Please help me quiet down my PC...

[QwErTyBk]

Specs:

Case/Power: Inwin s506 w/ 300w Sparkle power supply.
Case Pic
My power supply (I think)
Processor: 1.2 GHz Athlon on Epox 8k7a mobo
HSF: SVC Goldengate copper Heatsink with a powercooler 27 cfm 40 dbA fan (i think) www.svcompucycle.com

I have one sunon 80mm case fan in the front bottom of the case. I believe it is 39 cfm 32 dbA.
Case Fan pic

My PC seems very loud. I have tolerated it for a while but I want to be able to leave it on at night sometimes. Im not positive how much noise my powersupply is putting out (any help is appreciated) but i know that my HSF is probably the biggest culprit.

How can I quiet my case down so that it is quiet enough to leave on at night in my dorm room?

I was thinking of buying 2 of these for ~ $18:
Silencer 80mm Fans

Would this make a significant difference? I'm not positive but im assuming I'd have to get some sort of an adapter to fit an 80mm fan on my heatsink. Where can I buy one of these at a reasonable price? I really dont want to spend more than $30 or so total if I can help it.

If I do replace my heatsink fan and case fan with these "silent ones" would my PS fan make a significant amount of noise still?

Please help...any input is appreciated! Thanks.

-QwErTyBk

 

[NewCompGeek]

I wouldnt be to worried about the PSU, but 40dba for anything is LOUD i would suggest the GC68 a 60mm heatsink with a 80mm fan

you can get some 80mm panaflow L1A at bgmicro.com for 2.49 i think nm there up to $3.19 now link , they come with a 2 pin connector so go to pcmods.com and get some there or at svcompucycle.com [/L]here

 

[CheapGator]

I liked this site describing the steps the took to make the computer as silent as possible. Seems a few auto supply parts can help with the process however these steps will make your computer run hotter with the lack of ventilation. Linky

Just my two cents.

 

[Fireman]

I would bet that your fan on the HS is 80% of your problem. You can buy an adapter here. Just be sure and put a decent fan on as these do create a back pressure that weak fans cannot overcome.
Also if you can, put a fan in the rear of your case blowing out. This is usually more efficient than a front fan because alot of cases don't allow the front fan to truly draw in ouside air. Many have holes or vents where hot air can simply recirculate.
Most importantly, what are your CPU temps? That is really the deciding factor on what type of cooling to use.
Hope this helps.

 

[Grendel99]

I think the biggest think would be to either change the fan on the hsf or change the entire hsf. The GC68 that NewCompGeek linked to is a good one and highly recommended around here. Also I would replace those case fans with 80mm Panaflo L1A's and see how that does. A combination of all those would really quiet your PC. You might wanna put your ear up to your PS and see how much noice the fan is creating too. If you really wanted to your could replace the fan in the PS. It's usually a standard 80mm one. You could replace it with Panaflo 80mm L1A as well. Good luck.

 

[hmsrolst]

I think you need to take it a step at a time starting with the heatsink fan, then the case fan (the Silencers work well), and then the PSU if it's still too noisy.

 

[QwErTyBk]

Well since most of you dont seem to think my PS is making a significant amount of noise ill concentrate on the HSF and case fan.

I want to keep my goldengate copper HS but I want to change the fan on top. Those plycon adapters are a bit pricey at ~$14 and im assuming there is some ridiculous shipping charge on them because they ship via FedEx. Anyone know of anywhere that is cheaper?

Also those Panaflow fans are listed at 24 cfm but have no dbA rating. How quiet are they and is 24cfm going to be enough to cool my 1.2 thunderbird? (Im not overclocking as of now) My current fan is 27cfm and I think cpu temps hover in the 47-51 deg C range. How do they compare to the quiet 80mm fans I listed in my first post? Also does anyone know if what shipping will run on two of these panaflows?

So is my best bet to buy the adapter from plycon ~$14 + shipping, 2 panaflows from bgmicro ~$6.50 + shipping and two 3-4 pin adapters from svcompucycle ~$2 and put one panaflow on my heatsink and the other in the back of my case?

