Controllable fan speeds?

[StrobingThunder]

Hi all,

Buying my first desktop / gaming pc. doing it for under £800.

I'm about to buy the spec below - my biggest concern atm is : will I be able to control the fan speed?

I don't want to be just browsing the web and having 100% rpm the whole time and it being stupid loud!

Any advice would be really appreciated! It looks like the motherboard has some fan controlling something on it? But also read that if the fans are hooked directly to the power supply then they'll be uncontrollable?

I'm mainly getting it as a very old laptop replacement, with the benefit of being able to play games happily. I'm not looking to do anything special gaming wise - usual HD settings etc. I'll be doing some digital art etc with it, but again nothing too mental. I'm fairly happy with the set up, unless there is anything that'll make a massive difference that you can see?

I'm also pretty unlikely do be doing any upgrading unless i'm going to be unable to play any games in the near future with this setup.

Thinking about sending in my own case - something like this: https://www.box.co.uk/PH-EC400ATG_D...400-Air-ARGB-Tempered-_2708362.html#DetailTop , no idea if it'd fit or if it's better?


Thanks for any advice!

Case
PCS SPECTRUM RGB MID TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-9400F (2.9GHz) 9MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® H310M-A R2.0: Micro-ATX, DDR4, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (1 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
1TB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 470MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W CV SERIES™ CV-450 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 21 to 23 working days
Price: £0.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-home-office-pc-II/NWHyEm2YDY/

 

[Gavras]

Most likely not, the cheaper the case and build invariably means less control.

also if you put up your build as per link below, there are some changes you should really consider.

main one being AMD rather than Intel.

How to Post Your Specification to the Forum - Check this Spec

Just a first note, if you've been provided this link, don't amend your first post as it won't update the queue, please add an additional comment to the thread, that way it will go back to the front of the queue. Otherwise we don't know it's been updated. When creating a forum post looking to...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

but they are other bits that should be tweaked.

 

[StrobingThunder]

Most likely not, the cheaper the case and build invariably means less control.

also if you put up your build as per link below, there are some changes you should really consider.

main one being AMD rather than Intel.

How to Post Your Specification to the Forum - Check this Spec

Just a first note, if you've been provided this link, don't amend your first post as it won't update the queue, please add an additional comment to the thread, that way it will go back to the front of the queue. Otherwise we don't know it's been updated. When creating a forum post looking to...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

but they are other bits that should be tweaked.

thanks for getting back to me! updated my original post with the advice.

 

[Gavras]

thanks for getting back to me! updated my original post with the advice.

Cheers, the next thing is how strict is your budget and how much flex have you in delivery times?

obviously trying to build a PC on a limited budget is hard but also fraught with perils in not building something that provides a good return of investment - mainly short lifecycle, inability to update at a later date etc.

this would also be a 1080p PC.

There is a big step difference between at certain levels, for 1080p that occurs at £800 to £1000.

the above is reason for all the questions 😀

 

[StrobingThunder]

Cheers, the next thing is how strict is your budget and how much flex have you in delivery times?

obviously trying to build a PC on a limited budget is hard but also fraught with perils in not building something that provides a good return of investment - mainly short lifecycle, inability to update at a later date etc.

this would also be a 1080p PC.

There is a big step difference between at certain levels, for 1080p that occurs at £800 to £1000.

the above is reason for all the questions 😀

Honestly ask away ! I'm so novice to pcs it's actually a lot more stressful than I thought it'd be, so any help is really appreciated!

I have reasonable flex on delivery times i'd say around 800 is pretty set - a little give an take if it means a real noticable boost, like I said I'm not after anything too amazing, just enough to happilly play games with a few buddies. 1080p is pretty much all I'd need!

I'm having a look at upgrading the motherboard to the plus version and going with the fractal G case and an additional rear fan. Looks like the plus has 2 chasis fan connectors and so would hopefully provide the control for gentle browsing and ramp up for gaming?

 

[Gavras]

Right this is well above your £800 budget, but I prefer starting higher and then tweaking the right bits down.

Also the AMD CPU I was going to spec was out of stock.

Additionally, there is an RTX 3050ti due out in next few months, options are to wait for that or configure your PC to accept it at a later date.

M.2 drives are really worth having, start up time is crazy fast and just general doing stuff.

Case
FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Surge Protection
6 Socket 2m Surge Protector
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 21 to 23 working days
Price: £1,064.00 including VAT and Delivery

PCSPECIALIST - Top Spec Custom PCs & Laptops Built to Order

Manufacturer of performance custom computers and laptops. Customise your ideal gaming PC or laptop using our advanced configurator.

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

 

[StrobingThunder]

Right this is well above your £800 budget, but I prefer starting higher and then tweaking the right bits down.

Also the AMD CPU I was going to spec was out of stock.

Additionally, there is an RTX 3050ti due out in next few months, options are to wait for that or configure your PC to accept it at a later date.

