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any ideas for a small build

C

Cudenver

Weaksauce
Joined
Jul 7, 2012
Messages
126
I just cant stand the noise and size of my desktop in my room. I need something clean and quiet.
Do you guys have any ideas on what I could throw together for about $ 600.
Nothing too powerful but not slow either.
thanks for the help.
 
I hope it is not a sacrilegious thing to mention it on this forum... but mac mini might fit the bill...
Don't like OSX? Well, just format it under boot camp or other utility, and use it with windows or linux. That will take away the headache (or fun) of trying build something yourself.
 
radex7 said:
I hope it is not a sacrilegious thing to mention it on this forum...
Click to expand...

Pre-builts are fine. Heck, there are some super long threads about these things - see The highly rated HP Pavilion Slimline PC thread. It has the most replies in the entire Small Form Factor Systems forum, with around THREE TIMES the replies as the second and FIVE TIMES the replies of the third most replied to thread here.

That said, we can't help Cudenver until he tells us more. All we know right now is that he doesn't like noise and size (presumably big) and wants clean (whatever that means - maybe no "I"m a 14 year old gamer" look?) and quiet. It would help to know if he needs the entire computer or just an upgrade for his existing computer, and what he uses it for.
 
h61/low-end p67/z68/z77 motherboard + i3 IB Intel..large passive/slow fan heatsink.
 
Cudenver said:
I just cant stand the noise and size of my desktop in my room. I need something clean and quiet.
Do you guys have any ideas on what I could throw together for about $ 600.
Nothing too powerful but not slow either.
thanks for the help.
Click to expand...

Kind of hard to suggest anything based on what you've told us, honestly. But I'm going to take a guess that you don't want to use it for high-end gaming, and will probably be doing mostly office tasks, web-surfing, watching movies, etc.

You really should fill out the form, but I'm kind of bored, about to go to bed in an hour, and feeling like my intuition is good, so I'll suggest something anyway.

With that in mind...

$120: Antec Sonata III w/500W Power Supply
$90: MSI Z77A-G41
$145: Intel Core i3-3225
$40: Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
$70: Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200
$20: LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer
$100: Microsoft Windows 8

Should be right around $597 with shipping.

The beauty of this solution is that your case comes with a PSU, so you don't have to buy that. You don't need a graphics card, you can just plug an HDMI cable (or VGA if you have an old/cheap monitor) into the motherboard and have Intel's HD 4000 graphics which are more than good enough for and 2D work and watching movies... maybe even a few older games. And since you probably won't be overclocking, you don't need a separate fan... you can just use the stock fan that comes with the i3-3225.

This should result in a fairly quiet system. Won't use a lot of electricity, either. I'm assuming you have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse laying around somewhere... most people do, and you are complaining about a noisy desktop that likely has those things. Windows can't really be moved from one computer to another anymore (licensing issues and all that), so you might as well leave your old desktop completely intact and sell it on eBay, or use it in another room.

If you need something with more power, you'll either need to increase your budget or learn to love the noise...

EDIT: Oh god, I feel really stupid. I didn't realize this was for an SFF PC because I didn't see what section you posted it in, and you were talking about "throwing a computer together," so I just assumed you meant a normal ATX desktop. I'm really sorry about that, I thought you were just one of those people that hates noise but enjoys building PCs. This is what happens when you answer threads half-sleep, guys. But anyway, this gives you a lot of bang for your buck, and if silence was more of an issue than size, I still think that's a good way to go.

From what I understand, people don't really BUILD SFF PCs themselves most of the time, they usually BUY them premade, or at least get a barebones kit. I'd take a look at some of Shuttle's offerings if you're serious about building one yourself They have a ton of kits with a motherboard, PSU, and case, specially designed for people who want to put stuff together themselves. Everything from Atoms to full-powered systems at half the size. It's pricier than a normal PC in terms of price/performance, though... and you sounded like you didn't want to skimp on power much, so it may not be for you.

Otherwise, if you don't mind getting something prebuilt... why not just get a nice laptop? It wouldn't be much less powerful than this system, AND it would be portable as well as small and quiet. Look at this Acer, for instance. Less than $600, and comes with everything you need. You can even plug a monitor and keyboard into them and use them as efficient desktops.

