Ultimate Quiet AND Cool Build!

[bsullivan1983]

TL;DR - Your top component choices for a dead silent AND icy cold build!

What would you go with for a balanced quiet AND cool build? Usually, if you go for the most silent PC possible, you sacrifice cooling. If you go for the coolest PC possible, you sacrifice silence. My last build was a little loud tbh. It was a be quiet! Dark Base Pro 900, 7700k, Deepcool Gamer Storm Captain EX 240mm AIO and an EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 FE. The notorious core temp spikes of the 7700k just caused the rad fans to ramp up constantly and be too loud for me personally. Also, that FE was loud AND warm. Looking for a build between $2500-3000. I know the Coffee Lake processors run warm but I'm hoping they don't have the core temp spike issues like the 7700k does. As far as temps go, with my typical ambient room temp (Austin, TX) I like to see my processors idle at ~30C and not go over 75C at load. GPU I would prefer to stay around 25C idle and max 70C load, while being quiet. I've looked at all the forums, benchmarks, etc already. Looking for personal experience. I've read that the MSI 1080s are very quiet and cool.. There's just something about MSI that doesn't sit well with me. They just seem inferior to everyone else. I typically like to use Asus mobos and EVGA graphics cards, although this last build I used a Gigabyte mobo and it seemed great. I don't think I'll ever get a FE card again.

 

[g-unit1111]

Yeah never, ever buy the FE cards - they always use stock coolers and those are never the best. I never buy anything but the 3rd party coolers. The thing you do have to understand with current generation Intel CPUs is that they use TIM instead of soldering and AMD is switching over to the same process. And the only way you can get temperatures down is to use delidding, but even then it's only a temporary and experimental solution to a problem that really only affects a very small percentage of users. If you really want to get results, don't use an AIO. Either use a full custom liquid loop or a very strong air cooler like a D15. I know they are eye sores but long term they're much more effective and less likely to cause problems than an AIO.

That said I would get something like this if I had your budget:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor ($346.69 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair - H115i PRO 55.4 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: NZXT - N7-Z37XT-W1 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($243.02 @ Newegg Business)
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($216.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($119.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital - BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($108.99 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB SC2 Video Card ($949.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT - H700i ATX Mid Tower Case ($176.49 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - PRIME Platinum 650W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($89.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $2496.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-04-24 00:16 EDT-0400

 

[logainofhades]

I think AMD is only using TIM on their APU's. The non APU variants I believe are all soldered. The 8700k is hotter than the 7700k.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7GHz 8-Core Processor ($309.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Fractal Design - Celsius S36 87.6 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($117.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG STRIX X470-F Gaming ATX AM4 Motherboard ($214.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($216.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($199.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Toshiba - 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.40 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB STRIX GAMING OC Video Card ($1104.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair - 750D Airflow Edition ATX Full Tower Case ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Gold 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($92.99 @ Adorama)
Total: $2571.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-04-24 10:21 EDT-0400

Or for a good deal less, and less flashy.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7GHz 8-Core Processor ($309.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - R1 Ultimate 76.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.84 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - X470 Master SLI/AC ATX AM4 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team - T-Force Vulcan 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($172.99 @ Newegg Business)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($199.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Toshiba - 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.40 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB SC Black Edition Video Card ($945.89 @ B&H)
Case: Phanteks - Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Gold 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($92.99 @ Adorama)
Total: $2216.06
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-04-24 10:29 EDT-0400

 

[Isokolon]

I agree. While Intel is really screwing it's customers with the cooling of their CPUs, AMD did a good job lately.
Also Thermalright coolers are next to impossible to beat in terms of noise.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7GHz 8-Core Processor ($309.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright - Le Grand Macho RT 73.6 CFM CPU Cooler ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - X470 AORUS GAMING 5 WIFI ATX AM4 Motherboard ($183.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team - T-Force Vulcan 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($172.99 @ Newegg Business)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($199.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.79 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB SC2 Video Card ($949.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: be quiet! - Dark Base 900 (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($199.90 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - PRIME Platinum 750W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($129.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($89.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $2376.50
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-04-24 10:49 EDT-0400

 

[g-unit1111]

I will say that I do really like the 2nd gen Ryzens. If you want to do an AMD build I would suggest this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7GHz 8-Core Processor ($309.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - A80 128.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($124.45 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG STRIX X470-I GAMING Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard ($213.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($216.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($119.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital - BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($108.99 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB SC Black Edition Video Card ($945.89 @ B&H)
Case: NZXT - H700i ATX Mid Tower Case ($176.49 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - PRIME Titanium 650W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($146.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $2363.56
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-04-24 11:21 EDT-0400

 

[bsullivan1983]

It seems the consensus is to swap to Ryzen because it runs cooler, thus my fans should run quieter. I'm just real hesitant about system stability/longevity with AMD. Probably just years of being an Intel guy. Do any of you run Ryzen builds for your main desktop? If so, how long have you been using AMD processors for? I've had one AMD build my entire life. Back in 2005 I believe I did a build with the AMD Athlon 64 FX-55. The 8700k is the same price as the 2700x, better overall in most aspects, but runs cooler as stated above (I couldn't find the kind of benchmark I wanted pitting these two together).

