Cooling my HTPC Vacuum Cleaner

Ninjahedge

Diamond Member
Mar 2, 2005
4,149
1
91
I am just looking for a way to turn down the fan speed on my HTPC...

I recently installed a new vid card on it, and after messing with it (physically stopping the cooling fan on the card) I have determined that it is not the vid card that is causing the noise, but the main fan...

Here's the stats:

1 x Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 Wolfdale 2.53GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor BX80571E7200
1 x G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ
1 x ASUS Black Blu-Ray Combo SATA Model BC-1205PT
1 x TRENDnet TEW-443PI 32-bit PCI 2.2 Bus Master Wireless Adapter
1 x Shuttle SG33G5B Intel Socket T(LGA775) Intel Core 2 Quad / Core 2 Duo / Pentium Intel G33 Barebone with HDMI/HDCP/Dolby Digital Live! DTS/Vista ready

The swapped card is a:
1 x EVGA 512-P2-N635-AR GeForce 7950GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support KO HDCP Video Card

I know, oldie, but better than the on-board vid.

This is not a gamer rig, so I think I can get away with underclocking the processor if that will work.

I blew out the radiator fins and fan area, but that did not do much. I am still clocking at about 3200 RPM, even idle.
 

dma0991

Platinum Member
Mar 17, 2011
2,723
1
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Has it always been this noisy or is it a recent thing? It could be that the TIM has dried up and conducting less heat than it should. Could be that the heatpipes are no longer as efficient as well. If the mounting holes are the same as a regular LGA775, you could opt to just use an aftermarket cooler that is small enough to fit in the Shuttle. Either that or swap your loud fan for something that is quieter.
 

Jimmah

Golden Member
Mar 18, 2005
1,243
2
0
Consider underclocking it, maybe swapping out the 7950 for a passive cooled card (4350-6450 esq), set the cpu fan in bios to silent if that option exists or get a new fan for the cpu (I think you can do that in those shuttles).
 

pauldun170

Diamond Member
Sep 26, 2011
9,146
5,096
136
I am just looking for a way to turn down the fan speed on my HTPC...

I recently installed a new vid card on it, and after messing with it (physically stopping the cooling fan on the card) I have determined that it is not the vid card that is causing the noise, but the main fan...

Here's the stats:

1 x Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 Wolfdale 2.53GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor BX80571E7200
1 x G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ
1 x ASUS Black Blu-Ray Combo SATA Model BC-1205PT
1 x TRENDnet TEW-443PI 32-bit PCI 2.2 Bus Master Wireless Adapter
1 x Shuttle SG33G5B Intel Socket T(LGA775) Intel Core 2 Quad / Core 2 Duo / Pentium Intel G33 Barebone with HDMI/HDCP/Dolby Digital Live! DTS/Vista ready

The swapped card is a:
1 x EVGA 512-P2-N635-AR GeForce 7950GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support KO HDCP Video Card

I know, oldie, but better than the on-board vid.

This is not a gamer rig, so I think I can get away with underclocking the processor if that will work.

I blew out the radiator fins and fan area, but that did not do much. I am still clocking at about 3200 RPM, even idle.

What kind of case?
That vid card is overkill but since its not the problem I'll close my mouth on tat one.

If its the CPU fan, just get an aftermarket cooler. Lots of quiet options out there.
If there are issues with case fans, try undervolting them to reduce speed.
If its the PSU - lots of quality quiet options out there.
 

Ninjahedge

Diamond Member
Mar 2, 2005
4,149
1
91
The shuttle is a combined CPU cooler/case fan, so I am not sure if you guys are telling me to swap the whole shebang (heat pipes included) or just try to find a quieter fan.

If you think it might be the thermal paste, let me know. I would rather not take it apart like that unless absolutely necessary....


And Paul, you are right about it not being the vid card. the only thing I can think that might be effecting it is that the card is blocking the vents on one side......

I have tried "speedfan" and some bios tweaks, but nothing seems to work.
 

dma0991

Platinum Member
Mar 17, 2011
2,723
1
0
Swapping out the old heatsink for something new would be the best option but it will cost a bit and runs into the risk of the holes on the motherboard not being a standard LGA775 mounting and cooler height issues. Quieter fan is a far less effective method because if you're overheating or running a little hotter than you're comfortable with, it will just mask the problem with the noise while ignoring the heat issue.

As for the TIM, it depends on when was the last time you've done some servicing on it. If it is untouched since the day you've built it then there is a very high chance that the TIM has dried out. The best course of action might be to actually remove the whole heatsink + fan unit with the part attached to the CPU and give it a thorough cleaning and at the same time reapply some fresh TIM.
 

pauldun170

Diamond Member
Sep 26, 2011
9,146
5,096
136
The shuttle is a combined CPU cooler/case fan, so I am not sure if you guys are telling me to swap the whole shebang (heat pipes included) or just try to find a quieter fan.

If you think it might be the thermal paste, let me know. I would rather not take it apart like that unless absolutely necessary....


And Paul, you are right about it not being the vid card. the only thing I can think that might be effecting it is that the card is blocking the vents on one side......

I have tried "speedfan" and some bios tweaks, but nothing seems to work.

skimmed the part about it being a Shuttle barebones type system.
That fan shouldn't be exceeding 1000rpm in normal use.

What temps are being reported? Is fan speed set to auto in bios?