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SUBJECTIVE EVALUATION
Completed installation. Five sides of case
covered with adhesive panels and unused interior space filled with foam blocks.
Impressions
The first thing I noticed when I handled the case doors after applying the
acoustic composite panels was how different they felt. Yes, they were heavier
but they were also very "dead". This was most noticeable when tapping
on them but it was also noticeable in a more subtle way as well. Just handling
the panels felt different. The normal bit of flexing that takes place as you
handle the panels felt different. It was slower in frequency, it sort of felt
like the panels were submerged in a bath of oil or something like that.
Putting
the doors into place on the case was also much different than normal. Everything
was very dead when the doors were being closed and the latches and thumbscrews
were being fastened. It was a completely different tactile sensation than I
was used to. It was like closing the door on a Mercedes as compared to a Ford.
The Mercedes door closes with a very solid "thud" while the Ford door
closes with a tinny rattle.
This is how the damped versus undamped case feels.
It feels really solid and unyielding when compared to a normal undamped case.
It's a very satisfying feeling, it shouts "class". Moving the damped
case around was akin to handling the doors. Even if you don't tap on it you
can tell how dead and solid it feels just from the tactile sensation on your
hands. It's hard to describe but it definitely exists.
Tapping on the panels
definitely lets you know some thing good is happening. The panels are all incredibly
dead and non-resonant compared to the undamped version of the case. I have a
SLK3700BQE, the twin brother to the 3700AMB that I used for comparing the damped
versus undamped iteration of the case. Tap on the undamped 3700BQE and you can
hear a distinct rattley resonance. Tap on the damped 3700AMB and you hear a
lower frequency "thud" and no rattle.
Comparisons
So fine and dandy, the case is much "deader" sounding if you go around
tapping on it or opening and closing its doors. But that's not how
I utilize a computer. My normal computer usage consists of the computer case
and hardware sitting unmolested off to the right side of my desk while I type
and/or read the screen. How much difference does the AcoustiPack™ damping kit
make to the noise of the system while it's just sitting there running? Lets
see.
The AcoustiPack™ -treated system is my gaming rig, which consists of the following
hardware:
* Asus P4P800-D motherboard with BIOS 1008.
* Intel P4 3.0 800MHz CPU, at stock speed and voltage.
* Thermalright SLK900U + 92mm Panaflo L1BX fan @ 9V.
* 2 x 512MB Mushkin PC3200 Level II RAM running at 400MHz.
* Sapphire ATI9600Pro Ultimate graphics card, passively cooled.
* 80GB Seagate Barracuda IV hard drive.
* Plextor 40x CDRW drive.
* 400W Seasonic Super Silencer power supply.
* 5V Panaflo OEM L1A 120mm case fan on rear wall.
* 5V Panaflo L1A 80mm HDD cooling fan in 5.25" bay.
* CPU temperatures read from the internal thermal diode with Motherboard Monitor
5.
* Ambient temperature: 21°C.
This is a very powerful gaming system but is a tiny bit too noisy for me to
consider using it as my main system. The primary noise comes from the
92mm Panaflo L1BX CPU cooling fan running at 9V. The 92mm L1 Panaflo isn't in
the same league as its more famous 80mm little brother, and has a bit of a whine
to it at anything much more than about 6 volts. It needs to run at around 8-9
volts in my system to cool the CPU enough during the hot summer months and I
can hear it resonating through the case, as well as the direct noise that escapes
through the big 120mm fan hole at the rear of the case.
The second noisiest
component in this system is the seek noise of the Seagate Barracuda IV hard drive.
It is very, very quiet but I can still hear it if the ambient noise is low.
I'd estimate the total noise of this system to be around 25 to 30 dB. I chose it for the AcoustiPack™
damping kit because
it is my noisiest system. I've been using this system daily for the past six months and
am very familiar with its acoustic signature.
