Quieting a PC, and SPCR... in a nutshell

New to PC silencing? Read & post your questions here. Dedicated to rosy_toes.

Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee

Shadowknight
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Post by Shadowknight » Mon May 23, 2005 7:26 am

Meh, I don't know anything about that. If someone PMs me with the relevant info, I'll add it in, otherwise, no.

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Post by BlueCan » Mon May 23, 2005 8:37 am

When dampening cases, I usually use water as my primary dampening agent. Works well. It moistens things right up. :lol:

When I want to deaden vibration and/or muffle sounds, I try to use materials like acoustipack. They're designed for vibration deadening and sound muffling...

-Patrick

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Post by Shadowknight » Fri Aug 12, 2005 12:55 pm

Made a few updates regarding the Ninja, P180, Damptek, correction of a couple of things, etc.

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Post by Shadowknight » Tue Sep 20, 2005 6:57 pm

Added some stuff on keyboards and mouse mods.

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Post by Shadowknight » Tue Sep 27, 2005 7:13 pm

More updates to reflect the Zalman 9500 coming out, new VGA heatsinks, Fortran Zen, quiet mouse, additional quiet fans for non-U.S.ers, other new heatsinks by Scythe and Thermalright, Antec silicon grommets in P180/Sonata II, additional details on hard drive vibrations affecting the case, 1 recommended DVD-drive listed.

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Post by Shadowknight » Mon Oct 24, 2005 11:52 am

Added some more info on the Neo, P150, other enclosures, a few other things. Also changed the formatting a bit to make it more consistant.

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Post by NeilBlanchard » Mon Oct 24, 2005 3:57 pm

Greetings,

Thanks for your work on this thread -- I somehow have missed it up until now!

There seems to be a typo/glitch in this sentence about the Sonata II:
Unlike the P180, it comes with rubber fan isolators to prevent vibration from being transmitted to the case.
You also might want to add that the P180 and the P150 have the softer damping grommets?

[Edit: D'oh! I missed the fan isolators... :oops: ]
Last edited by NeilBlanchard on Mon Oct 24, 2005 5:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Shadowknight
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Post by Shadowknight » Mon Oct 24, 2005 5:24 pm

While I probably need to get around to mentioning the grommets on the P150, notice I mentioned
Antec's P180 and Sonata II has grommets far superior to these,
The Sonata II quote you mentioned has nothing to do with hard drive grommets; The P180 uses screws (or plastic brackets) for mounting fans. The Sonata II uses fan isolators, you might think of them as "rubber screws". They transmit less vibration than normal metal screws do.

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Post by Shadowknight » Sat Nov 05, 2005 10:59 am

Added links to indepth detail about fan design and construction, added link to Austrailian retailer that sells fan isolators.

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Re: Quieting a PC, and SPCR... in a nutshell

Post by peteamer » Sat Nov 05, 2005 11:32 am

Admin wrote:---------------
Thanks to Shadowknight for starting this thread and keeping it up to date even w/o official support. Please keep it up!
--------------
Damn Straight !!


Damn Fine Job Centurion 8)



Some very nice updates to the 'style' of the post as well!! 8)








Regards
Pete
(Any chance you would like to take over the running of the website I do for my mate as well ??.. :D )

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Post by Shadowknight » Mon Nov 07, 2005 8:24 am

Added info on the current reference 2.5 drive, mentioned last SPCR review of the 7,200rpm Seagate notebook drive, Mutemat and it's availability in the U.K., mentioned SPCR reviewed the above, listed sites in German and French, reasons I haven't provided links for everything in the FAQ.

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Post by Shadowknight » Sat Dec 03, 2005 11:06 pm

After putting it off for a couplr of weeks, I corrected some speling errors that made a mess of the words "undervolting" and "underclocking" so that people actually know what I'm talking about now.

Added more keyboards to the list, another mouse, a quote about one users experience with mousepad material, information about mice posted on SPCR as being whiny, added a link to the webpage talking about of Logitech mice with this flaw.

