£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.

 

[ChumP]

Here's what I'd go for... the RX 570 combined with the Ryzen 3 2200G will do really well at 1080p high/ultra.
Also the PC will be really snappy with the 480 GB SSD.
Since it will be used as a HTPC, I chose the smaller form factor case.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor (£86.39 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (£59.99 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Team - Vulcan 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£59.74 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: SanDisk - SSD PLUS 480 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£50.99 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Sapphire - Radeon RX 570 8 GB NITRO+ Video Card (£148.99 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Aerocool - QS-240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case (£31.98 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair - TXM Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£59.99 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £498.07
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-19 16:57 GMT+0000

 

[SgtScream]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($158.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock - B450 GAMING-ITX/AC Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team - Vulcan 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg Business)
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($72.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Thermaltake - Core V1 Mini ITX Desktop Case ($44.86 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - 520 W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $501.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-19 12:04 EST-0500

Unfortunately there's no ITX intel motherboards in your country according to PC Part picker. Another option would be the Pentium G4560 with a dedicated graphics card like the gtx 1050 ti. The single core performance of that chip with the dedicated graphics card would give you the best performance in that price point for gaming.

 

[clouded2]

THanks for the suggestions, both. (SgtScream -- NB I'm working in GBP, not USD.)

Will those be quiet? When I've bought quiet PCs before, they've had special cases and fans and big heatsinks. I should have said I don't play AAA games, so I don't need masses of performance -- better to get something that needs less power... + so less cooling.

 

[ChumP]

THanks for the suggestions, both. (SgtScream -- NB I'm working in GBP, not USD.)

Will those be quiet? When I've bought quiet PCs before, they've had special cases and fans and big heatsinks. I should have said I don't play AAA games, so I don't need masses of performance -- better to get something that needs less power... + so less cooling.

If your not playing demanding titles, the GPU and CPU coolers will stay really quiet.... also if you'd like to play newer titles in the future the RX 570 will handle them pretty well.

 

[julienruc]

This is over your budget but would be ideal:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 3 1300X 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor (£100.20 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: ASRock - AB350M Pro4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (£49.03 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory (£62.39 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Kingston - A400 120 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£19.19 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Seagate - BarraCuda 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£31.79 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: Sapphire - Radeon RX 570 8 GB NITRO+ Video Card (£148.99 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Phanteks - Eclipse P300 Tempered Glass (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (£50.99 @ AWD-IT)
Power Supply: Corsair - CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£49.99 @ Amazon UK)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link - TL-WN725N USB 2.0 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter (£4.79 @ Aria PC)
Case Fan: be quiet! - Pure Wings 2 140 61.2 CFM 140mm Fan (£10.79 @ Aria PC)
Case Fan: be quiet! - Pure Wings 2 140 61.2 CFM 140mm Fan (£10.79 @ Aria PC)
Case Fan: be quiet! - Pure Wings 2 120 51.4 CFM 120mm Fan (£7.99 @ Novatech)
Total: £546.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-19 17:20 GMT+0000

It would be hard to drop the GPU any lower as you would have trouble playing any games on it. That GPU is actually on sale on Amazon Black Friday deals right now so I would suggest buying that one while it's still up there.

 

[clouded2]

@julienruc I've taken the advice and ordered the video card!

 

[julienruc]

@julienruc I've taken the advice and ordered the video card!

Good choice. As for the quiet system, the first step is the case. The second step are the fans and there's nothing quieter than the German BeQuiet! fans or some Noctua models.

 

[clouded2]

@julienruc -- that's really helpful to know; thanks. I was also glad to see https://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/sapphire-radeon-rx-570-nitro-4gb-review,8.html showed the card was v. quiet.

 

[julienruc]

@julienruc -- that's really helpful to know; thanks. I was also glad to see https://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/sapphire-radeon-rx-570-nitro-4gb-review,8.html showed the card was v. quiet.

Yeah but the GPU is honestly the least of your problems. I'm guessing you won't be playing games when near the TV so even the loudest GPU out there will be very quiet when it'll be on idle. So it will even be quieter than on your that data table. But I guess this is true for the case fans as well.

