£400-500 Quiet Gaming PC

[clouded2]

I'd like to build a quiet PC which I can use for gaming and as a HTPC. I have built a PC before, but it's been years, so I don't know where to start with choosing parts. I'd be very grateful for suggested builds.

Approximate Purchase Date: during the next month. If poss. to use Black Friday discounts, that would be great.

Budget Range: £400-500 after rebates, inc. shipping.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, HTPC (for watching 1080p TV). Will sit right next to my TV so really important that it's quiet. Edit: quiet more important than playing games at high specs. Need an HDMI output.

Are you buying a monitor: No.
Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Any UK.
Location: Cambridge, UK
Parts Preferences: None

Overclocking: No
SLI or Crossfire:No


Thanks very much in advance!
M.

 

[julienruc]

I guess since there's no plans to overclock, the 2200G is a good option as well. However 3000Mhz RAM is not necessary but more of a luxury. The increase in CPU performance between upgrading from 2133 to 2666 and upgrading from 2666 to 3000 is pretty low. Since we're working on a budget, upgrading to 2666 here is quite worth it ehereas upgrafing to 3000 is more of a luxury as you're getting about a 5% in performance. You're sacrificing a good Corsair 2666Mhz which is guaranteef to work to go for Team Ram at 3000Mhz, which can cause compatibility issues as we all know Ryzen systems can be very picky about RAM. Risky switch unless you've personally tried and tested it yourself.

 

[logainofhades]

What does overclocking have to do with it? The 2200g is a slightly faster chip, clock for clock, due to the decreased cache latency. You get 0 benefit paying more for a 1300x, which runs the exact same clock speed. Even if you did overclock, both are going to top out at a similar clock speed. B450 does not have the huge ram compatibility issues that B350 had at launch. Even B350 boards improved via bios updates.

 

[julienruc]

What does overclocking have to do with it? The 2200g is a slightly faster chip, clock for clock, due to the decreased cache latency. You get 0 benefit paying more for a 1300x, which runs the exact same clock speed. Even if you did overclock, both are going to top out at a similar clock speed. B450 does not have the huge ram compatibility issues that B350 had at launch. Even B350 boards improved via bios updates.

The 1300X clocks higher than the 2200G. But I do agree that the 2200G would be a better choice here.

 

[Rogue Leader]

I guess since there's no plans to overclock, the 2200G is a good option as well. However 3000Mhz RAM is not necessary but more of a luxury. The increase in CPU performance between upgrading from 2133 to 2666 and upgrading from 2666 to 3000 is pretty low. Since we're working on a budget, upgrading to 2666 here is quite worth it ehereas upgrafing to 3000 is more of a luxury as you're getting about a 5% in performance. You're sacrificing a good Corsair 2666Mhz which is guaranteef to work to go for Team Ram at 3000Mhz, which can cause compatibility issues as we all know Ryzen systems can be very picky about RAM. Risky switch unless you've personally tried and tested it yourself.

This is completely not true.

1. The 2200G can be overclocked just as well as the 1300X, the only detriments is less L3 cache in the 2200G which makes an imperceptible difference in performance. The base and boost clocks are the same and there is nothing preventing the 2200G from being overclocked to the same or higher levels. And speaking of performance:

2. Ryzen systems are no longer picky about ram, they WERE picky, but that was 1 generation and about 50 BIOS updates ago. Not only that, ram clock speed is directly ties to Infinity Fabric performance which is a main part of how the cores of these chips communicate. Building Ryzen with any less than 3000 mhz ram unless you absolutely have to, is handicapping system performance.

The 1300X clocks higher than the 2200G. But I do agree that the 2200G would be a better choice here.

No it doesn't

https://www.amd.com/en/products/cpu/amd-ryzen-3-1300x
https://www.amd.com/en/products/apu/amd-ryzen-3-2200g

Note base and boost clocks. They are essentially the same chip except for the Vega Cores and 4mb less L3.

 

[julienruc]

I guess since there's no plans to overclock, the 2200G is a good option as well. However 3000Mhz RAM is not necessary but more of a luxury. The increase in CPU performance between upgrading from 2133 to 2666 and upgrading from 2666 to 3000 is pretty low. Since we're working on a budget, upgrading to 2666 here is quite worth it ehereas upgrafing to 3000 is more of a luxury as you're getting about a 5% in performance. You're sacrificing a good Corsair 2666Mhz which is guaranteef to work to go for Team Ram at 3000Mhz, which can cause compatibility issues as we all know Ryzen systems can be very picky about RAM. Risky switch unless you've personally tried and tested it yourself.

