Quiet Build?

[Yoshi]

[See update in replies]

Hey guys,
I plan to use an air CPU cooler with a 5800X and was wondering which PCS cases would be the best match while also ensuring quietness? FYI I'm not able to send in a custom case as that option is not available in my country.

For context, the air cooler will likely be the "PCS FrostFlow 150 (180W TDP)" or "CoolerMaster Hyper 212 (120mm)", which I might upgrade in the future. I've heard the Fractal Define 7 is a popular choice for noise reduction but better suited to AIO cooling, so I'm hoping I can find similar noise reduction with a PCS case that works with an air cooler.

Appreciate your help!

(Now that I think about it, I think this question might be better in another category but I don't know how to move it)

 

[MrWilson]

Unfortunately PCS don’t have a huge array of air coolers in stock, and they don’t have any that I would recommend to look after a 5800x as it is notorious for running hot.

If you did want a 5800x, and it would be well worth getting some advice on the entirety of your build if you wanted to, I would advise going for an AIO cooler (any reason why you’re dead set on an air cooler?) or alternatively stick with the standard cooler and then self source a higher end air cooler elsewhere and fit it yourself.

 

[Yoshi]

Unfortunately PCS don’t have a huge array of air coolers in stock, and they don’t have any that I would recommend to look after a 5800x as it is notorious for running hot.

If you did want a 5800x, and it would be well worth getting some advice on the entirety of your build if you wanted to, I would advise going for an AIO cooler (any reason why you’re dead set on an air cooler?) or alternatively stick with the standard cooler and then self source a higher end air cooler elsewhere and fit it yourself.

I'm reluctant to go with an AIO because although is risk is minimal, I think I'll always be worried in the back of my mind about a leak happening and having to replace parts or lose data.

Upgrading with a higher end air cooler seems to be the way to go if I'm sticking with that then. What would be the quietest PCS cases for the air cooler approach?

 

[Scott]

As above. Unfortunately you are looking for 2 opposing things. Quiet cases, even the best, need an AIO to have them work efficiently. Airflow cases are better suited to air coolers to keep the air moving through the system, but they tend to be noisier purely down to how they operate.

The best solution is to have the best of both worlds. A good flowing closed off case (Define 7) paired with a quiet fan, large AIO.... H115/H150i.

Doing it any other way will always have compromise.

 

[Scott]

I'm reluctant to go with an AIO because although is risk is minimal, I think I'll always be worried in the back of my mind about a leak happening and having to replace parts or lose data.

Unfortunately this is due to misinformation being spread by nay-sayers. The likelihood of that sort of thing happening is along the same likelihood of being bitten by the Loch Ness monster while walking through a puddle in Tenerife.

The liquid in an AIO is almost gel like. It's also completely inert and de-ionised so it won't conduct electricity. Even if you cut the thing with scissors all you would get is a bit of a mess and a warm CPU. The failure rate is no worse than an air cooler when you get a well known brand (Corsair) and the benefits even outweigh the costs IMO.

 

[Yoshi]

As above. Unfortunately you are looking for 2 opposing things. Quiet cases, even the best, need an AIO to have them work efficiently. Airflow cases are better suited to air coolers to keep the air moving through the system, but they tend to be noisier purely down to how they operate.

Oh right, thanks for the info. In that case, how would much of a noise difference would we be talking about between an airflow case with air cooling vs. silent case with AIO? Whether the difference is minimal or huge would impact my decision.

If you know of any videos or resources comparing the two that would be great as well.

 

[DaelpixPhotos]

The way I see it, is that with all fans whirling around within a case, there is no way you can find a silent case.

I'm sure you could find youtube videos on those cases that provide the lowest noise created by fans within the case.

 

[Scott]

The difference between an air cooler and airflow case at full chat on a 5800X vs a define R7 paired with a H150i Capellix is going to be night and day.

My system, to my ears, is nearly silent when at anything but full load. Even at full load it's a gentle whirr coming from the corner. If I max all the fans it does tend to get a bit loud though, but I've never had to do that during use, only for testing.

 

[Yoshi]

The difference between an air cooler and airflow case at full chat on a 5800X vs a define R7 paired with a H150i Capellix is going to be night and day.

Wow that's interesting. After talking to a few other people, I'm definitely starting to lean towards an AIO now so I can pair it with the quieter case. How would this look for a quiet and efficient build?

Risk of leakage aside, I'm a bit worried some of the components (such as the GPU) won't have enough airflow to run properly, or that the fans will have to run faster and undermine the quiet design by creating more noise than usually necessary.

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING WIFI (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 Ti - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3000MB/sR | 1600MB/sW)
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PRO XT Hydro Series High Performance 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
Wireless Network Card
NOT REQUIRED
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS

I appreciate any other critiques or concerns with the build too.

 

[Scott]

Other than the PSU and cooler that looks pretty good. I think you're misunderstanding what the Corsair H150i is

I would want a 850w RMx as a minimum on there for the PSU.

 

[Yoshi]

Other than the PSU and cooler that looks pretty good. I think you're misunderstanding what the Corsair H150i is

I would want a 850w RMx as a minimum on there for the PSU.

