Want to make my box Quiet!!!!!!

[SpeedFreak03]

Around the holidays, I'm gonna be upgrading to an AthlonXP Barton 2500+, EpoX 8RDA+, and 512MB DDR400 Crucial ram, and an Antec TruePower 330W. I plan on using the retail HSF for the CPU, but Im gonna rip out all my old dusty ghetto spliced case fans and replace them with new non-spliced ones. What fans should I use that are really quiet, but will last a while? I have room for 2 fans in the rear (not counting PSU), 4 in the front, and 1 on the side. I don't really wanna fill all these up, as i will have to cut each grate out (i already have one in the back and one in the front cut out for better airflow), and more fans equals more noise. Ok, another question. Is there anything I can put inside my case to make it quieter, like a type of insulation or something? One last question is this: should I get a fan controller, such as a vantec (it needs to be 3.5'' as all my 5.25 slots are filled)? Or are there fans that are quiet enough?

Cliffnotes:
1. Recommend me some quiet, but reliable fans.
2. How many fans should I use (system specs listed above)?
3. Is there anything I can put in my case, such as insulation to make it quieter?
4. Should I buy a fan controller?

Thanks in advance, Josh

 

[phoeneous]

Rhoebus to control the speed and Antec Noise Killer kits. Basically they are rubber gaskets to go around your fan. Also comes with rubber washers for screws, score.

 

[SpeedFreak03]

So for the noise killer kits, your talking about this, right? NewEgg They are pricey lol. Anyway, here is the rheobus i like: NewEgg. Can you guys recommend me any fans? I was looking at newegg, and I'd like to keep it under $5 per fan. I only have openings for 80mm.

 

[stevennoland]

Go with SVC or NewEgg, and if you can afford it, get the CoolerMaster LED fans. I have purchased over a dozen, and I love em.

 

[Bonesdad]

U planning any O/C?

 

[huesmann]

Get a Zalman GPU heatsink, too.

 

[huesmann]

Oh, yeah, you could also get some Akasa matting for the inside. YMMV as far as reducing noise, though.

 

[0roo0roo]

as many low rpm fans as possible even if it means beraking out a dremil or hole saw.

 

[snowairg]

Don't waste your money on those noise-killer kits. Just go down to Orchard Supply Hardware (or similar store) and pick up some rubber grommets and the like. It works out to be much cheaper, and you get to be creative! As for the fans, go with Panaflo L1A's.

I could go on and on, but I'd suggest doing more research on your own HERE.

And oh, the Antec TruePower PS's are not really quiet. More quiet than many power supplies, but you can find much more silent ones. Also, I'm not sure if the retail HSF is quiet or not...

 

[0roo0roo]

silentx psu's are supposedly very quiet. there are also fanless psu's, but those have a price premium obviously.

 

[spanner]

I would just go out and buy an Antec Sonata. You get a Truepower 380W with it and a quiet 12cm exhaust fan which should provide plenty of cooling. If you want you can add a quiet low rpm 12cm intake fan . I think by the time you are done you will save money with this option. I also highly recommend not using the retail heatsink.

 

[SpeedFreak03]

Originally posted by: spanner
I would just go out and buy an Antec Sonata. You get a Truepower 380W with it and a quiet 12cm exhaust fan which should provide plenty of cooling. If you want you can add a quiet low rpm 12cm intake fan . I think by the time you are done you will save money with this option. I also highly recommend not using the retail heatsink.

Man, I just looked up that case on NewEgg, that case is fvcking sweet! But I don't have the $100... There is a refurb for $68 I could afford, buts it not in stock...

U planning any O/C?

Nope.

Don't waste your money on those noise-killer kits. Just go down to Orchard Supply Hardware (or similar store) and pick up some rubber grommets and the like. It works out to be much cheaper, and you get to be creative! As for the fans, go with Panaflo L1A's.

Yeah, $8 did seem like a lot for rubber grommets. Even if that kit is worth it, I probably wouldnt spend my money on it.

I could go on and on, but I'd suggest doing more research on your own HERE.

