Build Advice Quiet / Silent Gaming Build ?

[Justin2590]

Approximate Purchase Date: This weekend / next week
Budget Range: ~2.500,00 € (~$2.900,00)
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming / watching streams / Web
Are you buying a monitor: No

Parts to Upgrade: From scratch
Do you need to buy OS: No
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Germany based ones
Location: Germany
Parts Preferences: Good price/performance ratio, quiet/silent
Overclocking: Maybe, never done it
Multiple GPUs: No
Your Monitor Resolution: (Supports 4k but) I'm aiming for 1440p gaming
Additional Comments: Quiet/silent | no fancy RBG stuff needed | aiming for newest games and games to come (f.e. Witcher 4 / GTA IV etc.)
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: My PC is old

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D 4.7 GHz 8-Core Processor (€487.90 @ notebooksbilliger.de)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 CPU Cooler (€86.89 @ Computeruniverse)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B850 GAMING X WIFI6E ATX AM5 Motherboard (€195.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Memory: G.Skill Flare X5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory (€211.59 @ Proshop)
Storage: Western Digital WD_Black SN850X 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (€149.99 @ Alza)
Video Card: Sapphire NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB Video Card (€808.79 @ Mindfactory)
Case: Lian Li Lancool 207 ATX Mid Tower Case (€94.88 @ Proshop)
Power Supply: be quiet! Straight Power 12 850 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (€173.89 @ Alternate)
Case Fan: Noctua F12 PWM chromax.black.swap 54.97 CFM 120 mm Fan (€26.90 @ Alza)
Case Fan: Noctua F12 PWM chromax.black.swap 54.97 CFM 120 mm Fan (€26.90 @ Alza)
Case Fan: Noctua F12 PWM chromax.black.swap 54.97 CFM 120 mm Fan (€26.90 @ Alza)
Case Fan: Noctua F12 PWM chromax.black.swap 54.97 CFM 120 mm Fan (€26.90 @ Alza)
Case Fan: Noctua F12 PWM chromax.black.swap 54.97 CFM 120 mm Fan (€26.90 @ Alza)
Case Fan: Noctua F12 PWM chromax.black.swap 54.97 CFM 120 mm Fan (€26.90 @ Alza)
Case Fan: Noctua A14 PWM chromax.black.swap 82.52 CFM 140 mm Fan (€28.90 @ Alza)
Case Fan: Noctua A14 PWM chromax.black.swap 82.52 CFM 140 mm Fan (€28.90 @ Alza)
Total: €2429.03
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

I was initially planning on getting another case (Meshify 3), but it turned out to be to big for my table (height 52cm/20.47in / width 27cm/10.63in). It fits but has not much room for airflow at the top.
The Lian Li Lancool 207 seems to be a very good case for airflow and temps.

My specific problems/questions:

- The CPU Cooler is probably a bit to high for the case => looking for an alternative that's as quiet or more quiet than the Dark Rock Pro 5 (max. 166mm/6.54in, pref. shorter)
- The case supports all planned fans and I was thinking that more fans = less RPM = less noise | is this true? (planning on setting up FanControl)
=> Intake: 2x 140mm front / 2x 120mm bottom
=> Exhaust: 3x 120mm top / 1x 120mm back
=> I guess the Intakes have to be set to higher RPM's than the Exhausts for better dust management?
- The PSU is 160mm and the case should support it => does anyone have experience with this specific setup or 160mm + Lancool 207 i.g.?
- I'm also happy for any suggestions about alternative parts, especially regarding quiet/silent

I'm aware that 64GB of RAM are a bit overkill for gaming, but I've got other programs running in the background (I love Alt+Tab 😀) and I want to have enough wiggle room.

 

[Lafong]

You might look at Thermalright or Noctua for other cooler choices.

What's your strongest reason for 8 fans? I wouldn't draw any cooling conclusions without actual experimentation, but maybe you want 8 regardless. Or are rather indifferent about the budget. The difference between 4 and 8 may well be a surprise, regarding both temperatures and perceived noise levels.

 

[Justin2590]

You might look at Thermalright or Noctua for other cooler choices.

What's your strongest reason for 8 fans?

Do you have any suggestions for coolers that are equally silent?
I stumbled upon the following:
Thermalright Burst Assassin 120
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120
Noctua NH-D15S
Noctua NH-D15 (probably to big)

Any strong suggestions?

The reasons for all the fans possible are:
1. more fans = less RPM = less noise | is this true? (planning on setting up FanControl)
2. more airflow = less temps

Should I aim for less?

