Help Me keep my sanity!

Drumbago · Post by **Drumbago** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 11:53 am

hi all,

well firstly congrats on a good site and helpfull forum, been reading up for a bit now.

I have recently embarked on a voyage of silence, that has rapidly become an obsession, and seek your advice...

Here is my current spec;

Asus Pv5 Mobo
Intel dual core 2X 2.4 ghz
nvidia geforce 7300
2gb ram

Frankly, i'm no expert and ave only been using a proper pc about 6 months, (laptops before), but have done some tinkering already, in an effort to reduce the noise, as it is frigin noisy.

It came in an X-blade case with a standard PSU, which i have replaced with an EZ cool, which has made some difference.
i have recently bought an NZXT hush case, which despite looking very sexy, doesnt really address the problem of noisy components (should have known!) i am however impressed with the case fans, as they are next to silent.

now, having read the sticky, i went through and systematically stopped and listened to each of the fans, and i reckon the worst culprits are the processor and gfx card fans. i know i'm in for a long journey here as cash is a factor,so basically i'm after recommendations of which of the 2 to replace 1st, and what with??

I'm told the processor fan is one of the quietest, bu having stopped it, i dont believe so, also how easy is it to replace a cpu fan? bear in mind i'm noexpert...

i use it for a bit of gaming, but not extensive sessions, this is probably the most cpu iensive activity its used for, but its in the front room and can clearly be heard humming away with the telly on, which is very annoying, and sitting next to it is even worse.

i know i'm obsessing a bit, and i'm pleased with its performance, but as i'm sure you will all agre, it can always be quieter!

any advice is greatly appreciated!
cheers,
drum

kittle · Post by **kittle** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 12:39 pm

CPU fans are fairly easy to replace, but you will endup replacing both the fan and the heatsink. I suggest opening up your case and look to see how your existing HSF might come off -- just dont actually remove it until you have a replacement in hand.

Depending on what your willing to spend a cpu cooler replacement will run anywhere from $10 to $100. I dont have a system like yours, but personal experience shows the zalman coolers are pretty easy to work with, but they arent the most quiet ones available.

Somebody else should be able to reccomend a nice quiet cooler for a C2D like you have.

JoeWPgh · Post by **JoeWPgh** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 12:49 pm

VGA fans are often the worst offenders. For a little over $20, you could get an Arctic Cooling Accelero S2. Fanless, and very effective. It's listed as compatible with the 7300.

For the CPU, you might want to look into a Ninja, or Mini Ninja. They're in the $30 ~ 40 range. If you go that route, get the Thermalright Thru-bolt kit. It's only a few bucks and worth every penny. Basically, you're looking to replace the cooler and the fan. Others have other preferences for CPU coolers, but for the price, the Ninjas seem pretty tough to beat.

As a cheaper alternative, you might want to check your BIOS to see if you can reduce the CPU fanspeed there. Or a Zalman fanmate could be used to slow the fan down.

Before you get into all this though, you should download a copy of Speedfan. It's a free and invaluable tool when solving heat/noise issues.

Drumbago · Post by **Drumbago** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 1:31 pm

hi guys, thanks for the advice.

yes i have heard ninja's are good, but presumed they were pretty expensive,so thats good news, same for the gfx. i'm in the uk, so should be fairly cheap.

i have tried speedfan, but either my inabilty to configure it properly, or mymotherboard not supporting it, or both has lead to frustration. i'm not sure if i can alter my fanspeed thru the bios, i have tried.

what is a thrubolt kit?

* forgive the noobie question-- justt checked out the Arctic Cooling Accelero S2, does this mean replacing the the vga fan with this? so there is no fan at all?
if so i like the look of it....

Myth! · Post by **Myth!** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 10:51 pm

yes it replaces the current heatsink/fan (HSF) on the graphics card with this fanless heatsink. As the article states though...u still need good airflow through the case for this to work well

Drumbago · Post by **Drumbago** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 11:22 am

ok, I've done some more lookin arond so my next question is - scythe infinity, or ninja? i'm not sure how much room i'd have in the hush case for a ninja, so may go for a mini.

can anyone advise which of the 2 i'm best to go for? its socket 775, bear in mind i've never changed a hsf before!

cheers

Trip · Post by **Trip** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 9:59 pm

Could you measure the distance between the processor and the top of the case?

This is your case, NZXT hush case, right? I bet that has plenty of space.

Changing a HSF is v easy. Just be sure to ground yourself, don't change it over a carpet if you can help it, and be sure to use the right amount of thermal gunk. Arctic silver is what I used to use for thermal gunk.

Scythe Ninja for $35 + shipping after pricewatch search.