Building a HTPC/Gaming machine - ideas on keeping it quiet

[tuprox]

I haven't kept up with hardware for the last couple years but I see that there are a lot of CPU's with 6 core's and I'm guessing they put out some serious heat (130watt processors). Also the video cards usually have smaller fans which are louder than larger fans moving the same volume of air.

So, I'm wondering what would be the best setup for a combo rig that offers high end gaming (say $250-$400 GPU) while not being loud enough to be heard across the room. When I bought an Xbox when it came out I thought I had a defective machine because it sounded like a vacuum cleaner when it powered on.

I really don't want to go to water cooling, which would be the quietest way to go, so maybe a large radiator with a 120mm fan?

Any suggestions on this are appreciated!

 

[vshah]

i've found that as long as you can't hear the case over whatever you are watching/listening to, it doesn't matter much, and for me at least, that point is not hard to get to with a quality htpc case like the silverstone gd05b - it has 3x120mm fans that i've undervolted a bit, and I can never hear it while watching something.

the loudest components will be the cpu fan and gpu fan - if your budget allows for it, you could get a passive PSU in the 400+ watt range (seasonic makes a couple) that should power your system silently. get a good tower CPU cooler with a 120mm fan. the gpu will only really spin up while you're gaming, and unless the fan has a high pitched whine (research this before deciding on a card) i doubt it will be audible much.

the xbox, and game consoles in general, sound like vacuum cleaners because of their tiny cooling fans that must spin very fast to move any air. you don't have that much of a problem with 120mm fans, in fact you can usually undervolt them a bit to cut down on noise.

 

[Binky]

2500K is still the midrange CPU to beat. Pair it with a Noctua cooler if you don't mind spending $60-$90 on the cooler.

I hear good things about the Nvidia 680 noise and heat levels, but I haven't heard one in person.

 

[queequeg99]

the xbox, and game consoles in general, sound like vacuum cleaners because of their tiny cooling fans that must spin very fast to move any air. you don't have that much of a problem with 120mm fans, in fact you can usually undervolt them a bit to cut down on noise.

One thing to keep in mind is how you intend to manage fan speed. If you get a bunch of PWM fans, be sure that your motherboard supports this feature for all fan headers. I recently built a budget HTPC (with some light gaming in mind) and got a MB that supports PWM for the CPU fan only. Despite representations in the manual that all fan headers are PWM capable, this just wasn't the case. So all my fans (except the CPU fan) were cranked up at maximum speed. The damn things sounded like a helicopter. I dealt with the problem by dropping down to really low speed (and large) fans. Fortunately, I haven't run into any heat problems. But the machine is pretty much silent.

Of course, if you use a separate fan controller, you won't run into this problem.

 

[Fallen Kell]

It is pretty simple to do as long as you don't mind having a big case. Too many people want one of the mATX cases and try to use it to do gaming, and it just doesn't work. It will either be too loud or too hot.

If you get something like the Antec Fusion Remote MAX case:

http://store.antec.com/Product/enclosure-veris_media/fusion-remote-max/0-761345-15727-8.aspx

It is pretty easy to have a gaming system and keep it quiet. My HTPC is as follows:

Antec Fusion Remote MAX
MSI Z68A-GD80 motherboard
Intel i2600k CPU
Noctua NH-D14 heatsink (using included voltage mods)
1x 140mm Noctua fan with 7V adapter
2x 120mm Noctua fans with 7V adapters
Powercolor 5750 SSC3 fanless video card (I have the internal 120mm fan blowing over the card)

The loudest thing on it is actually the air moving out of the case... The video card is a little outdated now, but it will play anything I currently own at 1080p.

 

[Brainonska511]

One thing to keep in mind is how you intend to manage fan speed. If you get a bunch of PWM fans, be sure that your motherboard supports this feature for all fan headers. I recently built a budget HTPC (with some light gaming in mind) and got a MB that supports PWM for the CPU fan only. Despite representations in the manual that all fan headers are PWM capable, this just wasn't the case. So all my fans (except the CPU fan) were cranked up at maximum speed. The damn things sounded like a helicopter. I dealt with the problem by dropping down to really low speed (and large) fans. Fortunately, I haven't run into any heat problems. But the machine is pretty much silent.

Of course, if you use a separate fan controller, you won't run into this problem.

I just used 2 Enermax UC8EB fans in my Silverstone ML03b case. They're not PWM, but they are very quiet. I can't hear them if the TV is going. Coupled with a Big Shuriken on the processor, my HTPC is pretty quiet.

 

[mshan]

http://www.silentpcreview.com/

 

[alcoholbob]

You can try but it will be limited with a gaming PC. Got an i7 with a ati 6970 with aftermarket noctua case fans and coolermaster v10 cpu fan.

Got a coolermaster cosmos 1000 case (40lb case that has built-in acoustic foam), I lined the inside and outside the case with about 8lbs of dynamat.

Then threw it into a closet that's 12 feet away, and lined the inside of the closet with acoustic foam.

Guess what, I can still hear it >.<

 

[Fallen Kell]

You can try but it will be limited with a gaming PC. Got an i7 with a ati 6970 with aftermarket noctua case fans and coolermaster v10 cpu fan.

Got a coolermaster cosmos 1000 case (40lb case that has built-in acoustic foam), I lined the inside and outside the case with about 8lbs of dynamat.

Then threw it into a closet that's 12 feet away, and lined the inside of the closet with acoustic foam.

Guess what, I can still hear it >.<

That is because that 6970 will hit 75dB alone. You need a quiet video card like I mentioned.

 

[alcoholbob]

Actually I can hear the computer while idling...gaming is fine I don't care but when just surfing the noise is pretty annoying.