GPU that will work OOB that is also silent for music studio

[luckyal]

I couldn't find a thread with info specific enough to my problem, so if this is a duplicate, my apologies.

I'm going for powerful but nearly silent version and looking to model my build after this one by @JCMunsonII

https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...x-hero-i7-7700k-32gb-ram-intel-630-hd.222316/

Also taking advice from @pastrychef to delid my 7700k. I also plan on overclocking. My goal is to achieve at least a 5500+ on Geekbench and from what I gather, a GPU has a significant impact on this number. I am somewhat confused about my options. I'm trying to save money on the GPU but NOT at the expense of noise. I am considering either XFX RADEON Double D R9 280X or HD 7970. I don't care about gaming at all, but it needs to be capable of driving a Dell UltraSharp U3415W.

Some people are suggesting going passive, but I don't know if there are options that won't penalize overall single core performance, will work out of the box, AND be able to drive that monitor. There are a lot of experts on this forum, and I would appreciate any help you can give me.

 

[pastrychef]

Delidding the CPU will go a long way to help keep your system quiet. I did it to my i7-6700K, i7-7700K, and i7-8700K. I learned that your choice of thermal compound is extremely important when delidding. In my opinion, it's a no brainer to go with either Cool Laboratory Liquid Ultra or Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut. Although Conductonaut is rated better on paper, I found performance to be very similar in real world usage and Liquid Ultra is MUCH easier to handle and apply.

I haven't used an AMD GPU in many, many years and can't comment on how well they work. However, according to this guide, XFX cards may be problematic... If you truly want out-of-box compatibility, the last two generations of Nvidia GPUs will not be an option for you because they rely on Nvidia's web drivers.

Went considering cards, I suggest you look for a GPU with reasonably low TDP. Lower TDP means less heat which can translate to less fan noise. Since your primary concern is just to be able to drive that monitor and not gaming, you can probably stay with a pretty low TDP GPU.

 

[luckyal]

Cool Laboratory Liquid Ultra

This is exactly the one I purchased.

Went considering cards, I suggest you look for a GPU with reasonably low TDP. Lower TDP means less heat which can translate to less fan noise. Since your primary concern is just to be able to drive that monitor and not gaming, you can probably stay with a pretty low TDP GPU.

I really appreciate the guidance. Where can I find the information on TDP and OOB compatibility?

 

[pastrychef]

The manufacturers' sites should have TDP info.

Check the Graphics sub-forum for video card compatibility info:
Radeon Compatibility Guide - ATI/AMD Graphics Cards | tonymacx86.com

 

[luckyal]

Thank you @pastrychef . What would you consider appropriate TDP for what I’m trying to achieve?

 

[pastrychef]

I don't know if there's an "appropriate" TDP... Based on what you've described, I would say that something like an Nvidia GTX 1050 should be more than enough to fit your needs and that GPU has a TDP of 75W.

 

[luckyal]

I don't know if there's an "appropriate" TDP... Based on what you've described, I would say that something like an Nvidia GTX 1050 should be more than enough to fit your needs and that GPU has a TDP of 75W.

But no PnP support because it’s nvidia right?

 

[slim.jim]

You can find a passively cooled GT 710. If you need more power then you could go with a mid level GTX 900/1000 card that is semi passive. Both of those will require the Web Drivers though. I do not believe the 1050 mentioned by @pastrychef is semi passive.

 

[luckyal]

You can find a passively cooled GT 710. If you need more power then you could go with a mid level GTX 900/1000 card that is semi passive. Both of those will require the Web Drivers though. I do not believe the 1050 mentioned by @pastrychef is semi passive.

Looks like the GT 710 you referenced will not drive the 4K monitor I mentioned in my original post. 1080 P only

 

[slim.jim]

Looks like the GT 710 you referenced will not drive the 4K monitor I mentioned in my original post. 1080 P only

Ahh, sorry missed that.