Building a PC for a friend, looking for quietness

Birdseye · Post by **Birdseye** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 3:42 pm

OK so here is what we basically worked out on what he wanted to spend, not looking for debates on brands here, I'm mainly looking for a motherboard suggestion that will fit a good quiet CPU cooler, and a good case for keeping noise out with low RPM fans (I guess I could buy those seperately:

CPU 3 Ghz $210 P4 800Mhz FSB
motherboard - $140
* 4 ports USB 2 firewire
* tv out - GEForce FX 5600 Ultra $100
WD Raptor 36GB 10,000RPM $120
24X burner $45
DVD drive $25
case with cpu cooler $100
1GB ram $220
XP home edition $80

Also, what speed RAM is reccomended? No overclocking is going to be done.

fliptw · Post by **fliptw** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 3:47 pm

I found the copper heatsink of volcano 7+ and a cheapo startech 80mm fan work nice and quiet. im using a fan controller to dial it down to I think just below 3000 rpm.

you'd also need a quiet PSU, im using on the whisper quiet enermax dealies.

Max_T · Post by **Max_T** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 6:37 pm

for the motherboard either abit or asus...i prefer abit, but a lot people prefer asus. On the abit side, AI7 looks good (springdale based).

I am not sure about your fan questions, since you said u won't be overclcoking...the heatsink + fan that come with the p4 retail package do an adequate job and the noise is not that loud.

As for the ram, get something that can do tight timings, anything based on BH-5 chips from winbond.

Birdseye · Post by **Birdseye** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 9:24 pm

What clock speed do I need on the Ram for that CPU?
Will 4000 cut the mustard?

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 12:06 am

I concur with the Intel HSF package. I recently built a 3.0GHz Northwood P4 system and I simply could not get over how quiet the cooler was. (The fact it overclocked directly to 3.6GHz by pushing the FSB was simply a bonus.)

I'd say the your most important considerations are GPU, PSU and Case fans. I'd replace case fans with Vantech Stealth items, and get that quiet PSU.

You could run a GPU cooler at a lower voltage with a Molex mod...

Mr. Perfect · Post by **Mr. Perfect** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 12:17 am

You'll be wanting DDR400, which is pc3200. Higher ones are for OCing.

BTW, the Antec Super Lanboy is cooled by two 120mm fans. Quiet 120s should cool better then a case of quiet 80s.

Birdseye · Post by **Birdseye** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 2:11 am

Really, so pc3200 can run the 800mhz FSB? Huh, didn't know that. Sounds like stock cooling should be ok. i'll replace the case fans, it should be all good.

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 1:03 pm

Birdseye wrote:Really, so pc3200 can run the 800mhz FSB? Huh, didn't know that.

Yeah, Intel doubles the FSB with a 2x multiplier, so it takes the 400MHz DDR (PC3200) and effectively doubles the frequency. You're not really running the RAM at 800MHz. Its the same way they did the earlier p4's with the 400MHz FSB, only that was a 4x multiplier IIRC.

As for a power supply, I'd go for any of the Fortron with 120mm fans. I've got the FSP350-60PN and it has a speed control on the back so if you can set the fan speed to whatever you want. Even at full speed its not that loud at all, and I get more air moving than any dual high-speed 80mm power supply. Only cost me $42 at the time too! (newegg num #17-104-966)

Vindicator · Post by **Vindicator** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 3:05 pm

MD-2389 wrote:
Birdseye wrote:Really, so pc3200 can run the 800mhz FSB? Huh, didn't know that.
Yeah, Intel doubles the FSB with a 2x multiplier, so it takes the 400MHz DDR (PC3200) and effectively doubles the frequency. You're not really running the RAM at 800MHz. Its the same way they did the earlier p4's with the 400MHz FSB, only that was a 4x multiplier IIRC.

Not quite. P4's have always had a quad-pumped bus, so the 400mhz of the first-gen P4's was really 4x100mhz. Next came the 533 chips, which were 4x133 (DDR266 for both 533 and 400 chips). Now we're up to 800mhz, which is 4x200 (or DDR400).