New system recommendations (OC, water)

wellmoon

wellmoon

wellmoon

Associate
Joined
25 Nov 2012
Posts
10
Hey all,

I'm looking to build a new system, want the best components/power at the best price naturally :)

I'm considering going with the ASUS z97-a mobo and i7-4790k.

I have an NZXT Switch 810 case, which I'll be keeping, so all parts should be compatible with this. I also have a GTX 970 graphics card, which I'll probably keep also.

I've OC'd my current rig to 3.2 GHz on air, but I've got 9 fans and the machine can be quite loud. I do a lot of video recording and editing and need background noise to be a low as possible.

So, I'm after recommendations for a new system please, and I'd like to go with water cooling if this will help keep noise to a minimum (I've never had water before, please consider me a total n00b in this area) - tell me everything I need!
 
Ok, budget is up to £1000, but the lower the better.

Current system:

Asus P6T Deluxe v2 mobo
8Gb Ram
Intel i7 920 CPU
2x velociraptor (RAID 0)
Thermalright cooler (don't recall exact model but it's just like this)
High Power Plus 650w psu
NZXT Switch 810 case
Gigabyte windforce GTX 970

@hitman - nope, 3.2 Ghz was the highest I could go with stability. It's been this way for the last few years, since I last upgraded. I could probably push it bit higher now but I'd rather invest the time in a new system.

@stulid - I don't know exactly, that's what I'm asking! I could probably keep the PSU I have now which is 650w I think. I've got 2 10'000 rpm velociraptors in a raid 0, but I think a couple of SSDs in a raid 0 would offer better performance so I'll go for new drives. Budget is up to £1000

@ExRayTed - Is the switch 810 not a decent case? The heatsink is pretty badass too, it's a few years old now but it was among the best I could get at the time I think. An AIO could work, I'm not opposed to it.

@dacads - I've got a fan controller, but its a just a basic slider one, not digital. Air flow around the case was terrible when I fitted the fans because of the desk I had at the time - the tower was basically in a wooden cupboard. I could probably drop a few now but it's about time for an upgrade anyway...
 
I can advise you not to do it if you're only looking to get a decent overclock and reduce noise.

You existing case is a decent case. The only thing that can be causing the noise is cheap / high RPM fans. You could reduce noise greatly by choosing decent fans, and probably less of them too. Place them strategically - a couple of intakes lower down and an exhaust high up.

As you're going for a new build it won't run hot enough to warrant expensive bespoke watercooling loops, and any extra overclock afforded by the water loop will not be worth the extra outlay over a decent AIO or air cooler. Plus there's lots to go wrong with a custom loop, regular maintenance required to keep the coolant fresh etc.

You could actually use the extra cash used for a loop for quicker components in the first place too - your budget really doesn't sensibly allow for a loop anyway, but get one if you want :) you'll be handicapping the rest of your build if you do.

There is a water cooling sub forum here if you are determined to go down that route.
 
Last edited:
Ok, thanks for the advice. I didn't know about the regular maintenance part, that could turn out to be a PITA after a while. Also, I thought the budget would cover it, i'm surprised. What's the rough cost for custom loop?

But I'm not determined to have water! I'm curious about how to build one, I've built many systems over the years but never water, so part of it is just to do it to have done it.

In terms of the current noise issue; I wouldn't say it's a huge problem, I have the fans all set to the lowest setting on the slider controller and it's only when I'm recording and there is silence that it can be heard. But there is definitely an audible hum, maybe I can see what's causing this and try to avoid it in the new build?

I do have 9 fans (*not* including the 3 on the graphics card!), I just counted. 7 of them are Scythe SY1225SL12SL which were the quietest fans I could find when I last upgraded. 1 of them is an NZXT that came with the case, I'd assume that's louder than the scythes. Also, the PSU (HP-650-G14C) has a big fan on it. It's supposed to be ultra quiet though so that should be ok I guess. The 3 on the GTX could be loud also, is it possible to replace these with quieter ones?

In terms of fan position, I've got 2 in the front (labels facing in) and one on the bottom of the case toward the front. The PSU fan points up from bottom rear of the case. There's another one on the inside of the HDD mount. Then I have a fan on either side of the CPU cooler with one on the rear of the case directly in front of the cooler, and a final fan on the top of the case directly above the cooler.

So forgetting water then, what recommendations can you give for my budget? I'm a little turned off by the Asus z97-a now as it wastes space on the rear IO panel with a VGA input (!). It also has onboard HDMI which I don't need as it's on the GTX. But a mobo that is good for OC.
 
Customloop is an expensive thing.
And if you do not use the gear for benching, overclocking or high end gaming, there is no point in going for custom loop or just for the sake of doing it.

Better get an AIO cooler, also change the fans for something with decent airflow and quiet enough.
Perhaps these:
BeQuiet! Pure Wings 120mm

If you decide to get an upgrade of mobo/cpu/ram, I would advice to get an overclocked bundle from OCuk.
 
Thanks for the tips!

The Scythes are rated about 10db lower than the ones you suggested, but the throughput volume is also lower. Not sure whether I should prefer the db rating absolutely, or go for fewer slightly louder fans?

For the mobo I'm now considering the Asus X99 Deluxe, any thoughts on it?
 
YOUR BASKET
1 x Asus X99-S - Intel Core i7 5820K Six Core CPU & Motherboard Bundle ***£30 Saving*** £494.98
1 x Samsung 500GB 850 EVO SSD 2.5" SATA 6Gbps 32 Layer 3D V-NAND Solid State Drive (MZ-75E500B/EU) £155.99
1 x NZXT KRAKEN X61 280mm AIO Water Cooling Unit £119.99
1 x SuperFlower Leadex GOLD 750W Fully Modular "80 Plus Gold" Power Supply - White £89.99
1 x TeamGroup Elite 16GB (4x4GB) DDR4 PC4-19200C16 2400MHz Quad Channel Kit - Black (TPKD416GM2400HC16QC01) £79.99
1 x Corsair SP140 Twin Pack White LED Fans (CO-9050035-WW) £19.99
Total : £960.92 (includes shipping : Ex.VAT).





You won't need more than a few case fans - pick some quiet ones and have 2 intakes front/bottom and one exhaust rear/top.

The Corsair fans are to replace the standard ones on the Kraken which can get a little loud - they're out of stock here right now but can be sourced elsewhere if needed
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom