Mohtalim

Posted: **Sun Jul 15, 2012 9:02 am**

Wow! It's been awhile.

My sister's hoping to get my current quiet desktop sometime this month so it's time for a new computer!

Any advice would be appreciated. I'm hoping some people here might know a thing or two about CPUs and GPUs

Edit: Done researching and ordering! Took 6 days, 2012-07-15 to 2012-07-20.

Purchase Summary ($2110.76 spent, $22.50 fatwallet cashback, not counting 1% chase cashback, 2012-07-15 to 2012-07-20)

Case: (delivered) SilverStone FT02B (silentpcreview (spcr), $229.00)
CPU: (delivered) Intel Core i5-3570K ($214.99 -$3.45 cashback)
CPU HSF: (delivered) Noctua NH-D14 (spcr, noctua, $84.99)
GPU: (delivered) ASUS GTX 670 DirectCU II TOP (techpowerup (tpu), $429.99 +$30.65 tax +$7.87 shipping -$6.45 cashback)
Motherboard: (delivered) ASUS P8Z77-V PRO (anandtech, $209.99)
Operating System: (delivered) Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64bit (Full) System Builder DVD 1 Pack ($168.00)
Power Supply Unit (PSU): (delivered) Kingwin Stryker STR-500 Fanless PSU (spcr, $168.95 -$9.60 cashback)
RAM: (delivered) 2x 2x8gb G.SKILL Ares DDR3 1600 sets (32gb total, $175.98 -$3.00 cashback)
SSD: (delivered) 256GB Samsung 830 MZ-7PC256B/WW (i.e. with Desktop kit, $194.99 (after $45 instant coupon))
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS): (delivered) CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD 1500VA Pure Sine Wave ($195.36)

Already Have (no cost)

Extra Cooling Outside of CPU HSF: Doesn't seem necessary as long as I use the proper components in the first place
Hard Drives: I have plenty and have gotten more selective of what's on them; I'll buy more when I get a new NAS
Keyboard: Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard
I've tried co-workers' mechanical keyboards but they're almost always non-ergonomic and too loud for me.
Monitor: Dell U3011 and Dell UltraSharp 2405fpw dual-monitor setup
Mouse: Logitech G500
Speakers: Audioengine A5 two speaker setup
I liked them enough to own separate pairs for my television and computer.

