[Coolzo]

I'm wondering about ways to make my computer sound quieter than it is right now. I was wondering if people had any advice. Do I have to get custom loops and all that to achieve a super quiet setup?

It's around 52 db on idle right now. 

If you are still running air on your cpu, simply getting a Corsair all-in-one with either Phanteks or Noctua fans will go a long way to making things quieter. Also, look into the ASUS Strix line of GPUs, as the Strix coolers are absolutely phenomenal for low-noise without going full WC (and much cheaper,as such)

 

[214324]

Limit fan speed if you can via mobo headers or low voltage adapters. Going w/ an AIO CPU doesn't do anything b/c the cheap ones are all louder than just going air cooling (and perform horribly for the money).
 
And aftermarket top-down coolers can be louder or quieter. Just get ready for hot air to be blown everywhere. The main reason why I recommend going w/ blower styled coolers only. NVIDIA's stock coolers are fine, AMD's are a bit louder, though I'm not sure about the current 300 series coolers. I haven't confirmed if it's just the shell that's changed or if they also changed the fan too.
 
Edit: 300 series coolers are mostly open air coolers w/ 2 to 3 fans from what I'm reading, so no blower styled ones probably.

 

[VXAce]

From my experience open air coolers are quieter than the blowers, blowers pretty much always ramp up into an annoying whine even if you set a good curve for the fan. But with a good open air, you can set a good fan curve and have it do fine. Of course there is the issue of choking it in SLI and all the hot air that is blown all over the place. But I haven't had any issues with that, even when I had two cards running side by side.

The main part is to get a good open air cooler, if you get a junk one, well... it's going to be junk. And make sure you lay things out so that it can breath properly.

 

[Kukuk]

Awww yiss, got my i5 4690K today. Shame the motherboard didn't get here today, since it was shipped from somewhere else.
 
Quick question. It's been forever since I kept up with OS stuff, since I haven't reinstalled in like 6 years. I remember on XP if you changed your CPU and mobo you and to reinstall windows. Is that still the case with 7+? I've been totally out of the loop. lol

 

[VXAce]

 
Quick question. It's been forever since I kept up with OS stuff, since I haven't reinstalled in like 6 years. I remember on XP if you changed your CPU and mobo you and to reinstall windows. Is that still the case with 7+? I've been totally out of the loop. lol

No, you can swap out and just redo the license. But you should just to get the drivers right. A mobo and CPU swap should always come with a clean install, things are just better that way.

 

[Kukuk]

  No, you can swap out and just redo the license. But you should just to get the drivers right. A mobo and CPU swap should always come with a clean install, things are just better that way.

 
Ah, I had planned on doing a fresh install once I got my SSD, but I had to put off getting that. Didn't want to have install twice in a short period, since it's a hassle to get all my programs set up.

 

[VXAce]

Oh, just wait for the SSD then. No point in doing it twice.

 

[Kukuk]

I'm so excited to get my mobo. Right now I'm slumming with an Althlon 2 X4, which was crap when I got it, so this is going to be quite an upgrade for me. Hopefully 16m operations on SWTOR will run at more than 5FPS...

 

[Coolzo]

With AIO coolers, all one must do is replace the stock radiator fan(s). Unless the pump is super loud of course... I'm running a Corsair H110i with Phanteks SP140 fans, NZXT Sentry fan controller just near the slowest setting. Cools like a champ with very little noise.

 

[214324]

  Quick question. It's been forever since I kept up with OS stuff, since I haven't reinstalled in like 6 years. I remember on XP if you changed your CPU and mobo you and to reinstall windows. Is that still the case with 7+? I've been totally out of the loop. lol

Windows has move to a different key storage process. Windows 7 and prior had the keys stored somewhere on the hard drive I believe. Windows 8 and above have moved to a system where the key is stored in BIOS instead, so when performing a clean install you no longer have to back up the key. Occasionally clean installs won't pick up the key but there's an easy fix around that (you can get a program like RW Everything and find the key in BIOS then just reactivate, no problems).
 
Windows 10 does the same but now clean installs just happen to be much, much easier because you no longer need installation media. That refresh feature is quite nice.