Probably should have posted about the 7-volt trick, but I didn't think of it when I updated the post, so I'll do that next time I have another thing or two to update.

If anyone thinks of anything else I could splat in the FAQ, I would appreciate it.

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Post by Shadowknight » Wed Dec 28, 2005 1:33 pm

Added info on Silentmaxx dampening kit from Germany, added the Grey waterproof keyboard to the keyboard list, added a couple of "quiet" mouse pads, mentioned Akasa Amber fans, though I mentioned that there needs to be a greater consensus before recommending.

Probably need to get info on "quiet" aftermarket mouse feet as well, someday. Mouse slicksurf will probably last the longest, and you can get it really thick, but I want to try it on something better/quieter than the 3M precision mousing convered in stains (impossible to cleanup). The mousepad's about 9 years old.

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Very appreciated

Post by Stylz » Thu Dec 29, 2005 12:37 pm

I've read much (most?) of the SPRC articles, which have been very interesting, and this summary post of yours is an excellent continuation / wrap up. Thanks very much!

Stylz

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Post by Shadowknight » Mon Jan 16, 2006 12:30 pm

Edited to slightly reduce the length (slightly). Made some changes per Alexsi about the 1BX Panaflos, variability in Panaflo quality, NMB/Panaflo merger, Nexus "cherry picking" possible unsubstantiated myth, information on 92mm and 80mm Nexus manufacturers,some recommended SPCR vendors, non-soldering mouse mod, and 1000% increase in computer performance under #16.

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Post by jaganath » Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:24 pm

and 1000% increase in computer performance under #16.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Because all the other suggestions had been so sensible, I found myself briefly nodding and saying "Ahh, a cat, of course, why didn't I think of that" before realising I'd been tricked by the silence-meister himself, SK!

Image

Surprised kitty caught surfing the internet!

Image

Cat-powered PC

Shadowknight
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Post by Shadowknight » Sat Feb 04, 2006 10:38 pm

Fixed some typos, added a little info on decent mousefeet, couple of other odds and ends.

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Post by Shadowknight » Mon Feb 27, 2006 2:09 pm

Added a link to Jab-Tech for some closed flange mounts for $1.30 (though I mistankely put in $1.50). Someone sells these types of mounts for less than $5. Shock to me.

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Post by Shadowknight » Mon Apr 10, 2006 10:38 am

Threw in a link to the Thanko review, mentioned the recently tested hybrid PSUs on SPCR, generally "cut out the fat" and made the thing a bit trimmer, etc.

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Post by Shadowknight » Thu Apr 27, 2006 10:20 am

Added a couple of new passive/semi passive chipset coolers (with prices), added a few SPCR user links on their experience with some passive HD coolers, made links shorter to make them all purdy and efficient, updated a couple of links to the correct pages, removed links to a couple of pages that now no longer exist, added link to discussion as to why some people silence their computers, added a couple of linkd related to fans/a couple of more fan models considered quiet, added Aerocase VGA coolers, though warned no reviews/feedback yet, MikeCs issues with a specifc case made out of aluminum. Realized that cats don't increase computer performance, correctly added their effects on db put out by computer systems.

Considering added some links related to a discussion involving SPCR ethics for honest reviews vs. sites that shill for free product (not that SPCR does that, link to discussion to specific instance where company demanded control over a review on this website (really, you'd have to see this yourself for the ridicolous demands... including wanting complete control over the final edits of the review, not allowing any negative comments on their product, etc.). Still not sure if it's appropriate to put in here.

Honestly beginning to wonder if I should delete this entire thread, just seems worthless to me for some reason. I've been thinking about this for a few months, I'll have to think about it some more.

