new system query

[allyb]

Hi,

I am after a new pc. I want silent and cool and not blingy but still powerful in terms of cpu and mem and storage. no overclocking.

I do not game so don't need a mega vid card.

I don't need any hdds as I have plenty from old pc the mobo died on me

I also have a bluray burner.

anyway getting to the point

is it worth trying to get a system built or do I need to opt for more of a barebones package?

For silent & cool can i even look at the i7 or should i stick to something like the q9550.

Thanks.

[ConTRo13R]

Whats ya budget? and preference on AMD/INTEL

[allyb]

Preference is Intel. Q9650/9550 or possibly i7 920. the cooling and noise being my major concern with the i7.
My budget I am flexible on really. i will spend what I need to I just don't want to spend more than I have to. keeping it within the £1k mark would be good.

[LeeP]

Silence... Reasonable watercooled CPU block with it's own rad would work great for silence. A passively cooled 9500GT card would do you. If you can afford the i7 platform go for it - it's going to last a lot longer than a 775 platform. i7 doesn't create a lot of noise. Our 3XS PowerDAW systems employ i7 and are by far the most silent computer I have ever ever come across in all my years. I was seriously impressed by how quiet that was. Those systems go for around £1500inc VAT so with a bit of tweaking I'm sure we could meet your budget.

One of the sales team should be able to custom spec a silent i7 system for you - your best bet is to get on the phone or log an OLQ Support query online

[sleepyhead]

First question allyb: What do you want the PC to do for you? That will help determine the appropriate hardware to meet your current (and maybe future) needs.

[Andy14]

The I7 hardly makes a noise at all, even overclocked. If I had a passively cooled Graphics card you'd never know it was on.

[Deadalus]

I'm amazed at how quiet my i7 system is, even with the 920 overclocked to 3.6GHz. The noisiest thing about it are the hard drives, and even then you can only hear them under heavy load.

I suspect the Silverstone Fortress case has a lot to do with how quiet it is.

[Andy14]

The noisiest thing about it are the hard drives, and even then you can only hear them under heavy load.

This is the biggest difference from my old PC in that I really cannot hear the hard drive spinning or seeking at all.

[allyb]

Hi,

I am happy to go to i7 if there is no issue with noise or heat, is watercooling necessary if i dont overclock? I dont game at all so dont need a top spec gfx. but i do use adobe apps regularly, use it for hd content and general pc use as well as running virtual server. I have a lot of storage drives so need a decent sized case to fit it all in and a mobo with plenty of sata ports.

[NightOwl]

Well, I'm opting for an overclocked i7 920 system, air cooled (but with a change of system fans to make it even quieter, I hope), in a large Cosmos 1000 case, which should be good for air circulation. Like you I am not a gamer but the system will be used for some highly CPU intensive tasks (hot stuff!!) which will require good cooling - I'm confident that Scan will test and make sure heat will be handled properly, even under such extreme conditions, so I would say that you will probably not have any problems at all, given your stated usage and desire not to overclock. I'm sure the Scan bods would be only to happy to confirm this.

[allyb]

that's the same case i like! It sounds like our requirements are very similar, I would be interested in the spec you settle on and your opinions once you receive it.

[Philipp]

Allyb

I have not forgotton about this thread, Ill have a reply by morning.

Sorry for the wait

Regards

[allyb]

thanx Philipp no hurry i know u guys r busy

[NightOwl]

that's the same case i like! It sounds like our requirements are very similar, I would be interested in the spec you settle on and your opinions once you receive it.

Hi Allyb. You can find details of my proposed system here: [Link] Towards the bottom, in red, you will see the graphics card I have chosen ~ nothing grand, just something to display my artwork/photos and the occasional video. I picked this one because it's passively cooled, having no fan will help reduce overall system noise.

That Coolermaster case is very large! It's bigger/heavier than I would like, really, but with all the soundproofing materials built into it it's apparently very good at containing/suppressing noise, from what I've read. One of my top priorities is quietness so hopefully this case will work a treat. I also prefer its appearance over that of the other cases on offer.

I'm ready to order very shortly now (maybe tomorrow), I'm just waiting for answers to a few more questions, then it will be a case of waiting a couple of weeks for delivery. When that time comes I will be sure to report back here on my experiences!

[allyb]

Hi Allyb. You can find details of my proposed system here: [Link] Towards the bottom, in red, you will see the graphics card I have chosen ~ nothing grand, just something to display my artwork/photos and the occasional video. I picked this one because it's passively cooled, having no fan will help reduce overall system noise.

That Coolermaster case is very large! It's bigger/heavier than I would like, really, but with all the soundproofing materials built into it it's apparently very good at containing/suppressing noise, from what I've read. One of my top priorities is quietness so hopefully this case will work a treat. I also prefer its appearance over that of the other cases on offer.

I'm ready to order very shortly now (maybe tomorrow), I'm just waiting for answers to a few more questions, then it will be a case of waiting a couple of weeks for delivery. When that time comes I will be sure to report back here on my experiences!

Hi NightOwl,

I totally agree with you on the case being rather large but yeah for cooling I would imagine it is better. Had a quick read on your specs.

I too am thinking the same mobo, the same cpu but no overclocking, the same cooler, i already hav those fans off my old pc. same amount of ram.

I think where we differ is mainly in terms of gfx, I want a passively cooled ati card as this will have an hdmi port and this makes it good for watchin films etc. was thinking of the 4550 perhaps.

I already have more hdds than i need by now and a bluray burner so really its a barebones system i would require. good luck and keep me posted !!

I am gonna be a good girl and wait for philipp to advise me b4 i rush into the purchase as much as i am dyin to get it i hav my laptop with a pile of ext hdds for now

[NightOwl]

I too am thinking the same mobo, the same cpu but no overclocking, the same cooler, i already hav those fans off my old pc. same amount of ram.

I think where we differ is mainly in terms of gfx, I want a passively cooled ati card as this will have an hdmi port and this makes it good for watchin films etc. was thinking of the 4550 perhaps.

I already have more hdds than i need by now and a bluray burner so really its a barebones system i would require. good luck and keep me posted !!

I think that all sounds excellent for your needs, Allyb!

Ordering tip I have picked up from here: if you're fitting your own burner and hard drive/s make sure you ask for the right number of sata/power cables etc. to be put in place for you to do so - their cabling methods are so damn neat and tidy that if you don't arrange for this beforehand you may find it difficult to prise out the cables you need, LOL!

Re. the graphics - I have to admit I didn't look too hard at these in the shop area, there is such a mind boggling array of possible cards to choose from my eyes just glazed over at the thought of trawling through so many options! I already have an older model of passive Gigabyte/nVidia card so when I saw the one I now have on my specs list it looked ideal. Plus I've had nVidia cards for years and years so am reasonably familiar with updating drivers, the software interface etc. It would be so much simpler for me to stick with what I know... but now that you have thrown me a curve ball with that reference to HDMI I had to check that out... it appears that this card can output HDMI (from what I understand) but I think I would need a DVI-HDMI converter dongle thingy (no big deal, I can pick one up locally if needs be). To be perfectly honest, I don't know or understand what the difference is between these connectors/technology *shrug* but my proposed new monitor can take either and Phil has confirmed that I will be able to watch HD/video/bluray content with this card so I'm hoping it's a good all round choice.

PS. Good to see another female on the forum, I don't feel so lonely now, hehe!!