CPU Coolers... all different recommendations. Air cooling, AIO, hybrid... Making it hard for me, guys! NH-D15 vs the Thermalright. The Cryorig just seems like it would put out too much noise. The 115i (I've used the 110i numerous times) was a decent cooler, a little noisy. Maybe it's time to go back to air cooling as I think that's generally a bit quieter, no?

Onto the mobos - as cool as the NZXT looks and as simplistic as it is (which I love, and yes, I know that's an Intel board), I couldn't go with a manufacturer who JUST came out with their first mobo. Just can't. Now the AMD boards - two votes for the Asus, one for Gigabyte. My last build was a Gigabyte AORUS, and I very much enjoyed it. I've been building 22 years and I can't tell you the last time I built a computer using a mobo other than Asus. That being said, I guess it comes down to features. Now, the Asus board is Mini ITX which I've never built with - not a problem, but I just think it might look odd in a mid to full size ATX case. I didn't play around with the Gigabyte BIOS a lot but from what I remember it wasn't bad. I'm very used to Asus' BIOS though. RAM and storage don't really matter.

General consensus is the EVGA 1080 Ti. Is that because I said I typically use EVGA cards? I've never had to RMA one.. Never a single issue at all. That's why I'm scared to try a different manufacturer. I don't OC my GPU so cooling/quietness are my main concerns. I know I can just run a custom fan curve that allows the card to run a little warm in a trade off for lower fan RPM. Would like to be able to run the card as is and still get great cooling with low noise output. So, again, any particular reason everyone recommended the EVGA? Personal preference? Benchmarks? As I understand the MSI and Zotac cards run the quietest. I'm hesitant of buying anything MSI. I see "MSI" and just think "<removed>." Lol.

Now for the PSU - general consensus is a Seasonic. I have also read that Seasonic produces the quietest PSUs. The be quiet! in my last build was very quiet as well, but I'm willing to try a different one. I know the RMx Corsairs are pretty quiet but the Seasonic (if I remember correctly they make a few of the Corsair PSUs) is regarded as being one of the best, the PRIME Platinum being near the top. I shouldn't need over 650w but a 750w wouldn't hurt (that's what I typically run). Now for one of the most important parts... the case. Two votes for the H700i. Again, is this due to personal experience, benchmarks, etc? I've heard mixed things about the adaptive fan control. It's a decent looking case. I had my mind set on the Fractal Design Define R5 just because it's one of the best overall cases on the market and I've never done a build in a FD. The Phanteks Enthoo Pro M was also recommended for airflow/silence.

Seems the main things I want to address now are the CPU cooler, mobo, graphics card and CASE! I'm not opposed to swapping out case fans so I could throw that into the discussion, too. If I go with a case without tempered glass, I won't care about interior aesthetics or cable management at all.

Edit - Looked up a review for the Asus board and see there's an X470-F out @ $214.99 on Newegg.

Language removed by moderator.

 

[bsullivan1983]

Decent review of the X470-F. Not sure if it's worth $214.99 but it's got my attention. https://www.vortez.net/articles_pages/asus_rog_strix_x470_f_gaming_review,20.html

 

[bsullivan1983]

This was my last build btw - https://www.toptengamer.com/2000-custom-gaming-pc-build/

 

[bsullivan1983]

After reading that last review, it seems the gaming boards (due to their better overclocking nature) aren't necessary because of the way the 2700x boosts itself. That being said, I'm not sure I need the ROG board, so maybe I'll go with the Gigabyte.

 

[bsullivan1983]

Think I might stick with what I wanted but get the newer model, the Fractal Design Define R6. Supposedly it's the best balance of airflow and silence.

 

[g-unit1111]

It seems the consensus is to swap to Ryzen because it runs cooler, thus my fans should run quieter. I'm just real hesitant about system stability/longevity with AMD. Probably just years of being an Intel guy. Do any of you run Ryzen builds for your main desktop? If so, how long have you been using AMD processors for? I've had one AMD build my entire life. Back in 2005 I believe I did a build with the AMD Athlon 64 FX-55. The 8700k is the same price as the 2700x, better overall in most aspects, but runs cooler as stated above (I couldn't find the kind of benchmark I wanted pitting these two together).

