HTPC/MRCS Self-Build

PabloTeK · 2007-09-10, 21:46

Concept: Well my idea started about a month ago when I needed a PC to control my model railway at my grandparents up North so we first looked at laptops but the power was limited and so was the upgradability because they were mostly used laptops that were any good, the newer ones had Vista and about 1 bit of RAM.

So I looked at building my own; I already had done on one occasion with the computer I'm typing this on with success and the ability to upgrade and so it was born...

Specification:

It must be compact
It must be less than £300
It must have Windows XP
It must be well-cooled yet quiet
It must have at least a 160GB HDD (For all the music)

Components:

So I have a list of components which are:

AMD Athlon64 3200+ (AM2)
Asus M2A-VM HDMI
Corsair XMS2 1GB DDR2 PC-5300
Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600JS
LiteOn DH-20A3P-12C
Coolermaster 330 Elite
Arctic Cooling Alpine 64
2x Hiper 120mm Case fans
Akasa Fan Controller Jr.
D-Link AirPlus G
Sumvision 2-port KVM Switch
Jeantech Arctic 600w PSU
Windows XP Home Edition
Ebuyer 1M HDMI cable

Anything I could change? I need the KVM switch for when it's running as a server baring in mind...

Game_dude · 2007-09-13, 19:47

I'd change to an Athlon X2 if its not too much

Just my two cents everything else looks good!

xJulian · 2007-09-14, 07:07

Well, I know my way around silent and efficient systems, so...

First thing first: Your PSU has waaay too much power. Get a Seasonic S12II 330W, it's a great PSU, very silent and very efficient (80+ certified).

Since you have opted for a standard tower case... I'd recommend you ditch the Alpine and buy a Scythe Ninja instead. It's a bit more expensive considering it's "just" a heatsink, but the cooling is way superior. In fact, I have an Athlon64 3200+ myself (albeit 939) and the Ninja performs just fine even without the fan that comes bundled with it.

I have a thing for silent systems myself, and my PSU is the only air exhaust. Although for that to work reasonably, I have also underclocked the CPU quite a bit, which may not be desirable for you. So you'll need a second air exhaust.

I see you have room for a 120mm fan in the back. Get a Yate Loon D12SL-12. Or even (slightly) better, a Scythe S-FLEX 1200 if you have the money to spare. For starters, you can also try the fan that comes bundled with the Ninja since you won't be putting it on there anyway. Be absolutely sure to get some of those rubber bolts. Not these (they suck) but these. They prevent the fan from causing the case to vibrate.

One more thing: Don't put a fan in the front. Instead, tape over the openings in the side of the case (you can do it on the inside and with transparent tape if you're concerned with looks), this way you get a defined airflow. Put the fan in the rear (blowing out), if the front is the only other opening, it will pull the air from there. Given that, a second fan in the front only adds like 10% to the airflow. Your HDD doesn't need it, trust me.

I can't say anything in comparison about the HDD you listed, but I know for a fact that the Samsung SpinPoint P120 series is very silent. That would be the SP1603C for 160GB, although the SP2504C (250GB) is just 3€ more over here. That's the model I'm using anyway. Now it's not completely silent by itself, I have a self-made noise swallow box installed. If you also want a silent HDD, your best option would be a Scythe Quiet Drive. This is probably not something you'll want to do right away, but if you silence the rest of your system, the HDD will get on your nerves, trust me.

So I recommend the following setup: Seasonic PSU, Ninja (passive), one fan in the back. Scythe Quiet Drive if sufficient money is at disposal. For my qualification: My system is very similiar, and it's just about absolutely silent. Sitting next to it, the screen is louder (no kidding, it has a built-in PSU that makes these noises that only start to be annoying when the system itself is completely silent)...

2007-09-10, 21:46	#1 (permalink)
PabloTeK Portal User Join Date: Sep 2007 Age: 17 Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country:	HTPC/MRCS Self-Build Concept: Well my idea started about a month ago when I needed a PC to control my model railway at my grandparents up North so we first looked at laptops but the power was limited and so was the upgradability because they were mostly used laptops that were any good, the newer ones had Vista and about 1 bit of RAM. So I looked at building my own; I already had done on one occasion with the computer I'm typing this on with success and the ability to upgrade and so it was born... Specification: It must be compact It must be less than £300 It must have Windows XP It must be well-cooled yet quiet It must have at least a 160GB HDD (For all the music) Components: So I have a list of components which are: AMD Athlon64 3200+ (AM2) Asus M2A-VM HDMI Corsair XMS2 1GB DDR2 PC-5300 Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600JS LiteOn DH-20A3P-12C Coolermaster 330 Elite Arctic Cooling Alpine 64 2x Hiper 120mm Case fans Akasa Fan Controller Jr. D-Link AirPlus G Sumvision 2-port KVM Switch Jeantech Arctic 600w PSU Windows XP Home Edition Ebuyer 1M HDMI cable Anything I could change? I need the KVM switch for when it's running as a server baring in mind...

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2007-09-13, 19:47	#2 (permalink)
Game_dude Portal Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: USA Age: 22 Posts: 125 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts My System	I'd change to an Athlon X2 if its not too much Just my two cents everything else looks good!

2007-09-14, 07:07	#3 (permalink)
xJulian Portal User Join Date: Sep 2007 Age: 21 Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country:	Well, I know my way around silent and efficient systems, so... First thing first: Your PSU has waaay too much power. Get a Seasonic S12II 330W, it's a great PSU, very silent and very efficient (80+ certified). Since you have opted for a standard tower case... I'd recommend you ditch the Alpine and buy a Scythe Ninja instead. It's a bit more expensive considering it's "just" a heatsink, but the cooling is way superior. In fact, I have an Athlon64 3200+ myself (albeit 939) and the Ninja performs just fine even without the fan that comes bundled with it. I have a thing for silent systems myself, and my PSU is the only air exhaust. Although for that to work reasonably, I have also underclocked the CPU quite a bit, which may not be desirable for you. So you'll need a second air exhaust. I see you have room for a 120mm fan in the back. Get a Yate Loon D12SL-12. Or even (slightly) better, a Scythe S-FLEX 1200 if you have the money to spare. For starters, you can also try the fan that comes bundled with the Ninja since you won't be putting it on there anyway. Be absolutely sure to get some of those rubber bolts. Not these (they suck) but these. They prevent the fan from causing the case to vibrate. One more thing: Don't put a fan in the front. Instead, tape over the openings in the side of the case (you can do it on the inside and with transparent tape if you're concerned with looks), this way you get a defined airflow. Put the fan in the rear (blowing out), if the front is the only other opening, it will pull the air from there. Given that, a second fan in the front only adds like 10% to the airflow. Your HDD doesn't need it, trust me. I can't say anything in comparison about the HDD you listed, but I know for a fact that the Samsung SpinPoint P120 series is very silent. That would be the SP1603C for 160GB, although the SP2504C (250GB) is just 3€ more over here. That's the model I'm using anyway. Now it's not completely silent by itself, I have a self-made noise swallow box installed. If you also want a silent HDD, your best option would be a Scythe Quiet Drive. This is probably not something you'll want to do right away, but if you silence the rest of your system, the HDD will get on your nerves, trust me. So I recommend the following setup: Seasonic PSU, Ninja (passive), one fan in the back. Scythe Quiet Drive if sufficient money is at disposal. For my qualification: My system is very similiar, and it's just about absolutely silent. Sitting next to it, the screen is louder (no kidding, it has a built-in PSU that makes these noises that only start to be annoying when the system itself is completely silent)...