Looking to quite my computer down.. need some help

[Lord Banshee]

This is what i am thinking so far:

1x - AcoustiPack? Pre-cut Kit for the Antec Sonata - $60
2x - NEXUS 120MM REAL SILENT CASE FAN - D12SL-12 - $30

For DFI nf4- Ultra D would this be more quiet than the stock fan? If not any other suggestions?
1x - Evercool VC-RF - $11

For 7800GT these are both great products just do not know which one to get?
1x - Zalman VF 900 CU - $40
or
1x - Arctic Cooling NV5 Rev3 - $30

currently according to Smart Guardian these are my idle temps
CPU: 29*C w/SI-120 and Antec fan at 1442rpms
PWMIC: 42 *C
Chipset: 53*C w/ stock cooler at 4444rpms

Thanks in advanced.

 

[Bobthelost]

Stop!

First thing is to identify where all the noise is coming from. Deal with that, then worry about trying stuff like the acoustipack stuff (which works, but it's the last thing to do rather than the first).

1) Case fans, the nexus is great, go for it.
2) Motherboard = dunno, you can't use the passive zalman one can you?
3) Either is good, but i'd save a bit of cash and get a Vf700 or the AC NV5 (i have the latter and am chuffed to bits with it)
4) Soft mount the fans, a bit of sorbothane (or even sports socks) and cable ties works.

Other things to do: Suspend your hard drives and think about modding that PSU of yours. If that doesn't cut down the noise then get teh acoustipack stuff, but while it does make a difference i got more by suspending the hard drives.

 

[Lord Banshee]

The most noise i hear from my cases sounds like AIR (at those rpms listed)... If i had to guess it is comming from my 120mm fans. When my computer boots up i hear noise (but once Smart Guardian loads up it slows down my CPU fan and my Chipset fan all i hear is air i guess.. not sure how to explain it.

*edit*
Have any links about "Suspend your hard drives" you are talking about?

 

[Bobthelost]

Yep, loads of em.

The place to look is SPCR, the newbie forum over there is great and very helpful. But for a quick link for you to peruse: http://www.silentpcreview.com/article109-page1.html

There's a thousand different ways to do it, if you've got a drive cage then try removing it and sitting it on a pile of socks at the bottom of your case, that does the same thing (albeit not as well and far less stylishly).

Can you try undervolting the case fan? Or check that it's the case fan making the noise (Stop it while the PC is on with a pencil or a finger applying pressure to the central disc, if the noise goes when the case fan is stopped then it's obviously the case fan at fault).

 

[Cobolman]

Originally posted by: Lord Banshee
Have any links about "Suspend your hard drives" you are talking about?

Long story short, it's a mounting technique.

Rather than screwing the drives directly to the frame, you suspend them with essentially big rubber bands, which absorb the vibration (and thus the noise) from the drive.

Overkill in my book, but vital noise-suppression technique for others.

 

[rs1089]

Keep in mind that AcoustiPack sound dampening won't really do much for you. It's more of a finishing touch to quiet down an already very quiet system. You should invest that $60 on something else. I think you should get the vf900 because it cools better and is quieter. Arctic silencers have been known to fail after a couple of months. I'm not saying all of them do, just some. Also, what are your load temps for the Opteron 165? If it stays below 45, then why not slow it down to say, 1000-1200 rpm if you can? It'll be dead silent by then I believe. Now, I know this sounds a little extreme, but if it's at all possible, you could make a duct on the side of your sonata case. It would be louder if you just made the hole and left your system as it is. But, you could lower the speed of your cpu fan more to get the same cooling benefits, since it'll get fresh air. I would follow Bobthelost's suggestion to visit SPCR. There have been many ingenious ideas, suggestions and mods that silence enthusiasts have written/done, and it's full of great advice.

 

[Munky]

I have the evercool chipset cooler on my Ultra-D, and while it cools better and is quieter than the stock cooler, it still emits a whine when it spins up to its full 5000 rpm. But your chipset temps seem too high for idle. My chipset reaches 53C with the system at full load, an Accelero X2 blowing hot air from a x1900xtx right on top of the chipset, and the evercool at ~5000 rpm. It idles in the low 40's.

 

[rs1089]

Oh yea, why don't you look into the JingTing chipset cooler? It's pricey, but it's silent and cools well too.

 

[Shadowknight]

If you have nothing better to do, you can read this long FAQ thing I wrote here on SPCR: http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewtopic.php?t=21152

 

[Lord Banshee]

thanks guys

Bobthelost,
It seems that my case fan is the one makeing the most noise that i hear. Its funny i bought it as i thought it is suppose to be quiet lol... It is one of those 120x35 panasonic fans.. i forgot the name...

munky,
When i switch from a zalman 7000C to a SI-120 my chipset temp went up but i never had an problem with stablity, So i after getting mad for alittle while i let it be and forgot about it .

rs1089,
I was looking at that but does it fit good on the ultra-D?

Also my temps are the following at load +- 2*C with is with S&M FPU test.

CPU 48-50*C
PWM 66-68*C (holy crap batman!!)
Chipset 55*C lol thats funny it doesn't change much lol

I hear putting a heatsink on that PWM chip helps anyclue?

*Edit*
Link to Temp Graph
http://plaza.ufl.edu/ruesgacj/temps.JPG

 

[Bobthelost]

The panasonic panaflos are quiet, as long as you got a japanese model, and as long as it's not a high speed model. To get a quiet fan then you have to undervolt it so it's running on less than 12V. 120x35mm fans are typically higher airflow. If you're running over 1400rpm then they will definitly be audible.

