Building a Silent System

[viewpoint]

Hi everyone,

I am looking to build a new Win7 WMC system for my living room. I want to use a FreeviewHD/FreesatHD combo card from Blackgold ideally.

I was looking to build it with a Shuttle SH67H3, 2500K i5 processor, 60GB SSD for OS, 2TB storage, blu-ray writer, 5.1 speakers, 4GB RAM.

HOWEVER, I am concerned about a couple of things:
1. Noise
2. Heat
3. Potential for upgrade.

I want to locate the unit in the living room under the TV with an HDMI connection.

So I thought about building a machine from scratch with a bigger case, silent PSU and fans etc. I have never built anything so detailed before. My experience is in building small Shuttle machines for CCTV PCI cards.

Would someone be able to help me out with a spec that would result in a silent machine with spec similar to this that I sourced from Ebuyer or give me ideas on how I can improve the spec - OR EVEN DOWNGRADE IT TO SAVE SOME COSTS!:

Shuttle SH67H3 261440 £180.79
Kingston 2GB DDR3 1333MHz i5 Memory Module CL9 1.5V 147903 £7.49
Intel Core i5 2500K 3.3GHz Socket 1155 6MB Cache OEM Processor 244099 £139.29
WD 2TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s Caviar Green Hard Drive - 64MB Cache - WD20EARX 264274 £83.33
Corsair 60GB Force GT SSD - 2.5" SATA-III 6Gb/s - Read 555MB/s Write 495MB/s 273567 £66.65
LG BH10LS38 10x BD-RW with DVD±RW DL & RAM Lightscribe SATA Blu-Ray Drive - OEM Black

[Beradon]

Hi everyone,

I am looking to build a new Win7 WMC system for my living room. I want to use a FreeviewHD/FreesatHD combo card from Blackgold ideally.

I was looking to build it with a Shuttle SH67H3, 2500K i5 processor, 60GB SSD for OS, 2TB storage, blu-ray writer, 5.1 speakers, 4GB RAM.

HOWEVER, I am concerned about a couple of things:
1. Noise
2. Heat
3. Potential for upgrade.

I want to locate the unit in the living room under the TV with an HDMI connection.

So I thought about building a machine from scratch with a bigger case, silent PSU and fans etc. I have never built anything so detailed before. My experience is in building small Shuttle machines for CCTV PCI cards.

Would someone be able to help me out with a spec that would result in a silent machine with spec similar to this that I sourced from Ebuyer or give me ideas on how I can improve the spec - OR EVEN DOWNGRADE IT TO SAVE SOME COSTS!:

Shuttle SH67H3 261440 £180.79
Kingston 2GB DDR3 1333MHz i5 Memory Module CL9 1.5V 147903 £7.49
Intel Core i5 2500K 3.3GHz Socket 1155 6MB Cache OEM Processor 244099 £139.29
WD 2TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s Caviar Green Hard Drive - 64MB Cache - WD20EARX 264274 £83.33
Corsair 60GB Force GT SSD - 2.5" SATA-III 6Gb/s - Read 555MB/s Write 495MB/s 273567 £66.65
LG BH10LS38 10x BD-RW with DVD±RW DL & RAM Lightscribe SATA Blu-Ray Drive - OEM Black

If you're concerned about building a silent system you're going to want a processor with a lower TDP. The i5-2500k is a 95 watt processor which will need quite a bit more cooling than some others. In addition, small quiet power supplies tend to supply less power as well.

You could select a 65w processor for less cooling, or if you can find one, a 35-45w processor for near silent operation.