Thanks for showing me that forum! I already am looking around, and I'm learning alot!

Thanks for all your guys help. I'll see what deals I can find on the Sonata though, that case is sweet!

 

[snowairg]

Instead of getting the Sonata, get something similar: Antec SLK3700AMB. If you buy it from Directron, you can have them change the power supply for you to the Fortron FSP300-60PN, which is much quieter than any of the Antec power supplies. Changing the PS to this also makes the case cheaper ($59)! The only thing that sucks is shipping may be up to $20.

 

[dguy6789]

Maybe water cooling?

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: SpeedFreak03
Around the holidays, I'm gonna be upgrading to an AthlonXP Barton 2500+, EpoX 8RDA+, and 512MB DDR400 Crucial ram, and an Antec TruePower 330W. I plan on using the retail HSF for the CPU, but Im gonna rip out all my old dusty ghetto spliced case fans and replace them with new non-spliced ones. What fans should I use that are really quiet, but will last a while? I have room for 2 fans in the rear (not counting PSU), 4 in the front, and 1 on the side. I don't really wanna fill all these up, as i will have to cut each grate out (i already have one in the back and one in the front cut out for better airflow), and more fans equals more noise. Ok, another question. Is there anything I can put inside my case to make it quieter, like a type of insulation or something? One last question is this: should I get a fan controller, such as a vantec (it needs to be 3.5'' as all my 5.25 slots are filled)? Or are there fans that are quiet enough?

Cliffnotes:
1. Recommend me some quiet, but reliable fans.

NMB ultra quiet - they don't push much air, but are dead silent.
Panaflo L1A...I should have a couple to finally see about in a few days (again ).
Enermax adjustable - quite nice.
Enermax thermal control - also nice, but you're stuck at really slow speed.

2. How many fans should I use (system specs listed above)?

2 on the rear. The rest really don't matter much. Leaving the side open won't affect much, either.
If you get the cables managed properly, it'll be fine that way.

3. Is there anything I can put in my case, such as insulation to make it quieter?

Yes. thick foamy mouse pads, or rubbery carpet padding. However, the biggest thing you want to cut down is vibration noise. Partly due to this, I'd recommend getting a retail CPU (they're cheap enough for the warranty, just in case), and getting a SK-7 or SLK-800U (or A) with a adjustable fan (or medium power fan and fan controller). The barton retail coolers aren't bad, but nothing special either.

4. Should I buy a fan controller?

If you want. Getting medium powered fans and adjusting them with the controller is not a bad option. With Coolermaster and Superflower having just gotton out really nice ones, you've got a very good selection to choose from. If you're not confident in slow fans, get faster ones and the controller.
...however, as I said, if you get the cables out of the way, just having the rear exhaust will be plenty.

Thanks in advance, Josh

 

[0roo0roo]

silent drive enclosures.

 

[SpeedFreak03]

Yeah I've been reading the silent pc forums and everybody recommends/uses the L1As. At $8 a fan (newegg) they are expensive, but if I only need 2, maybe 3, its worth it. As for a new case, my case suits me fine now that I think about it. About the PSU, from what I read on SilentPC, if you have a generic PSU (I have a L&C 350W which is generic pretty much), but it holds good voltage and doesn't make any wierd noises, then its ok to use it. The reason I was gonna replace it was because it was generic. It's quiet and works fine for me, so I'm gonna keep it for now. But the moment the voltages start to "deteriorate" im gonna replace it. As for watercooling, it doesn't need to be THAT quiet lol. Like my buddy runs the stock cooler on his XP3000 and that is what I call quiet. I'll get a couple of panaflos and ill be set! The computer is in a little "cubby" with wood on each side, but the front and back is open. So its way below my ear level. Its funny though that the people say my 80GB WD HDD is loud, but I can hardly hear it! But they say the Panaflos are quiet so they must be lol. Thanks again for all your help in making my box quiet!