 

[Lafong]

Peerless Assassin and Noctua D15 all have good reputations. Not sure how silent the Assassin's fans are, but you could likely put quiet Noctua fans on the Peerless Assassin if necessary.

More fans means more noise. Whether you can detect the noise increase in your specific circumstances is another question entirely....your ear's sensitivity, your case airflow nuances, your anxiety level regarding temps, etc etc.

You're going to have to come to some sort of compromise about temps versus noise. That's a standard and unavoidable part of the process. Your personal ears and temp fears will ultimately drive you to a decision. Maybe you are terrified by 70 degree temps or indifferent to 80.

The Noctua fans are generally quiet. Perceived noise from 8 won't be "twice as loud" as from 4.

The correlation between number of fans and observed temps and noise may well be less than you anticipate.

That's why I suggest experimentation.

But you can certainly buy 8 and use any number you choose. I have NO idea how strict your budget is.

 

[Justin2590]

I've got my current PC for about 7-8 years and finally want to treat me to a new one, hence I'm not to stingy on the budget.

I'm aiming for lower temps to not wear out the parts as much and hopefully prevent failure.
I guess I'll experiment with the number of fans.

If I was going to put Noctua fans on the Peerless Assassin, shouldn't I just get the NH-D15S instead?

 

[Lafong]

I'm not up-to-date on the differences between Noctua D15 and D15S.

Noctua web site is excellent and will explain that. Probably has something to do with clearance and may have little or nothing to do with fans.

Noctua has single tower coolers that may well be sufficient; U14 series for instance. Temps should be within 5 degrees of a dual tower.

Others may have suggestions on case alternatives to the Lancool 207 that might help you out? Case choice might be more important than fan setup.

Temps effect on parts longevity may also be a lower correlation than you think, but I do understand your thinking on that point.

I would NOT assume the Peerless Assassin fans would disappoint you regarding noise. I have no personal experience. Maybe you can find reviews, but would that help at all?

Your original choice of the Dark Pro may also be fine. As far as I know, it is at least "OK". Real world differences between any plausible cooler choice may be minimal and you can easily get lost in indecision.

My PC has only 3 fans: 1 on a Noctua U9S cooler, 1 Noctua exhaust, 1 Noctua intake. The cooler fan spins at about 800 constantly; the other 2 at about 500 constantly. It's 4 or 5 feet from me and I'm never aware of noise other than for maybe 10 seconds during startup before Windows reduces the fan speeds to my settings.

 

[LOGAN54321]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D 4.7 GHz 8-Core Processor (€487.90 @ notebooksbilliger.de)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 CPU Cooler (€86.89 @ Computeruniverse)
Motherboard: MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard (€234.11 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Memory: G.Skill Flare X5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory (€211.59 @ Proshop)
Storage: Crucial T500 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (€149.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Video Card: Asus PRIME OC GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB Video Card (€879.00 @ Computeruniverse)
Case: Lian Li LANCOOL 216 ATX Mid Tower Case (€87.34 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Power Supply: be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (€134.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Total: €2271.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-06-21 14:04 CEST+0200

 

[Justin2590]

@Lafong
Certainly sounds like my planned 10 fan setup (2 cooler / 8 case) is overkill. 😀

The case certainly has a lot to do with temps. The Lancool 207 had several good reviews regarding the temps/airflow and it's compact, that's why I chose it.

The Dark Pro 5 was fine with the previously planned Meshify 3 case, but its unfortunaley to big for my compartment.

Thanks for the input so far.

@LOGAN54321
You seem to have changed the following parts:
Motherboard / Storage / GPU / Case / PSU / Fans (deleted all)

Would you mind sharing your reasoning briefly?

 

[Lafong]

Take a look at Deepcool coolers.

Maybe the AK620. Not sure how tall it is.

Also Noctua NH-D12L; short dual tower (145mm tall); if you need to go shorter.

https://www.guru3d.com/review/noctua-nh-d12l-cpu-cooler-review

 

[Why_Me]

@Justin2590 you want a Nvidia card if you intend to stream.

NVIDIA NVENC Obs Guide

Configure OBS to get the most quality out of your stream.

www.nvidia.com

https://geizhals.de/?cat=gra16_512&xf=9816_03+05+18+-+RTX+5070+Ti
RTX 5070 Ti 16GB

This case includes sound dampening side panels.
https://www.antec.com/product/case/flux-se
https://geizhals.de/antec-flux-se-0-761345-10177-6-a3464627.html
Antec Flux SE €144,99

This psu is manufactured by Seasonic.
https://www.montechpc.com/century-ii-850w
https://geizhals.de/montech-century-ii-gold-850w-atx-3-1-a3483857.html
Montech Century II Gold 850W ATX 3.1 €94,90

Here's a board with better VRM's and audio codec.

