Please help building a quiet $1300 gaming mini-ITX for living room

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vader dono

Commendable
Sep 15, 2016
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1,510
Hi everyone,

Long time reader of the forum, first time posting. Would greatly appreciate some help building a mini-ITX system for my living room. Primary use will be gaming, VR, streaming, netflix etc.

Just to give some background, I have built systems for the last 15 years. My first PC was a Pentium 1 200 mhz with a 1 GB hard disk :) So I am not afraid of putting a system together. (In fact, I thought of buying a pre-built system but decided to build one for the fun of it). However, my last build was several years ago, so I am not as familiar with the recent trends in water cooling etc. I am using a PS4 for gaming but tired of playing games at low quality/fps, and want to treat myself by building a capable gaming system.

One of the biggest concerns is the position of PC, which would be placed inside a cabinet in the media table. The front has a window and can be opened completely and there is a 3 inches opening in the back. Unfortunately, due to a number of reasons, this is the only option for placement.

Now with this lengthy background, here is the rig I have picked yet.
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/GWX7RG
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/GWX7RG/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($227.88 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170I PRO GAMING Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($159.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($76.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ TRION 150 960GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($209.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Video Card ($449.00 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Core 500 Mini ITX Desktop Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1316.81

Approximate Purchase Date: Within next couple of weeks

Budget Range: Up to 1500

System Usage from Most to Least Important: 60 fps Gaming at 1440p, streaming media, will be used as HTPC in living room so being quiet is important. Some level of noise is ok, as long as it is less than PS4 :D

Are you buying a monitor: no. Will be using a 70 inch 4K TV

Location: USA, there is a micro-center near by as well

Overclocking: Yes, to some extent. Not a big concern right now but want an OC capable system for future

SLI or Crossfire: No

Specific questions that I would appreciate help with
a. Given the cramped enclosure for the PC, should I go with liquid cooling. The Core 500 can take a Corsair h100i which can go on the top. I am leaning towards the Noctua tower cooler because it seems more convenient and quiet, but looking to find out if any pros/cons of the liquid cooling

b. If I go with the Noctua cooler, would it be helpful to install additional fans on the top side of the case.

c. From what I have read, lot of people are recommending a blower style of graphics card for Core 500. However, I have not found many of those other than the reference design. The MSI 1070 above is the most quiet I have found so far. Any other 3rd party designs I should consider for the 1070 GPU.

Thank you so much everyone for reading the lengthy post! Would greatly appreciate any suggestions to help improve the cooling situation. Everything is flexible, other than the case due to its size which fits nicely in the media center.

 
Solution
Hellfire13
1> any high end air cooler can do the job and is also much more hassle free, even if u OC the cpu...liquid cooling is more suitable with a bigger case with side panels for fancy looks and rgb lighting...but it is also a matter of personal preference...u can go with either...but in case u choose a water cooler, i believe u have to change the case to accommodate the radiators...

2> yes it is always better to install as many fans as u can, specially in a cramped case like the fractal...helps to keep it cooler...

3> Blower type coolers are louder by design, but they have the advantage that they exhaust the hot air directly outside the case. They are also less dependant on fresh air being directed towards the graphics card. Blower type...
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Hellfire13

Hellfire13

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Apr 20, 2016
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1> any high end air cooler can do the job and is also much more hassle free, even if u OC the cpu...liquid cooling is more suitable with a bigger case with side panels for fancy looks and rgb lighting...but it is also a matter of personal preference...u can go with either...but in case u choose a water cooler, i believe u have to change the case to accommodate the radiators...

2> yes it is always better to install as many fans as u can, specially in a cramped case like the fractal...helps to keep it cooler...

3> Blower type coolers are louder by design, but they have the advantage that they exhaust the hot air directly outside the case. They are also less dependant on fresh air being directed towards the graphics card. Blower type coolers are not all the same, some use vapor chamber technology or a smart heatpipe arrangement to maximise cooling performance. They have the ability to suck air in with much greater force because they create a lot of underpressure, so they are ideal for small cases or limited airflow cases. They work through the venturi-effect, which greatly enhances the speed of the airflow for a wind-chill effect, but this effect also reduces the airflow pressure (create a lot of underpressure as aformentioned), which means that they suck in more dust and that in extreme circumstances, the airflow might stall in the radiator when it contains a bit of dust, which causes a typical rhythmic noise of the airflow coming to a halt, thereby the pressure is maximised, which causes the airflow to restart, which causes the pressure to drop, which halts the airflow, etc... and because of the construction the heatsinks and fans are not that easy to clean. (source: https://teksyndicate.com/comment/1358077)

having said that, blower style cards are more common in sli setups as they tend to vent out the dissipation better in close proximity than open air variants...
but i personally prefer the open air cooling for its better OC capacity...





now coming to ur build...i have made slight modifications... http://pcpartpicker.com/user/hellfire13/saved/3fRBmG
added a better card for 4k experience, u can go for the blower style alternative as well...
the storage setup is more efficient while being cost effective...
a better heatsink for better OC support...