 

[clouded2]

@julienruc this is actually going to sit next to my TV, and I'm going to use it to watch TV much more than to play games. So it's mostly a HTPC. (Games are really only for when I have a friend round + we want to play something multiplayer.)

Still, looks like everything should be fine. I'll probably get the case and fans you mentioned and see what I can afford re. other components.

 

[SgtScream]

THanks for the suggestions, both. (SgtScream -- NB I'm working in GBP, not USD.)

Will those be quiet? When I've bought quiet PCs before, they've had special cases and fans and big heatsinks. I should have said I don't play AAA games, so I don't need masses of performance -- better to get something that needs less power... + so less cooling.

Well generally the larger the fan, the less noise. That is one of the reasons why I chose the thermal-take core v1 plus the fact that theres only one 200mm (Less fans less noise). I've heard the wraith cooler is quiet, so it's worth trying it out. This way if the stock heat sync works out and it is quiet enough you'll save money.

 

[julienruc]

THanks for the suggestions, both. (SgtScream -- NB I'm working in GBP, not USD.)

Will those be quiet? When I've bought quiet PCs before, they've had special cases and fans and big heatsinks. I should have said I don't play AAA games, so I don't need masses of performance -- better to get something that needs less power... + so less cooling.

Well generally the larger the fan, the less noise. That is one of the reasons why I chose the thermal-take core v1 plus the fact that theres only one 200mm (Less fans less noise). I've heard the wraith cooler is quiet, so it's worth trying it out. This way if the stock heat sync works out and it is quiet enough you'll save money.

This is true, you might want to use as many 140mm fans as possible.

Also, if you're not planning on playing that many games, it could be worth not buying a GPU altogether and going for the Ryzen 5 2200G. Although, fair piece of advice, the games won't look that pretty.

 

[clouded2]

Not looking that pretty isn't a problem -- I often play things on lowest settings. But it would be nice to have something that still works in 3-4 years.

I'm dithering now. I already ordered the Radeon 570 after your earlier post, but I might be able to cancel.


Edit: Ah, I'll stick with the original plan. After all, I got a really good deal on the 570. Thanks again.

 

[clouded2]

@julienruc

The tempered glass case you mentioned: will the lights from inside be distracting when watching TV with the lights off? Is there something similar that doesn't have a glass side?

 

[julienruc]

If you're looking for something that'll last you for 3-4 years then it's a good choice. Specially since it's on sale.
You'll be able to play most games like Call of Duty in medium to settings for the next year or two, and it should still be able to stick around for another year or two after that in low settings. So I would still recommend it (if you want something that remains playable and not get 20 fps in a couple of years).

I haven't thought of that to be honest. Specially since case itself has RGB on it as well.

You could have a look at these two options:
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/JtWfrH/thermaltake-versa-h17-microatx-mini-tower-case-ca-1j1-00s1nn-00
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/C6M323/cooler-master-case-sil352mkkn1
I would advise checking the manufacturer's website to double check the supported fan sizes. 120mm vs 140mm. You' ideally want to go for 140mm when possible as larger fans tend to be quieter as they don't need to spin as fast.

 

[clouded2]

Thanks again @julienruc. The cooler master is 120mm only and reviews suggest it's not that quiet. The Thermaltake has

>Standard equipped with one 120mm rear fan along with optional three 120mm or two 140mm intake fans as well as one 120mm/140mm exhaust fans provides efficient airflow for the system.

I have no idea how many of those extra fans I would need to actually get decent cooling.

If you have a moment, what do you think of this?

https://www.quietpc.com/jb-c3-plus

I've bought a PC from QuietPC before and it was indeed v. quiet. Unfortunately I got rid of the case when the PC died, which I'm kicking myself for now.

 

[clouded2]

I've just been reading the motherboard reviews on ASRock - AB350M Pro4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard

https://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B06X9LN3QK/ref=acr_offerlistingpage_text?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

and they are _very_ mixed (avg. 2.7 stars).... is it an issue that's been fixed by BIOS updates?