Purchased Item Notes

[$229.00] (amazon), Case: SilverStone FT02B (silentpcreview (spcr))
I didn't get the FT02B-W(indowed) version since I think the windowless one will have better acoustics due to additional noise dampening foam.
[$214.99] (newegg), CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K
Supports turbo, K (i.e. unlocked) is only $20 more than locked, and is ~$100 cheaper than i7 models for features that won't affect me much (hyperthreading, hd4000, +2mb L3 cache, minor clock boost). I also snagged a $15 instant discount promo code (BTS504) that applied after 1.5% cashback ($3.45 = $229.99 * 0.015).
[$84.99] (amazon), CPU HSF: Noctua NH-D14 (spcr, noctua)
The Noctua NH-D14 "only" uses a 14cm and a 12cm fan, but fits in my case (uses 160mm out of 165mm clearance). The newer Thermalright Archon SB-E (spcr) is 175mm with its 15cm fan.
[$429.99 +$30.65 tax +$7.87 shipping] (newegg, -$6.45 cashback), GPU: ASUS GTX 670 DirectCU II TOP
After reading anandtech and skimming tom's hardware, Nvidia's GTX 670 seems to be the sweet spot for me due to my 2560x1600 monitor and low-noise preference (less power => less cooling => less noise). An spcr thread informed me that third-party cooling may be unnecessary since some companies have gotten better about noise, which led me to the ASUS GTX 670 DirectCU II. Both techpowerup (tpu) and hc report great idle and load acoustics at 1 meter and 1 foot respectively. The overclocked TOP-version has availability and stability issues, so a non-TOP version is fine too. If I can't get the ASUS, my backup choice is the Gigabyte GTX 670 Windforce (tpu, hc, see earlier hc link for a heads up noise comparison).
[$209.99] (amazon), Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V PRO (anandtech)
The ASUS P8Z77-V PRO has the features I want (stability, great fan control, usb3.0, auto overclock, memory subsystem improvements, virtu, etc) and doesn't charge me for features I won't use (bluetooth, extra nic, etc). Additionally, it had a fairly recent price drop.
[$168.00] (amazon), Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64bit (Full) System Builder DVD 1 Pack
I play games, hence Windows 7. I'm fine with an OEM version, so System Builder it is. I remote desktop into my PC, hence I need the Professional version or better (wikipedia). For $38 over the Professional version I get the Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications, BitLocker Drive Encryption, Multilingual User Interfaces, etc.
[$168.95] (TigerDirect, -$9.60 cashback), Power Supply Unit (PSU): Kingwin Stryker STR-500 Fanless PSU
I definitely want to get an 80 plus platinum certified PSU since it correlates with less noise; sadly this removes seasonic as a contender. I'm currently deciding between the Kingwin Stryker STR-500 Fanless PSU (spcr) and the Kingwin LZP-1000 PSU (spcr). Both are silent at ~500W and below since the latter's fan turns off completely. The STR-500 is tracking around $170 and the LZP-1000 around $220 respectively. I don't think I'll need over 500W by viewing the total system power usages at anandtech for their latest gpu review which lists 317W under load. Is another 500W for $50 more worth it? I'm leading toward no, especially since 90% efficiency for the LZP-1000 kicks in above 166W wall draw.
[$175.98 (newegg), RAM: 2x 2x8gb G.SKILL Ares DDR3 1600 sets (32gb total)
Noctua confirms this RAM fits under my CPU HSF. My motherboard supports 32gb in 4 slots, so I decided to go for it. 1600 was chosen since it's the highest non-overclocked speed (read as reasonably priced). I also snagged a discount code (HARDOCPX718D) that took $24 off ($12 per pair!) that applied after 1.5% cashback ($3.00 = 2 * $99.99 * 0.015).
[$194.99] (after $45 instant coupon, amazon), SSD: 256GB Samsung 830 MZ-7PC256B/WW
Reliability is key, so I focused on the Intel 520 (anandtech) and Samsung 830 (anandtech). SandForce based drives like the Intel 520 can suck over time even with trim. This left the Samsung 830 as victor. I chose 256GB since it yielded the best price per GB by far, was >100 GB, and suffered no performance penalties (unlike the 64GB version). A Tom's Hardware thread helped me decrypt Samsung's model numbers and finally choose the MZ-7PC256D/AM for its included desktop kit (i.e. cables and 3.5" bracket).
[$195.36] (amazon), Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS): CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD 1500VA Pure Sine Wave
I've been waiting for a sale on this quiet, automatic voltage regulating, pure sine UPS, but decided to get it now since I'm building a new system. It was $156.07 on 2011-03-20 (camel) and hasn't been that cheap since In retrospect, I should've bought it from Provantage for $175.95! Provantage needs to be scraped!

Posted: **Sun Jul 15, 2012 8:07 pm**

CPU: T series is 45W desktop parts, oh ye of low noise floor. i5-3570T, perhaps? S series is 65W and has exactly the same max turbo frequency as the regular parts, if you don't want to compromise on frequency.
GPU: yeah.
Mobo: Presumably you rip (if at all) at high bitrates with high quality profiles and don't ever want fixed function QuickSync output? If that's the case, I think I have no useful feedback.
RAM: DDR3 all the live-long day. Load up on the cheap stuff. JEDEC standard for DDR4 is still years away.
SSD: good question!
PSU: how many disks in the stupid thing? It doesn't sound like you need a 1kW unit.

Posted: **Mon Jul 16, 2012 4:25 am**

CPU: Due to using an $80+ CPU HSF with quiet fans, noise isn't the issue. Best performance per price is pretty much the only metric here. From what I can tell, all the stock CPU HSF units would be too loud regardless of model (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong).
Mobo: Don't plan on encoding at all, although it'd be for portable devices if I did so QuickSync lends a minor advantage.
PSU: At most 2 hard drives and an SSD. I only own one optical drive, and it's external USB anyway. Ideally the system will just use a single SSD when I have a better NAS. The huge case is entirely for cooling and ease of use.
GPU/RAM: Woot!

Posted: **Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:18 pm**

Get a laptop, and put all you terabytes in another box! Thread solved!

Posted: **Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:28 pm**

VLSmooth wrote:Ideally the system will just use a single SSD when I have a better NAS.

What NAS are you running now that you need a better one? I thought you switched to a Synology Disk Station already. The DS1512+ are upgrade-able to 15 disks with the 2 5-disk external enclosures. You have more than 30TB of data? You were looking at the DS2411+ I think, so probably?

Posted: **Tue Jul 17, 2012 2:43 am**

I was waiting on a sale, so I've been sticking with my 4-drive HP MediaSmart with a 5th drive via eSATA.

Btw, case and UPS came today; the case is HUGE.

Also, no comment on the video card? (seems non-TOP is the way to go after reading some more)

Posted: **Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:32 am**

The only way I could get a decent discount on my synology disk station was to get an open box from newegg. Got me 25% off.