 
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Solution
V

vader dono

Commendable
Sep 15, 2016
5
0
1,510
Thank you for the input! I think I will end up with the air cooler in the end, just need to make sure of the clearance. Also read very good reviews for the Scythe Kotetsu. Will do some more reading and comparison of the these coolers, can't imagine there would be a huge difference though. Also thanks for explanation about the blower style cooling, the open air ones seem to be just so much more common with many options.
 
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King Dranzer

King Dranzer

Splendid
Aug 16, 2016
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Here is the build best suited for living room sleek and good looking. Cooling is no problem with this case as it has good ventilation. As you will be connecting to a 4K TV i7-6700K and GTX1080 is recommended :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($324.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG C7 40.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($134.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($66.54 @ NCIX US)
Storage: PNY CS1311 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($94.00 @ B&H)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1080 8GB STRIX Video Card ($629.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Node 202 HTPC Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Silverstone 500W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($90.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1511.37
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-09-16 00:24 EDT-0400
 
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G

GraySenshi

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Apr 15, 2016
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Just as a note I have a 6600k with a gtx 950 inside a 380t. It runs really quite after setting the fan curve and low enough to forget about the computer being on expcily if your on the other side of the room. One thing with the h100i is the pump noise it is pretty quite but for true silent at idle. you'll want no moving parts so massive heat pipes and such but under load the liquid will have a advantage also being it will be in a cabinet the liquid may be ideal... What ever you get you may want to get a fan controller and a low rpm adapter. I did a build for a friend and put the hyper x 212 with the adapter it runs near silent idle
 
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V

vader dono

Commendable
Sep 15, 2016
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1,510
This is great input everyone. I am a little bit wary of the Node 202, since it seems too cramped, and I do have space for a slightly larger chassis. Also, I have modified the title to "quiet" instead of silent, since I am ok with some amount of noise. Will be sitting 6-10 feet away from the system anyway.

I think the main reason I was thinking about the liquid cooling and H100i was not only a cooler CPU but also a cooler case, if that makes sense. (because of the the extra 2 fans and better air flow maybe). However, the more I read and research, it seems like the gain is most with heavy duty overclocking, and it won't be quiet/silent at idle.

One quick noob question, and this may sound very silly, but if I install two additional fans on the upper side of case with an air cooler, should I put them as exhaust or intake? It makes sense to install them as intake, to create air flow through the rear fan although some places suggest installing them as exhaust to get the hot air out?
 
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G

GraySenshi

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Apr 15, 2016
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You want all airflow going the same direction through the case starting from one side to the other. With your case probably bolth radiator fans out and the rest in. for better air flow and fan curve you could replace the fans and get pwm fans and get 4x out on the radiator
 
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V

vader dono

Commendable
Sep 15, 2016
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1,510


The core 500 is probably the largest mini-itx case that i can fit in the cabinet, what I was trying to say before was that I have space to fit a case larger than Node 202 i.e. Core 500 or Node 304 or CM Elite 130. The size of cabinet is about 10" x 18" x 20" (H x W x Depth)

Thanks again for your advice everyone!
 
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N

Nick_50

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Jan 28, 2016
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I went for a similar mini ITX quiet build:

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/b/CKf8TW

I use speedfan to reduce all fans to 20% speed at idle, CPU is currently 25C and you can put your ear next to the case and can't hear anything.

The PSU is 650W and I use about 300W max. so it always stays cool and the fan never comes on, it is basically a fanless PSU in my set up.

I decided on SSDs instead of HDDs as my previous HDD made most of the noise in my old PC. I have an external 2tb HDD for storage.

I have since added an EVGA 1060 SC which is fanless until 60C.

During gaming it makes a small amount of noise but still quiet for a living room setup.
 
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Hellfire13

Hellfire13

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Apr 20, 2016
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if u r willing to change the case then we can suggest u better combinations maybe...r u???
 
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V

vader dono

Commendable
Sep 15, 2016
5
0
1,510


Looks like an excellent build ! Thanks for sharing! I am going for an SSD for same reason. I might use a smaller 240 GB for now and get something bigger on Black Friday deals.



Unfortunately, as I said before, Core 500 is the best case in this situation. If I could get a larger case e.g. NZXT Manta or Thermaltake core, then many better builds become feasible. However, in my current setup, its not an option. And compared to the other options, namely Cooler master elite 130 or Node, I like the Core 500 the most.

Maybe a few years from now, when I will have my separate home office I will get something different :D
 
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