Im just unsure about these panaflows and whether they are powerful enough and how loud they are. If I make these changes will my PC be quiet enough to leave on at night?

Thanks for all the help...I really appreciate it!

-QwErTyBk

 

[QwErTyBk]

bump for some more help

 

[hmsrolst]

I use the Silencers in 3 of my PC's and like them a lot. The Panaflos are rated lower CFM (about 24 as I recall) at about the same dB(A), but many on the forum like them a lot. Gizzo claims that he's tested and the Silencers move more air.

 

[CheapGator]

I found some info on the 80mm Panaflo's at Link. Although their prices are pathetic they had the stats of the panaflo fans they had. hmsrolst was correct about the panaflo's moving 24cfm. The dBA noise level is reported to be 21.0 on that site which is very quiet. Haven't seen any stats on silencer fans but for bgmicro's price I wouldn't be against buyin those fans but the cfm just seems low to me. If anyone else is using an L1A on their hs I'd love to hear about it. Just my two cents.

 

[todesengel]

I just replaced some Sanyo Denki fans that I thought I had to have for maximum cooling with some Panaflos and what a difference! The case temps remain the same with about half the noise.

 

[vsfoxe]

QwErTyBk: Here's my 2 cents worth (well, it may not be worth THAT much!

I'm using 2 cases:

(1) Antec SX1030 case with a dual-fan Enermax power supply, 4 80mm Silencers in the case and a Panaflo L1A on my PAL8045 heatsink, and a small fan on the Epox 8KHA+ Northbridge. It's not noisy. I like quiet! Temps with T-bird 1.4 @ 1.530 are fine. Temp= 38-42 degrees.

(2) Inwin S506 case with the Sparkle 300 watt power supply, a Panaflo L1A front (intake) and rear (exhaust), with a retail Coolermaster 60mm HSF, and a small fan on the Epox 8KHA+ Northbridge. It is not noisy, either. Temps with T-bird 1.4 @ 1.466 are fine. Temp=40-45 degrees.

No measurements, but only physical comparisons gave me these impressions: Silencer puts out a tiny bit more air flow than L1A.. Noise difference is basically zero between Silencer and L1A. Overall, I think the Silencer may be a little better, but not worth three times the $$$$. I've heard the Panaflo is better on PAL8045 HSF, don't remember why. The last I knew, SVC link: sold PAL8045 for $31.99, if you need one.

Suggestion: Go to BGMicro site, get 4 or 5 L1A's (enuf for now, + future developement material) for $18-$21. They (with 2-pin connectors?) can be made to plug onto 3-pin motherboard connectors. If you need adaptors, go to SVC and get a couple, with a PAL8045 Heatsink (L1A is a good fan for this) for around $40. For $50-$60 you'll have a great heat sink, 5 great fans, and a couple adaptors. Or some combination that you prefer.

Incidentally, both my PC's are at home, same room, and on 24/7.

 

[QwErTyBk]

Thanks for all the help!

Im going to go with 2 or 3 panaflows from bgmicro and a 60mm to 80mm adapter from plycon. There is a cheap adapter at abilitywholesale.com but some people seem to have problems with that company. I cant wait to get rid of that 40dbA fan on my heatsink!

-qwertybk

 

[upsciLLion]

QwErTyBk,

I'm also going to recommend the GC68. I went from a Volcano II to this and the difference is night and day. My system is so much quieter, I love it. I can have mp3s whispering and I can just barely detect my system noise. The Volcano cooled pretty darn well. The GC68 does a little better cooling, but with far less noise. If you're looking to be uber quiet then you might think about getting out a dremel tool and cutting holes for 92 mm fans or maybe a fatty 120 mm hole on the side panel (like I hope to do). Just make sure it's a low dB level fan. It's nice cuz the bigger fans move more air at the same dB level. I'm pretty much rambling. Don't mind me.

upsciLLion

 

[dfi]

Qwerty, let me know how this turns out. I'm interested in doing something very similar.

I have an alpha pal6035 and a spare silencer fan lying around. If you get good results cooling your tbird 1.2, then I just might have to get a funnel and try that combo on my tbird 1.0.

dfi