While the i5-2390T is both rare and pricey since it is an OEM 35W processor, the i5-2500S (65W) or 2500T (45W) are both more affordable and easier to find. While they dont have quite the speed of the 2500k, and will cost nearly the same money, you'll be paying for less power and less heat rather than performance in this case. In addition, you dont really need a 2500k processor as the only reason to buy a 'k' processor is the fact that it is unlocked for overclockability, which is the polar opposite of building a quiet system.

i5-2400S (65W)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... i5%202400s
$200 (in stock)

i5-2500T (45W)
http://www.provantage.com/intel-cm80623 ... TEP3FE.htm
$209 (special order)

i5-2500S (65W)
http://www.provantage.com/intel-cm80623 ... TEP3KM.htm
$219 (special order)

(continued in the next post since there is a limit on the number of hotlinks in a post)

[Beradon]

If you dont believe you need a processor quite as powerful as an i5 there are a number that are lower power, lower price and lower speed:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Brid ... p_platform

Look through that list, paying particular attention to the TDP column.

As far as the potential for upgrade is concerned, most of the 1155 sandy bridge motherboards will accept the ivy bridge processors when they are released, but you'll need to verify that with the manufacturer of the motherboard you select, so do your homework.

I would seriously suggest more than 2 gig of RAM though, especially with how inexpensive RAM is currently.

Now I understand that you're not in the US judging by your prices listed in your post, so I dont know how this will affect your build, but take some of my suggestions in mind.

EDIT:

i5-2400S from ebuyer
http://www.ebuyer.com/252828-intel-core ... 623i52400s

Costs more than the 2500k but it has a 65W TDP as opposed to the 95W of the 2500k.

I also see a number of people building with i3-2100 processors on this forum, its dual core with hyperthreading (4 logical cores)
http://www.ebuyer.com/254976-intel-core ... 0623i32100

Costs a lot less than the 2500k.

[richard1980]

That CPU has a TDP of 95 watts...meaning your cooling system will need to be able to displace 95 watts of heat. Trying to displace 95 watts of heat without creating any noise isn't easy. It would be much easier if you selected a CPU with a much lower TDP. The lower the total system TDP, the easier it is to get a silent system. If it were me, I'd go with a CPU that has a TDP of no more than 65 watts, but if you can get down to 35-45 watts that would be even better.

EDIT: I guess I should spend less time multitasking and more time responding....I promise, I wasn't trying to copy Beradon.

[STC]

meaning your cooling system will need to be able to displace 95 watts of heat.

This is at full load, just adding for completeness without meaning to tread on anyone's feet

[richard1980]

If you want completeness, Intel defines TDP as the maximum amount of heat that is created by a CPU when that CPU is operating at its maximum temperature. So it's not just at full load, but at full load with a really hot CPU. But that doesn't mean you should skimp on the cooling system. Intel recommends designing the CPU cooling system to dissipate the full TDP value.

See http://www.intel.com/content/dam/doc/wh ... -paper.pdf for more details.

[barnabas1969]

If you take a look at my system (see signature line below) it is capable of recording 8 shows and running four extenders simultaneously while also playing on a 5th TV that is connected directly to the PC. From a distance of more than one meter, I can't hear anything from the PC.

Of course, you may not need a system as powerful as mine... unless you plan to run four extenders and commercial skipping.

[viewpoint]

Thanks for all that information. Looks like i should go for a lower spec processor - that would be fine.
now, could someone recommend a mboard and some silent fans - it looks like the silverstone case is the one to go for. unless anyone can recommend a better one.

also, i assume the SSD is the way to go for the OS - with a 'normal' HD for recordings and data. what spec for the SSD should i look for and what spec for the HDD for silent running?

(or are there people out there that have built a silent shuttle SH67H3?)

thanks so much!

oh, and i forgot to add, if i don't go for integrated hdmi on the shuttle - can someone recommned what i should be looking for in a graphics card. idealy want HDMI output - showing freeviewHD and freesatHD television programs as well as blu-ray

thanks.

[viewpoint]

If you take a look at my system (see signature line below) it is capable of recording 8 shows and running four extenders simultaneously while also playing on a 5th TV that is connected directly to the PC. From a distance of more than one meter, I can't hear anything from the PC.

Of course, you may not need a system as powerful as mine... unless you plan to run four extenders and commercial skipping.

wow, that looks like a great install. yes, maybe a little high spec for my needs - but interesting to see what you have done. so you think the silverstone cases are the ones to go for?
thanks.

