A Question of which Case and PSU

moorlander · 3 Nov 2011 at 17:47

Been mulling over a new build for some time and have pretty much come to a preferred solution which is as follows:
i7-2600K (retail) which I am thinking of clocking upto about 4.4
Gigabyte Z68XP-UD3
8 gig Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey
Crucial M4 64GB SSD to use in ISRT with an existing 1TB Samsung F3

I was all set to order the CM Silencio 550 bundle which sounded excellent value for money that included a GX650 PSU and a Cooler Master Hyper TX3 cooler (which I figured would probably do for a smallish OC). I then read some of the reviews for the PSU and I am concerned that it will be problematic.

I am not a gamer and intend to use my existing Quadro FX initially to see how it goes but would like to have a PSU that would be capable of dealing with an upgrade at a later date.

Has anyone bought / built using the CM Silencio bundle and if so is it good?

As an alternative to the CM case I did think about the Zalman Z9 with a good PSU and cooler that hopefully someone can spec for me.

I basically would like to have something that would be quiet and reliable rather than all whistles and bells.

Any comments or suggestions re any of the above would be appreciated.

moorlander · 3 Nov 2011 at 18:23

The Silencio bundle is £110 give or take, so I would like to keep it in that sort of region if possible. However I am happy to go upto around the £150 mark.

The Gelid cooler seems to be a popular choice

moorlander · 3 Nov 2011 at 19:31

Very nice - a bit out of my price range though.

Are there any decent alternatives to the True Power New 650 at a lower price point. Not really bothered about it being modular.

Does anyone have any opinions on the CM Silencio 550 case.

Would the spec that I am proposing produce much in the way of heat?

moorlander · 3 Nov 2011 at 19:48

Thanks - That was actually the kind of card I was looking toward if I do change.

I read your review on the Z68 UD4 board - excellent by the way. Would you choose the Gigabyte board mentioned above over the Asus P8Z68-V. The main reason behind my choice is that it is compatible with Ivy Bridge when it comes out and the EZ SRT setup which simplifies the SRT setup. Are the boards in this range pretty much the same?

moorlander · 4 Nov 2011 at 14:28

A question of Case, PSU and CPU

Just been mulling things over and have decided to review my choice of CPU.

Will I notice any real difference between a 2500K and the 2600K if both were overclocked to about 4.4. As I mentioned above I am not a gamer and intend to use the machine for CAD mostly with some rendering work. I have spoken with my CAD software suppliers who have said that the basic software does not currently utilise multi core processors however the 3D rendering engine can.

They advised me to get the fastest processor on the basis that if it fast on one core then it will effectively run the CAD programme as fast as it possibly can and will allow other apps to run at full tilt whilst using the CAD software. They also say that it does not use the hyperthreading.

Am I wasting my money getting an i7-2600K or will the raw power difference over the i5-2500K make the extra investment worthwhile?

moorlander · 4 Nov 2011 at 18:39

Anyone?