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Post by Teffy » Tue May 16, 2006 11:17 pm

Shadowknight, thanks so much for this post/thread/FAQ! I am a silent PC newbie who would like to build my own. I have spent many hours reading on this site, and was getting overwhelmed by all the information. Your post is helping me to "bring it all together." Maybe there is hope for me after all... :)

Teffy

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Post by Shadowknight » Sat May 20, 2006 5:42 pm

I've added a few more updates:
1. Added a new Zalman NB cooler
2. Mentioned, and linked to, info/reactions to S-Flex fans
3. Made a more general link to Arctic Cooling
4.Altered the endpcnoise link so clicking on it will get SPCR some revenue (like on the front page)
5. Linked to Peter something's dual Lian-li quieting project
6. Added the Tunique Tower, though have no info on how quiet it is, in the CPU cooler section
7. Added link to Danish (muffin) silencing site.

What I meant to do was:
1. Add Digikey link
2. Add link I found on SPCR to a bunch of German decoupling and dampening material retail site.

What I'll get around to is:
1. Samsung thing in Silent Front about their new hardrive tech
2. harddrive section on 500gb Hitachi slipstreaming thing.

Why didn't do the "meant to do" was because clicking on the link to the slipstreaming .pdf, despite working earlier, locked my browser. In the middle of updating this thing. I had already right clicked it and saved, but for some reason clicking alt-tab-del to close the browser deleted the info from the clipboard. Without going to edit (this time), it locked up my browers. Again. So understanbly, I forget to do the digikey and German thingy. I could go back and do another edit, except:

1. I'm annoyed
2. I'm annoyed
3. I'm annoyed

I am NOT going to crash my browser again to go into that crapped up Hitachi .pdf. I'll add it and the Samsung thing (which works fine) when it is NOT crapped up.

Not that anyone should care, I'm just venting.

Stupid Hitachi link.

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Post by Shadowknight » Mon May 29, 2006 2:09 pm

(continued)
12) Mice
There has been even less talk about quiet mouse feet or mouse pads, but it’s obviously better to use a soft cloth neoprene backed mouse pad the mouse has almost no sliding sound over a hard plastic one

Some recommended "quiet" mouse pads include; Micetracker Mice Pads
Ulti-Mat Breathe - A cloth mouse pad that comes in several sizes, from small to very very large


13) Speakers
Speakers, particularly cheap ones, can have a "hissing" noise. Unfortunately I haven't seen any feedback on "quiet" speakers.

14) Aluminum
Aluminum does NOT lead to a cooler computer. In a PC case, cooling is dependent on airflow. If you run it with no fans, your computer will shut down/be damaged. In the unlikely event it might help, the only components directly touching the case are the hard drive and the PSU. The hard drive is slightly cooler, 2, maybe 3 degrees, touching the case. The PSU, and everything else, depends solely on airflow. Aluminum, being less dense than steel, is more prone to vibration/resonance. This will generate an audible hum when moving components are directly coupled to the case. You can theoretically make it as quiet as a steel case, but it a lot harder and requires more effort to do so. See MikeC’s comments on the acoustic effects of aluminum cases.

15) Cats
You need one, they increase computer performance by 1000% and decrease computer noise by 8db

****
ETA: I've turned the belowt into a dumping ground of misc. info, until I can find a way to put it in the first post. Randomness in the presentation of the below information may ensue.

A) SPCR has been covered in the news due to the ever increasing popularity of silencing/making quiet computers, even in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Mike recently collected a bunch of articles on SPCR/himself/quiet computing in general here.

B) For those who wonder about how much integrity SPCR has, see here, and here, which proves that SPCR is more about giving fair, honest reviews instead of being all about the Benjamins. (Oh, and the makers of the Magnum PSU are complete nutters).

C) Since it's kind of hidden, the Silent Front section has an article that shows off the SPCR Sound Lab. This is where various products are tested for the reviews.

I've been told that my current browser will only allow me to read a post to a certain length, so if the FAQ thingy is long, others may be able to read the whole thing, while I can't. I've been trying to trim the fat to fit as much in there as possible, but I'm running out of things I think I can cut out right now. So, I wanted to post a couple of things here which probably won't make it in any further revisions.