This is completely not true.

1. The 2200G can be overclocked just as well as the 1300X, the only detriments is less L3 cache in the 2200G which makes an imperceptible difference in performance. The base and boost clocks are the same and there is nothing preventing the 2200G from being overclocked to the same or higher levels. And speaking of performance:

2. Ryzen systems are no longer picky about ram, they WERE picky, but that was 1 generation and about 50 BIOS updates ago. Not only that, ram clock speed is directly ties to Infinity Fabric performance which is a main part of how the cores of these chips communicate. Building Ryzen with any less than 3000 mhz ram unless you absolutely have to, is handicapping system performance.

The 1300X clocks higher than the 2200G. But I do agree that the 2200G would be a better choice here.

No it doesn't

https://www.amd.com/en/products/cpu/amd-ryzen-3-1300x
https://www.amd.com/en/products/apu/amd-ryzen-3-2200g

Note base and boost clocks. They are essentially the same chip except for the Vega Cores and 4mb less L3.

Well ----... For some reason I thought the 1300X went further. That's my bad.

mod edit: language

 

[TechyInAZ]

Also, the 2200G doesn't suffer the CCX to CCX latency of the 1300X because it uses a single CCX instead of two CCXs with half of each CCX disabled. (Hence also why you have missing L3 Cache because one CCX doesn't have more than 4mb of L3 to my knowledge.)

 

[SgtScream]

Interesting, I thought the 1300 was only one ccx. It really doesn't make sense why they would have two cores on each ccx for the 1300x!

 

[demonesc]

Palit do a passive cooled gtx1050ti and the AM4 socket has a passive heatsink by alpine for 15 quid.
I'd work from that.
I think people forgot you asked for silence ... Homhum.

 

[Rogue Leader]

Palit do a passive cooled gtx1050ti and the AM4 socket has a passive heatsink by alpine for 15 quid.
I'd work from that.
I think people forgot you asked for silence ... Homhum.

I think some good quiet fans, and a GPU and PSU with hybrid fan control are a far better idea. The Passive cooled GTX 1050ti was found to throttle and crash very easily, and I've tied to use a passive cooler on a full wattage CPU, it was a nightmare of heat even under light loads.

 

[logainofhades]

Palit do a passive cooled gtx1050ti and the AM4 socket has a passive heatsink by alpine for 15 quid.
I'd work from that.
I think people forgot you asked for silence ... Homhum.

The fans on my 980ti never spin up, unless I am gaming. I think there is a misconception that the fans are always on, and fans = loud.

 

[demonesc]

That's a shame about card , yeah agreed mi e doesn't really do much until it hits the curve I've set.
I was thinking of you could get a good clear run through with a nice intake fan and a good exhaust with the air running clean Over both components .
What's that case with one massive fan at the front ?.
But that might be proper noisy lol

 

[demonesc]

Remember though he did say high spec gaming is not as important as silence.
So that palit card would not be pushed to its limits.

 

[Rogue Leader]

Remember though he did say high spec gaming is not as important as silence.
So that palit card would not be pushed to its limits.

As mentioned the problem is that it overheats even during normal gaming. Those cards all got really bad reviews because of that.

 

[clouded2]

Whoa -- never got an email and missed all the other suggestions (which are a bit over my head) -- but thanks, all.

The WiFi adapter (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01EYTGI7G/?tag=pcp0f-21) doesn't have great reviews. Could someone recommend another? This is on sale on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hommie-Wireless-Express-Adapter-Computers/dp/B079RBN14S/ref=gbps_tit_m-5_d730_808978b0?smid=A1FRVVMXB1IVT&pf_rd_p=334922c1-f85c-48f5-b590-0a9dbb87d730&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=161428031&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=2D9JMD6NMETPE24BXENB

but I'm not 100% sure it will fit inside the case...

 

[demonesc]

I would go tplink on WiFi adaptor card , inise an archer model ...Asus cards tend to have massive issues .

 

[demonesc]

If you want a really small wireless solution then I use edimax AC USB thumb adaptor .
Never failed and get good speeds .