Silent NCase M1 - Please help me spec an almost silent PC

[SilentSniper]

Hi All,
I have done quiet a lot of research and could really use some help selecting the best components for my Silent SFF build.

Monitor:
LG 48" CX

Case:
NCase M1 V6.1

CPU:
5900x

GPU:
6800xt or 3080 whichever I can grab first

RAM:
64GB (4x16GB) Corsair vengance 3200MHz

PSU:
Corsair SF750

Cooling (CPU and Case Fans):
Help please. Cost isn't a major concern if it achieves nearly silent noise levels. I don't need crazy overclocking. Open to liquid or air Cooling

Motherboard:
I am searching if anything new is incoming with pcie4 and as futureproof as possible. Any advice here?

Thank you and I greatly appreciate the help

 

[SilentSniper]

My research is showing Kraken X53 or Noctuas are the best options for Cooling advice is much appreciated.

 

[paulesko]

I´d go for air cooling solution if your main goal is silence. I have the ncase m1 and have done on it several tries water cooling it. Now it has a dual radiator setup and, it is NOT as silent as I could get with a couple of good heatsinks.

My main problem is the water pump, which is very audible if you are picky with these things. Right now I have a dcc pump, and it´s noisy even at 1500 rpm... odly eough its noise character is "better" at around 2300-2200 rpm. but anyway you can hear it over noctuas nf-a12 at 800 rpm. I´ve been into the silent front for years, and meanwhile you can get everything to be silent in the end (sacrificing things on the way) I find it easier with air.

The good thing you have with air is that you can cool the system while browsing (for example, with low power consumption) with a very very very low noise, almost inaudible, with water you´ll always have the pump there doing like "mmmmmmmmm" and most of the times is attached to the case in such a way that is difficult to isolate. On the other hand, once the system is pulling watts, it´s easier to cool it down in a "more silent" way with water, because it´s maybe a bit more efficient, and also once you are pulling like... 300-400 watts, fans will have to spin faster anyway, so the pump is no longer an issue.

To sum up: You have to think WHEN you value your pc is going to be silent, and WHAT it is going to be doing while being silent? Do you want to sleep while it´s rendering in the same room? maybe water and some undervolting is a good option, But if you want it to be silent while you browse, or write things on word... or edit with Photoshop, or draw with autocad... those thing are not going to ask for watts like crazy, and a cuople of fans with a well studied curve are going to be your best answer for sure.

To finish I have to say that noise is very subjective and while a fan at 800 rpm is silent to some, it could be noisy to others, so if you are more concise about what are your expectations about noise you can tolerate and what is the computer going to be doing while staying as silent as possible we can probably help you better. It´s a beautiful journey you are begining.

 

[SilentSniper]

I´d go for air cooling solution if your main goal is silence. I have the ncase m1 and have done on it several tries water cooling it. Now it has a dual radiator setup and, it is NOT as silent as I could get with a couple of good heatsinks.

My main problem is the water pump, which is very audible if you are picky with these things. Right now I have a dcc pump, and it´s noisy even at 1500 rpm... odly eough its noise character is "better" at around 2300-2200 rpm. but anyway you can hear it over noctuas nf-a12 at 800 rpm. I´ve been into the silent front for years, and meanwhile you can get everything to be silent in the end (sacrificing things on the way) I find it easier with air.

The good thing you have with air is that you can cool the system while browsing (for example, with low power consumption) with a very very very low noise, almost inaudible, with water you´ll always have the pump there doing like "mmmmmmmmm" and most of the times is attached to the case in such a way that is difficult to isolate. On the other hand, once the system is pulling watts, it´s easier to cool it down in a "more silent" way with water, because it´s maybe a bit more efficient, and also once you are pulling like... 300-400 watts, fans will have to spin faster anyway, so the pump is no longer an issue.

To sum up: You have to think WHEN you value your pc is going to be silent, and WHAT it is going to be doing while being silent? Do you want to sleep while it´s rendering in the same room? maybe water and some undervolting is a good option, But if you want it to be silent while you browse, or write things on word... or edit with Photoshop, or draw with autocad... those thing are not going to ask for watts like crazy, and a cuople of fans with a well studied curve are going to be your best answer for sure.

To finish I have to say that noise is very subjective and while a fan at 800 rpm is silent to some, it could be noisy to others, so if you are more concise about what are your expectations about noise you can tolerate and what is the computer going to be doing while staying as silent as possible we can probably help you better. It´s a beautiful journey you are begining.

Thank you for the help.

My work usage is made up of multi window Microsoft Office (excel, outlook, etc) and gaming all in 4k. 40% work and 60% gaming.

I am looking for very low noise (almost silent) when working in a silent room and relatively quiet when gaming (no super hairdryer) AAA titles. This represents 95% of my usage.

Sometimes I put the pc in my bedroom to game when my wife is sleeping and if it sounds like an f16 my wife will get pissed.

The pc will be within a few feet from where I am sitting.

Thank you very much.

