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Building an AUDIOPHILE friendly PC from scratch so what is a must to consider in 2020?

First thing-I realize there are computer audio web sites out there, but I would really like to know what the wise members of AGON have done or would do when looking at ensuring a QUIET PC can coexist when playing music in a mixed use office/listening room. Current Windows 7 desktop serves as my central ROON location. It directs audio sources( mostly streamed via TIDAL and RADIO PARADISE) to my system. I switch between an ALLO USbridge that runs USB to an MHDT Orchid DAC ("NOS tube days") or a CARY DMS-500 streamer/DAC ("DSD, Over-sample days"). Despite the problems it can add, I even on occasion use TIDAL's own PC based player. Regardless, the PC is always on doing something!
SO.... when seeking to maintain signal integrity AND limiting PC generated noise in my room ......are there some absolutes to consider when building from scratch? ( type of hard drive/SSD, power supply, pc case, cooling fan, network switch or specific style or brand to use of any?) KEEP IN MIND- I am not only looking to limit the corruption of any audio involving my PC but I also am really looking to LIMIT the NOISE the actual PC makes when I am trying to just listen to music while working !  Has anyone out there had any luck?
(***I realize Ipad, Iphone, can control everything via WiFi but my situation requires a desk top PC)  Thanks!
azthu

Showing 2 responses by almarg

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almarg
9,670 posts
 
I see no reason why an M.2 drive for the OS and and a 1 TB SSD in either the M.2 format or the SATA format for everything else wouldn’t be fine choices, assuming a fairly recent motherboard is chosen which can accept M.2 drives.

For the computer I mentioned earlier that I built last year I chose the following well reviewed drives (in addition to a 4 TB HDD for additional storage), although the M.2 is a good deal larger than what you would need for just the OS:

https://www.newegg.com/samsung-970-pro-512gb/p/N82E16820147693

https://www.newegg.com/samsung-860-evo-series-1tb/p/N82E16820147673

I can’t say, though, how optimal such a computer would be from an audio standpoint when connected directly (i.e., via wires) to an audio system. When I play music from that computer, which is not one of my main sources (although it provides excellent results), and which is located in a different part of the house from my main audio system, it communicates via wifi with a Squeezebox Touch, which in turn is connected to my audio system via an optical S/PDIF cable.

If it would be of interest I can list the rest of the components I chose for this computer. It has worked smoothly and perfectly (and quietly!) from the very first time it was powered up, although as I indicated earlier it would be overkill for your purposes.

Good luck. Regards,
-- Al



almarg's avatar
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
To add to the previous comments, a general rule of thumb is that larger fans tend to be more quiet than smaller fans, since smaller fans have to turn faster to move a given amount of air. I would avoid 80 mm fans, and generally speaking 140 mm fans are preferable to 120 mm fans.

One of the best available CPU coolers, in terms of both cooling effectiveness and noise performance (even when used without the low noise adapter it is supplied with), is the following one made by Noctua, which uses a 140 mm fan:

https://www.newegg.com/noctua-nh-d15s/p/N82E16835608072

However a relatively wide case is required to accommodate the height of this cooler.

I used that cooler in a computer I built last year, with the following case which includes two 140 mm fans in front and another 140 mm fan in the rear:

https://www.newegg.com/black-corsair-graphite-series-atx-full-tower/p/N82E16811139054

I built that computer for editing of 4K video material, among other things, so the CPU, graphics card, power supply, etc. that I chose are overkill for audio-related purposes by a large margin, but nevertheless it is very quiet.  I don't know, though, if its relatively large size would be suitable for your purposes.

Also, keep in mind that for tasks that are relatively unchallenging for a computer, such as processing of audio material, it may very well not be necessary to connect all of the fans that are provided in a given case.

Good luck. Regards,

-- Al
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