I may have found a way to quietly cool desktop and server (new cases)

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grepcomputers

Senior member
Apr 9, 2002
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I'll be the first to admit, I'm beginning to get a little obsessed with noise. (And temperatures.) I honestly don't know what it is, but I'm very sensitive to the noise of fans, and it doesn't take much to irritate me when I'm trying to fall asleep.

I have a P4 3.2 HT Northwood, a Gigabyte 6800 with giant heatsinks for passive cooling, one WD Raptor 74GB 10,000RPM (the new one with the quiet fluid bearings), all running on an Intel Bonanza D875PBZ.

Right now it only just barely cools this enough so that the intel active monitor alarms don't go off when I'm playing a game or encoding video. And on hot days, not even that much.

Right now I'm using an Antec SLK-3700blk, however, the new Antec Sonata II looks like it would do the job, as long as I used all the available fan slots (so I'd have add a 120mm fan to the front, a 92mm fan to the CPU duct and an 80mm fan to the same duct for the video card).

Do you guys think this would work? Also, I need recommendations for fans. Nice, quiet ones. (I'm using a very low RPM low dBa fan on my Thermalright SLK947U, which is why the cooling isn't so good.)

The added benefit of this case upgrade is that I can use the SLK-3700 for my file server (which is also noisy, but not in my room...for now...). 5 IDE drives, totalling 850Gb of data storage and 20GB for the OS. P3 650 with some vantec cooler. The heatsink is pretty big, so I think that with two 120MM fans - intake and exhaust - I could remove the fan from the vantec cooler and keep the P3 cool enough. Also, I drilled a grill in the side panel right over where the CPU goes.

Sorry for the novella. Any feedback/suggestions?
 
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grepcomputers

Senior member
Apr 9, 2002
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Well, damn, that looks better, and is only marginally more expensive. A little bigger than I'd like, but it looks like it would really get the job done.

It looks like the hard drives are mounted sideways, which I don't really like to do. (Hmm, from the product photos it looks like it has some horizontal mounted hard drive bays...)

Thanks!
 
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imported_Kensai

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
10,855
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Originally posted by: grepcomputers
Well, damn, that looks better, and is only marginally more expensive. A little bigger than I'd like, but it looks like it would really get the job done.

It looks like the hard drives are mounted sideways, which I don't really like to do. (Hmm, from the product photos it looks like it has some horizontal mounted hard drive bays...)

Thanks!
Click to expand...

It has seperate cooling areas. Better cooling overall. :)
 
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grepcomputers

Senior member
Apr 9, 2002
209
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I currently have two concerns about the P180

1) More fans, will their interesting aluminium/plastic/aluminium layering combat the noise (like I said, I'm very sensitive to fan noise, although, strangely enough, not so much on hard drive noise).

2) The intake for the video card duct is above the exhaust from the power supply. Doesn't this mean it will suck in hot air to blow over the video card?

Now on to the Sonata II...

That duct it has along the side, is that an intake, too, rather than the exhaust I thought it was?

It may not separate the PS from the rest of the case (although I'm using a 300W Antec quiet PS, so it doesn't get too hot), but the side intake should help alleviate that, no?

Thanks...
 
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NotquiteanooB

Senior member
Apr 14, 2005
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The Sonata II that duct for cooling the vid and cpu, is an intake from the rear. The CPU fan draws air in through the duct over the vid and up to the CPU.
I've ordered a Sonata II case, but will not be using the ducting. I plan to use Water cooling. The Corsair 100-1001 kit.
 
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grepcomputers

Senior member
Apr 9, 2002
209
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So what do you guys think I should get to replace my Antec SLK-3700 - a Sonata II or a P180?

Keep in mind, I am looking for the most quiet I can get, and if it cools my video card well enough for a little overclocking, that's great too.

Thanks!
 
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Bona Fide

Banned
Jun 21, 2005
1,901
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Get the P180, but DON'T use the VGA shroud. Get rid of it entirely. Instead, add a 120mm intake fan to the front. That should do you nicely. :)
 
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NotquiteanooB

Senior member
Apr 14, 2005
362
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The breeze is a bit more $$; but the design idea is great. Should be a pretty quiet case. The only improvement might be an 80 or 92 mm silent fan at the top of the case to create a chimney effect. I can't compare the P180, the only place I've ever seen one is on the Antec website.
 
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grepcomputers

Senior member
Apr 9, 2002
209
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It's recap time...I'm just trying to get this all straight in my mind.