 

[MrTorgue]

Personal experience - air cooling is great. I use my M1 in the same way as you, I have a Noctua C14 on the CPU (4790k, old I know but still), 2 Noctua F12s on the side, an A9x14 (92mm) exhaust. The loudest thing in my setup BY FAR is the graphics card.

When browsing/working, I've used MSI Afterburner to turn the fan curve on the GPU so that it is 0rpm til it hits 55 degrees. That way the GPU fan never comes on whilst I'm working/watching youtube/general PC stuff. PC is basically silent - the CPU temp with the C14 idles around 21 degrees, under typical "load" (office work, web browsing) it's about 33. Sometimes I have to check the fans are still spinning.

When I game, the fan kicks in and drowns out anything the Noctuas are doing. The CPU still remains pretty cool (45 degrees), but the GPU temp hits 80 and the fans are pretty loud.

So, my advice - don't worry too much about your CPU and case cooling, as even semi decent options here will get you very quiet. Pay much more attention to your graphics card, especially under load. If you're gaming 60% of the time, and you want it quiet, that's where your noise will be coming from - it'll likely be louder than the CPU/case fans anyway.

I too will be looking (for the first time since the 1990s) at an AMD build, with a 5900x and a 6x00XT (whatever I can pick up). My own focus remains the same - silence when working, low noise when gaming. I'll stick with Noctua for anything fan related, and will find the quietest aftermarket GPU I can.

 

[tinyitx]

No much related to the silent goal, but 4x16GB memory is unlikely as an m-ITX mainboard has only 2 dimm slots. So, if you want 64GB, then 2x32GB module is what you should go after.

 

[rfarmer]

Another thing I will add, you can go with the X570 or B550 and get PCI 4.0 but neither one is future proof. This is the last CPU that will be supported on the AM4 platform so you will have to get a new motherboard for your future CPU upgrade.

 

[SilentSniper]

Another thing I will add, you can go with the X570 or B550 and get PCI 4.0 but neither one is future proof. This is the last CPU that will be supported on the AM4 platform so you will have to get a new motherboard for your future CPU upgrade.

Which is the better of the two in your opinion? I am debating between the options within the Asus ROG line.

 

[SilentSniper]

No much related to the silent goal, but 4x16GB memory is unlikely as an m-ITX mainboard has only 2 dimm slots. So, if you want 64GB, then 2x32GB module is what you should go after.

Few... thanks for helping me. Will update my basket.

 

[tinyitx]

This thread might be helpful to decide between X570 and B550, if you have not read it yet.

Log - Best sffpc motherboard: X570i vs. B550i and which brand?

After reading about ITX boards I left wondering for the safest bet for the smøl Dan A4. Here's an alphabetical table I made after researching all the boards, help me fill it! If you could post stuff about clearance, problems, specs and performance differences. Sources would be appreciated. Other...

smallformfactor.net

 

[rfarmer]

Which is the better of the two in your opinion? I am debating between the options within the Asus ROG line.

The only reason I would go with the X570 is if I wanted to use 2 x NVMe 4.0, the B550 has 1 NVMe 4.0 and 1 NVMe 3.0. One advantage to the B550 is that it has the USB type C header that goes with the front IO on the Ncase, the X570 does not.

 

[elvendawn]

Cooling (CPU and Case Fans):
Help please. Cost isn't a major concern if it achieves nearly silent noise levels. I don't need crazy overclocking. Open to liquid or air Cooling

Hi SilentSniper, I am planning a similar setup with an 5600x and 6800xt/3080 in an NCASE M1, also I currently have a Sliger Cerberus with an i9-9900KS and 2080 that is basically silent while gaming at 3440x1440. The case is slightly larger but has a similar internal layout.

From what I've learned through my own experience is the NH-C14S with two NF-A14s can keep my undervolted 9900KS under 70c at 60% max fan speed in full load situations. HWinfo shows max CPU power at 180watts, ~40 less than stock voltages, which I'm sure is helping with the cooling. 60% max fan speed on the C14S is nearly silent, albeit slightly above ambient noise. Also for now I'm just setting the 2080 (triple fan cooler) to max power draw in MSI Afterburner to 80% and it keeps it nearly silent in any game, obviously I don't see the best frames I can get, but it's a trade off for silence for now.

For the NCASE M1 as long as you get a 2-2.5 slot non-founders edition card with a two or three fan cooler, you should be able to deshroud the GPU and butt the stock heatsink up to the bottom two 120mm x 25mm fans in the M1. With some quality fans like the NF-A12 (or even the NF-P12 if looks are more important) set to exhaust, you should see much more quiet and cool GPU at full loads without UV (Optimum Tech has a good video on this called "GPU Deshroud Mod - Mindblowing Thermal Improvement"). For the CPU I'm going to try an Asetek 645LT 92mm AIO with an UV on the 5600x, if it is too loud or doesn't performance as well thermally I'll revert back to my C14S likely with a single fan. I also read the NH-U9S dual fan set to intake from the rear (with the bottom fans set to exhaust) is a good layout for cool quiet setup. From what I read water can be quiet as long as you have the loop setup in the proper orientation and you have a quality pump. (Gamers Nexus recently did a video "Stop Doing It Wrong: How to Kill Your CPU Cooler" that has explanations for water being loud in different situations).