That is actually false. Fans run independent of the CPU. How hot a CPU gets generally has no bearing on the fans as they run independently of the CPU. Most of the time your fans are controlled through the motherboard's BIOS or through the UEFI software. I do like the Ryzen platform and one of my rigs runs a Ryzen 1700 and a GTX 1060.

CPU Coolers... all different recommendations. Air cooling, AIO, hybrid... Making it hard for me, guys! NH-D15 vs the Thermalright. The Cryorig just seems like it would put out too much noise. The 115i (I've used the 110i numerous times) was a decent cooler, a little noisy. Maybe it's time to go back to air cooling as I think that's generally a bit quieter, no?

That's usually a very hotly debated topic. AIO coolers are controversial because they generally have a lot more parts than air coolers do. Most air coolers will run out of the box with no additional meddling. AIOs generally take a lot more effort to run.

Onto the mobos - as cool as the NZXT looks and as simplistic as it is (which I love, and yes, I know that's an Intel board), I couldn't go with a manufacturer who JUST came out with their first mobo. Just can't. Now the AMD boards - two votes for the Asus, one for Gigabyte. My last build was a Gigabyte AORUS, and I very much enjoyed it. I've been building 22 years and I can't tell you the last time I built a computer using a mobo other than Asus. That being said, I guess it comes down to features. Now, the Asus board is Mini ITX which I've never built with - not a problem, but I just think it might look odd in a mid to full size ATX case. I didn't play around with the Gigabyte BIOS a lot but from what I remember it wasn't bad. I'm very used to Asus' BIOS though. RAM and storage don't really matter.

I like the NZXT board because of the built in RGB controls. I know that they are a first time manufacturer but they generally have really good support options, and I also like the customization of it. You can't really go wrong with any of them since most of them come off the same assembly line in China. That goes for Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, Asrock, etc. I think even the NZXT one does but I can't confirm that.

General consensus is the EVGA 1080 Ti. Is that because I said I typically use EVGA cards? I've never had to RMA one.. Never a single issue at all. That's why I'm scared to try a different manufacturer. I don't OC my GPU so cooling/quietness are my main concerns. I know I can just run a custom fan curve that allows the card to run a little warm in a trade off for lower fan RPM. Would like to be able to run the card as is and still get great cooling with low noise output. So, again, any particular reason everyone recommended the EVGA? Personal preference? Benchmarks? As I understand the MSI and Zotac cards run the quietest. I'm hesitant of buying anything MSI. I see "MSI" and just think "<removed>." Lol.

No that's not true at all. MSI makes some very good cards actually. I own an MSI laptop and it has been very solid since I got it. Just like motherboards most GPUs come off the same assembly line (which I believe is Foxconn) so you can't go wrong with any of them. I have heard mixed reviews on Zotac mainly because of the PCB but my sources again on this are kind of sketchy. Don't automatically discount MSI, the TwinFROZR VI is one of the better GPUs you can buy, as is their Duke series. Don't trust the store reviews - 99% of the time they are usually full of misinformation, and things like this affect certain brands that otherwise wouldn't get play. One of my rigs has an MSI GTX 1060 and my work PC also has an MSI GTX 970, and both run the TwinFROZR cooler, and I've never had a single issue with them.

Now for the PSU - general consensus is a Seasonic. I have also read that Seasonic produces the quietest PSUs. The be quiet! in my last build was very quiet as well, but I'm willing to try a different one. I know the RMx Corsairs are pretty quiet but the Seasonic (if I remember correctly they make a few of the Corsair PSUs) is regarded as being one of the best, the PRIME Platinum being near the top. I shouldn't need over 650w but a 750w wouldn't hurt (that's what I typically run). Now for one of the most important parts... the case. Two votes for the H700i. Again, is this due to personal experience, benchmarks, etc? I've heard mixed things about the adaptive fan control. It's a decent looking case. I had my mind set on the Fractal Design Define R5 just because it's one of the best overall cases on the market and I've never done a build in a FD. The Phanteks Enthoo Pro M was also recommended for airflow/silence.

I generally have a few go to PSUs that I recommend. Right now the Seasonic Prime PSUs are bar none some of the best on the market that you can buy. The Corsair RMx and EVGA G2 PSUs are very strong units as well. As far as case goes a lot of it is subjective. I have an S340 Elite so I'm partial to NZXT and I like the H700i which is a bit higher end, and if you want to go for a clean looking RGB build I would go for the H700i. I also have a Phanteks Enthoo Pro and that is an excellent case as well. But again most of the time case is subjective. There's a lot of solid tempered glass cases out there and you can't go wrong with anything from Fractal, Corsair, NZXT, or Phanteks.