My current setup:
- Antec SLK-3700 with a vent cut in the side right over the CPU and a duct so the fan pulls cool air from outside the case over the CPU
- P4 3.2GHz HT Northwood with a Thermalright SLK947U and a Nexus 92mm 1500RPM 27CFM fan (the only other fan I've found that's remotely as quiet as the Nexus is a Panalflo 92mm 2100RPM 42CFM fan, however, it has an annoying higher pitch that really bugs me when my room is otherwise quiet)
- Gigabyte N68128DH passively cooled vanilla GeForce 6800
- WD Raptor 74GB 10K RPM
- Antec 350W single fan SmartPower PS
- Room Ambient: 75F
- CPU Idle: ~100F
- CPU Full Load: ~140F
- GPU Idle: ~140F
- GPU Load: I think it's about 158F, maybe 167F

Possible New Setup #1:
- Antec P180
- Either an Antec 120mm (79CFM 29dBA) or a Vantec Stealth 120mm (53CFM 28dBA) front intake fan
- Zalman 80x15mm (20-33dBA 1400-2800RPM) VGA fan for VGA cooling duct
- keep existing SmartPower PS and CPU cooler

Possible New Setup #2:
- Nexus Breeze case
- keep existing CPU cooler

Possible New Setup #3:
- Antec Sonata II
- Either an Antec 120mm (79CFM 29dBA) or a Vantec Stealth 120mm (53CFM 28dBA) front intake fan
- Zalman 80x15mm (20-33dBA 1400-2800RPM) VGA fan for VGA cooling duct
- Nexus 92mm 1500RPM 27CFM fan for CPU duct

Goals for new setup:
quieter than current setup
better cooling than current setup - mostly CPU, but if I can cool the video card well enough to overclock it a little bit during gaming, that's great

Questions:
- The P180 has twice the number of 120mm fans as my current setup, how can it be quieter?
- I'd be willing to put either the Panalflo fan or a new fan on the CPU heatsink instead of the Nexus if I can either mask or get rid of that damn whirring noise.
- What do you guys think I should do to achieve these goals?

Thanks...
 
G

Gunther

Golden Member
Mar 6, 2001
1,292
0
0
Originally posted by: grepcomputers
It's recap time...I'm just trying to get this all straight in my mind.

My current setup:
- Antec SLK-3700 with a vent cut in the side right over the CPU and a duct so the fan pulls cool air from outside the case over the CPU
- P4 3.2GHz HT Northwood with a Thermalright SLK947U and a Nexus 92mm 1500RPM 27CFM fan (the only other fan I've found that's remotely as quiet as the Nexus is a Panalflo 92mm 2100RPM 42CFM fan, however, it has an annoying higher pitch that really bugs me when my room is otherwise quiet)
- Gigabyte N68128DH passively cooled vanilla GeForce 6800
- WD Raptor 74GB 10K RPM
- Antec 350W single fan SmartPower PS
- Room Ambient: 75F
- CPU Idle: ~100F
- CPU Full Load: ~140F
- GPU Idle: ~140F
- GPU Load: I think it's about 158F, maybe 167F

Possible New Setup #1:
- Antec P180
- Either an Antec 120mm (79CFM 29dBA) or a Vantec Stealth 120mm (53CFM 28dBA) front intake fan
- Zalman 80x15mm (20-33dBA 1400-2800RPM) VGA fan for VGA cooling duct
- keep existing SmartPower PS and CPU cooler

Possible New Setup #2:
- Nexus Breeze case
- keep existing CPU cooler

Possible New Setup #3:
- Antec Sonata II
- Either an Antec 120mm (79CFM 29dBA) or a Vantec Stealth 120mm (53CFM 28dBA) front intake fan
- Zalman 80x15mm (20-33dBA 1400-2800RPM) VGA fan for VGA cooling duct
- Nexus 92mm 1500RPM 27CFM fan for CPU duct

Goals for new setup:
quieter than current setup
better cooling than current setup - mostly CPU, but if I can cool the video card well enough to overclock it a little bit during gaming, that's great

Questions:
- The P180 has twice the number of 120mm fans as my current setup, how can it be quieter?
- I'd be willing to put either the Panalflo fan or a new fan on the CPU heatsink instead of the Nexus if I can either mask or get rid of that damn whirring noise.
- What do you guys think I should do to achieve these goals?

Thanks...
Click to expand...

I think the P180 is exactly what you are looking for. It is designed to be quiet but also offer good cooling performance. Imo the P180 is the best designed air cooling case on the market right now. You should read the silent pc reviews review on the P180.
 
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