 

[Shadowknight]

For a Panaflo to be quiet, you need to make sure it's a model that ends in "L1A", then preferably undervolt it.

 

[Lord Banshee]

Ok did a 5V mod on the Panaflo and it is alot quieter..

temps are a tad hotter..

CPU: 52*C
PWM: 70*C
Chipset: 58*C

and my antec at 1000rpm (using smart guadian) is silent during idle which is nice..

But would the nexus fans be a better option for the CPU and CASE... ie does it move more cfm at a quieter sound?

ALSO what can i do about the PWM??? S&M failed at the end as it said because it got to 70*C toasty... I do not remember this chip being so hot with my Venice and 7000C

**edit** also lowered my chipset fan to 2k rpms and it got alot quieter!! looking into JingTing cooler...

anyone know why my PWM and Chipset is so damn hot lol?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

The problem with low-noise fans is their limited throughput in CFM. The problem with high-throughput fans is their noise.

My own system, built in a 1995 nearly-pre-ATX Gateway 2000 full-tower case, depends on input from two 120x25mm fans in front, set to run between 1,700 rpm and 2,100 rpm. The exhaust could be better: they are two 92x25mm fans spinning around 2,700 rpm.

The CPU fan is a Delta Tri-blade 0.9A (@12V) fan tamed by Speedfan control to run at about 2,200rpm, cooling with a Thermalright SI-120 with a foam-art-board motherboard duct which channels air over the memory, graphics card, motherboard and CPU to the exhaust fans.

There is no side-panel blow-hole for two reasons. The case must be pressurized by the intake fans, and the air must feed both the CPU fan and the duct-seams. Having a passive blowhole suck air from outside may not help this. The other reason is the noise.

I DO use Akasa PaxMate foam pad on the side case panels. You can still hear some noise, but it isn't very loud. Actually, I would say it's quiet, but it is also cool.

 

[Lord Banshee]

As soon as i get my next paycheck i think i am going to get the two nexus maybe 3 (never really used that second 120mm fan in sonata might help PWMIC and chipset temps, the zalman 900 for the 7800 and the evercool for my chipset (if it cools better than stock i can make it maybe around 3000-3500 with software fan controller and have same cooling as my current chipset cooler. Also the evercool comes with BGA sinks that i will put on the PWM IC chip and it might help too...

If i am still not happy I'll make another thread and maybe go from there.

Whats funny now that my Panaflo is voltmodded i can hear my harddrives make noise lol.. i never noticed it before

 

[Cerb]

1. Get a fan controller. The Sunbeam Rheobus is a good non-PWM one (BRIGHT LEDs, though). Zalman Fanmates can be used, too, internally.
2. The Nexus fans should be good for case fans, but the Panaflo will likely be the best CPU fan.
3. Look through SPCR, and find your preferred method of HDD mounting. I like suspension, but it can sometimes be a hassle. I recommend, from experience, using synthetic stretchy material. Elastic w/ actual rubber will get brittle fairly fast.
4. Look at SPCR for a video card cooler. Several have had excellent performance out of the Zalman ZM80D, which, while a PITA to install, would make it completely silent (it will raise CPU temps a little, but now that I'm using a VGA Silencer...it's worth it!).
5. Get a passive chipset cooler, and make sure it's got some air moving over it. Check the temps to be sure, of course. SPCR has a thread about the NF4 Ultra and chipset cooler experiences--if it's not stickied, search for it.
6. Cablegami! NEVER underestimate what a couple hours of cable tidying can do! All by itself, this can make your PC run quieter (less air noise) and cooler. Get out some cable ties, and maybe various plastic 3M products with sticky backs. Air from the intake fan to the video card/CPU are should be as unobstructed as possible, as should the CPU's HS&F, the exhaust, and the PSU's intake.

Have I mentioned going to SPCR?

 

[Lord Banshee]

I tried the panaflo on the cpu at first but made too much vibration (it would shake the SI-120) and noisey like hell. but now that it is 5V modded I'll give it another try.

I don't want an external fan controller with knobs and light lol.. i hate LEDs . But i was looking around and i found some non tachy ones so maybe.

I'll look for that nf4 ultra chipset guide

And i think my cable management is pretty good (not the best but i don't think it is in the way of air travel. Please if you see a better way to move my cables let me know
http://plaza.ufl.edu/ruesgacj/cables.JPG

Thanks for all the help so far guys

 

[dunkster]

A problem with 'silent' fans is that the lower air flow results in warmer case temps. I have 'silent' Akasa amber 120mm fans I don't use due to the warmer case temps they produce.

I'm using 2 Panaflo M1As at 7V, providing about 50CFM for good air flow with low audibility. They're not silent at 7V, but audibility is low with good cooling. They're almost inauble at 5V, but I accepted the slight noise penalty at 7V for the lower case temps.

Most current cases are not designed for either silence or good cooling. Some examples:
- Side-vents are a leak path for noise.
- Side-vents provide a side-to-exhaust flow path, reducing air flow over hard drives.
- Side-mount hard drive cages restrict front-to-back case air flow.
- Restrictive case fan grills.
- Restrictive case front bezels.
- Restrictive filter media.
- Cases 'featuring' up to 7 fan mounts.
- Expensive cases still using 80mm fans (and folks still buying them).

It pretty much sucks that you have to mod your case for best balance of low audibility and efficient cooling, but that's the way it is.

Hope this helps!