Seems the main things I want to address now are the CPU cooler, mobo, graphics card and CASE! I'm not opposed to swapping out case fans so I could throw that into the discussion, too. If I go with a case without tempered glass, I won't care about interior aesthetics or cable management at all.

Actually that is one thing you should be absolutely concerned with. Because having good cable management will affect your air flow. If anything like visible cables are obstructing your fans, you won't get the results you should be getting. Air flow is really a science in that there is only one way that it will be proven to be beneficial, and any other way just flat out won't work.

 

[bsullivan1983]

Ended up going with this: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/HTjypg

Went with the Dark Rock 4 instead of the Pro so I could fit RAM in all 4 DIMMs. Going to build and benchmark with stock fans (two intake, one exhaust) and then swap stock fans with the be quiet! and add two intake fans to the top. See how much extra cooling, if any, I'll get and how loud it will be. Overall I think the build will work out. I'll be looking for a 4.7GHz stable OC with 100% load temps around 75C. I know he used an open air test bench but Jayztwocents did a pretty in-depth overclock of the 8700k using an air cooler on the Maximus X Hero. I'll see what I can do. First time using a paste besides AS5 since it was released I'll just drop a big ole pea in the middle and hope I get a good spread. Crap, I wanted PWM fans... I ordered non-PWM. Oh well, I can return and swap if I decide to use them. Thoughts on the temps I can expect out of this build with stock vs the be quiet! fans? Also, should I bother with PWM for my intake and exhaust?

 

[g-unit1111]

Ended up going with this: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/HTjypg

Went with the Dark Rock 4 instead of the Pro so I could fit RAM in all 4 DIMMs. Going to build and benchmark with stock fans (two intake, one exhaust) and then swap stock fans with the be quiet! and add two intake fans to the top. See how much extra cooling, if any, I'll get and how loud it will be. Overall I think the build will work out. I'll be looking for a 4.7GHz stable OC with 100% load temps around 75C. I know he used an open air test bench but Jayztwocents did a pretty in-depth overclock of the 8700k using an air cooler on the Maximus X Hero. I'll see what I can do. First time using a paste besides AS5 since it was released I'll just drop a big ole pea in the middle and hope I get a good spread. Crap, I wanted PWM fans... I ordered non-PWM. Oh well, I can return and swap if I decide to use them. Thoughts on the temps I can expect out of this build with stock vs the be quiet! fans? Also, should I bother with PWM for my intake and exhaust?

I think you're making too big of a deal with the fans. As long as you setup your air flow correctly there really shouldn't be any problems with the fans. And yes if you need to you can always get much better fans if you feel it is necessary. That looks like a solid setup though.

 

[bsullivan1983]

Ended up going with this: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/HTjypg

Went with the Dark Rock 4 instead of the Pro so I could fit RAM in all 4 DIMMs. Going to build and benchmark with stock fans (two intake, one exhaust) and then swap stock fans with the be quiet! and add two intake fans to the top. See how much extra cooling, if any, I'll get and how loud it will be. Overall I think the build will work out. I'll be looking for a 4.7GHz stable OC with 100% load temps around 75C. I know he used an open air test bench but Jayztwocents did a pretty in-depth overclock of the 8700k using an air cooler on the Maximus X Hero. I'll see what I can do. First time using a paste besides AS5 since it was released I'll just drop a big ole pea in the middle and hope I get a good spread. Crap, I wanted PWM fans... I ordered non-PWM. Oh well, I can return and swap if I decide to use them. Thoughts on the temps I can expect out of this build with stock vs the be quiet! fans? Also, should I bother with PWM for my intake and exhaust?

I think you're making too big of a deal with the fans. As long as you setup your air flow correctly there really shouldn't be any problems with the fans. And yes if you need to you can always get much better fans if you feel it is necessary. That looks like a solid setup though.

I ordered the DRP4 as well. Should provide a nice boost in cooling as opposed to the DR4, and hopefully they're both actually better than their predecessors. I might have enough clearance for the 4 sticks of RAM with the DRP4 according to a couple videos I found where they addressed that with this new cooler. Is there a wrong way to setup air flow correctly? Is it not known by everyone to have more intake than exhaust for positive pressure? Again, another highly debatable topic. Decided not to go with an RGB build because of the dark tint on the Meshify C. I'm fine with not having RGB. Less stuff to get OCD about during the build. Just hope I like the case enough and don't have buyer's remorse; still like the R6 better I think but the Meshify C is supposedly one of the best cases for airflow out right now. Hopefully the quieter parts will make up for acoustic paneling.