Oh shoot, I had meant to include an AIO in that configuration! Here's the updated list with the 850w added too. I'm pretty new to this so I probably am misunderstanding some things.

If you don't mind, would you be able to explain:

1. How I might be misunderstanding the H150i?
2. Why you would recommend the 850w over the 750w?
3. Which AIOs I should choose from exactly and which model (Pro vs Elite)?

Really appreciate your help and feedback!

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING WIFI (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 Ti - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3000MB/sR | 1600MB/sW)
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PRO XT Hydro Series High Performance 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
Wireless Network Card
NOT REQUIRED
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS

 

[Yoshi]

^ If anyone else can offer some feedback, that would awesome too!
(@Scott @FishyFrags @MrWilson @David689 )

 

[Scott]

When I had said the H150i I thought you had selected the PCS 150, misunderstanding which cooler I meant

All good now though, the H115i will do nicely.

750w is right on the limit of the 3070Ti, as recommended by the manufacturer. The 850w gives you a bit more headroom and the RMx option gives you a better part warranty, build quality, zero fan mode, etc.

Pro or elite there isn't too much of a difference. With the Elite the fans light up RGB too and you get a fan controller included (normally around £30 I think). Personally I would opt for the Elite but performance wise there is no difference.

 

[MrWilson]

I have the Define 7 with a H115i and it works a treat. Nice and quiet and never have to worry about temps. PCS will likely install the case with the mesh top panel, but they will also provide the solid top panel in the box which should give you less noise but slightly higher temps as a trade off. However I haven’t tried the solid top yet as I have never felt the noise levels were too noticeable, especially once I’ve got headphones on.
PSU I agree with the above, I would definitely recommend at least an 850W PSU for the extra headroom. I went all the way up to 1000W, it was only £19 more than the 850W at the time and was well worth it IMO as I’m not going to have to worry about having to get a new one for hopefully the entire lifetime of my PC.

 

[Martinr36]

I have the Define 7 with a H115i and it works a treat. Nice and quiet and never have to worry about temps. PCS will likely install the case with the mesh top panel, but they will also provide the solid top panel in the box which should give you less noise but slightly higher temps as a trade off. However I haven’t tried the solid top yet as I have never felt the noise levels were too noticeable, especially once I’ve got headphones on.
PSU I agree with the above, I would definitely recommend at least an 850W PSU for the extra headroom. I went all the way up to 1000W, it was only £19 more than the 850W at the time and was well worth it IMO as I’m not going to have to worry about having to get a new one for hopefully the entire lifetime of my PC.

Another one here who went for the 1000W, with such a small price difference it was a no brainer

 

[Yoshi]

That's great, thanks guys!

In regards to going from 850w to 1000w @MrWilson @Martinr36, would the 1000w be required if I want to upgrade any component in the future or what kind of upgrades would require the additional leeway? I'm not very familiar with the upgrade process.

 

[Martinr36]

That's great, thanks guys!

In regards to going from 850w to 1000w @MrWilson @Martinr36, would the 1000w be required if I want to upgrade any component in the future or what kind of upgrades would require the additional leeway? I'm not very familiar with the upgrade process.

As GPU's (the normal upgrade to a system) become more powerful the need more power to power them, and its best to get PCS to put it in now, save you a fiddly job in the future

I've just ordered mysel a system with the 1000W RMx in it

 

[jamiephillips909]

That's great feedback, thanks guys!

In regards to going from 850w to 1000w @MrWilson @Martinr36, would the 1000w be required if I want to upgrade any component in the future or what kind of upgrades would require the additional leeway? I'm not very familiar with the upgrade process.

Graphics card is a big one so say you have a 3060ti your happy all things great 2 years down the road you decided id like to get a new monitor the samsung G12 but I want the new 5080 ti gpu all you would have to do is take the old gpu out and slot the new gpu in as you have overhead on your psu say you didnt you would have to unplug the old psu buy a new one £100ish then install the new gpu its saves money in the long run to spend extra on a psu now. when pepole talk of future proofing components in my opinion the only thing that can help "future proofing" is a decent psu

 

[Yoshi]

Hey guys, what do you think of this build for the following use cases? My overall aim is a powerful but quiet machine.

Let me know if there's anything I could swap out for a similarly priced alternative and get better results. The main things I'm unsure about are RAM, storage and cooling. Similarly if there's anything I could downgrade to a cheaper option and get the same results.

Appreciate your help and feedback!

Uses

• 4K monitor with multi monitor support (4K + 1080p + 1080p)
• Software and game development (Unity Engine, VSCode, C++, Java, etc)
• 2D art and occasional 3D art (Photoshop, Blender)
• Longevity for the next 5 years at least
• Minecraft and occasionally other games
• Fast machine for productivity tasks

Build

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING WIFI (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 Ti - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PRO XT Hydro Series High Performance 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
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 [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account

 

[Yoshi]

Would be great to get your thoughts on the updated build/spec when you get the chance!
@MrWilson @Martinr36 @Scott @FishyFrags