$2,000 Quiet PC Build - Advice Needed

[lylelovett]

Hey all,

I've been reading the forums for a while and have always been impressed by the super-knowledgeable people on here. So I thought I'd pick your brains...

I am starting to plan my build for a "quiet" gaming PC - I'm am not looking for silent necessarily, but would like to get it really quiet.

My budget is $2,000.

I don't need any peripherals, monitor, OS - I need a case and everything in it (except for a DVD/BD drive)

A few preferences in parts:
- SSD: SSD for the OS, and maybe a second one for my beefier games; if possible budget wise.
- Fans: I'm thinking large fans and passive cooling where possible.
- I will be repurposing a couple of HDDs for add'l storage (hence not expecting the machine to be silent)

I hope that's enough information - I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Let me know if you need any other info.
J

 

[Transmaniacon]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.69 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($154.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($96.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.92 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($106.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($521.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 660W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($140.98 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1638.51
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-10 14:50 EST-0500)

I would go with something like this. Noctua makes quiet, high performance fans and the D14 will not have to work hard to maintain a medium overclock, thus meaning lower RPMs for the fans and quieter operation.

This case is one of the best on the market for quiet computing. It has sound dampening, quiet fans, and still offers plenty of space and cable management.

That SeaSonic PSU has a quiet operation mode and should suit you well. The MSI 780 is supposedly the quietest of all the aftermarket coolers, so it should work well.

As for storing games on an SSD, there won't be a performance increase, but you may see improved loading times. This would definitely be a luxury purchase, and just remember to maintain about 60% capacity at most with your SSDs.

 

[allocco91]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.69 @ Amazon)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($6.74 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($189.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($174.74 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital WD Green 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($529.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair Air 540 ATX Desktop Case ($146.98 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Gelid Solutions Slim 12 PL BLUE 52.4 CFM 120mm Fan ($13.60 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Gelid Solutions Slim 12 PL BLUE 52.4 CFM 120mm Fan ($13.60 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($146.66 @ Newegg)
Total: $1766.96
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-10 14:52 EST-0500)

Damn, he beat me, lol.

 

[lylelovett]

You guys are awesome! Thanks for these!

 

[lylelovett]

What about add'l fans - are they needed?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.69 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($154.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($96.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.92 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($106.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($521.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 660W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($140.98 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1638.51
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-10 14:50 EST-0500)

I would go with something like this. Noctua makes quiet, high performance fans and the D14 will not have to work hard to maintain a medium overclock, thus meaning lower RPMs for the fans and quieter operation.

This case is one of the best on the market for quiet computing. It has sound dampening, quiet fans, and still offers plenty of space and cable management.

That SeaSonic PSU has a quiet operation mode and should suit you well. The MSI 780 is supposedly the quietest of all the aftermarket coolers, so it should work well.

As for storing games on an SSD, there won't be a performance increase, but you may see improved loading times. This would definitely be a luxury purchase, and just remember to maintain about 60% capacity at most with your SSDs.

 

[Abscent]

Are you into editing? if not i would advise dropping the 4770 chip using a 4670k chip and running an SLI setup which would be better for gaming. Let me know I will throw something together for you

 

[g-unit1111]

Are you into editing? if not i would advise dropping the 4770 chip using a 4670k chip and running an SLI setup which would be better for gaming. Let me know I will throw something together for you

Yeah I completely agree - unless you're doing something other than gaming there's no need for an i7. On that budget I'd do something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($226.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 3.0 Extreme 99.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($173.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vector 150 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($130.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($87.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Video Card ($699.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Gunmetal) ATX Full Tower Case ($167.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic X Series 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($163.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($24.29 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($82.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1943.65
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-09 21:21 EST-0500)

 

[Abscent]

Are you into editing? if not i would advise dropping the 4770 chip using a 4670k chip and running an SLI setup which would be better for gaming. Let me know I will throw something together for you

Yeah I completely agree - unless you're doing something other than gaming there's no need for an i7. On that budget I'd do something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($226.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 3.0 Extreme 99.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($173.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vector 150 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($130.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($87.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Video Card ($699.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Gunmetal) ATX Full Tower Case ($167.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic X Series 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($163.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($24.29 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($82.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1943.65
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-09 21:21 EST-0500)

haha good choice g-unit i was thinking along the same lines he could have run dual 770s or 280x and out performed a 780 by far or atleast run a 780 or ti model and buy another one a year or two later if he needs it. Just depends on what he plans to do

 

[lylelovett]

I am not into editing. Just gaming.

And not overclocking. Just a reasonably quiet gaming rig.

I'm down with SLI.

I don't need an OS or HDD - that $ can go into the other parts.