TUF GAMING B850-PLUS WIFI｜Motherboards｜ASUS USA

ASUS TUF GAMING B850-PLUS WIFI: Military-grade motherboard with AMD Ryzen™ support, PCIe 5.0, WiFi 7, USB 20Gbps, and advanced cooling for peak performance.

www.asus.com

https://geizhals.de/asus-tuf-gaming-b850-plus-wifi-90mb1j30-m0eay0-a3381526.html
ASUS TUF Gaming B850-Plus WIFI €226,78

Low noise.
https://www.bequiet.com/en/cpucooler/5599
https://geizhals.de/be-quiet-pure-rock-pro-3-bk041-a3427452.html
be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3 €41,50

SSD with DRAM cache.
https://www.msi.com/Storage/SPATIUM-M480-PRO-PCIe-4.0-NVMe-M.2

https://geizhals.de/msi-spatium-m480-pro-2tb-s78-440q600-p83-a2972043.html

MSI SPATIUM M480 PRO 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe SSD €148,99

https://geizhals.de/g-skill-flare-x5-schwarz-dimm-kit-64gb-f5-6000j3040g32gx2-fx5-a3003771.html
G.Skill Flare X5 DDR5-6000 64GB (2x32GB) CL30 €206,60

And if you are looking to cut cost.
https://geizhals.de/amd-ryzen-7-7800x3d-100-100000910-a2872867.html
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D €345,98

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

I would stick with a Peerless Assassin. It's as good, if not better than the Noctua and is a third of the price. It's a no brainer.

On the fans: No, you defo don't need that many. Two at front, 1 at rear, and that gives good coverage for GPU, VRM's and it exhausts nicely out the rear. But, if aesthetically, that's what you want, then go ahead. You won't get much more airflow going with more than that.

 

[Justin2590]

@Lafong

Thanks, I will check those out.

@Why_Me

Sorry, I meant I would watch streams, not stream myself, my bad.
Would you still recommend a 5070 TI 16GB over the 9070 XT?

I really like the idea of a dampened case, the Antec Flux (502mm) is probably a bit to high for my compartment (520mm). I would want a bit more space for airflow, no?

The PSU seems equal in connectivity and superior in price. It will waste a bit more energy (gold vs. platinum) but I guess platinum won't make up the price difference in savings.

I initially planned the MSI MAG B650 TOMAHAWK WIFI ~170 €
https://geizhals.de/msi-mag-b650-tomahawk-wifi-a2824300.html
Would you still go for your suggested ASUS TUF Gaming B850-Plus WIFI?

The suggested Storage seems better than the WD i initially planned (read/write).

@Roland Of Gilead

Yeah, I guess I will cut some fans and if I go for the Peerless Assassin I will probably change the fans on those, so it's more silent.
I saw that it has two versions, 120mm and 140mm. I guess the 140mm should be more quiet, right?

 

[VizzieTheViz]

I’d look at a silent base 802 by be quiet for a case. I’ve similar setup (9800x3d with a noctua cooler and a sapphire nitro+ 7900xtx) running in one and it’s really quiet.

 

[Justin2590]

I’d look at a silent base 802 by be quiet for a case. I’ve similar setup (9800x3d with a noctua cooler and a sapphire nitro+ 7900xtx) running in one and it’s really quiet.

Unfortunately I'm bound to my tables 520mm compartment for now and the case is 553mm, thanks though.
Which noctua cooler are you running?

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

@Lafong

Thanks, I will check those out.

@Why_Me

Sorry, I meant I would watch streams, not stream myself, my bad.
Would you still recommend a 5070 TI 16GB over the 9070 XT?

I really like the idea of a dampened case, the Antec Flux (502mm) is probably a bit to high for my compartment (520mm). I would want a bit more space for airflow, no?

The PSU seems equal in connectivity and superior in price. It will waste a bit more energy (gold vs. platinum) but I guess platinum won't make up the price difference in savings.

I initially planned the MSI MAG B650 TOMAHAWK WIFI ~170 €
https://geizhals.de/msi-mag-b650-tomahawk-wifi-a2824300.html
Would you still go for your suggested ASUS TUF Gaming B850-Plus WIFI?