Admittedly, most of the PCs I build are huge, so I don't know a whole lot about this SFF thing... but I think either a laptop or a Shuttle PC would suit you pretty well.
 
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Lol Iguess we just trip over ourselves trying to give suggestions, when we dont even know what he's looking for.
 
you can probly build a very decent system in a ISK110

I'm currently running a A10-5800k in my ISK
 
So today while out on a client call, I had to add a few new computers to the domain and came across this, A Dell of all things but I really liked it.
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...&model_id=optiplex-7010&c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04

1. What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming, Photoshop (or other intensive programs), Web browsing, strictly HTPC/Playback, etc.
I will be doing some CAD, maybe a little photoshop. lots of networking practice, surfing the web, etc ( no games I suck at them)
2. Will you be overclocking?
NO
3. What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included in this budget? Is your budget flexible? Is cost a driving factor in component selection?
budget $ 1000 bucks Max including shipping ,can be under.
4. Where do you live? Do you have any big B&M (brick and mortar) computer chains nearby (e.g. Microcenter, Fry's, etc)?
Denver,Co (Go Broncos) yes I can drive to a Microcenter.

5. What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
I need P/S, RAM,CPU, MOB, VideoCard??, Case( maybe a cheap workstation card, $300, possibly
what ever to takes to get a complete computer
6. If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. For reused parts, list brands, model #s, and, if applicable, firmware revisions.
I have 2 1TB Black WD SATA 3.5" Hard Drives. I also have a Corsair 450watt powersupply. ATX form factor, Does not have to be used, just collecting dust.
7. What specific features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc. Which is more important, size of the system or having the particular feature? Make sure you indicate *required* vs. *wanted* for each feature you list.
Required- Small size, Low noise ( I can't think anymore with all the noise my computer makes)
Required-HDMI Out, either thorough add in card or part of Mob ( I run a 32" TV as a second monitor)
USB 3.0- would be nice to have I guess.
RAID- Nice to have but not needed, since I will be purching a NAS in the new year.
thats about it.
8. What resolution output do you need? 1080p, 720p, DVD quality, etc for HTPC or list Vertical/horizontal resolution for non-HTPC SFF rigs. Do you need multiple monitor output?
What ever a 23" Monitor uses, and tv hooked up (HDMI out)
9. Does this system need to fit into a particular space and do you need an optical drive? Think entertainment center shelves, closet space, rackmount, etc. Many modern SFF cases have either removed the optical drive or have been constructed so that removing the ODD increases the configuration possibilities immensely.
No space requirements as song as its fairly small like the Dell OptiPlex 7010 Small Form Factor
CD Drive- maybe, like to have but I can buy an external usb one right.

10. How comfortable are you with custom case design/modification and electrical wiring? What tools do you have (Screwdrivers/Leatherman, Drill, Dremel, Metal snips, Soldering Iron, Bending Brake, CNC/Welding machines/Plasma cutter, etc...)?
Losts of tools, but don't want to do any modding
11. How important is the noise/silence of this sytem? HTPCs typically want to be quiet while all-out SFF gaming rigs don't care
Quiet as possible, but not extreme once again like the dell OptiPlex 7010 Small Form Factor,
basically nice a " normal" computer, just so i can think when doing work.

12. How mobile does this system need to be? Need a carrying handle or carrying straps? Is weight important (carry-on bag, etc)? Water cooling quick disconnects, etc?
Not mobile at all, I have a laptop
13. Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit? Remember that OEM copies of Win7 have issues with new motherboards
I have windows 7 64 bit, OS
14. When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Immediately, in a couple weeks, 3-5 years?
Plan on building immediately, ie next few days.

Thanks guys and sorry for the long delay in getting this up. , I have been too lazy fill out the form.
 
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If that Dell was really quiet to you and the size was right, then I would actually recommend that over a DIY setup for the simple fact that we can't guarantee low noise with the specific type of form factor. Just up the CPU to the Core i5-3470 and keep the RAM at 2GB. Then buy RAM seperately from Amazon.com or Newegg and you're pretty much set after that. If the onboard GPU isn't enough for you, then buy a seperate GPU. I would not get the RAM and GPU from Dell.
 