 

[julienruc]

That looks damn good. Seems fine to me. Airflow might not be the best here, which is probably why it's so quiet, but since you're not playing that many games to begin with, I don't think Airlfow will be much of a concern. So if it's as quiet as you say from your experience, go for ir because all the components will fit in that case since it's a standard MicroATX mini case.

 

[logainofhades]

This is over your budget but would be ideal:

Spoiler

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 3 1300X 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor (£100.20 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: ASRock - AB350M Pro4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (£49.03 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory (£62.39 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Kingston - A400 120 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£19.19 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Seagate - BarraCuda 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£31.79 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: Sapphire - Radeon RX 570 8 GB NITRO+ Video Card (£148.99 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Phanteks - Eclipse P300 Tempered Glass (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (£50.99 @ AWD-IT)
Power Supply: Corsair - CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£49.99 @ Amazon UK)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link - TL-WN725N USB 2.0 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter (£4.79 @ Aria PC)
Case Fan: be quiet! - Pure Wings 2 140 61.2 CFM 140mm Fan (£10.79 @ Aria PC)
Case Fan: be quiet! - Pure Wings 2 140 61.2 CFM 140mm Fan (£10.79 @ Aria PC)
Case Fan: be quiet! - Pure Wings 2 120 51.4 CFM 120mm Fan (£7.99 @ Novatech)
Total: £546.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-19 17:20 GMT+0000

It would be hard to drop the GPU any lower as you would have trouble playing any games on it. That GPU is actually on sale on Amazon Black Friday deals right now so I would suggest buying that one while it's still up there.

The 1300x is no better than a 2200g, and total waste of money. Ram should be at least 3000. 120gb SSD is useless. The PSU is cutting it kinda close, on wattage, for a PSU of that quality level. The CX450m is a decent budget unit, but as the capacitors age, it might not hold up well. The GPU is superb choice though. Also a little over, but with a better quality PSU, and better Wifi.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor (£86.39 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (£59.99 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Team - Vulcan 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£59.74 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Western Digital - Green 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£29.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate - BarraCuda 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£31.79 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: Sapphire - Radeon RX 570 8 GB NITRO+ Video Card (£148.99 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Thermaltake - Versa H15 MicroATX Mid Tower Case (£34.99 @ Novatech)
Power Supply: Corsair - TXM Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£59.99 @ Amazon UK)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus - PCE-AC51 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter (£27.95 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £539.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-19 20:21 GMT+0000

 

[SgtScream]

@julienruc

The tempered glass case you mentioned: will the lights from inside be distracting when watching TV with the lights off? Is there something similar that doesn't have a glass side?

The lights and buttons of the thermaltake core v1 are on the side, instead of the front. No distractions and only one 200mm fan for low noise.

 

[clouded2]

@logainofhades Thanks for the tweaks. Not sure about the case --- it only has a 120mm fan option, so it will be noisier?

@SgtScream I was very tempted, but my worry was that in 3 years or so the graphics wouldn't hold up for games (even on low specs) any more. I'm also more confident building a PC in a normal case. Still, thanks for the suggestion.

 

[clouded2]

It's going to push up the price noticeably (by about £40), but the reviews of https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/leo-waldock/fractal-design-define-mini-c-case-review/ suggest it's good at reducing the noise, and it has 4 slots for 140mm fans so I can increase the cooling later if it turns out to be needed. Everything will fit with it, right?

 

[logainofhades]

It looks like it will fit.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor (£86.39 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (£59.99 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Team - Vulcan 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£59.74 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Western Digital - Green 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£29.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate - BarraCuda 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£31.79 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: Sapphire - Radeon RX 570 8 GB NITRO+ Video Card (£148.99 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Fractal Design - Define Mini C with Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case (£69.98 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair - TXM Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£59.99 @ Amazon UK)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus - PCE-AC51 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter (£27.95 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £574.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-19 22:08 GMT+0000

 

[clouded2]

Let's go with that. It's a bit more than I had planned to spend, but I'm going to see whether work would be OK with me reusing the 1TB SSD from my dead work PC... now I'll wait to Black Friday and order everything (except the GPU which is on its way already).

Thanks *very much* for all the advice, @julienruc, @logainofhades and everyone else. It's really kind of you all.