After completing the installation of the kit I moved the case (dang, this thing
is noticeably heavier now!) from my workbench back next to my desk, hooked everything up and started the system. I immediately
noticed that the subtle seek noise of the Barracuda IV was muffled quite a bit
compared to before. The biggest difference
in noise reduction came from the CPU fan however. The slightly tinny metallic
case resonance was lower in intensity and frequency, and the slight whine from
the fan itself was also lower in volume and tone. The difference between the
undamped and damped version of this system was not earth-shattering but it was
certainly noticeable. The tone of the noise was shifted down towards the low
frequency end of the acoustic spectrum and the volume of the noise was also
reduced. To me, the slightly lower frequency noise is less objectionable than
the higher frequency noise of the undamped system.
One thing that I was also interested in seeing is what effect the AcoustiPack™
damping kit had on the case and CPU temperatures: They stayed exactly the same. At idle or load
there was no change, damping kit or no damping kit. So that concern is a
non-issue if you don't change the in/out airflow.
Another potential issue that ended up being a non-issue was odor.
Many types of damping compounds give off an unpleasant odor as the case
heats up, some stink even at room temperature. The AcoustiPack™ damping material
gives off no detectable odor, even when running at full load for extended periods.
This is nice for keeping peace in the household!
A / B Comparison
Since auditory memory is not the most reliable of our senses I then tried an
"A/B" noise comparison of the damping kit by configuring two identical
systems, one in a damped SLK3700AMB and one in an undamped SLK3700BQE. The hardware
configurations in each system were identical and consisted of the following
components:
* Intel 875PBZ motherboard with BIOS P16.
* Intel P4 2.4C CPU, at stock speed and voltage.
* Zalman 7000AlCu HSF with fan at 9V.
* 2 x 512MB of Mushkin PC3200 Level II RAM running at 400MHz.
* ATI7500 Radeon passively cooled video card.
* 80GB Seagate Barracuda IV hard drive.
* Plextor 52x and 40x CDRW drives.
* 400W Seasonic Super Silencer PSU.
* 5V Panaflo OEM L1A 120mm case fan on rear wall.
* 5V Panaflo L1A 80mm HDD cooling fan in 5.25" bay.
* CPU temperatures read from the internal thermal diode with Motherboard Monitor
5.
* Ambient temperature: 20°C.
The above 2.4C system
starts off quieter than the 3.0 system; the Zalman 7000 cooler at 5 volts
is a lot quieter than the 9 volt 92mm Panaflo L1. As a result, the
difference in the damped and undamped 2.4C systems is also more subtle. I turned the
Zalman 7000 fan up to 9 volts to see how much difference there was at this louder
setting. At 9 volts the Zalman 7000 fan is starting to noisy. You
can distinctly hear air noise as well as a mechanical clicking noise at this
setting. The A/B comparison of this 9V fan noise shows that the damped case
cuts the turbulence noise and the mechanical noise by a small, but noticeable amount.
The noise of the Barracuda IV HDD is
also nicely muffled in the damped case.
CONCLUSION
The AcoustiPack™
C6607 damping kit works well in the Antec SLK3700AMB case. The precut pieces fit perfectly, and are easily applied, even in a system that has already been built. Noise reduction is greater with a noisier system than with a quieter one. I believe that in a resonant case, like an aluminum case for instance, its effects
would be quite dramatic. On an already very quiet system, the improvements are more subtle, but for those seeking to shave every last decibel of noise from their systems, the
AcoustiPack™ kit is worth using.
Pros
- It works
- Nicely illustrated application instructions
- Precut, no measuring or cutting needed and all panels fit.
- Easy to apply with self adhesive backing
- No odor
- Gives the case a very solid, expensive "feel"
Cons
- Makes the case heavier
- Potentially pricey ( pricing and availability unknown at this time)
- Limited distribution
Much thanks to AcoustiProducts™ for the opportunity to examine this damping kit.
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