The suggested Storage seems better than the WD i initially planned (read/write).

@Roland Of Gilead

Yeah, I guess I will cut some fans and if I go for the Peerless Assassin I will probably change the fans on those, so it's more silent.
I saw that it has two versions, 120mm and 140mm. I guess the 140mm should be more quiet, right?

Yes 👍

 

[Why_Me]

@Lafong

Thanks, I will check those out.

@Why_Me

Sorry, I meant I would watch streams, not stream myself, my bad.
Would you still recommend a 5070 TI 16GB over the 9070 XT?

I really like the idea of a dampened case, the Antec Flux (502mm) is probably a bit to high for my compartment (520mm). I would want a bit more space for airflow, no?

The PSU seems equal in connectivity and superior in price. It will waste a bit more energy (gold vs. platinum) but I guess platinum won't make up the price difference in savings.

I initially planned the MSI MAG B650 TOMAHAWK WIFI ~170 €
https://geizhals.de/msi-mag-b650-tomahawk-wifi-a2824300.html
Would you still go for your suggested ASUS TUF Gaming B850-Plus WIFI?

The suggested Storage seems better than the WD i initially planned (read/write).

@Roland Of Gilead

Yeah, I guess I will cut some fans and if I go for the Peerless Assassin I will probably change the fans on those, so it's more silent.
I saw that it has two versions, 120mm and 140mm. I guess the 140mm should be more quiet, right?

You want a board that supports PCIe 5.0 for the gpu seeing how this latest edition of AMD and Nvidia cards support PCIe 5.0. 18mm should be sufficient.

 

[geofelt]

If this is your case, it allows 180mm height for a cpu cooler:

LANCOOL 207 - LIAN LI is a Leading Provider of PC Cases | Computer Cases

The LANCOOL 207 reimagines the traditional ATX layout, packing powerful compatibility and superior cooling into a sleek, compact M-ATX chassis. ATX Motherboard Front Side PSU 4 x Performance Fans Compact Size Direct GPU Airflow Cable Management Friendly 360mm Radiator Support Anti-Sag GPU...

lian-li.com

I would plan on using the supplied fans, 2 140mm intakes in front and two 120mm bottom intakes for the graphics card. see how you do.
You can always change out the supplied fans later if you really want to.

As to coolers, the DRP 5 will work.
But for quiet, it is hard to beat the Noctua coolers.
Noctua keeps a list of suitable air coolers.
Here is the list for the 9800x3d:
https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus/model/AMD-Ryzen-7-9800X3D-1842
I use a NH-D15s and it is inaudible under full load.
The maximum rpm of the 140mm fan is 1500 rpm.
It is 160mm high and clears ram up to 66mm high.
Check the specs for any other cooler you are interested in.

Your ram is low profile so it should not obstruct any cooler.

Most noise can be expected to come from the graphics card.
I am not sufficiently expert on that to suggest anything specific.
Look at reviews.

For quiet, consider a efficient 950w psu. It will only use the power demanded of it, regardless of the max capability.
It will operate quietly and efficiently in the middle third of it's range.
This platinum 1000w Seasonic vertex, for example has a 12 year warranty:
https://www.newegg.com/seasonic-usa...x-1000/p/N82E16817320022?Item=N82E16817320022

 

[Justin2590]

@Why_Me
Thanks, I will go for PCIe 5.0 then and will educate myself on the Antec Flux.

@geofelt
Yes, that's the case, I was going off of a review by Gamers Nexus:
https://gamersnexus.net/cases/lian-...ild-quality-benchmarks?utm_source=chatgpt.com
"CPU Cooler Height Clearance 167 mm"
I guess I gotta look into more reviews then.

Your NH-D15S's performance seems good, I'm torn between that, the Peerless Assassin 140 with Noctua fans and if it fits the Dark Rock Pro 5.

Is a higher wattage PSU more silent? f.e.:
750W/850W/950W PSU each using 700W ?
Also: Does the rating matter in term of noise?

 

[VizzieTheViz]

Unfortunately I'm bound to my tables 520mm compartment for now and the case is 553mm, thanks though.
Which noctua cooler are you running?

An NH-D15G2 I think (could be G1 too, I forgot which one I ended up ordering. They’re mostly the same iirc, I just got the one that was in stock at the time).

 

[punkncat]

Just to sort of back up a bit, perhaps even a bit of a reset on this idea.