M.2 drives are really worth having, start up time is crazy fast and just general doing stuff.

Case
FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Surge Protection
6 Socket 2m Surge Protector
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 21 to 23 working days
Price: £1,064.00 including VAT and Delivery

PCSPECIALIST - Top Spec Custom PCs & Laptops Built to Order

Manufacturer of performance custom computers and laptops. Customise your ideal gaming PC or laptop using our advanced configurator.

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

I really don't think i'd ever upgrade to a better gpu - graphics etc don't really bother me that much, i'd just run it on very average settings - so long as I can play with my friends without dropping into the 10fps i'm on atm with my laptop then it'd be great!

AMD seems to be more expensive than intel and at my prices there doesn't seem to be that much difference? (again almost certainly won't upgrade anything as likely won't need it)

my buddies are saying about 650w power too, but i've got 450w on my current spec? why 650w?

 

[Gavras]

I really don't think i'd ever upgrade to a better gpu - graphics etc don't really bother me that much, i'd just run it on very average settings - so long as I can play with my friends without dropping into the 10fps i'm on atm with my laptop then it'd be great!

AMD seems to be more expensive than intel and at my prices there doesn't seem to be that much difference? (again almost certainly won't upgrade anything as likely won't need it)

my buddies are saying about 650w power too, but i've got 450w on my current spec? why 650w?

As said that was well out of your budget but it’s like a 10 year pc build.

okay, the single item in a PC that is the most changed is the Graphics card.

always plan for some overhead in case you need to replace the card.

while you say you will never change, what if in 2 years time your 1660 breaks, the only cards then will be 3000 cards or AMD equivalen.

Alternatively, you may suddenly want to play some new game and need better card.

Also, PSU’s have an operating range where they are most efficient, going higher gives you a more efficient range.

also the higher the spec of a PSU if in decent manufacturer’s range then the better then tend to be, Gold, Silver etc.

so yes you can go cheaper with CPU, the base build PSU, case, cooling and motherboard) needs to be solid to cater for longer life and ability to upgrade.

 

[StrobingThunder]

As said that was well out of your budget but it’s like a 10 year pc build.

okay, the single item in a PC that is the most changed is the Graphics card.

always plan for some overhead in case you need to replace the card.

while you say you will never change, what if in 2 years time your 1660 breaks, the only cards then will be 3000 cards or AMD equivalen.

Alternatively, you may suddenly want to play some new game and need better card.

Also, PSU’s have an operating range where they are most efficient, going higher gives you a more efficient range.

also the higher the spec of a PSU if in decent manufacturer’s range then the better then tend to be, Gold, Silver etc.

so yes you can go cheaper with CPU, the base build PSU, case, cooling and motherboard) needs to be solid to cater for longer life and ability to upgrade.

ok interesting!

So you think the fractal case would be decent enough for my needs?

And you think going for a 650 gold power supply with the plus version of my original mother board would enable me to have the potential to insert a newer graphics card if like you said, for some unforseen reason i'd need to replace it?

would the fractal fans with the plus motherboard enable some form of speed control? apparently I can control with bios voltage?

 

[Gavras]

ok interesting!

So you think the fractal case would be decent enough for my needs?

And you think going for a 650 gold power supply with the plus version of my original mother board would enable me to have the potential to insert a newer graphics card if like you said, for some unforseen reason i'd need to replace it?

would the fractal fans with the plus motherboard enable some form of speed control? apparently I can control with bios voltage?

The case would not control the fans but it looks like it comes with decent fans.

The motherboard comes with Xpert 4 fan utility.

[Motherboard] Fan Xpert 4 - Introduction | Official Support | ASUS Global

 

[StrobingThunder]

i think i need to plug the case fans into the 2 fan motherboard pins, control them via voltage for the speeds etc, and then have the rear fan just on the psu 100% rpm? Does that sound reasonably do able to you?

the fan control link looks great!!

 

[Gavras]

i think i need to plug the case fans into the 2 fan motherboard pins, control them via voltage for the speeds etc, and then have the rear fan just on the psu 100% rpm? Does that sound reasonably do able to you?

the fan control link looks great!!

PCs will configure it for you.

From reading some reviews, I would be tempted to look at couple other Corsair LL 120 fans for exhaust purposes.

 

[StrobingThunder]

Depends on what fan PCS add as an exhaust fan...I got a decent fan which does a great job (think I got lucky with getting what I think is a Corsair fan

Of course, all that is moot given the Focus G has gone from the configurator again so if the OP hasn't already ordered...

Ah thats great! I did notice that it had gone, but I had still seemed to be able to order it hopefully that doesn't throw up any issues!

It seems like it comes with an exhaust fan with the case?

 

[Gavras]

The next thing is to look at reviewing the build I put up and seeing where you can remove some cost without ending up with a lemon.

doing builds at £800 without them being compromised is hard to impossible.