ANTEC P180... not really quiet..

[dhkkim]

i been using it for 3weeks now.. and its not that quiet as i expected.

my friends' hp and sony are much quieter..

i have $150 Zalman PSU, $40 CPU heatsink 7700...etc

 

[grimlykindo]

sounds like you need new case fans and maybe a vga cooler

 

[aboothman]

get either some low speed or adjustable case fans. And as grimly said, check your vid card to see if it is noisy. The cooler on my x850XT gets pretty loud
when it spins up.

 

[hmsrolst]

Originally posted by: dhkkim
i $40 CPU heatsink 7700...etc

Zalman 7700 even on the lowest setting is not that quiet. If you search the forum, you can see how it (or the Zalman 7000) can be modded with a quieter fan.

It's not the case; it's what's inside. My P180 machine is silent.

 

[Bobthelost]

What settings are you using on the case fans, low speed is very quiet, if it's still too loud then Nexus oranges are the way to go.

Have you removed that bloody VGA vent? Waste of time that was, oh and tape up the rear intakes, they don't help performance. You'd do much better with a good heatsink, the Scythe Ninja is near perfect for the P180, the new tuniq tower one should do quite nicely with the blowhole.

What is making all the noise? My P180 is dead quiet after i swapped out the fan on my 7800GT for a AC silencer and the fans for software controlled akasa 1400rpms (nexuses would have been quieter but i wanted a bit more airflow).

Having said all of that the P180 is not designed for low noise above all. That'd be the P150. The P180 is a compromise design for those that want high spec, (and thus hard too cool) computers while keeping the noise as low as possible.

 

[Fallengod]

The 7800gt fans are what cause systems to be loud heh. I hate mine as well. I have an NV5 waiting to be put on. As soon as I decide if im keeping my non-tvout working card.

 

[MDE]

My chipset fan was the loudest component in my PC. Swapped it for a passive heatsink and I'm basking in golden silence. Also, put the P180's fans on low and flip the top fan around to be an intake.

 

[Hauk]

My P180 is whisper quiet. The Big Mac churning in my gut makes more noise.

As other's mentioned, you must consider noise from each component. Arctic Cooling NV Silencer and Freezer Pro 64, passive chipset cooling, P180 120mm fans on low...

Dah Dah Dah Dah Dah, I'm lovin it...

 

[keldog7]

My P180 is also dead quiet... But I carefully chose my parts beforehand to make it so. Nexus orange 120s all the way, and shut off the top blowhole fan (wasn't needed). I have some reservations about the airflow though the case - and will post some surprising temperature benchmarking in the next few days... Specifically on the effects of keeping the grille closed over the front intake port. Anyway, if quiet is your game, you should list what's in your PC, and you'll be sure to get a whole pile of advice.
-A

 

[anandtechrocks]

What's with you guys and silent PCs. I actually like a little fan noise... helps drown out the roomates.

 

[Zebo]

You really need a fan controller - a good one like this one and problems should dissipate.

http://www.xoxide.com/rheobus4port.html

antec's alright but seasonic is more quiet.


After you get controller make sure you set speeds high enough so board temps stay less than ~50C and drives less than 40C. You can use everest to see these temps.

 

[Velk]

Originally posted by: dhkkim
i been using it for 3weeks now.. and its not that quiet as i expected.

my friends' hp and sony are much quieter..

What, in particular, about it is not quiet ? Can you track down what is making the noise you hear ?

 

[pulsedrive]

Yeah all of my noise in my P180 is chipset and Video cooling. I can't replace my chopset cooling though because the video card essentially resets on it. *shrugs* I would LOVE passive cooling on the chipset. That would take out most of my noise, as my mobo is almost famous for a loud ass chipset.

 

[dawza]

Pulsedrive,

Buy a 12V-->9V cable- can be found here

A rheobus will work as well, and may be ideal if you want to control more than one fan. If it is just the chipset fan though, the product listed above should help. If you want even more control, consider the Zalman Fanmate II, listed here

 

[eastvillager]

Your P180 is quiet, especially if the tricools are set to the lowest setting.

You've got something IN your P180 that is very noisy. The P-180 can't do much about very noisy cpu cooling, very noisy video cooling, or very noisy chipset cooling. Why? That top vent on the case. That is directly over the CPU cooler, and right under that is the video cards and probably the chipset cooler, so noise can flow right out, pretty much unimpeded.

Additionally, if you have a noisy powersupply, all that noise is going straight out the back, unimpeded.

 

[bigpow]

hey, where did dhkkim go?

 

[Maluno]

Originally posted by: bigpow
hey, where did dhkkim go?

I'm still here, just listening.

