Absolutely Dead Quiet

[Lager]

I'm looking for the best HSF that is absolutely dead silent, like one of those Dell computers. My room is hot so I need a fan not only to be very quiet, but perform well. My cpu fan is way too loud and it is kind of a distraction. Please help me choose the quietest heatsink fan. Thank you.

I believe I have AMD XP processor, 1.47 GHZ.

 

[mechBgon]

What kind of CPU do you have?

 

[McCarthy]

Yes, CPU.
Case style (mid, full tower, etc) model if you have it.
Case fans?

 

[jazzhound]

 

[jazzhound]

One given is the larger the fan; the lower the RPM has to spin to get air pushed through. You can get a 92mm or 120mm fan which push good air, but at a very low RPM which means less noise.

That's all I feel comfortable commenting on..

 

[Lager]

Originally posted by: McCarthy
Yes, CPU.
Case style (mid, full tower, etc) model if you have it.
Case fans?

4 case fans. Antec I believe
The case is Chieftec, the older model like the Alienware version, I guess midtower??
AMD XP 1.47 GHZ

 

[mechBgon]

Dell relies on a duct with a fan in it to draw air across their "dead silent" heatsinks, so accept the fact that there is going to be a fan involved somewhere. Doesn't have to be a noisy one, though 🙂

For a mid-budget solution that runs quietly and cools well, get a Thermalright SK-7 and a Panaflo L1A 80mm fan. This is a 21dB fan, and unless you already have a remarkably-quiet computer, it's not going to be the thing you hear. For instance, I use a Panaflo L1A at work, and I can hear the fan on my Radeon 7500 over the Panaflo.

Summary: your system's as quiet as its loudest part, whether that's your power-supply fan(s), your hard drive's idle noise, your video card's fan or your CPU fan. 😀

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: coldcut

Originally posted by: McCarthy
Yes, CPU.
Case style (mid, full tower, etc) model if you have it.
Case fans?

4 case fans. Antec I believe
The case is Chieftec, the older model like the Alienware version, I guess midtower??
AMD XP 1.47 GHZ

Ahhh, you may want to pick up a five-pack of these quiet NMB fans: Directon, five for $10. I ventilate my Antec 1030 with them. They're very quiet, and they're getting the job done... right now, a Radio Shack digital thermometer is saying that my case's air temperature (above the memory modules) is about 2C over room temperature. Since these are 3-pin fans, take stock of how many 3-pin headers or converters you've got.

edit: I wouldn't recommend the NMBs for use on the SK-7 because they don't have a lot of force for cramming air between the heatsink's fins. That's what the Panaflos are better at.

 

[Lager]

Originally posted by: mechBgon

Originally posted by: coldcut

Originally posted by: McCarthy
Yes, CPU.
Case style (mid, full tower, etc) model if you have it.
Case fans?

4 case fans. Antec I believe
The case is Chieftec, the older model like the Alienware version, I guess midtower??
AMD XP 1.47 GHZ

Ahhh, you may want to pick up a five-pack of these quiet NMB fans: Directon, five for $10. I ventilate my Antec 1030 with them. They're very quiet, and they're getting the job done... right now, a Radio Shack digital thermometer is saying that my case's air temperature (above the memory modules) is about 2C over room temperature. Since these are 3-pin fans, take stock of how many 3-pin headers or converters you've got.

edit: I wouldn't recommend the NMBs for use on the SK-7 because they don't have a lot of force for cramming air between the heatsink's fins. That's what the Panaflos are better at.

Thanks. I was really looking for a Heatsink fan that came with the fan and heatsink combo. Is their any good ones like those that are absolutely quiet and give excellent cooling?