS just in case

I mostly interested in your opinions of the Case and cooler... You think aircooling will satisfy me? I forgot to mention 80%+ of the time on my computer is going to be basically idling not gaming hence why I figured air cooling is best. I'm thinking 4-4.2Ghz would be nice on the 3930K. Any alternative the the FT02 case? I really don't feel like going through the hassle of custom WC. While yes my PC is high performance, it isn't pushing the performance to the max hence there's no need for super high performance cooling either

 

[Kursah]

Honestly at those levels of performance air cooling should be solid. I don't have any experience with that cooler but can vouch for my Noctua. Even at 100% fan speed, it's not too shabby on noise. Still far less quieter than my GTX770. I run all my fans at low speeds though as my situation is similar to yours...my PC idles more now, or does simpler tasks until I find more time for gaming.

I think that FT02 case would be a nice piece man, go for it! I've always wanted one...but didn't wanna drop the $$$ or wait for one.

Though I might have you reconsider the card and find one with an OE cooling solution...though noisier, I feel it would be the most effective cooling solution for that mounting style...that's just my thought process. I'm sure the MSI would be just fine with that mounting style...and heat still rises so really you have very little to worry about either way.

Air cooling does keep it simple for sure. Easy to maintain. If you're not going for all out OC and performance I think air cooling will suit you greatly.

 

[Vario]

You could run a separate radiator box with two 480 rads in it next with a ton of cougar or noctua or other quiet fans.

ex:

 

[n-ster]

I really don't want to get too complicated... I think I'll try air cooling and if I don't like it I'll try out Water cooling later

Any alternatives to FT02 though? I can wait for the back order but... not waiting could be fun too Since the D15 is backordered as well, I'm hesitating between the Dark Rock Pro 3 or U14S (with 2x phantek fans? or maybe A15s)

 

[Norton]

I really don't want to get too complicated... I think I'll try air cooling and if I don't like it I'll try out Water cooling later

Any alternatives to FT02 though? I can wait for the back order but... not waiting could be fun too Since the D15 is backordered as well, I'm hesitating between the Dark Rock Pro 3 or U14S (with 2x phantek fans? or maybe A15s)

The Fractal R4 is definitely a solid case, a good option if the FT02 isn't available.

On a cooler- I have a U14S and it's definitely a great cooler- big and quiet!

EDIT- check out the review here:
http://www.hardcoreware.net/noctua-nh-u14s-review/

 

[Vario]

I really don't want to get too complicated... I think I'll try air cooling and if I don't like it I'll try out Water cooling later

Any alternatives to FT02 though? I can wait for the back order but... not waiting could be fun too Since the D15 is backordered as well, I'm hesitating between the Dark Rock Pro 3 or U14S (with 2x phantek fans? or maybe A15s)

Noctua NHD14 is probably the way to go for a high performance quiet air cooler.

http://www.ncix.com/detail/noctua-nh-d14-lga1150-1155-1156-1366-am3-fm1-64-47090.htm

Get the following FREE GIFT(s) when you buy this product!
Free Gifts and Bonus Offers are while supplies last.
1. Noctua NM-I2011 Upgrade Mounting Kit for LGA2011 (a $7.66 value!)

^^^You have to select the free gift socket 2011 thing though, see above quote^^^


Might need low-profile ram, not sure.

how about this case:
http://www.ncix.com/detail/phanteks-enthoo-primo-ultimate-full-3c-92107-1320.htm

 

[n-ster]

I have UDIMMs so RAM should not be a problem. Reviews don't seem to be consistent on wether the U14S and D14 is better when the U14S has 2 fans and D14 3. However both seem to be louder than the Dark Rock Pro 3 and apparently a less good sound signature? While it is quieter is it enough to effectively cool my 3930K at 4-4.2?

Yea the R4 seems nice... I really like the high end feel of the FT02, is there anything closer to that? Is the FT01 better than your R4 noise isolation and cooling wise Norton?

idk I'll look at reviews for the Phanteks case, never heard of it before lol EDIT: Phantom 530/630 look nice after looking at the reviews of the Phanteks lol, but it looks like a great case too... most do more research!

 

[Kursah]

TPU has a good review of the U14S as well. I got it because it's so good with just one fan...and the fan it comes with is very very good. The D14 should be solid as well..but fwir or remember reading, the U14S was a degree or two warmer than the D14 while taking less space. It's a very effective and easy to mount cooler. Amazing mounting system, one of the best in the market imho. Also I've read many instances of Noctua sending brackets for newer sockets to keep the cooler compatible at no charge...and a 6-year warranty on a cooler is BADASS.

 

[Norton]

I have UDIMMs so RAM should not be a problem. Reviews don't seem to be consistent on wether the U14S and D14 is better when the U14S has 2 fans and D14 3. However both seem to be louder than the Dark Rock Pro 3 and apparently a less good sound signature? While it is quieter is it enough to effectively cool my 3930K at 4-4.2?

Yea the R4 seems nice... I really like the high end feel of the FT02, is there anything closer to that? Is the FT01 better than your R4 noise isolation and cooling wise Norton?

idk I'll look at reviews for the Phanteks case, never heard of it before lol

I don't have an issue with noise on the R4 when the fans are just below max (using 140mm Fractals) and the case is built for noise isolation- case is built like a tank with thick/heavy insulation on the panels.

The FT01 is quiet too but the 180mm fans are pain to replace and the Silverstone's are the only one that fit there....

EDIT- +1 on everything kursah just said about the U14S

 

[n-ster]

The 180mm fan replacement doesn't really bother me all that much. How are the temps between the 2 cases?

I think I still prefer the Dark Rock Pro 3 over the U14S, but the U14S is my 2nd choice... It's more about the idle noise

 

[Norton]

The 180mm fan replacement doesn't really bother me all that much. How are the temps between the 2 cases?

I think I still prefer the Dark Rock Pro 3 over the U14S, but the U14S is my 2nd choice... It's more about the idle noise

Temps run around the same with maybe the R4 having slightly better temps..