Looking to build a SFF for my new build, but I am concerned about noise. My current rig, AIO cooled 6700K with MSI 1080 Gaming X and it gets rather loud for something as simple as CSGO. I'm eyeing 13900K with 4080 or 4090 in the NR200P Max case which comes with an AIO. I googled around to see if I can find anything on noise but no luck. Anyone have something close to this and can weigh in?
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How loud is 4080 or 4090 FE?
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Dreamerbydesign
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Going small / SFF with large power hungry hot GPU's will most certainly be loud. This newest gen dumps out heat and is very loud. Also the coolers are MASSIVE right now. If you are looking for a quiet build a larger build will be easier to tame.
LigTasm
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4090FE will probably be the quietest, maybe do an undervolt. I would put a 7800X3D though, its like half the watts of a 13700K and you get the same gaming performance.
My current rig is ATX and I want something small. It’s a strategy to have the SO not freak out when I tell her I plan on gaming more lol. ATX is loud, so size and noise is a double whammy. At least with a SFF I can tuck it away somewhere.
Why this?
Okay interesting. I’ve never actually owned anything AMD. Something to look into then?
hmmmm why you think? YouTube videos seem to think it’s fine. What are they missing?
LigTasm
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Whats missing is they didn't run it at full load in the video, because its either throttling or sounds like an F-15 about to take off. I had to run my 13900K with the 150W limit (stock is 253W) or the 360 AIO was so loud I didn't want to use it any more. Thats why I ended up selling the chip, just too hard to cool.
Ahhhh I see. Shit lol, def wouldn’t want that sort of noise. I’d have to run it congruent with the AC. Thanks for the input!
pippenainteasy
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If you are going SFF you probably ought to power limit your CPU first and foremost. As for 4080 or 4090 class cards, due to the size of the coolers they are not going to fit in most SFF cases unless your plan is to deshroud. In which case you can target a card with a smaller heatsink and pair it with 2-3 A12x15s or A12x25s (if case permits). Then you can do a manual fan curve, but even then, since its an SFF case, you might have to undervolt + powerlimit the card.
If you aren't modding, most of these cards have a minimum rpm setting of around 800 or 1000rpm, you should check reviews for your relevant model, Techpowerup has some good data on this. At the lowest RPM setting you probably won't be able to cool more than 300W though so you might need to power limit + undervolt.
If you aren't modding, most of these cards have a minimum rpm setting of around 800 or 1000rpm, you should check reviews for your relevant model, Techpowerup has some good data on this. At the lowest RPM setting you probably won't be able to cool more than 300W though so you might need to power limit + undervolt.
LigTasm
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StoleMyOwnCar
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I think you should look into the MSI Suprim X Liquid, if you want a 4090 while in an SFF case. No, not because I have one, but because it's kind of made for those situations where you need to relocate the normally huge radiator somewhere else. It's very easy to put it in exhaust configuration for your system since it's not a huge radiator, and the main GPU block/shroud is only 2 slots and not very long. Main annoyance will be messing with the tubing.
For your CPU, definitely pick an 7800X3D (or 7950X3D if you definitely need the extra cores) if this is primarily for gaming. The AM5 X3D chips basically sip power and can get by on any VRM setup, so you can even get a fairly low profile cooler if you want. Buildzoid even tested the 7800X3D on a stock cooler from a past generation and found that it didn't throttle on it. For the case, probably 1-2 intakes would be good because the Suprim X Liquid would be in exhaust configuration and going through a radiator, so that would still allow you to have positive pressure inside the case. The rest of the shroud on the GPU is a blower type setup, so it won't release any heat into the case. I'm not sure what SFF cases have 3-4 120mm fan slots (with space for a 240mm radiator), but this is what I would build if I was in your shoes. It's all up to you.
Edit: Actually with the way they have that case laid out, not sure if that radiator would fit. Oh well.
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Mchart
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My 4080 is very quiet compared to the 3080ti it replaced. The 4080 is basically over-cooled since they are basically using 4090 level TDP coolers on a much lower TDP part.
Bankie
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A co-worker of mine has a 4080FE in a NR200 and says that it's dead silent all of the time. I've never heard it myself but I mostly believe him.
All 4080s or are you specifically referring to the FE version?
Mchart
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Any of the non FE ones. The manufacturers had to offer some value over FE so they just slapped a 4090 cooler on them.
GotNoRice
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The 4080 FE also uses the exact same cooler as the 4090 FE.
The cooler used on the 4080 FE and 4090 FE is definitely NOT a traditional blower-style cooler. It's more of a hybrid design, but even the part that exhausts heat outside of the case does not use a blower-style fan.
You have an inner fan which sucks air through the heatsinks located there and exhausts that heat inside the case:
And then you have a 2nd fan which is located near the rear brackets, which blows air through those heatsinks and exhausts that heat outside of the case (mostly):
My 4080 FE is no louder than the Dual-fan EVGA 2080 that I had before. I use a custom fan curve that actually forces the fans to be more aggressive compared to the stock curve.
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xDiVolatilX
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Bro the 14th gen is launching in a few weeks.
Oh! That changes things. I do have a pending buy for a 4080 FE at $900. I should probably pull the trigger and sit on it until new processors come out?
4080 and 4090 FE are very quiet cards. The 4080 is practically silent since it uses the same cooler with less watts. If you're playing CS:GO they can both do it fanless.
Custom models should also be quiet (due to being originally engineered for 600w like FE) but there are plenty of garbage coolers out there of course.
Custom models should also be quiet (due to being originally engineered for 600w like FE) but there are plenty of garbage coolers out there of course.
I’ll be mostly playing Warzone 2
Carlyle2020
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Wanting a quiet build and choosing a SFF case?