---

Finding it hard to find an attractive computer case. There's always either some sort of aesthetic flaw or design flaw.
 
I'm staring mostly at mITX cases though so that's to be expected because it's still a growing market. If only the SG05/SG06 had a more attractive front.

 

[gopanthersgo1]

HybridCore, I obviously trust you the most when it comes to PC parts, what do you think of upgrading my mobo from an ASRock Extreme4 Z77 to a mini-itx P8Z77I Deluxe? I'd love to do a small build whenever I upgrade my main rig with my old parts and my current board is holding me back with overclocking my CPU and RAM (won't run and advertised speeds) and after a certain cpu clock it doesn't always recognize my SSD on boot. (p. common timing error on the boards of the looks of it)

 

[214324]

HybridCore, I obviously trust you the nose when it comes to PC parts, what do you think of upgrading my mobo from an ASRock Extreme4 Z77 to a mini-itx P8Z77I Deluxe? I'd love to do a small build whenever I upgrade my main rig with my old parts and my current board is holding me back with overclocking my CPU and RAM (won't run and advertised speeds) and after a certain cpu clock it doesn't always recognize my SSD on boot. (p. common timing error on the boards of the looks of it)

It's an old board so price shouldn't be an issue (since it's one of ASUS's "premium" boards which are expensive as always, but time does the trick). There may be some issues with CPU coolers that cover a wide area like say, the Scythe Big Shuriken Rev. B because of the daughter board housing the power delivery circuitry. True phase count from my guess is a 6+2 (I highly doubt an 8+0) but I don't have access to one to take apart, neither has SinHardware taken a crack at one and put it on their VRM list. It could also be 6+2. Sin's list has the P8Z77M-Pro which is a 6+2 while the P8Z77-V boards range from 4 to 8 true phases. I only guess 6+2 because I don't feel like small form factor was a big thing then. They would have also saved the 8 true phase count for the Maximus 5 Impact.
 
I'm not sure what to expect. If you look at the ATX equivalent (the P8Z77-V Deluxe) that's a true 8 phase, so you can take your chances. Either way this is a solid board.

 

[gopanthersgo1]

It's an old board so price shouldn't be an issue (since it's one of ASUS's "premium" boards which are expensive as always, but time does the trick). There may be some issues with CPU coolers that cover a wide area like say, the Scythe Big Shuriken Rev. B because of the daughter board housing the power delivery circuitry. True phase count from my guess is a 6+2 (I highly doubt an 8+0) but I don't have access to one to take apart, neither has SinHardware taken a crack at one and put it on their VRM list. It could also be 6+2. Sin's list has the P8Z77M-Pro which is a 6+2 while the P8Z77-V boards range from 4 to 8 true phases. I only guess 6+2 because I don't feel like small form factor was a big thing then. They would have also saved the 8 true phase count for the Maximus 5 Impact.

I'm not sure what to expect. If you look at the ATX equivalent (the P8Z77-V Deluxe) that's a true 8 phase, so you can take your chances. Either way this is a solid board.

Awesome, I'd love to have a simple build with games I'd play on LAN like CS:Go and stuff and could use my old hardware on once I get a new build so I think this is the way to go.

 

[vantt1]

 
can you repeat the issue?

I can reliably replicate the issue now. Whenever I touch the USB ground sheath of my 3.5" desktop external HDD to any unpainted grounded surface of my computer, it restarts/BSODs. So far I've tried the front panel USB ports, the metal covers of the internal HDDs, and the case of the PSU. As soon as I touch the USB sheath onto it, it restarts.

 

[214324]

 

 
can you repeat the issue?

I can reliably replicate the issue now. Whenever I touch the USB ground sheath of my 3.5" desktop external HDD to any unpainted grounded surface of my computer, it restarts/BSODs. So far I've tried the front panel USB ports, the metal covers of the internal HDDs, and the case of the PSU. As soon as I touch the USB sheath onto it, it restarts.

Probably a messed up ground. I have that occasionally on my front panel USB headers (I use an NZXT Source 220). Any static charge built up causes my finger or some USB connector to shock the computer, causing it to black screen, BSOD, or shut down.