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TheHackers' First ! Silent ! Passive ! Build

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TheHacker1

TheHacker1

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Jan 27, 2014
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First of all !!!
I am new here. A BIG hello to this community. I'm reading now for a long time and have to say what you guys are doing is more than great ! As a long time always mac using audio post expert I realized (like many of you) that it is time to leave the predefined apple road to win some individuality back. So it's time for my first build. Keep in mind - audio work - so silence please !

software i am using is mostly pro tools 10 HD native, nuendo 6, logic, ableton live and native instruments komplete.

As this will be my very first build i am looking for some advice from more experienced audio hackintosh users.

will my selected components work fluently together ?
what you would change ?

Any suggestions are very welcome.

Thank you very much !!!

CPU: i7-4770k
CPU Cooling: Nofan CR-95c Copper
Mainboard: GA Z87X-UD5H
RAM: Corsair 32 GB Vengeance
Graphics: Zotac GeForce GT 640 ZONE Edition SKU ZT-60207-20L
Storage System: Samsung 840 Pro SSD 256 GB (for MacOSX)
Storage Data: Samsung 840 Pro SSD 256 GB
Storage B´up: 2 TB Seagate Desktop HDD
Firewire Card: Dawicontrol FW800 Controller PCIe x1
Wifi Card: TP-Link TL-WDN4800
Bluetooth USB: IOGear GBU521 Bluetooth 4.0
Case: Nofan CS-80
Power Supply: Nofan P-400A
 
The Hacker1`Silent Build
GA-Z87X-UD5H |  i7 4770S |  Radeon Other
To work with the NoFan cooler the ram will need to be the LP version
from Corsair. Personally I'd go with the Noctua NH-U12S for a silent
cooling solution. It costs less and keeps the CPU cooler than a fanless model.
It can be set to produce only 20 dB of noise, basically inaudible. If you're
studio is in a hot environment the Noctua would be a better choice. If not
the no fan cooler could work well if you get the LP corsair vengeance.

http://www.quietpc.com/nh-u1x
 
Passive cooling is great in concept, but doesn't necessarily work very well. You still need consistent air flow to effectively move heat from the components. You'd have to check with the manufacturer, but that GPU is probably intended to go into an actively cooled case. Add the rising heat from the no-fan PSU directly under the GPU and its probably going to get pretty toasty.

The PSU itself is a dual rail system with only 168 watts of 12v power on rail 1 and 156 on rail 2. Since PSUs can only achieve max power on one rail, you're well below the recommended 100 watt overhead for your system. This will mean the PSU will be creating a lot of heat running at high power, wear out quicker, and significantly limit you in terms of expandability. You can see more of my notes on PSUs here.

My recommendation for a quiet PSU is to choose one with a variable fan or get one like the Corsair RM series that doesn't kick in until it reaches 40% load. Then go for a unit that is rated well above your system's needs. Choosing a significantly more powerful PSU reduces stress on the PSU components and reduces heat which equates to quieter operation and longer life. It also provides a fail-safe in case of overheating. I'm sure the NoFan has a fail-safe too, but that is probably going to be shutting down instead of activating a fan.

Your case is basically an open air design. You're going to hear anything that isn't totally silent. Especially that spinning hard drive. If there is coil whine, you're going to hear that too. Consider getting a NAS for remote storage. Spinning disk hard drives are often noisier than most silent active cooling solutions. If you're going to put the HDD in the case, I'd go the active cooling route with a good quality silent case.

I have a Fractal Design Define R4, Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus CPU cooler, Corsair RM 650, i5 Haswell, Asus R9 270x, and only SSDs. At low power usage, I can hardly hear a thing. At 100% CPU it is still very quiet. If you used your fanless CPU (haven't checked if it would fit in an R4) and Graphics card in a case like this, it would probably be just as quiet and at least you'd have airflow moving across the components. If you get the version without a window, it has sound deadening material on both sides.

Made a 96/24 wav file for you to hear the difference between my system on and off. This is recorded with a Zoom H1 at ear height about 2 feet away. This is with the stock case fans on their low setting, which is where I always leave it. The loudest thing in the recording is when I max to 100% CPU and the CPU fan kicks up. But if you went with the fanless, that wouldn't be an issue.

If you need even more sound isolation, you can get some sound absorbing foam to place between your ears and the case and you won't even know it is there.

tl;dr: Basically, get a better PSU and consider an active cooling silent case with sound deadening material. Preferably one with 140mm or larger fans that can run at or lower than 800rpm.

Good luck.
 
@comma1234

Thanks for going into detail on your approach to a silent build. I'd have to agree with you on the
Fractal case as I've got one myself, I really dislike fan/computer noise even though I'm not using
it as a DAW. I've never seen one of the nofan cases in person but I had my doubts about how
well it would work in a "real world" situation. I'd also add that if he needs an even quieter build
go with the Noctua 140mm case fans which are the quietest you can get for active cooling. Cost
more initially but last much longer than other fans. They can easily be controlled by the built in
fan controller on the front of the Fractal R4 case. The GT640 has a passive cooler on it, no fans
to make noise there so I would highly recommend the Fractal ATX case with as much SSD storage
as is possible inside the case. Also like the Corsair RM series PSUs for a silent build.

