Alternative to US Puget systems quiet workstation computers? available in Canada

[dentaku]

I used to build my own desktop machines but that was many years ago. My desktop is very old now and I don't feel like researching all the new motherboards, CPUs and ram so I want to simply buy one from a company that builds powerful and quiet workstations for non-gamers.
It's got to be quiet and give me very low latencies in audio applications when using my Focusrite 2i2 audio interface.
Of course having a fast CPU and lots of ram will also help in circuit simulation software, Fusion 360 and compiling microcontroller code / FPGA simulation.

Puget Systems builds such workstations but they only sell in the US.

Where would someone in Canada find a service like this?
I could just look at the parts list for a computer Puget sells as a guide and order them then assemble it myself but I would prefer to just buy the whole thing already assembled.
I'm sure I could build something like this for less money but I'm willing to pay for the convenience. I would probably start with just the onboard video and 16GB of ram if I built my own.
https://www.pugetsystems.com/nav/core/Z590-A/customize/

[Wuerstchenhund]

Puget sells custom PCs. Most of the components they use is gamer-grade/consumer-grade hardware.

They seem to be one of the better assemblers out there, and they offer some powerful PCs, but you still get generic components and (as far as I can see) no ISV certifications so they aren't really a true 'workstation' vendor.

We buy lots of workstations, and we stick with HP and Dell because the hardware is rock solid (especially HP) and comes with certifications for a wide range of professional applications and OSes (which is mandatory for many software programs to even get support), support is very good and there are a lot of support options, and real prices are generally lower than what most assemblers can do anyways.

But at the end of the day it all depends on what you want/need. If you're fine with lower tier hardware or have special requirements that the big names can't satisfy then an assembler may be the best option.

[thm_w]

Your requirements are relatively low. You'd want a GPU for fusion though, something basic like a 1660/3060, etc. with decent vram.
Places like memory express will build the system from parts you buy from them for a minimal fee. Or you can buy a prebuilt, which may end up cheaper given current shortages.

The nice thing about modern motherboards is they have much better fan control options in the BIOS. I'm not sure if Dell or HP have any of that stuff. Noise is mostly about the case, decent cpu air cooler, and what fan curves you choose.

This is the puget case: https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX81090

[nctnico]

I used to build my own desktop machines but that was many years ago. My desktop is very old now and I don't feel like researching all the new motherboards, CPUs and ram so I want to simply buy one from a company that builds powerful and quiet workstations for non-gamers.
It's got to be quiet and give me very low latencies in audio applications when using my Focusrite 2i2 audio interface.
Of course having a fast CPU and lots of ram will also help in circuit simulation software, Fusion 360 and compiling microcontroller code / FPGA simulation.

Puget Systems builds such workstations but they only sell in the US.

Buy one of the higher end workstations from Dell. These are really quiet. Probably quieter than can be build from standard components because the motherboard and casing are designed to form one unit for providing optimal airflow. I have a Dell Precision 5810 for several years already. I've upgraded it to a GPU with a passive cooling solution though. In the beginning I had to get used to the absense of noise coming from a PC in my office.

[Simon]

You post reads like an add, I'd have treated it so were it not for your history of genuine posts. I've built my own PC's right from the start after buying my own first PC. I've never had issues with compatibilities, I have no idea what you are on about. There is a reason the PC parts industry is dominated by standards, else it just would not work at all. Sure if you buy some cheap junk of an addon card you may have issues but generally motherboard + CPU + ram + graphics card + decent PSU and you are done.

[Doctorandus_P]

https://silentpc.com/

[PKTKS]

https://silentpc.com/

Best suggestion so far on the issue..

These folks made a nice buz out of the options..

A quick sum showed me that dropping MS+TPM  will allow the
savings to extend the warranty +1y and with a much much better product.

In a dozen scenarios..
Absolute nonsense going today with these last decade corporate minded gizmos

Paul 

[dentaku]

https://silentpc.com/

They look nice but don't seem to have the new 12th Gen Intel CPUs yet.

[coromonadalix]

https://www.wepc.com/builds/silent-gaming-pc/

[Hogwild]

Quiet PC Systems and components
https://www.quietpc.com/

[50ShadesOfDirt]

I've built, and will continue to build my own "workstation" any time a refresh is needed ... it's effort, but I've always believed that what I save in the cost just to have a name on a box, means I get to put more into the components. Instead of a $500 dell, of which $250 is components, and $250 is the name, I have all $500 in components.

Don't need their support, don't need their bloat ... just the best matched components I can string together, as others have pointed out.

It *is* some effort, and if the magic is gone in that effort for the OP, then the NUC and its equivalents is probably the answer. For the rest of the family, I just buy "bare-bones" nuc's, slap in ssd's & ram, load an OS, and they are good to go. Or, they get a laptop for traveling requirements. Don't know if any of the NUC series will work for OP, but why buy a "quiet pc" from someone, when these days it's most likely just a nuc or a variant of a nuc?

Buy it yourself, spec'd to meet your requirements, and/or slap in even larger ssd/ram than what you can find out there for the casual end-user market.

[nctnico]

I would have written that 20 years ago...

But the thing is that self building never leads to a really quiet PC because in the end you will need to use components that are fit for a case design dating back 30 years when 'thermal management'  was unheard of. A 40 pin processor chip or 80 pin QFP dissipating less than 1Watt didn't need much cooling. Fast forward to today: companies like Compaq HP and Dell build their own motherboards and cases based on a well thought out thermal design. Especially for their higher end systems. I used to self-build but I have been buying Dells for the past decade.

[50ShadesOfDirt]

Not to argue ... because it's all personal choice!

But, are we talking some kind of desktop platform (tower, mini-tower, flat desktop ... or something even smaller) requirement, or a real NUC (like Intel's multitude of variants)?

The nuc's are, for the most part, totally silent. Power it on, and you'd have to look (and get your ear on down there) twice to see if it is really running. Not much choice in SSD/RAM, other than how much capacity you want to put in it for those two areas. It doesn't get much more silent (or easy to build) than that.

If one needs "expansion" (bus slots, bays, etc.), then yeah ... lots of work to keep it quiet. But, if your expansion can be handled by USB, then a NUC is possibly your answer!

Unless I looked at the wrong webpages, the Puget folks do indeed have a true Intel NUC in their line-up of silent systems. That should also be a nod to NUC's silent running capability.

[james_s]

You post reads like an add, I'd have treated it so were it not for your history of genuine posts.

I didn't think that at all, it looks like a perfectly legitimate post to me. He posted an example of a product he liked and asked for recommendations of other companies that can supply something similar. Nothing at all forbidden about that.