 

[s0ssos]

l1a's, the 80 mm kind, can be gotten for $3.49 at case-mod.com

 

[snowairg]

Originally posted by: SpeedFreak03
Yeah I've been reading the silent pc forums and everybody recommends/uses the L1As. At $8 a fan (newegg) they are expensive, but if I only need 2, maybe 3, its worth it. As for a new case, my case suits me fine now that I think about it. About the PSU, from what I read on SilentPC, if you have a generic PSU (I have a L&C 350W which is generic pretty much), but it holds good voltage and doesn't make any wierd noises, then its ok to use it. The reason I was gonna replace it was because it was generic. It's quiet and works fine for me, so I'm gonna keep it for now. But the moment the voltages start to "deteriorate" im gonna replace it. As for watercooling, it doesn't need to be THAT quiet lol. Like my buddy runs the stock cooler on his XP3000 and that is what I call quiet. I'll get a couple of panaflos and ill be set! The computer is in a little "cubby" with wood on each side, but the front and back is open. So its way below my ear level. Its funny though that the people say my 80GB WD HDD is loud, but I can hardly hear it! But they say the Panaflos are quiet so they must be lol. Thanks again for all your help in making my box quiet!

Sounds like you are covered! Definitely check out case-mod (as the previous post says) for the 80mm L1A's. Also, svc has the Panaflo's cheaper than newegg.

I also agree with the information you've found about the power supply. Just cause it's generic doesn't mean it sucks.

The loudest thing in my system now is my 80GB WD HDD when it's being accessed. I couldn't hear it at all in my old system, but now that I'm running a quiet PS and L1A's, I can hear the drive.

Once again, good luck!

 

[0roo0roo]

get a silent drive or something of that type drive enclosure

yea once you quiet down psu's and fans, a loud harddrive will drive one nutz.

you can also find a ahrdware store that sells accoustic foam. dense/skinned self adhesive stuff is nice. course its also insulation

 

[SpeedFreak03]

Man thanks for the casemod site! I looked around, and newegg is expensive for that kind of stuff! But about the HDD, I'll see if I can stand the noise level of this one, then ill buy another one if needed. About the enclosures, do you mean external ones? I don't see any other ones. Thanks again for your help.

 

[0roo0roo]

no, they are internal enclosures that fit in your 5" bays.

supposedly seagate fluid bearing drives are the quietest.

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: SpeedFreak03
Yeah I've been reading the silent pc forums and everybody recommends/uses the L1As. At $8 a fan (newegg) they are expensive, but if I only need 2, maybe 3, its worth it.

Don't get them from Newegg, they only have the 24v L1A fans.

As for a new case, my case suits me fine now that I think about it. About the PSU, from what I read on SilentPC, if you have a generic PSU (I have a L&C 350W which is generic pretty much), but it holds good voltage and doesn't make any wierd noises, then its ok to use it. The reason I was gonna replace it was because it was generic. It's quiet and works fine for me, so I'm gonna keep it for now. But the moment the voltages start to "deteriorate" im gonna replace it. As for watercooling, it doesn't need to be THAT quiet lol. Like my buddy runs the stock cooler on his XP3000 and that is what I call quiet. I'll get a couple of panaflos and ill be set! The computer is in a little "cubby" with wood on each side, but the front and back is open. So its way below my ear level. Its funny though that the people say my 80GB WD HDD is loud, but I can hardly hear it! But they say the Panaflos are quiet so they must be lol. Thanks again for all your help in making my box quiet!

 

[VisableAssassin]

for case fans id vote for some panaflo L1a's however i have just purchased a pair of the new cooler master "neon" LED fans they push 32cfm at only 25 db when i put em up against my panaflo H1a's yes they do push almost the same amount of air but are pretty much inaudible unless your a bat.
they can be had at svc.com or directron.com for only like 6 bucks a piece which last time i checked was a hell of alot cheaper than the panaflos

 

[m1ke101]

I wonder what the fuss is about loud hard drives, are the maxtor and western digital SE (8mb cache) drives considered really quiet? Because I have one of each in my system and I can't hear them. I'm using only l1a fans as well.