Your post indicates that you wish to build a "quiet" gaming PC. You have already shown that you are aware that with less moving air the rig is going to be more silent at the cost of temps. With that aspect in mind as so long as the fans and such you are picking are readily available (for aesthetic reasons) it may be a good idea to consider getting your case and build going and test to decide fan number and configuration alongside fan speed in comparison to temps you are comfortable running with said build.

 

[Why_Me]

@Why_Me

Sorry, I meant I would watch streams, not stream myself, my bad.
Would you still recommend a 5070 TI 16GB over the 9070 XT?

I really like the idea of a dampened case, the Antec Flux (502mm) is probably a bit to high for my compartment (520mm). I would want a bit more space for airflow, no?

The PSU seems equal in connectivity and superior in price. It will waste a bit more energy (gold vs. platinum) but I guess platinum won't make up the price difference in savings.

I initially planned the MSI MAG B650 TOMAHAWK WIFI ~170 €
https://geizhals.de/msi-mag-b650-tomahawk-wifi-a2824300.html
Would you still go for your suggested ASUS TUF Gaming B850-Plus WIFI?

The suggested Storage seems better than the WD i initially planned (read/write).

@Roland Of Gilead

Yeah, I guess I will cut some fans and if I go for the Peerless Assassin I will probably change the fans on those, so it's more silent.
I saw that it has two versions, 120mm and 140mm. I guess the 140mm should be more quiet, right?

I missed that part of the post =/ The 5070 Ti uses less power, averages more fps and offers DLSS vs the 9070 XT. It's the better card for sure although that card doesn't come cheap.

 

[Justin2590]

@VizzieTheViz
Thanks, I will look into that. Probably will go off the compatibility list from Noctura that geofelt posted.

@punkncat
That pretty much sums it up regarding fans.

@Why_Me
Thanks for circling back. I have been looking into the 5070 Ti vs. 9070 XT matter and it seems the 5070 Ti is overall superior but comes at a price.

I've been looking into the different custom cards and I've been eyeing these models (best to "worst"):

1. MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16G Vanguard SOC | ~1.155,00 €
https://geizhals.de/msi-geforce-rtx-5070-ti-16g-vanguard-soc-a3382150.html?t=v&hloc=de&va=b
Seems to be the superior model, it was like 980,00 € two weeks ago, I guess I would get it for that price, but not for 1.000,00 €+.

2. MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16G Gaming Trio OC Plus | ~995,00 € (I'm not comfy buying on eBay)
https://geizhals.de/msi-geforce-rtx-5070-ti-16g-gaming-trio-oc-plus-a3382157.html?t=v&hloc=de&va=b

3. MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16G Gaming Trio OC | ~940,00 €
https://geizhals.at/msi-geforce-rtx-5070-ti-16g-gaming-trio-oc-a3445122.html?t=v&hloc=at&va=b
"Only" difference seems to be 1 less heatpipe vs. the Plus Version.

4. ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5070 Ti OC | ~999,00 € (I'm not comfy buying on eBay)
https://geizhals.de/asus-tuf-geforce-rtx-5070-ti-oc-a3382466.html?t=v&hloc=de&va=b

5. ASUS Prime GeForce RTX 5070 Ti OC | ~880,00 €
https://geizhals.de/asus-prime-geforce-rtx-5070-ti-oc-a3382468.html?t=v&hloc=de&va=b
Seems to be a good value for now, was at ~810,00 @ a couple days ago.

I guess it will take some time until I can get a decent price on most of these cards and then have to hit the jackpot to get one without coil whine.

I'm happy to get a bit more input into 5070 Ti custom cards, maybe I'm to focused on the "best" cards from MSI?

 

[geofelt]

Justin2590,,
You mention 520 and a compartment.
What exactly is the nature of your space concern?
A photo might help.
I ask because a case in a compartment may not permit the airflow that is needed to adequately cool your parts.

 

[bill001g]

You have one major problem when it comes to sound and you can't really fix it and that is the noise the GPU makes. Some GPU are slightly less noisy but there is little the end user can do make a video card less noisy. You can go crazy and use water cooling blocks but that is a bit extreme.

The only fans I ever hear on my machine are from the GPU and it take a lot of adjusting to get them so they are not irritating. They tend to like to rev up and down quickly with sound of the fan curves.

The video card in a lot of machines it putting out much more heat than the cpu. I think even your GPU is close to twice the power of the cpu you are using. When you look at stuff like 5090 it basically a small room heater.

 

[geofelt]

Asus makes some cards using Noctua fans that are designed to be quiet.
3070 3080 and 4080
Don't know if they fit the requirements for performance/cost.