[WarrenH]

Gather you're in the UK; check my specs for a silent pc - Tranquil PC UK.
I have had many Shuttle's, great machines but they are quite noisy and their inbuilt cooling system restricts upgrading of fans. The SH67 isn't a silent machine as it uses conventional fans and cooling.

[lithium630]

You can build a really quiet pc and still use a powerful cpu. Use a case large enough case to hold big fans and you should be fine. The bigger the fan, the less noise it will create. 80mm seem to work well. I also have a Skythe Ninja cpu cooler and it was dead silent. Graphics cards are big offenders. I would either stick with onboard graphics or go with a fanless option. I would consider going with more RAM. 4gb works but RAM is so cheap now. The cost of going from 4gb to 8gb of DDR3 is minimal.

[barnabas1969]

Thanks for all that information. Looks like i should go for a lower spec processor - that would be fine.
now, could someone recommend a mboard and some silent fans - it looks like the silverstone case is the one to go for. unless anyone can recommend a better one.

also, i assume the SSD is the way to go for the OS - with a 'normal' HD for recordings and data. what spec for the SSD should i look for and what spec for the HDD for silent running?

(or are there people out there that have built a silent shuttle SH67H3?)

thanks so much!

oh, and i forgot to add, if i don't go for integrated hdmi on the shuttle - can someone recommned what i should be looking for in a graphics card. idealy want HDMI output - showing freeviewHD and freesatHD television programs as well as blu-ray

thanks.

The case you buy needs to look good to you (unless you're going to hide it) and needs to have enough room for all the components you plan to install. It also needs to fit in the place where you intend to put it... unless you're willing to buy a new piece of furniture to fit the PC. I chose that particular case because it didn't look so much like a "PC" when the front door is closed, and it was about the same size as my AVR. It was also not too expensive.

The only down-side to my case is air flow. I had to make some minor modifications to make it cool more efficiently. I just added a couple of cardboard baffles to direct the air flow in a way that delivered the maximum amount of cool air to the CPU cooler's intake, and prevents the warm exhaust from the CPU cooler from being drawn back into the intake. I made the baffles from one of the cardboard boxes that my parts were delivered in. I intended to eventually make them from plastic, but I never got around to it. They work exactly as intended.

The case fans listed in my specs are excellent 80mm fans for silence. The size of the fan depends on the case you buy. Larger fans are usually quieter because they can turn slower than smaller fans while still moving the same amount of air. That's why I went with a 120mm CPU fan... it usually runs at 600-700 RPM. My case fans usually turn at about 1200RPM.

As for SSD... yes, you definitely want one of those. Get at least a 60GB one. Intel, OCZ, Crucial, and Corsair seem to be the best brands. Make sure it supports TRIM and, before you begin installing Windows, configure your BIOS to use AHCI rather than IDE. The one in my spec (updated today) works well, and I got it on sale for $65 USD with free shipping.

For the HDD(s), you want to select one of the HDD's on the market that is intended for "multi-media" use. These are usually quieter, and have a larger internal buffer. The ones I bought are great drives, but 7200RPM may be over-kill. The Hitachi 5K3000 drives are a good choice too... and cost less.

The Intel i3 and i5 Clarkdale CPU's with integrated graphics reportedly work very well. If you go this route, make sure you get a Clarkdale and not one of the others. The others reportedly have problems with the "29/59 bug". If you choose to go with a video card instead of integrated graphics, get an nVidia GT-430... preferably fan-less. The one I have from Zotac has been a great choice.

On the the subject of Intel... I strongly recommend Intel instead of AMD. An AMD CPU will save you money, but I've had many more problems with AMD chipsets than I have with Intel. So, I recommend buying an Intel processor and a motherboard with an Intel chipset (not AMD, VIA, SiS, or any of the others). And I recommend ASUS, Intel, or MSI motherboards. Many people like Gigabyte too... but I have no experience with them.

