I'm looking to upgrade my computer for UNDER $500. The things I'm
keeping from the old system are the 2 optical drives, OS & data. I do
mostly number crunching so don't need gaming capabilities, but I do
want (in order):
1. reliable
2. quiet (not necessarily silent)
3. fast
I've done some research and thought the following might do the trick.
Case: Antec SLK2650-BQE
MOBO+CPU Bundle: Asus K8N-VM - GeForce 6100 w/Audio, Video, LAN,
SATA-RAID, DDR400 with AMD Athlon64 3000+ (2.0GHz) Socket 754
Asus K8N-VM is socket 939.
You mgiht consider the K8N-VM CSM. It's only a few dollars more, and
includes dual monitor capability and a firewire interface. If you use
your computer to make a living, once you've experience dual monitors,
you'll never go back.
Memory: Samsung 512MB (pc-3200) DDR400
If you're doing number crunching, is this enough? Depends on what
you're doing, of course. Large simulations or optical design programs
or even Matlab can use memory in large quantities. Of course, if
you're used to 256 MB on that PIII, then this is plenty.
HD: Samsung SpinPoint P 160 GB - 7200RPM, 8MB Cache, SATA150
Questions: I think this will be fast enough for me, since I'm used to a
PIII-750. But will it be quiet and reliable? I've heard that the
case/PSU makes the biggest difference, is that true, and if so is this
case really quiet?
Yes, it will be quiet and reliable. The Asus boards are generally
reliable.
In my experience, the case makes relatively little difference. For
quiet, the first thing to pay attention to is fans. After that, disk
drives. Some cases have rubber mounting for disk drives that can make
a difference (the Antec Sonata is one that I know does). And a case
(like this one) that has provision for 120 mm rather than 80 mm case
fan will help.
If I find that the CPU fans (for example) are too
noisy, is it relatively easy to replace them with a quieter cooling
system?
Depends what you mean by "relatively". In my opinion, changing a CPU
fan is not realively easy, but many on this group would disagree. It
doesn't really matter though, as I think it will be quiet enough for
you. The Asus A8N motherboard includes Q-Fan, which lowers the CPU fan
speed depending on the CPU temperature. I have a similar system built
with the K8N-VM CSV and a 3200+ CPU, and I never hear the CPU fan. In
facit I never hear the PS fan or case fan, either. I can hear the hard
drives if I listen for it. The case is on the floor under my desk.
However, I have a Antec True Power supply, with a single 120 mm fan
rather than the Smart Power supply in this case with two push-pull 80
mm fans. I don't know which of these would be quieter, probably the
True Power. But the True Power supply also has fan-only connectors. I
connect my case fan to this, and the power supply will control the
speed of the case fan at the same time it controls the speed of it's
own fan. I do not think the Smart Power supply has fan-only
connectors.
So I think the only area that even raises a question in your system is
the case fan. This case has an included exhaust 120 mm fan, which
might be quiet enough. If not, you will need to get a quieter fan, or
a temperature controlled fan, or switch to a True Power supply (or
other supply that can control the case fan). This asus motherboard
only has Qfan 1, so it only controls the CPU fan speed, not the case
fan speed. Changing a case fan or the power supply is very easy.
This is all based on your statement that you want quiet, not silent.
Silent PCs take a lot of effort, and are not worth the trouble unless
you have a special need (some audio recording situations, the case is
right next to your ear, etc.). But quiet is easily achievable today.
If you have any budget left, I would spend money first on upgrading to
1 GB of RAM, and then a faster CPU. But it all depends on what kind of
number crunching you are doing.
HTH,
Terry