@Hacker1

I took a look at the NoFan website. The cpu cooler specs claim it can keep a cpu cool that is
rated up to 95W TDP. The Haswell I7 cpu's rating is 84W. That's cutting it a little too close for
comfort. I think the nofan system could work if you didn't push the CPU too hard or even under-
clocked it but you won't know for certain unless you actually built and used it with the I7. I would
feel more confident with your proposed setup with a cpu rated at about 54W TDP that could be
kept cool more easily. You could put your build into a no fan case and add some Noctua fans if
your cpu and gfx card temps get too high. Whatever you choose to do with your build,
let us know what you decide to go with and how it works out for you in your studio. :thumbup:
 
I hate fan noise too. But what I really hate are components with high pitched whines (e.g. hard drives, noisy PSUs, tiny high RPM fans). Lower frequency hums are far less distracting in a work environment. At least for me.

I've never used one of the Noctua coolers, but I've read some great things about them. For me, the significantly cheaper Coolermaster Hyper 212+ was good enough for my needs. I don't need perfectly silent either and the lower-pitch hum it creates at full load is completely acceptable to my ears.

Fanless/passive cooled systems, IMHO, are best left to the small proprietary systems that use onboard graphics and mobile CPUs, like fitPC's Intense PC series.
 
I also don't like noise, here is what I chose:

Case:
Cooler Master HAF XB EVO mesh
http://www.coolermaster.de/product.php?product_id=6856
http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00F4ISP0K/?tag=tonymacx8603-21

The mainboard is horizontal, so no problem with heavy coolers on CPU or graphic card.
The top cover is mesh, hot air can go up and out easy.
Front is mesh too, side panels and back have holes, so air can flow.
I removed all the case fans, don't need them.
Fits into a 19" rack.

PSU:
bequiet Dark Power Pro 10
http://www.bequiet.com/de/powersupply/304
http://www.amazon.de/dp/B0087PHPUI/?tag=tonymacx8603-21
I can't hear the fan of the PSU.
Good cable management. Best german quality.

Graphics:
Well depends how much graphic power you (really) need, CUDA or OpenCL. I use or used the following cards.
For audio production a HD4600 in the CPU has enough power (3D Heaven Benchmark around 12 FPS)
The GT640 is a bit faster (3D Heaven Benchmark around 27 FPS)
Asus GTX670 DirectCUII, quietest GTX670, can't hear it in normal use (3D Heaven Benchmark around 58 FPS)
Asus HD 7970 Matrix, fastest available card and still very low noise at normal operation (3D Heaven Benchmark around 82 FPS).
I would recommend not to buy a seperate graphic card first, build the pc, use it and see how it feels for your daily work.

CPU:
4770K is for over clocking, quiet and over clocking are opposite, so better take a 4771

CPU cooler:
I use a bequiet Dark Rock 3, can't hear the fan.
Didn't know that Nofan CR-95c Copper before your posting here, otherwise I had bought it. Especially with the Cooler Master HAF XB EVO mesh case. I would try it and if the cpu gets to hot then install a 200mm fan in the top.

Firewire:
I don't know that DawiControl, but many Firewire cards give trouble with audio interfaces latency.
StarTech PEX1394B3 is always safe choice, same Firewire chip as Apple uses
http://www.amazon.de/dp/B000WCT5HK/?tag=tonymacx8603-21
Worked well for me with RME Firewire gear.

Wifi:
Depends on your Wifi network, the TP-Link is 802.11n. If you got 802.11ac access points then Asus PCE-AC66 is the card for full speed.

And at last the most important point !
In my setup the hdd makes the most noise ! Forget about a spinning hdd if you really want a quiet pc.
So better check how much hdd space you really need all the time, get a ssd for that.
And all the archive, backups etc. just mount a spinning hdd when you make your backups and unmount afterwards. Or use a NAS in another room.
 
[h=1]@comma1234
- power supply calculator seems to be a helpful tool.
- your .wav, but hard to tell, because of the room tone.
- after reading reviews, i´m switching over to passive corsair psu´s


@trs96


-you are right with the haswell´s max tdm of 84W. But using a i4770s instead with a max of 65W could work, right?


@khe91
- regarding firewire:
as I got from reading the forum, apple is using a texas Instruments chipset.
darwicontrol does too. if star tech does, I don´t know. Do you?


i´m using the RME Fireface 800, too.


so what is the better firewire card together with that audio interface?


anybody?


- intel onboard graphics are not an option for me




for the moment I´m thinking the Zotac is a good choice. passive and strong enough.


CPU Cooler question:


thermalright hr 22 or nofan cr-95c ?


anybody?


regarding hard drive noise, sure ssd is better but even more expensive.
so for backup needs I´m switching now to lacie usb3.0 external, means there will be no hods anymore in my build.




really would like to know if it makes sense to put the no fan cr-95c in a fractal design define r4. will it fit? nofan´s website say, case top should be open.












[/h]
 
The Hacker1`Silent Build
GA-Z87X-UD5H |  i7 4770S |  Radeon Other
TheHacker1 said:

@trs96

-you are right with the haswell´s max tdm of 84W. But using a i4770s instead with a max of 65W could work, right?
Click to expand...
It really depends on how hard you push the cpu in your everyday use. You'd have to try it and see what kinds
of temps you get.
really would like to know if it makes sense to put the no fan cr-95c in a fractal design define r4. will it fit? nofan´s website say, case top should be open.
Click to expand...
I use the R4 with the top closed but use a cpu cooler/fan set to low RPMs and it does fine.
I'd guess that the NoFan cooler would need some airflow from the front to back of the case to work. Again it will take experimenting with various setups to know in your situation.


 
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