Are you into editing? if not i would advise dropping the 4770 chip using a 4670k chip and running an SLI setup which would be better for gaming. Let me know I will throw something together for you

Yeah I completely agree - unless you're doing something other than gaming there's no need for an i7. On that budget I'd do something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($226.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 3.0 Extreme 99.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($173.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vector 150 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($130.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($87.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Video Card ($699.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Gunmetal) ATX Full Tower Case ($167.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic X Series 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($163.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($24.29 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($82.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1943.65
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-09 21:21 EST-0500)

 

[redeemer]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2zPuq
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2zPuq/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2zPuq/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($64.60 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M500 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($84.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Video Card ($689.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($59.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $1708.52
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-11 22:54 EST-0500)

 

[g-unit1111]

I am not into editing. Just gaming.

And not overclocking. Just a reasonably quiet gaming rig.

I'm down with SLI.

I don't need an OS or HDD - that $ can go into the other parts.

The GTX 780TI is definitely the single fastest GPU on the planet right now and leaves for some good overclocking. I'm planning to sell my 7870 setup for at least a GTX 780 or 880 when the new cards come out. Plus that PSU gives you enough to power a second.

 

[Specops125]

I am not into editing. Just gaming.

And not overclocking. Just a reasonably quiet gaming rig.

I'm down with SLI.

I don't need an OS or HDD - that $ can go into the other parts.

Are you into editing? if not i would advise dropping the 4770 chip using a 4670k chip and running an SLI setup which would be better for gaming. Let me know I will throw something together for you

Yeah I completely agree - unless you're doing something other than gaming there's no need for an i7. On that budget I'd do something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($226.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 3.0 Extreme 99.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($173.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vector 150 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($130.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($87.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Video Card ($699.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Gunmetal) ATX Full Tower Case ($167.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic X Series 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($163.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($24.29 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($82.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1943.65
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-09 21:21 EST-0500)

I'd avoid the ATI cards if you are trying to minimize noise. SLI snd CrossFire wouldn't help you on that front either. You can save money (or shift it back to getting the 4770K since you can't shift it to the GPU with this build since it already provides for the best out there) by getting a lesser motherboard that would be poor for going SLI. Poor for SLI would mean fewer PCIe 3.0 slots, and two cards operating at say x4 bandwidth as opposed to x8 or x16 (you would just want at least one PCIe 3.0 x16 slot for the single GPU). This would make a future GPU upgrade more expensive but it does prioritize silence since you would be running a single card.

 

[redeemer]

I am not into editing. Just gaming.

And not overclocking. Just a reasonably quiet gaming rig.

I'm down with SLI.

I don't need an OS or HDD - that $ can go into the other parts.

The GTX 780TI is definitely the single fastest GPU on the planet right now and leaves for some good overclocking. I'm planning to sell my 7870 setup for at least a GTX 780 or 880 when the new cards come out. Plus that PSU gives you enough to power a second.

The 780TI but I wouldn't say its the fastest maybe @ 1080p but after that nope!

 

[Nefos]

I would look for BeQuiet components as well, they are legendarily quiet

 

[lylelovett]

If I wanted to sacrifice a little noise and add a second video card, is it as simple as just adding a second card to this set up? (I would also up my budget to $2,500ish to allow for a second card)

You mention it in this post - should I downgrade to two lesser cards, or try to do two 780ti ?

Are you into editing? if not i would advise dropping the 4770 chip using a 4670k chip and running an SLI setup which would be better for gaming. Let me know I will throw something together for you

Yeah I completely agree - unless you're doing something other than gaming there's no need for an i7. On that budget I'd do something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($226.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 3.0 Extreme 99.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($173.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vector 150 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($130.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($87.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Video Card ($699.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Gunmetal) ATX Full Tower Case ($167.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic X Series 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($163.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($24.29 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($82.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1943.65
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-09 21:21 EST-0500)

haha good choice g-unit i was thinking along the same lines he could have run dual 770s or 280x and out performed a 780 by far or atleast run a 780 or ti model and buy another one a year or two later if he needs it. Just depends on what he plans to do

 

[g-unit1111]

If I wanted to sacrifice a little noise and add a second video card, is it as simple as just adding a second card to this set up? (I would also up my budget to $2,500ish to allow for a second card)

Yup that PSU will handle a second 780TI no problem.

 

[lylelovett]

To save a few hundred ofer two 780TIs, which cars should I "downgrade" to in order to SLI two of them?

And how would that compare to the performance of a single 708TI?

If I wanted to sacrifice a little noise and add a second video card, is it as simple as just adding a second card to this set up? (I would also up my budget to $2,500ish to allow for a second card)

Yup that PSU will handle a second 780TI no problem.