D) ichbinleise - a German shop - offers a bunch of hard drive silencing products, foam, and verax rubber sticks in their on-line store. The foam and hd products have been branded under their own name. One of the HD silencing products looks like a HD cage with foam between drives. It's apparently a rebrand of a product byAlphacool and isn't any better than a Zalman hard drive cooler according to scrawnypaleguy it isn't worth buying. More of their products under their own name can be found here Some opinions on their products can be found here. This compares it to a "Bituman Box", which is some type of home-brew enclosure. They are willing to sell to people in the U.S and in the European Union., so if you're really curious about some products not available here, given them a shot.

E) Yet more hard drive quieting info:
There are several products that use hard-ish rubber to quiet a drive down, such as the Silentmaxx X-Swing set and a Zalman cooler with heatpipes on it. The Nexus Disktwin attaches to the side of a HD, but it increase drive temps. There is a mixed to reaction to whether it actually helps vibration from the drive or not:

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes- review
No
No - MikeC
No

nici reviewed the new Scythe Quiet Drive here and compared it to several other enclosures here, including a subjective impression of noise reduction and temperature readouts.

For the record, Alphacool makes the Silentmaxx enclosure, which is sold under Silentmaxx (duh), Logisys (note: any claims that it uses heatpipes are WRONG. It's a translation error; somehow "cooling channels/fins" gets mistranslated as "heatpipes").

Alleycat made a hombrew enclosure that some people have replicated. Here's his web page, and a a couple of different threads discussing it.

Stretchmagic is a popular material used on SPCR to suspend hard drives. Here is a sample picture, though there is a thread dedicated to the initial discovery of this material. It's around $3? at hobby stores like Michael's.

F) Prototype VGA coolers
There are some prototype VGA coolers that are purely passive that have been shown at trade shows by Arctic Cooling, Thermalright, and Scythe

G) Acoustic Foam
Yet more foam, this time by SonexWilltec. Nobody's used it except Ralf Hutter, and he said it was okay. It doesn't have adhesive backing built into it, so you'll have to glue it on yourself.

H} Prototype Chipset Cooler
Ainex is releasing a new, passive chipset cooler in the near future. It looks like the Zalman 9500 minus the fan (and smaller in size, of course)

I) Rear noise from case
Put a blanket/acoustic foam/eggcrate foam/pillow behind your case. Having a hard surface like drywall or tile will reflect the noise better than a more absorbant material.

J) Ramble ramble ramble
Needless to say, I don't have any space either to say why I wrote this thing in the first place. Good as it is, SPCR doesn't have a recommended section, or even stickys, that point out miscellaneous products to make a quiet computer. I don't mean things like CPU heatsinks, hard drives and so on, but other things that aren't mentioned, or things people wouldn't think to ask about:
Fan isolators
Motherboard heatsinks
Aluminum vs. steel cases
Cheap methods to accomplish the same thing as professional products (DIY hard drive suspension, foam earplugs to isolate fans...)
That fan gaskets are useless
Quiet keyboards/mice, or how to make them quiet
The benefits of cats on dealing with noise

This has ALL been covered on SPCR, somewhere or another, but it's scattered all over the place. Moreover, someone might mention, say, fan isolators, but very rarely do people mention what company makes them, or if they are good (or crap). At one point, EAR isolators and grommets were one of the most popular products used by forum posters... but good luck finding out what part numbers they were, or where to buy them!

So, I threw this (way too long) FAQ-thingy to primarily list the different parts available that are mentioned rarely, such as the MB heatsinks by Zalman, Jing Ting, etc. so the readers finding out what type of solutions are out there, so they can find what works best for them. It's still up to them to do research for themselves, such as what models are recommended if they need 500gb of storage, the newest, latest heatsinks that haven't been reviewed by SPCR, the best COMBINATION of silent components that still enable them to have a quiet machine that's still light enough for a LAN computer, if it's really worth spending the cash to import a product from overrseas, etc[/b]

K) Misc fun or interesting stuff related to SPCR
Top 10 Signs you take Silent Computing too seriously
Silencing helmet
silencing humans
How do I beat silence addiction?
Damn you addiction
Another sign of the addiction to silence
I'm such a 'tard (share your PC-related goofups)
The Vicious Cycle
Bling and silent computing
Advantages to a Quiet PC?
The bug has me!
Making the computer sound pleasant
Does the journey for the dead silent pc ever end?
the $50 once and for all solution to ALL pc noise!!!!
Last edited by Shadowknight on Thu Jan 11, 2007 11:30 am, edited 17 times in total.

