Cooling and Noise Issues

[BeLikeMiKe716]

Setup:
Antec P180 Case (supposed to be really quiet)
Asus P5B Deluxe Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Processor
2 WD 150gb Raptors
2 Seagate 320gb Barracudas
Corsair 620HX ATX PSU
BFG 256mb GDDR3 vid card
4gb of Mushkin memory
Creative sound blaster xfi xtremegamer 7.1 soundcard
Zalman 9500 Processor Cooler

Problems:
The noise is still pretty noticable and its mostly fan noise. The hdds dont make noise because of the rubber groimmets. I want to make sure everything is cooled because its expensive hardware but the noise has to be eliminated.

are there any recommendations on water cooling or any other ideas? I am trying to make it completely noiseless yet be cooled to prevent wear. Nothing is overclocked.

 

[zagood]

Probable noises you're hearing:

1) Video card fan.
2) Stock fans turned onto "high" setting. Those stock ones come with switches L/M/H, try them at L, if that's too low turn to M.

EDIT: Replace your video card heatsink. Depending on the model you have, either a Zalman vf700 or vf900 will do ya.

Also, the 9500 may be running at full speed all the time. Put it on some sort of controller, or let the motherboard control the fan sped.

-z

 

[BeLikeMiKe716]

i guess i forgot to mention that all the fans are on the Low setting and the video card fan doesnt really roar except for the startup phase....

doesnt water cooling also have noise from the radiator?

 

[HardWarrior]

Whether water cooling generates noise is, for the most part, a matter of what fans you select and secondarily the rad's construction.

 

[Woofmeister]

Since it's mostly fan noise about which you are complaining, that's the obvious place to start. Assuming it's the case fans and not the fan on your CPU or GPU that is the source of the noice, you have lots of options. You try undervolting the fans using your BIOS depending on your temps. You can also mount the fans using rubber screws or with rubber gaskets (check out Performance--PCS for amazing selection).

Finally, you can replace the case fans with fans known for low noise, i.e. Yate Loon or Scythe S-Flex.

 

[DaveBC]

I use Zalman Reserator 2...and two very low rpm case fans.

Loop: cpu - northbridge - sli 7800 GTXs

Very quite rig.

 

[Shadowknight]

You need to stop all of the fans, and listen to them one at a time to figure out what's causing the problem. Yes, that includes the PSU one too. Just use a plastic straw or something. If you stop the blades for only a few seconds, it won't hurt it. Also have your HDs disconneted while doing this, because I used to confuse the whine of the HD with fan noise.

SPCR on narrowing down the sources of noise: http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4094

 

[avi85]

Based on the parts you have, the loudest things in your system are probably your HD's and vid card, you have 4 HD's, and 2 of those are 10k RPM drives which are not known for their silence, look into HD silencers and the vf900

 

[aigomorla]

Originally posted by: HardWarrior
Whether water cooling generates noise is, for the most part, a matter of what fans you select and secondarily the rad's construction.

So true. The ony benifit in watercooling is the LARGE radiator that is your heat exchanger. Also water transport heats away from the blocks more efficiently.

If i wanted on my NAS i could drop 3 120mm Monster high velocity panflow's and i promise you, that thing would be hecka loud.

instead i have 3 yates, doing all the cooling for me. Thats the difference.




So a better question then should i water or not would be:

1. Are you commited to watercool? Its not cheap, and its something you really have to be prepared for.

2. Is Overclocking an objective? Because if your not ocing, then hell, go with a scyth ninja. Far less maintence and work involved in AIR.

3. Impossible to be silent + overclock.


http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p73/aigomorla/IMG_0406.jpg

My quiet NAS. dB messured using a cheapo radioshack monitor from 3 feet away was in the middle to upper 20db. Thats DAYAM quiet if you ask me. Oh her side pannel is all insulated, those pics were pre sound absorbing materials added.


If your not OCing which you state, dont go to water. Its a big waste. Dont get toy kits like the zalman, You have no room for upgradability. Also mixing metals..

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=136333&page=2

And trust me, you want to upgrade your zalman, your going to have to use copper blocks. There isnt much of an upgrade for it that doesnt use copper.


So on my recomendation, if the top 3 questions i asked you doesnt apply to you.

Stay on AIR. You'll be much happier this way.


And i know im about to get flamed for my zalman statement. But im trying to lean new watercooling people away from aluminum incorporated waterkits. There very very bad. Something i wouldnt recomend any newbie looking for performance, as well as durability.

and i hate to be rude but:

Zalman can just BITE me...

As i said TOYS... :T as well as koolance, and thermalcrap.