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Silencing the Sonata, Need PSU recommendations.

Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 1:34 pm
by x1m
First post :)

I got into the whole silencing thing when my friend had enough of his pc, and started removing fans. I was impressed with what he did and took it up ( I later found out the fans were delta fans :shock: )

Anyhow, I built my own system, and then transfered it to a Sonata when I developed an allergy to noise. Having slowly upgraded it, I'm now beginning to think I'm stretching the psu a little. Its whirring a lot more than it used to, and its beginning to get annoying.

Contents:

1x NEC 2510A DVD-RW
1x Generic DVD-ROM Drive
1x Coolermaster Aerogate II
1x 120GB 7200.7 SATA
1x 200GB 7200.7 IDE
1x Tv Card
1x Linksys 54G NIC
1x Creative 5.1 Live
1x Ati 9800Pro OEM with Zalman
1x Acoustifan 120mm @ 900RPM
1x Sonata Rear fan @ psu fan connector RPM
3x Neon String ATA connectors
1x Akasa Cold Cathode (not entirely pointless in a Sonata...)

Is this too much for the lowly 380w inside? Do I need more powah?
I was thinking of upgrading to a fanless PSU, but unsure of which make to go for. Also, If i do put a fanless psu in, how much effect will it have on my internal temperatures? Case ~ 28 and cpu diode is ~ 44.

P.S. Is it possible to change the rear case fan in the Sonata?

Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 1:45 pm
by sthayashi
Maybe I misread, but I don't see any mention of the processor you're using. That's the the most important piece of information.

But even without that piece of information, I'm 99.44% sure you have plenty of power for your system. It's just that the Sonata stock PSU is not considered the quietest, and now you know why. I think you'll like almost anything in the recommended section. A Seasonic Super Tornado 350 should perfect for you.

BTW, yes you CAN change the rear case fan in the Sonata. But you should look into undervolting when you switch PSUs. Most don't have a Fan-Only line.

Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 1:53 pm
by x1m
Whoops.

Its a 2500+ Barton.

Are fanless PSU's not worth the money then?

And does anyone have a link to changing the rear fan in the Sonata, those grommets look like a nasty piece of stuff to me.

Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 8:13 pm
by sthayashi
A week ago, I probably would have said no. But MikeC has tested a passive PSU and gave it good reviews. I'm still a bit wary of it since you'll need to insure adequate case cooling and it's more expensive than the Seasonic series.

But it's probably slightly quieter.

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 1:37 pm
by burcakb
There's a whole lot you can do before you go the fanless (and IMO dangerous) route.

1. UNDERVOLT YOUR CPU!!! If your mobo supports lower voltages that Barton should easily run at 1.5V. That'd cut CPU generated heat by nearly 14W. Pretty impressive.

2. Do the Sonata front bezel mods. Sonata air intake is lousy.

3. Even with the bezel mods, the hdd cages block air intake pretty much. That acoustifan @ 900 rpms just wont pull enough air through. That fan just doesn't have the suction power even though it's a good exhaust. You might want to switch the front and back fans.

4. I suspect you've connected the back fan to the PSU fan-only connector. The Sonata PSU ramps up in speed pretty quickly, ramping up your back fan in the process. You don't need that. Connect that fan directly to a low voltage line (I like that fan at 5V, low noise, good cooling). Or better still, connect it to 5V at the front, use the Acousti at the back

5. Change your PSU. Look at the recommended lists. If you want, you can also mod it to receive a quieter fan. I've done the mod, but I'm a little nervous about that PSU after 4 months of 24/7 use. I'll be opening it up this weekend to check the innards.

6. Don't worry too much about the elastic mounts. You can buy replacements if you want or use Bluefront's (i think) mounting method with zipties & rubber washers.

Ooooopps, forgot the most important part :

Welcome to SPCR !

Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2004 7:05 pm
by Interitus
per my sig, and for a nice price...

I'm running a 400w Coolmax Taurus (39.99 w/ free ship from Newegg this week) and I'm super happy with it.

Other than that they're right....I have an awesome Athlon XP so I can run it at 1.8ghz at around 1.3v. Around 1.5v should do your 2500 fine. I also agree with not having the Acousti up front. It just doesn't pull enough air to aid in air intake. The front bezel mods help a ton as well.

If you don't want to spend a lot of money, just pick up a fanmate from somewhere to run your fans at 5v without the PSU line.