building ultra-quiet DAW

[sirdemonbrown]

heylo,

 

i'm about to build a new DAW system for myself.

i would like this to run OSX vanilla.

since i'm using it for recording, i'd like it to be ultra-quiet as well.

less heat as well. yes, i want the world.

 

i've been to silentpcreview.com which has always be a great resource.

using that site, i can figure out most things like the case, psu, etc.

 

my goal is to build this system for around $2000.

i plan to buy some SSD drives.

 

my main question is what motherboard and processor should i buy? quad-core seems fine to me. opinions?

being cutting edge sometimes bites one in the ass. which chipset is best?

i want the uptmost compatibility with OSX (namely Snow Leopard when it is released).

 

thanx!

sirdemon

[TomCom]

A Core 2 Quad will be easier to cool silently than a Core i7. The best choice you could make would be an EP45-UD3P with a Q9550 and a Scythe Orochi, or a Mugen 2. The huge Orochi is the only possible choice for a passive cooling. Period. If you're afraid for your motherboard, take the Mugen 2 with a second fan or a Thermalright IFX-14 with 2 fans like Scythe Slipstream.

Enermax Modu82+ are usually the most silent PSUs one can get. A passive 9600GT would be a good choice (Gigabyte's, for example), but don't forget to get at least one exhaust fan for your case.

 

If you need a really silent case, take one with a frontdoor and acoustic foam and buy a fan controller.

[sirdemonbrown]

thanks for the reply.

you make some good points!

 

i see two paths. one with the Core 2 Quad. cheap and cool.

 

or a low-end Xeon (60W) which is also cool, but twice the price!

but i i could maybe upgrade my processor to something kick ass in two years.