All,

After much debating and research, I finally decided on the Lian Li PC-6070 after it became available on Directron (I need APO shipping, which they do). I'd debated on other cases such as the D8000 and Sonata, but neither seemed to meet my needs or I couldn't find an APO shipper. The only other case that seemed interesting was the Neo Classic, but I'm ready to build a new system now and just can't wait. I have a great necessity to build the quietest computer possible as family members use the living room, where my computer runs virtually 24/7, as a bedroom (common in Japan).

Below are the components I plan on installing into my new PC-6070. Respectfully request opinions on those, as well as any suggestions to help tweak my PC-6070 to optimize quietness and eliminate vibration.
Thanks much!

hawkeye1

New PC Build
- Lian Li PC-6070 (new)
- Aopen AK79D-Max (new)
- 2 X IBM/Hitachi 120GB hard drives (new)
- SilenX 400W 14dB PSU (just installed today...in a word awesome! I
previously used a modded Zalman 350W which put out a consistent
whine. Installed the SilenX, tested things that previously gave me
severe whine such as certain folders on my Seagatge 80GB and certain
channels on mIRC; the whine is gone and my system is
undeniably quieter...thanks SilenX!)
- ATI OEM RADEON 9000 Atlantis 128MB DVI TV out fanless (new, I know
I'm sacrificing some performance, but I'm not a big gamer and only
interested in good 2D performance. It's replacing a Radeon 8500 for
which I've removed the fan...is this a good decision?)
- 1 X Seagate IV 80GB hard drive (from current system, used as a slave drive)
- 1 X Seagate IV 60GB (my current boot drive)
- 1 X Pioneer DVD-106S DVD ROM (from current system)
- 1 X Lite-On 48X12X40 CD-RW (from current system)
- AMD XP2100 T-Bred Barton (from current system)
- SLK-800 with, I think, a Panflo 80mm fan, currently running at 1340RPM
and 51 degrees Celcius (from current system)

Welcome fellow APO resident!

Sounds like a nice setup.

First, your CPU temps seem a little hot, but in Japan that's understandable. I'd raise the CPU fan speed or reapply some Arctic Silver just to be safe. But if your system is stable under 100% load, don't worry about it so much.
Your video card is a good choice since you don't do much gaming. If you decide you need more video horsepower, get a Radeon 9500 pro with a Zalman HP80A (or newer). You won't regret it.

You don't mention any intake or exhaust fans. Don't you have any? I'd say you needed at least an exhaust.

I'd also recommend using elastomeric fan isolators for any case fans, and grommets for your hard drives/optical drives.

I'm not familiar with your motherboard, does it have a northbridge fan? If so, unplug it or get a Zalman NB cooler.

That's about it. If you have your case in a computer desk, you could set it on top of a piece of foam or a few old mouse pads to isolate it from the desk.

Enjoy the tropical weather while you can!

Bad decision; The Radeon 9000 is actually slower than the Radeon 8500, that is one of the reasons why it actually requires a fan. Save some money!

You can simply remove the fan and place a Panaflo @5v parrallel to it, find a way to mount it.

I have a Radeon 8500 AIW and mounted a panaflo on a Zalman bracket.

Thanks to both ez2remember and Mr_Smartepants for your replies. I'll check out the suggestions for the fan isolators and grommets. As for my exhausts, the PC-6070 comes with three (I believe) 15dB 80mm fans, so I plan on using those or transferring the 80mm's I have now (mostly Panaflo and Papst). My system is stable, runs 24/7 with nary a problem, but I do get concerned with the CPU temps, and I'm always keeping an eye on that. As for the Aopen motherboard, it's a passively cooled nForce2 board, although some have reported instances of northbridge fans.

I really debated on the video card, but did not want to spend close to $300 for one. I disconnected the noisy fan on my 8500 LE which caused internal temps to rise a bit, so I'll give the 9000 a try with the most recent Catylst drivers, and if disappointed will throw the 8500 back in and try a 5V fan. Just trying my best to keep the number of fans to a minimum unless temps dictate otherwise.

Thanks for the suggestions...keep 'em coming!

Hawkeye1

P.S. It certainly is balmy here, never remember it being this warm in May before in my 10 years here.

As for price, the 9500pro can be had between $170 and $190, add $30 for a ZM80A and you're alright!

I remember when I was in Okinawa, we could wear shorts and t-shirts all year round (when not in uniform). When you'd take a shower, we didn't bother drying off because as soon as you'd go outside, the humidity would soak you anyway even in winter.

I have a question about the drive rack on the bottom of the case. Will this fit 5 1/4" units such as a HDD mounted on a NoVibe decoupler?

yeah it will but i don't think you can mount it side ways you will have to lay it flat