For RAM, get a minimum of 4GB. Depending on what you intend to do with the PC, you may need more. I recommend Kingston, Crucial, and Corsair RAM.

I'll tell you what... post back with your requirements... and I'll gladly give you some recommendations. Keep in mind that I'm in the US, so I have no experience with DVB-T and DVB-S tuners. Others will have to help you with that. But if you answer the following questions, I'll gladly give you a list of recommended components.

• How much are you looking to spend (excluding tuners)?
• What are the maximum dimensions you can accept, as far as the size of the case (keep in mind that it will require air-flow space to the front and rear... and sometimes the sides also)
• How many XBox360 extenders might you use in the future? (better to build the machine to handle all the extenders you might add in the future)
• How much storage space do you want for recordings, music, photos, etc? (specify in disk size, or number of hours of recordings you would like to keep)
• How many tuner cards do you want to put inside the case?

[bluezr1]

I had the same problem with having two computers running in a very small (7'x10') room where I started getting headaches. I was going nuts. If you're going to use any kind of case fans, use these.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000S95RW ... 40-1975761

I replaced all the fans in both PC's and after I booted them back up I had to put my ear up to them in order to hear them. They come with resistors (add on wires) to slow them down making them almost silent. The only time I hear either one of them running now is when I have a DVD running. Now I just need to figure out a way of silencing others PC's that I work on. Lol

When purchasing a CPU cooler, make sure you can pull off the fan and replace it with one of these. One of the two machines I ended up using zip ties to hold a 120mm fan to the top of the heat sink. I used what I had on hand at the time. I been meaning to replace that one with a new heat sink, but its been holding up just fine for a few years now and almost due for an upgrade anyways.

Good luck, and enjoy your new rig.

[WarrenH]

Remember, you can't change the case fans on the Shuttle so consider another case

[viewpoint]

I'll tell you what... post back with your requirements... and I'll gladly give you some recommendations. Keep in mind that I'm in the US, so I have no experience with DVB-T and DVB-S tuners. Others will have to help you with that. But if you answer the following questions, I'll gladly give you a list of recommended components.

• How much are you looking to spend (excluding tuners)?
• What are the maximum dimensions you can accept, as far as the size of the case (keep in mind that it will require air-flow space to the front and rear... and sometimes the sides also)
• How many XBox360 extenders might you use in the future? (better to build the machine to handle all the extenders you might add in the future)
• How much storage space do you want for recordings, music, photos, etc? (specify in disk size, or number of hours of recordings you would like to keep)
• How many tuner cards do you want to put inside the case?

Hey, thanks for all the information.

requirements go a little something like this:
Spend is about £600.00 + VAT which works out at about $900 + TAX (but would like to try to reduce this. This does not include the TV tuner card or Win7.
Size - perhaps max 40cm Width x 15cm height x whatever depth (although smaller the better - but would rather have [large and silent] than [small and quiet])
I currently have one Xbox360 used as an extender from my W.XP-MCE PC. Probably look to only use 1 still in the future (next 5 years!)
Storage space - I would like to have 2TB minimum. I'm going to use it for TV recordings and also all my other media storage. But need space to add more discs in the future.
Going to use win7-64bit - installed on SSD to whatever best spec is needed. It will mostly be used for TV use in my main living room for watching recorded SD and HD programs. It would also be used for general Internet, YouTube, TV streaming (Sky Player, iPlayer from the BBC in the UK to stream television programs in SD and HD).
I assume I will be using HDMI connection to the back of my 1080p Panasonic 37" TV.
Also, I assume it would be good to have 5.1 surround sound, some speakers and a blu-ray player.
My budget above should include all of the above - certainly it looks like it can be done with a Shuttle barebones.

And:
I will hopefully be using this card: http://shop.blackgold.tv/epages/BT3159. ... ts/BGT3600 which give me free-to-air terrestrial and satellite High Definition programming.