Hope this helps.

 

[SilentSniper]

Hi SilentSniper, I am planning a similar setup with an 5600x and 6800xt/3080 in an NCASE M1, also I currently have a Sliger Cerberus with an i9-9900KS and 2080 that is basically silent while gaming at 3440x1440. The case is slightly larger but has a similar internal layout.

From what I've learned through my own experience is the NH-C14S with two NF-A14s can keep my undervolted 9900KS under 70c at 60% max fan speed in full load situations. HWinfo shows max CPU power at 180watts, ~40 less than stock voltages, which I'm sure is helping with the cooling. 60% max fan speed on the C14S is nearly silent, albeit slightly above ambient noise. Also for now I'm just setting the 2080 (triple fan cooler) to max power draw in MSI Afterburner to 80% and it keeps it nearly silent in any game, obviously I don't see the best frames I can get, but it's a trade off for silence for now.

For the NCASE M1 as long as you get a 2-2.5 slot non-founders edition card with a two or three fan cooler, you should be able to deshroud the GPU and butt the stock heatsink up to the bottom two 120mm x 25mm fans in the M1. With some quality fans like the NF-A12 (or even the NF-P12 if looks are more important) set to exhaust, you should see much more quiet and cool GPU at full loads without UV (Optimum Tech has a good video on this called "GPU Deshroud Mod - Mindblowing Thermal Improvement"). For the CPU I'm going to try an Asetek 645LT 92mm AIO with an UV on the 5600x, if it is too loud or doesn't performance as well thermally I'll revert back to my C14S likely with a single fan. I also read the NH-U9S dual fan set to intake from the rear (with the bottom fans set to exhaust) is a good layout for cool quiet setup. From what I read water can be quiet as long as you have the loop setup in the proper orientation and you have a quality pump. (Gamers Nexus recently did a video "Stop Doing It Wrong: How to Kill Your CPU Cooler" that has explanations for water being loud in different situations).

Hope this helps.

I just bagged a Gigabyte 3080 OC to be delivered in early Dec, but I am worried it wont fit based on the compatability list. I assume it also wont fit deshrouded either due to its 320 length? Any thoughts please.

Card size
L=320 W=129 H=55 mm

 

[elvendawn]

Based on what I can find, looks like it might fit deshrouded. The Compatibility guide for the V6 looks like max length of 322mm, and 125mm width over 280mm.

There is a post of someone putting that card in an NR200 on Reddit deshrouded and the height is 35mm without it, I suspect the 129mm width would go down a bit without the shroud too, so it might just fit... very snug.

 

[SilentSniper]

Cancelled my oversized Gigabyte OC order and just sniped this BAD BOY!!!!!!
Fits nice and easy! ?

EVGA

XC3

285.37

111.15

2.2-slot

Yes

Confirmed by user

Now this GPU has all three fans in exhaust.

Can someone please advise:

I would love to go for a deshroud unless I am better off just adding exhaust fans in the bottom of the case? I think deshroud would be ideal to create a silent beast.

Looks like a deshroud will be difficult. Any ideas?

What would be the best fans and fan orientations given this gpu for the full build? I like Noctua

Thank you all and to @paulesko and @MrTorgue for being so helpful

 

[SilentSniper]

Update:

The only reason I would go with the X570 is if I wanted to use 2 x NVMe 4.0, the B550 has 1 NVMe 4.0 and 1 NVMe 3.0. One advantage to the B550 is that it has the USB type C header that goes with the front IO on the Ncase, the X570 does not.

I want to use 2x nvme 4.0

If the X570 does not have the typc c header that goes with the front io is there some kind of adapter I can buy?

Thanks

 

[rfarmer]

Update:

I want to use 2x nvme 4.0

If the X570 does not have the typc c header that goes with the front io is there some kind of adapter I can buy?

Thanks

This.

 

[SilentSniper]

This.

Ordered. Thanks

 

[SilentSniper]

For Cooling, I like Noctua so I am thinking:

SILENT COOLING (Help Please):

GPU:
2 x NF-A12x25 for the deshroud gpu (intake?)

CPU:
NH-U95 with an extra fan (intake) for cpu

Any other fans needed if there are mesh sides? OUTTAKE?

 

[elvendawn]

Check out M1AF build guide, he does a great job explaining everything.
Personally I'll be using the Asetek 645LT as rear intake with two NF-A9x14s + deshroud and two NF-A12x25s as bottom exhaust. I'm going mess with blocking off the sides with sound deadening or tempered glass to try and reduce noise further if temperatures are reasonable. Though I'll be using a 5600x instead of 5900x so you have a lot more watts to cool . I'm guessing those side fans will be helpful for your situation, but if you can keep them under max 50-60% speed they shouldn't add much if any extra dB, though more of a lower hum that get from Nocuta's.