Need Advice on building a Quiet HTPC

[DarthZug]

I'm in the process of building my first HTPC. Below is the specs for my HTPC. Most of the parts I already have like the CPU, MB, HD, PowerSupply, and VideoCard.

I will be purchasing the the Silverstone LC10M case as my finally purchase for the system. I want to know how best to cool it while also keeping it quiet.

Also, I want to upgrade the PowerSupply with one that supports SATA, and is quiet/realible. Any Suggestions?



HTPC Specs

Hardware
AMDAthlon XP 2500+ w/Scythe Kamakaze CPUCooler
ABIT NF7-S ver2.0
1GB (2x512MB) PC3200 Mushkin
120GB Western Digital SE
NEC ND-3500A 16X DVD+/-RW DL
ATIRadeon 9800pro w/Arctic Cooling VGA Slicener v.3
Hauppauge WinTV PVR-150MCE
Enermax Whisper 350W
Silverstone Lascala SST-LC10M-B

[keith]

Wow, that's an expensive case. I think you might have a hard time keeping the noise down due to the 2 60mm fans. The 80mm is easily replaced with a quiet Panaflo, but I don't know of any quiet 60mm fans. Generally, the smaller the fan, the faster it has to turn to move the same air. This is why most people will try to get a case with 120mm intake and exhaust so they can use the Nexus 120mm fans. Perhaps you can modify the case to accept a 120 instead of the 60's. Or maybe a different case will serve you better.

I use a Nexus 4090 PSU in my box. It's very quiet, and has two SATA power connectors. I'm running two SATA drives, one IDE drive, and three optical drives from it. It stays very cool and my system is 100% stable.

You can get Nexus PSUs and fans at www.siliconacoustics.com. I'm not affiliated with them, I just wanted to let you know since the Nexus fans are rather hard to find in the US.

Hope this helps.

Keith

[Tibors]

Also, I want to upgrade the PowerSupply with one that supports SATA, ...

What's wrong with an adapter cable?

[DarthZug]

Nothing is wrong with an Adapter cable, but I want to put a quieter PowerSupply in the system so I might as well get on that supports SATA.

Would THIS work for the 2 60mm fans, and THIS work for the 80mm fans? I'm not going to even try to put a 120mm in the case.

I like the Nexus PowerSupply, my question is will 350W be able to handle the hardware I have listed above? Or do I need to get the 400W.

[teejay]

The 350W model will handle that hardware without a hitch. However, the 400W model is not just a higher-rated model but a (slightly) newer design as well. This translates into higher efficiency and a fan control circuit that spins up less. Higher efficiency means less heat and less rpms means less noise... so if the price difference is not too big I'd definitely get the 4090 model Keith suggested.

Regarding your fan suggestions: Papst fans are not the quietest fans around IMO, even though they are not bad. I have found their quality to differ from one fan to the next quite a lot, so because I also take their high price into account they are not at the top of my personal recommended list. 80mm Nexus fans are quieter out of the box so if you're going to order from siliconacoustics anyway I'd get a Nexus. Problem is they do not come in 60mm sizes so there you might have to try your luck with the Papst fans.

Have you considered the Arisetec/Kanam HT-400 case? Even more expensive, I know, but at least it has more silencing potential. They even throw in a free fanmate 2... big deal @ $299 Dasman started a thread on this case here. Pretty case...