You're kinda stuck with the 670 at a minimum until more geforces have keplers. For 25% more dollars, you can get 25% more peak perf for only 15% more power in a 680. Getting a Radeon running any decent game will make the fans spin up a bunch and it'll run on the hot side. My 6950 get's hot pretty easily to make the fans spin up even with video a few youtube videos in separate tabs

Partially, I blame chrome. Dunno much about the 7xxx's, but maybe the mid range is better filled in. You can only get fermi's in the mid and low end of the GT6xx's

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2012 1:31 am**

I updated my thoughts section and really need to work on those unknowns... (motherboard and SSD especially)

Thanks! I'll try to snipe a good Asus GTX 670 deal.

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2012 1:50 am**

I like the ASUS mobo bios compared to others. I have a P8P67_PRO. They were one of the first to have a nice UEFI bios scheme and has baked in auto-overclocking/stability checking.

Pretty much any SSD these days is going to be a huge step up. Just make sure it's a SATA-III drive and on a 6Gbps SATA port. My main computer spends as much time or more in booting through the bios as it does to boot windows. I have a 240GB OCZ Vertex 3 in my main system. A 120GB Crucial in my wife's laptop and an 80GB Intel drive in my laptop. All provide plenty of performance to not be the bottleneck.

BTW, I'm loving my Synology drive more and more. Their apps allow me to access my pictures and audio remotely on my iPhone or tablet or web browser.

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:48 am**

Power Supply Get! I also updated the original posts format to ease reading.

Regarding motherboard, I'm still debating between ASUS and Gigabyte. ASUS is rock solid, but I'm not sure about paying for crap I'm not going to use (e.g. Wifi antenna and bluetooth). Ah, nostalgia... I've used many ASUS boards from my uber stable (and still running in Florida!) college 440BX chipset to my latest ASUS P6T Deluxe (X58 chipset). Then there's a smattering of ABIT, MSI, Epox, and Shuttle Motherboards.

No iPhone or tablet here; although I do have a web browser! (the cost was right)

Aside: Damn, I would've saved ~$20 if I remembered Provantage earlier. That's where I got my 2x APC Back-UPS ES 750 on of which is for my TV, speakers, current NAS, router, lamp, etc. The other will also go into the living room shortly to provide more outlets by the couch.

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:59 am**

Dave wrote:Get a laptop, and put all you terabytes in another box! Thread solved!

I actually got a laptop about 2 years ago; it's a crazy slickdeals core i3 HP for $350 instead of the standard $500. I mostly use it as an HTPC which can play most things, but stutters on high-end 1080p encodes.

Oh yeah, it's louder than my current PC. Silly loud laptops.

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2012 3:00 pm**

Tablets are great #2 devices. I hope to get a speedy gaming laptop for work!

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2012 7:34 pm**

Who else has a tablet and which one?

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2012 8:50 pm**

HP Touchpad when they went on fireside for $99. Put books on it for the wife to read mostly. May get an iPad if/when she breaks it.

Posted: **Thu Jul 19, 2012 2:15 am**

Purchased

ASUS GTX 670 DirectCU II TOP get! ($468.51 -$6.44 cashback)

Updated and re-factored original post. CPU, motherboard, RAM, and SSD to go! The motherboard is the most annoying choice so far followed by the SSD.

Posted: **Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:02 am**

Purchased

Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64bit (Full) System Builder DVD 1 Pack ($168.00)
256GB Samsung 830 MZ-7PC256D/AM (i.e. with Desktop kit, $249.99)

Updated and re-factored original post. CPU, motherboard, and RAM to go!

The motherboard is the most annoying choice so far followed closely by RAM (see 'Remaining Component Thoughts' in the original post, convenience link).

Posted: **Fri Jul 20, 2012 12:08 pm**

Purchased

ASUS P8Z77-V PRO

I'll likely pick up the i5-3570k for $214.99 from newegg and 2 or 4 sticks of G.SKILL DDR3 (newegg search, could get 2 sets of these for $176) to finish off the build.

Posted: **Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:14 pm**

You're spending ~$2k on a new pc but won't get a new NAS?

The system I built last year probably costs about $1500 if you include the SSD I eventually added to it. I didn't need uber-quiet everything though, so I guess that helps.

Posted: **Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:51 pm**

In due time

Posted: **Sat Jul 21, 2012 12:19 am**

How much HD space are you running with these days anyway? How much content do you have archived?

Mohtalim

2012 Computer Notes (advice welcome!)

2012 Computer Notes (advice welcome!)

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