 

[imported_Spoot]

I noticed that the door is on a double hinge. Does it feel cheap or fragile while opening and closing? I had an experiance with another case which had a double hinge and it felt REALLy cheap and crappy. I really like the looks of this case and I wanna make sure its sturdy in all regards.

 

[Maluno]

Originally posted by: Spoot
I noticed that the door is on a double hinge. Does it feel cheap or fragile while opening and closing? I had an experiance with another case which had a double hinge and it felt REALLy cheap and crappy. I really like the looks of this case and I wanna make sure its sturdy in all regards.

The door on the p180 is unfortunately (in my opinion), the worst part of the case. It does feel flimsy, and cheap, which is very much different from the rest of the case. Also, as I am starting to realize, the door warps over time, and the magnets are really weak. Other than that, it is a really solid, well built and functional case!

 

[KoolDrew]

It's not the case; it's what's inside.

:thumbsup:

 

[DBSX]

The door on the p180 is unfortunately (in my opinion), the worst part of the case. It does feel flimsy, and cheap, which is very much different from the rest of the case. Also, as I am starting to realize, the door warps over time, and the magnets are really weak. Other than that, it is a really solid, well built and functional case!

Do you have a "version 2.0 door"? If you have a solid piece of aluminum inside it is V2. My V1 door warped as well, Antec sent me the new door within a week. Warped doors is a common problem with this case, and the new versions should remedy this problem. As far as the hinges go, they seem pretty solid so far...

As far as silence, I can hear my file/print server PC on the other side of the room more than I can hear the P180. It's all about what's inside. I opted for cheaper CoolerMaster fans over the more expensive Nexus fans and am pretty happy. Sometimes I hear my Raptor but fans I generally don't hear. VGA duct removed, nothing taped (yet).

\Dan

 

[Maluno]

Originally posted by: DBSX

The door on the p180 is unfortunately (in my opinion), the worst part of the case. It does feel flimsy, and cheap, which is very much different from the rest of the case. Also, as I am starting to realize, the door warps over time, and the magnets are really weak. Other than that, it is a really solid, well built and functional case!

Do you have a "version 2.0 door"? If you have a solid piece of aluminum inside it is V2. My V1 door warped as well, Antec sent me the new door within a week. Warped doors is a common problem with this case, and the new versions should remedy this problem. As far as the hinges go, they seem pretty solid so far...

As far as silence, I can hear my file/print server PC on the other side of the room more than I can hear the P180. It's all about what's inside. I opted for cheaper CoolerMaster fans over the more expensive Nexus fans and am pretty happy. Sometimes I hear my Raptor but fans I generally don't hear. VGA duct removed, nothing taped (yet).

\Dan

I guess I have the V1 Door because it is not solid aluminum. You said Antec sent you a new door, did you have to pay for it, and if so how much? I would be interested in getting a new one.

 

[DBSX]

The door is not aluminum, but there is a sheet of aluminum on the inside. The outside of the door is identical to V1. Also the magnets seems stronger. I paid nothing for the door, it was sent to me under warranty.

Link to the form I used (this assumes North America/Canada) to fill out a ticket. I picked "spare parts" I think, I don't remember for sure though... Either way it was pretty fast, and like I said, free. I know many people are asked to provide copies of their receipt, but I was never asked. Maybe an oversight in my case. In any event, I'd have a copy scanned if you can, or you can fax it to them I believe.

\Dan

 

[tjpark1111]

lol you cant just assume itll be dead quiet out of the box, without even making adjustments. I would say get a scythe scnj-1000 'ninja' w/ a low speed yate loon from jab-tech, and order a couple more for the rest of your case fans, along with a sunbeam rheobus to slow them down. Then, get an arctic cooling silencer for your video card, and make sure you don't have anything rattling in your case. If you don't already, get passive cooling for your northbridge using a zalman NB-47J. The Zalman PSU's can be quiet, but I rather would have recommended the S12 series for silence, along with a cheap 24-pin and 12v extender for the mobo.

 

[Maluno]

Originally posted by: DBSX
The door is not aluminum, but there is a sheet of aluminum on the inside. The outside of the door is identical to V1. Also the magnets seems stronger. I paid nothing for the door, it was sent to me under warranty.

Link to the form I used (this assumes North America/Canada) to fill out a ticket. I picked "spare parts" I think, I don't remember for sure though... Either way it was pretty fast, and like I said, free. I know many people are asked to provide copies of their receipt, but I was never asked. Maybe an oversight in my case. In any event, I'd have a copy scanned if you can, or you can fax it to them I believe.

\Dan

So they didn't even require you send them the old door? Thats great service! TFTI!