That´s like invading Britain for the sunlight...
That´s like invading Britain for the sunlight...
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I used to be interested in a SFF build. That's one of the reasons I'm not, now.
I'm interested in the FE - because it was my impression that they're actually relative loud cards - because of the lack of three fans - and the AIB brands add 'extra cooling' but it's interesting if they're not actually loud. However, they're difficult to find here - only at Best Buy? At my local Best Buys, they're almost out of stock of them. I'd be interested in one, used, though.
Bankie
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Hardly. I'm on my 3rd SFF build and 2 of them were/are silent. The first one I built wasn't silent but it wasn't any louder than a standard ATX case either. My last system was a little large for SFF (NZXT H210) but it was totally silent as I was able to fit a 120mm AIO on the GPU The current system is a Meshlicious with a 5800x3D and the 2080Ti with the shittiest cooler (EVGA 2080Ti Black) and the GPU is the only thing that's audible and that's only when playing a game that stresses it.
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Hahah, there is happy middle in there. I’m not asking for silent, I’m ranging the box on how quiet it can get.
StoleMyOwnCar
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I used to be interested in a SFF build. That's one of the reasons I'm not, now.
The problem with system loudness is everyone has a different sensitivity towards it. I've basically never had a "silent" computer that actually performed to my standards of coolness, except maybe way back in the days when parts were extremely low wattage and I had a full Noctua accompaniment in the case. I think it was a Fractal Design case that had a padded interior. And even then, the Noctua fans had to be undervolted via a cable that they included for it. These days motherboards can control the voltage of each fan header, so you don't need PWM to control speed. Thankfully. Even then, I could technically hear the thing. Just barely.
I'm not going to say I have golden hearing, but I can still hear those mosquito videos (like to an "it's hurting my ear" degree) and can generally hear bass that's very far away that my friends can't. If you're like me, I reckon you would have long since have given up on a truly "silent" computer, especially when the GPUs are getting up to 400-600W. These days, my main computer in the same room as my fish tank to begin with, which has noise from the air pumps, canister filter, etc. I basically only care if there is some high pitched noise that a faulty fan or something is making.
I still stick with my original point of "why in the world would you choose Intel for SFF", though. There are a lot of weird choices you can make, picking intel is one of them.
GotNoRice
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I agree, "loud" is just one factor. There are different types of noise and some types are less desirable than others. Larger fans at slow-medium RPM produce a background sound that is almost soothing IMO. Kind of like the sound of the ocean if you lived in a house on the beach. The silence if I turn my computers off at night is almost creepy.
Hmmmm I’ve only ever owned Intel. Never had an AMD. Can you educate me on why you think Intel is bad for SFF? I’m open to switching to AMD if there’s some solid reason for it.
Power consumption under full load on the performance cores is very high for Intel. AMD is better at full load, especially the x3d models.
StoleMyOwnCar
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The 7800X3D, which either trades blows or beats the 13900k in many/most games (last I checked anyway)... is basically a 90 watt part at max. During gaming and on average, it's like <=50-60W.
The 13900k is like, what, 253W at full throttle? I'm not sure how much it uses while gaming, but the difference between Intel and AMD's gaming efficiency is absurd. If you do need extra cores for productivity, the 7950X3D is also very efficient. For SFF this means you don't need as much cooling, nor do you need beefy VRMs.
Intel has its perks, and does excel in some games (namely Starfield), but I'm not sure if it's worth the power. The 13700k is more reasonable, but at that point you might as well get a 7800X3D anyway for the advantage its cache provides...
The 13900k is like, what, 253W at full throttle? I'm not sure how much it uses while gaming, but the difference between Intel and AMD's gaming efficiency is absurd. If you do need extra cores for productivity, the 7950X3D is also very efficient. For SFF this means you don't need as much cooling, nor do you need beefy VRMs.
Intel has its perks, and does excel in some games (namely Starfield), but I'm not sure if it's worth the power. The 13700k is more reasonable, but at that point you might as well get a 7800X3D anyway for the advantage its cache provides...
Wow that is a big difference, holy shit. I mostly play Warzone with my buddies. I imagine an AAA title like RDR or GTA I’ll probably play on my PS5. So maybe the AMD is the move for this.
StoleMyOwnCar
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So... I love my Maxwells for using them at work and meetings, but I'm not sure if I would call them a "use all the time" thing, personally. For a daily driver at your home desktop, I would suggest an open pair of headphones, or just speakers. They breath better, and they're not as absurdly heavy as the Maxwells are (especially after you get a pair of aftermarket earpads for them). The Maxwells are also just very stuffy imo. My ears get uncomfortable in them over time. The weight isn't an issue for me, but that part is. Everyone's different, but I don't really use them if I have a choice, as good as they sound. Then again, I don't use any headphones if I have a choice. I mostly use my speakers.
The X3D line is one of the big reasons to go AM5, even with the overpriced motherboards and (sporadic) lack of stability. They're just really, really efficient gaming CPUs. I think for some reason people are used to pairing Intel with Nvidia, but I've been doing AMD with Nvidia lately, and AMD is just kicking ass in the CPU space.
I hear ya. I tried open ear hps… didn’t like them.
Maxwells rival my BeyerDynamic 770 250ohm Pros hooked to a Sound Blaster G6. Max’s soundstage is surprisingly broad given they are closed back.Never had the issue with comfort but I understand it.
I like quiet computers and that's why I had a 800d for 10 years until it's power button broke and then I got a 7000d airflow and put some noise abatement crap in it and stuffed it full of fans except for the side mount fans and it works great at near minimum fan speeds except when the gpu and cpu are peaked for sustained times. Then they run at 50%.