I've been using this website to try to source hardware - you might want to have a quick browse around - it's pretty good. www.ebuyer.com

thanks again!

Thanks for offering to help. I'm looking forward to building the thing but making sure I chose the right hardware is keeping my awake at night (almost!)

[barnabas1969]

Are you sure about those dimensions? 40cm wide is about 15.75 inches. There are some MicroATX cases that small, but they limit you to fewer internal drives. If you go 17 inches wide (about 43cm), you can get more drives in the case, and use a full size power supply too.

[barnabas1969]

Mini ITX cases are available too... but you usually can't put an internal PCIe card in them (or you're limited to only one)... and I assume you would want a slot for the tuner you mentioned... and possibly future expansion.

[viewpoint]

Remember, you can't change the case fans on the Shuttle so consider another case

Thanks Warren, I will take a look at those componants. how old is your system.
do you like the blackgold card?
i'm looking at the BGT3600 card for the UK.

[viewpoint]

Are you sure about those dimensions? 40cm wide is about 15.75 inches. There are some MicroATX cases that small, but they limit you to fewer internal drives. If you go 17 inches wide (about 43cm), you can get more drives in the case, and use a full size power supply too.

Ok, I don't mind going to larger size, if it means easier to put in silent fans and give upgrade potential for more drives. Yes, I need slot for BGT3600 card. I was looking at the Shuttle SH67H3 originally which is quite small so my thoughts have been skewed by that - but happy to with bigger unit if it means it will get the job done well. But i do want something that looks good as it will be on show under the TV. preferably in black.

*going to measure under the TV *

Thanks.

Yeah, that looks ok - 43cm or so

[barnabas1969]

Here's my list. These are all found on NewEgg's website. The numbers that begin with the letter "N" are NewEgg's stock numbers. You can search that number on NewEgg.com.

I realize that shipping to the UK from NewEgg might be cost prohibitive, but you can probably find very similar items from sellers in the UK. Also, the power supply may have a different part number in the UK, due to the difference in the power cord. Of course, you could just buy the US version, use your own power cord, and flip the voltage switch from 115VAC to 230VAC.

Now, the one notable weird thing, was that NewEgg only listed a few MicroATX motherboards that met my first three criteria (below) and only one that met all my criteria:
A) Fits the CPU (LGA1156),
B) Has optical audio output,
C) Has HDMI output,
D) made by a company I trust.

So, the one I picked is only available from NewEgg as a lot of 10... but you may be able to find this motherboard sold individually elsewhere. If not, you'll need to find one that suits your needs and has all the outputs you desire... including HDMI and fitting an LGA1156 CPU.

Also, note that this particular case cannot fit a power supply with a depth greater than 140mm. The PSU I picked fits.

Drum roll, please....

• Silverstone Case, model ML03B, N82E16811163174
• Enermax case fan, model UC-8EB (quantity:2), N82E16811999199
• Intel DH57DD motherboard, N82E16813121416
• Enermax ENP650AWT B power supply, N82E16817194094
• Intel Core i3-540 CPU, N82E16819115221
• Crucial 4GB RAM (2x2GB) model CT2KIT25664BD1339, N82E16820148474
• OCZ Agility 3 SSD, model AGT3-25SAT3-60G, N82E16820227725
• Hitachi Deskstar 5K3000 2TB HDD, N82E16822145475
• ASUS BluRay drive, N82E16827135247
• Silverstone NT07-1156 CPU cooler, N82E16835220040
• Remote control with USB dongle, N82E16880101008

All this for a grand total of $736 USD plus shipping. Of course, in the UK, you add 20% VAT... and prices may vary in the UK.

If you build this exact system, I recommend installing two of the case fans as close to the CPU as possible, directing air OUT of the case (exhaust)... so that cool air will be drawn in from the top vent of the case, directly into the CPU cooler. This particular case has a cool feature (pun intended)... in that it has a vent on the bottom, under the PSU, so that the PSU pulls cool air directly from outside... which means that the PSU cooling fan will turn slower.