Efficient and Silent

Dreamforger · 12 Nov 2011 at 23:08

I'm currently attempting to build a home server as part of a project so it's pretty low budget and it's being designed to store media files, 1080p films, music, tv shows and all the rest of it.

Anywho, this machine is planned on being on 24/7 and I need some help picking silent cooling fans, cpu cooler and a psu. One thing I've noticed with a lot of the reviews that some say that a particular product is amazing whilst on others will say the complete opposite on the same product so I thought I'd ask for personal feedback and preferences as to which you use.

My current components are:

Intel Core i3-2100 3.10GHz
Asus P8Z68-V LX Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard
Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit
OCZ Agility 3 60GB 2.5" SATA-3 Solid State Hard Drive - Boot Drive
Western Digital Caviar Green 2TB - Video Drive (Already in possession)
Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB - Music Drive (Already in possession)
Cooler Master GX 650W '80 Plus' Power Supply
BitFenix Merc Alpha Gaming Case

I am aware that for a home server I'll need more drives to RAID and Backup which I intend on doing at a later date.

I need it to be as energy efficient as possible but equally as importantly to me is for it to be as quiet as possible. Any and all feedback is appreciated.

Dreamforger

Dreamforger · 13 Nov 2011 at 15:45

Very tempted to go with the Corsair Builder Series CX 430W V2 '80 Plus' Power Supply as many people keep mentioning it and it seems damn cheap, tempting indeed.

I was going to order the Fractal Silent Fans until I noticed they're out of stock, looks like I'll have to wait till they're back in again. Very impressed at only 15db, makes them even more tempting

Dreamforger · 13 Nov 2011 at 17:49

I wish the fractal fans were a bit cheaper but since they're silent I shan't be complaining as long as they can push around sufficient air flow.
In my current machine I only have a 140mm running in front of the HDD bay to keep them cool, which it is doing but my goodness it's loud, turns out it's running at 2,834RPM and with no fan controller it's ice cold but sounds like a washing machine! On the upside, the CPU is only peaking 30*

Dreamforger · 13 Nov 2011 at 18:51

I'll lower the PSU as everyone has advised it. I was tempted by a smaller form factor but I was worried about room for additional drives in the future. Using a H61 had crossed my mind but I had noticed that they lacked SATA connectors (all motherboards of H61 chipset on Overclockers only had 4 3GB/s) whereas the boards on the Z68 had 2 6Gb/s and 4 3GB/s which means two additional drives with a lot quicker transfer speeds. This in my mind rules out the H61 chipset which leaves the H67 and the P67 and price compared to the Z68 I picked, there's hardly anything in it at all.

Dreamforger · 13 Nov 2011 at 20:34

I'll take your comment regarding the Fractal Fans into consideration. The spec says they produce 38.3 CFM
Scythe @ 50 CFM
Viper @ 57.53 CFM
Looks like I'll get what I pay for.