Suggestions for quiet digital audio workstation

[MojoKrunch]

I'm looking at an P4 3.4 processor and at least 1GB PC4200 RAM.
I'm going to use an older BFG 5600/256mb video card I have lying around and 2 WD 74GB Raptors in RAID 0 with a 300GB/16MB Maxtor for storage.
I'm going to use the E-Mu 1820 firewire card/breakout box and Behringer powered monitor speakers.

Any suggestions on a nice stable MB?
I was looking at the ASUS P4C800-E.

Also I'm wondering about the best case/quiet ps/cooling solution for an ultra-quiet rig.
I'll be using rubber connectors for the fans, hard drives, etc. and those little footies and will probably install vibration dampening mats as well.

I'd prefer to find some solution so quiet I can only tell it is on by feeling for the hard drives vibrations.

Any and all suggestions welcome.
Price isn't so much an issue as performance and reliability... I'm thinking up to $200 for the case/ps combo and up to $100 for the cooling solution.

Thanks
Brett

 

[elecrzy]

to me, p4 and quiet don't really go well together. oh well. =). for ultraquiet, u can buy a psu with no fans, outfit ur video card with just a large heatsink instead of the stock hsf. also buy some hard drive internal enclosures to kill the noise and vibration.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

The raptors will be too loud...even dampened. You'll need to enclose it in a sound-proofed cabinet of some kind.

Cheapest...get a 420SC and replace the HD with a Samsung Spinpoint.....you'll pick up more noise from the leaves rustling outside.

 

[wisdomtooth]

Originally posted by: MojoKrunch
Also I'm wondering about the best case/quiet ps/cooling solution for an ultra-quiet rig.
I'll be using rubber connectors for the fans, hard drives, etc. and those little footies and will probably install vibration dampening mats as well.

I'd prefer to find some solution so quiet I can only tell it is on by feeling for the hard drives vibrations.
Brett

If you want such a quiet rig, that means several things:

1) you want a CPU that runs cool so you can use a very quiet fan and heatsink on it.

2) you want to use a fanless PSU.

3) minimize the number of case fans (because they generate noise).


Unless you want a water-cooled machine, a Pentium-4 would not be a good idea.

That leaves you with either the Athlon Mobile (Barton) or the Pentium-M (Dothan). Both of these chips are powerful yet easy to cool-- All you need is a very large heatsink and a very slow (i.e. silent) fan.

HTH.

 

[imported_sphinx]

I would drop the Pentium for an Athlon, maybe even an Opteron. If you want to go for the P4, I would have to agree with everyone here. Water-cooled is the best way to go. It's good to carry over parts from another system. It's what I did. Keeps the cost down. I haven't had a problem with my Opteron rig. The case I'm using, is from supermicro.com. Since this will be a DAW, You will need more than 1gig of ram.

 

[thespeakerbox]

switch to an athlon and pick up an antec sonata.

 

[imported_itr]

2 wd raptors will be obnoxiously loud. buy some samsung hdds instead.