Is it possible to build a completely solid system without fans at all?

[lordmetroid]

However I want to build a server/HTPC combo but I am a silence freak, specially when it comes time to sleep, I can't get a good nights sleep with a constant humming in the background. Also I traveling so I will need to have it as small form factor as possible.

Would it be possible to build a system with these criteria:
1. Portable Mini ITX form factor
2. Completely passively cooled

So far my plans are to use
M350 Universal Mini-ITX Enclosure
External PSU silent power brick
A solid state drive

And my plans were to use the Zotac IONITX-C-U but the temperatures measured in the
XBitlabs review of the motherboard seems too high to feasibly use it passively cooled... Or is it?

 

[corkyg]

Yes, it is possible, and there are some available.

Fanless

It really has to start with a fanless PSU.

 

[frostedflakes]

It's doable, but not always practical. For example, a single low-RPM fan would probably help considerably with cooling and would be inaudible from more than a foot or two away.

You could try it, though. Temps were borderline in the Xbit Labs review, but still within limits. And keep in mind that the full CPU/GPU load is pretty unrealistic, with normal usage chances are you aren't going to be able to recreate that kind of load.

Might also consider replacing the thermal paste for the CPU/chipset heatsink with a high performance TIM, that may yield a few *C drop, depending on the quality of the TIM used by Zotac. Looks like there's enough room on the board for a larger, custom heatsink if you wanted to try that.

 

[lordmetroid]

As can be seen in these images:
m350 + IONITX image
m350 + IONITX image

The IONITX doesn't have a lot of space between the heatsink and the case, I think maybe 10mm is about all you can get.
The motherboard depicted in the images is an IONITX-A-U with the standard Zotac fan which is 60x60x10(I believe) the fans I have found in these sizes all have specifications of about 30dBA.
What kind of fan would you recommend? Maybe I would attach the fan on the case or even outside the case hobo style but I would rather not.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Also keep in mind where you're putting it. A lot of equipment can run passively in normal ambient temperatures, but you go sticking something like that in a hot closet or a car and you'll have major heat issues.

 

[yh125d]

I'm not positive the C-U will fit even without a fan, the heatsink is rather tall

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811108189 (remove the PSU) with a slim scythe fan will keep it cool and be inaudible from a couple feet away. So, unless you use it as your pillow, you'll never hear it

 

[lordmetroid]

As seen in the images, the A-U fits snuggly with the fan mounted so C-U will definitely fit and have something around 10mm left between the case and the heatsink. Because in the images I posted in my previous post an AU with the standard fan is mounted in the case and it fits.
If I'll use a fan, I found the Scythe KAZE JYU SLIM which I believe could be hobo fitted to the case and in that case I might as well purchase an IONITX-A-U(I might as well go for the model with higher performance if I am going to have a fan).
14dBA, how loud is that?

I can't use the case proposed by yh125d, it is simply too big for my traveling needs.

 

[yh125d]

I was thinking the A-U only fit with a fan because it had a shorter heatsink


And how can your size requirements really be that small? You need to just look for a netbook...

 

[IlllI]

Originally posted by: lordmetroid when it comes time to sleep, I can't get a good nights sleep with a constant humming in the background.

how about doing something radical like...oh.. i don't know.. like turning off the computer before you go to bed?

 

[frostedflakes]

A good suggestion, lol. If you won't need to use the computer at night you can just set it to sleep or hibernate. I know a lot of people like to keep it on at night for various reasons, though (seeding, recording shows if it's an HTPC, etc.)

 

[lordmetroid]

Ohh, it has a lower heatsink, I wasn't aware of that, thank you for informing me, I could have comitted a dire mistake.

Thank you for all your advice, I have much thanks to your advice on this matter that I will discard all plans to build a silent solid system.
Instead what I will get is:
* M350 Universal Mini-ITX enclosure
* Zotac IONITX-A-U
* Corsair XMS2 4 GB (2 X 2 GB) PC2-6400 800 MHz
* Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD3200BEVT 320GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s

While not silent, it is cheaper and have greater performance as well as storage.

The initial thought was to have it as a file-server/personal webserver/HTPC but also be portable. I concluded that this is simply not possible today. The HTPC use of such a system does not go well in hand with a silent server.

If I want to build a solid silent server, I would need to use a motherboard which uses less performing components and can be cooled without a doubt by a heatsink. Besides the SSD technology has yet to reach affordable prices and they are still in my opinion having flaws that needs to be remedied before I buy one.

 

[yh125d]

I *thought* it did. At second look they're the same.


Dude, with a slim fan like that scythe it WILL be silent, unless you're in a very quiet room with your ear close to it listening for it. You seem to think that theres only loud fans, or no fans. There are very low speed fans that don't move much air but are for all purposes, silent


However, I don't know why you would need a file server or web server to be portable, those are jobs that are pretty much always totally stationary. And as for HTPC, if you're on the road it's not really an HTPC, its just a computer with some movies on it. The three purposes for this you listed are distinctively non-portable tools. It sounds like what you really need is just a quiet laptop to watch movies and stuff on



And as for whatever you're building being "solid", anything based on an atom will be pretty slow

 

[lordmetroid]

I am going to have it stationary for most of the time but I also want to be able to take it with me on an airplane.

 

[yh125d]

Well you're going to have to carry a monitor anyway, You should probably just get a laptop thats known for being quiet and then shut it off when you sleep

 

[Paperlantern]

Hmmm, i actually sleep better with a fan running in the room. I actually have two, one for my wife and I and another aimed at my Siberian Husky so she can sleep. When it gets too quiet it gets harder to sleep. Id imagine if I had a PC in the room I wouldn't hear it over the other two fans anyway. Back when I DID have a PC in the room where i slept, i kept it off at night, but didn't have any trouble sleeping when it WAS on for seeding or downloading purposes, it had one 120mm fan and was mostly silent anyway. Good luck in your endeavor though.