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Re: Quieting a PC, and SPCR... in a nutshell

Post by jmke » Mon Jun 12, 2006 10:32 am

Shadowknight wrote:---------------
and Thermalright HR-05 passive coolers ~$25 for the HR-05. A heatsink similar to the Scythe Ninja cooler, albeit with a fan, is available, by Jing Ting, the TJS0005. May be silent with some modifications or ducting. Expensive at $40 though.


linkie to JTS-0005 is not working, added a 0 to the url, correct one is http://www.madshrimps.be/?action=getarticle&articID=418 ; but it's no biggie; excellent FAQ, very good resource for the new user.

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Post by Shadowknight » Mon Jun 12, 2006 2:22 pm

Fixed.

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Post by Shadowknight » Tue Jun 13, 2006 8:15 pm

While poking around SPCR with the search engine, I came upon this thread that I started back in 2003, about 2 years before I started this current thread, leading to a gigantic first post and then a followup covering a few more things (three posts up). I had completely forgotten about my original request to MikeC, and I'm trying to figure out whether the word "irony" can be correctly applied here. Probably not.

Ah, well. still kind of neat searching for things like "fan isolators" and finding the original post discussing using them.

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Re: Quieting a PC, and SPCR... in a nutshell

Post by cmthomson » Wed Jun 14, 2006 9:10 am

Shadowknight wrote:Aerocool makes the VM-101, another entirely passive card cooler. Unlike the Zalman, it doesn't take up room for a PCI slot. There's hasn't been as much feedback on these forums as the Zalmans though. It may or may not cause space conflicts with your MB chipset due to its size. There have been reports of sliding around when handling it even after assembling it, but a lot of people haven't found this to be too big an issue with the cooler.
I got an Aerocool VM-101 recently, and have this update:

The cooler does take up a PCI slot below the video card: the screws installed in heat block protrude about 2mm into the next slot, and will short out traces on the bottom of an adjacent card. Adding an insulator might work, but the cards would both be torqued. Best avoided by leaving that slot empty.

When first installed, the radiator does indeed slide around. But if you retighten the back nuts after a day or so when the rubber washers have compressed a bit, the mounting is very solid.

The radiator fins are way above the video card (much higher than necessary in my opinion) and certainly preclude a tower north bridge cooler such as the HR-05 on my P5LD2 motherboard. They might even interfere wih a Ninja CPU tower on some motherboards.

EDIT: Also, the heat pipes and fins interfere with mounting Swiftech RAM sinks properly on two of the eight RAM chips on my Gigabyte GV-RX80L256V card. Those two could be mounted off-center, which is sort of okay.

Aside from these size issues, this is a very good heat sink. It dropped my GPU load temps over 30 degrees compared to the stock passive heat sink.

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Post by Shadowknight » Sat Jul 15, 2006 5:24 pm

Added some stuff in the post five posts above this - stretch magic, sonex foam, Ainex cooler, upcoming passive VGA coolers, half-assed attempt at organization, etc.

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Post by HammerSandwich » Sat Jul 15, 2006 7:10 pm

How on earth can the "IBM M keyboard" be on the quiet list? You are referring to the buckling-spring models, right?

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Post by Shadowknight » Sat Jul 15, 2006 7:36 pm

HammerSandwich wrote:How on earth can the "IBM M keyboard" be on the quiet list? You are referring to the buckling-spring models, right?
I included it because of the list daba put here. I didn't have any experience with the keyboard to know how loud/quiet it was. I assumed his list solely consisted of quiet keyboards. I found out the keyboards rep of being loud awhile ago, I just never got around to updating it. I've now replaced it with the IBM ThinkPlus Enhanced Performance USB Keyboard on the list, which daba posted a thread on, claiming it's quieter than even the diNovo.

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