Danny Bui said:
If that Dell was really quiet to you and the size was right, then I would actually recommend that over a DIY setup for the simple fact that we can't guarantee low noise with the specific type of form factor.
Click to expand...

Sure we can. The problem is that too many enthusiasts get all caught up in the "OMG my CPU is overheating at 55°C." Once we accept the fact that at stock speeds Intel CPUs were designed to perform up to insanely high temps (what is T-Junction on an Ivy, 105°C or so?) then it is possible to make really quiet computers, just like the big OEMs. ;)

Cudenver said:
...
Click to expand...

Let me condense this.
- No gaming
- No overclocking
- Already owns Windows
- Small and quiet
- HDMI + DVI outputs
- $1000 budget
- Will use NAS in future for storage needs
- Near Micro Center
- Does not need to re-use parts

Here are a couple options for you.

Option 1 - reuse two WD Black drives
Antec NSK3480 $100
The reason is that it will make your drives much more quiet and that's important because they will probably be the noisiest part of your system. Antec cases use softer grommets than any other brand, plus the heavy steel construction will dampen sound. The stock PSU is more than enough power, and is quiet and good quality.
3570K CPU from Micro Center $190
ASRock Z77 Pro4-M motherboard from Micro Center $70 after combo discount
16GB Crucial Ballistix Sport low profile $83
SATA optical drive, whatever is on sale $20
whatever decent quality 240-256GB SSD is on sale $160-200
some big tower cooler with PWM fan $20-60
This system will run around $700 after shipping/tax and should be reasonably quiet. You can remove the case fan, and run the CPU fan on a quiet setting in BIOS. Use integrated video - motherboard can handle your monitor and HDTV.

Option 2 - no HDDs
Lian Li PC-Q07 $50 with coupon code through 1/2
Pico PSU 160XT PSU with brick $76
Can also use 150XT model. Avoid the 102W power brick option because it has a fan.
3570K CPU from Micro Center $190
ASRock Z77E-ITX motherboard from Micro Center $105 after combo discount
16GB Crucial Ballistix Sport low profile $83
SATA optical drive, whatever is on sale $20
whatever decent quality 240-256GB SSD is on sale $160-200
some big tower cooler with PWM fan $20-60
This will cost a bit more than the mATX due to the PSU, but will be smaller. It can fit one HDD, but the grommets are not very soft and so it will be noisier. You can try it to see if it is quiet enough.
 
Zap said:
Sure we can. The problem is that too many enthusiasts get all caught up in the "OMG my CPU is overheating at 55°C." Once we accept the fact that at stock speeds Intel CPUs were designed to perform up to insanely high temps (what is T-Junction on an Ivy, 105°C or so?) then it is possible to make really quiet computers, just like the big OEMs. ;)
Click to expand...
Like I said, I was specifically referring to the slim mATX form factor that particular Dell PC uses. I've yet to see a DIY setup with that specific form factor that would be considered "quiet". With that said, I don't have loose standards for temperatures anyway.
 
Slim mATX? Sure you can! I've used this slim Pixxo mATX case to build a super quiet computer for my mom. It sits sideways behind her monitor and you can't even hear it - but if you just about put your ear to it then you can barely hear a tiny bit of whoosh.

The included PSU is actually super noisy and weighs next to nothing, so I replaced it with an FSP SFX unit, the same 300W one that is used by Silverstone, Lian Li and Fractal Design. In the Pixxo case, the PSU is in the front bottom, and does not suck in hot air. The system is a Core i3 with integrated graphics which barely sips power. Thus, the PSU fan never ramps up. Case uses an 80mm blowhole fan up top, which gets undervolted. CPU cooling is stock Intel that came with the Core i3, set to a silent profile in BIOS. Rest of the system is a cheap MSI motherboard, Intel 40GB SSD, cheap DVD writer and 2GB RAM. She only does web browsing and email, absolutely nothing else so the system is very sufficient.
 
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