PSU power...

[phill9700]

im trying to make the below rig as quiet and needing a low powered psu as possible..

duron 650 @ 733mhz (5.5x133)
abit kt7a motherboard
pc133 512mbs cas 2 settings
chaintech geforce 2 ultra (standard settings)
genius network card 10/100
56k modem
hard drive (as i want an ide model just waiting till i can aford one, but currently have seagate cheetah 36gig scsi running off of a adaptec 29160LP adaptor card)
floppy drive (no cd/dvd-rom drive installed)

if theres anything more i can add to help with this, please let me know,..
i was thinking of getting something like a 230W psu running, a smart fan and a 120mm case fan bolted to the side (with a hole obvously... ) to keep the temps down low as possible.. at the moment im getting a cpu temp of 35c and a case temp of 29c. without a slightly noisy 80mm case fan, it would touch 40c and perhaps the case temp would be as high as near 34c or so.. im just trying to get it as low as poss.. 25c for the cpu and 20c for the system temp would be great.. basically the lower the better
this machine will only be used for the internet when i have finally bought and upgraded to a new rig (amd 64 perhaps? depends when i pay my credit card off bummer..)
is there anything that im missing or needing instead? any recommendations would be great! thanks guys and gals

 

[mechBgon]

A lower-capacity PSU doesn't necessarily run more quietly. I think you can forget about true quietness until you switch away from Mr. Cheetah though... a 10000rpm ball-bearing drive is probably going to be the loudest thing in the system if you get a quiet PSU, and the system can't be quieter than its loudest part.

My suggestion for what you've got there is an Antec TruePower 330, very quiet units. If you want cushion for tomorrow's systems, pick the TruePower 430 or higher, it isn't inherently louder. All the TruePowers feature a "Fan-Only" 4-pin lead that can thermally regulate up to three fans, although this reduces the fans' airflow along with their noise. The Antecs have a 3-year warranty and are easy to find. Some of the Enermaxes run pretty quietly too (unfortunately, mine at home ain't one of them ) and I hear good things about the Zalmans too.

Hope that's some help.

 

[phill9700]

to be honest, i notice the 80mm case fan more than the scsi hard drive! it must be a stealth cheetah!!
im not so worried about upgradiblity as this setup will just be used for the internet, email, and downloading (more so when i get broadband!! 56k modems suck!!) but my only really important thing is to keep the power used by this setup to a really bare minimum. im trying to keep my girl friends electric bill as low as possible!!
would a 330W be using a lot of power or would it be ok to run something like a future barton setup off of it ??? (when my duron setup die's i will need a replacement.. ) what do you think the running costs would be with regards to a 330W psu? like i say, im aiming to keep it as low as humanly possible!
thanks for the help tho! really appreaited!!

 

[mechBgon]

The PSU only makes as much power as the computer needs. If you want to build a system that doesn't consume a lot of electrical power, then I'd suggest an 800MHz Celeron II, a single PC100 memory module and an Intel i810- or i810e-based board. The CPU's typical power is around 16 watts. Obviously, with that low of a power consumption, you could use an extremely quiet CPU fan too.

If you wanted an AMD setup, my nominee is the Asus A7N266-VM/AA with an AthlonXP 1700+ that has the Thoroughbred core. These put out about 45-50W, still not bad. The board has integrated video (plus an AGP slot), very good onboard 5.1 audio with both optical and RCA S/PDIF-out jacks, onboard network adapter, passive northbridge cooling, and take PC2100 DDR memory and CPUs as high as a 2400+ (not Bartons, however).

 

[phill9700]

well the duron setup i said about was what i was going to be using and when it dies upgrading would be done when and if it was needed.. i hope it doesnt go till i have my new setup!! i will be annoyed if it does!
i would stick with amd, as they are cheaper than intel and its not like a 27k score in 3dmark 2001SE to go online!! (well not the last time i checked!!!) what would you recommend for my current setup? like i say, lowest temps poss as with the noise..
i feel a 120mm case fan by the graphics card and a smart fan on the back of the case along with a good psu to make sure its going to work 100% all of the time.. any ideas? oh im using a q-tec cpu cooler, its like a falcon rock but its slightly smaller.. any ideas?

 

[mechBgon]

If you're going to start with what you've got, then your present temps sound fine to me. I would do like this:

• Chop out any airflow-restricting grillework over the 80mm rear-exhaust so the fan doesn't have to work hard to move air (use a chromed wire grille instead)
• Tidy up the case's interior as much as possible to make air flow easily
• Port out any front intake holes on the case's plastic bezel to allow air to flow easily, and chop out any metal grillework on the case's metal front wall for the same reason
• Get a Panaflo L1A 80mm fan for the rear exhaust position, and a quiet-running PSU (or put an L1A in the PSU if you're willing to risk electrocution... they pack a punch even after they've been unplugged, so consider yourself warned)

So you see the theme... optomize what you've got before taking the next steps.

 

[phill9700]

i wouldnt touch the psu inside!! i dont like electrics in that way, so i wouldnt touch them!
i figured the temps where ok, but if i can get them cooler, i wont be arguing..
you think that the antec true power 350w or so would be more than enough for some lastiality? i dont like the ideas of buying something then a year down the road buying something a little more expensive again, if you know what i mean..
would a smart fan from thermaltake do the same job as a paniflow model? im not so sure about getting them over in the uk.. i havent seen them where i normally shop too..
oh when i get out my scsi drive, i think it will be a lot better inside there! plus a nice 120mm case fan on the side will help wouldnt it? need some air going into the case as the front of the case isnt great at all for something like that...
thanks again for the help! really appreaited.. really it is

 

[Ionizer86]

A quiet supply for cheap is the Allied 400W. It has dual fans but it was about as quiet as the Enhance that I modded with an L1A. If you need something quieter, I think PC Power has an uber quiet PSU or even a fanless one.

You may want to consider finding a Barracuda IV 40GB to get that hard drive volume quieter.

 

[mechBgon]

Note that Antec TruePower is not the same as Antec SmartPower. TruePower units come in 330W, 380W, 430W, 480W and 550W variants. I use TruePower 330's at work on our A7N266-VM systems with CPUs ranging from 1800+ to 2400+, and our target lifespan for these systems is five years, so you can see that I've put my employer's money where my mouth is. And my own, too... for my own work rig (which I own personally), I use a TruePower 430.

I also just ordered a TP430 for home to replace my somewhat-loud Enermax 365-series unit, which I'll retire to service-loaner duties at work most likely.

 

[mechBgon]

Oh, and I forgot to mention it, but it sounds like the TruePowers have started being sent with black plugs on the wiring! :Q That's GOT to add at least a 5% performance boost because they look l33t!

 

[phill9700]

i will definitely look into that, as its something that will be needed.
just another quick question really, how do you work out how much power the psu is giving out? like i said, if i want this pc on 24/7 i would like to keep my girl friends electric bill down rather than make it triple! has anyone any ideas about that ?