Well, can there be such thing? Well, I don't think not in a sense. But I have dedicated long time for silencing my computer with a lot tips and tricks from magazines and then things learned from SPCR.

I have finally made computer that is barely above ambidient noise, light humming is heard from 1 meter distance...

And then my neighbour ruins this my silent effort by buying a new fridge, that buzzes like buzzsaw. Now I can hear that clearly because walls in flat aren't good isolating sound and his fridge is right next side the wall where my bed is.

Now when I am typing around 2.30 am this post, all I hear is slight hum from my computer, which is around 1 meter and that damn, high voltage electronical hum + buzz my neighbours fridge causes from another side of the wall.

*sighs* I guess sometimes there is things that SPCR can't help and that is lowering ambidient noise in flat. And this is down size of the silent computer: you start to get bothered another noises in surroundings and those are more likely a lot harder to silence.

Of course I could get ear plugs, but hey, I could have got that frist place and not spend countless hours adjusting my computer big pile of cash to make it quiet if I could just make problem going away with few cent ear plugs, but where's the fun in there.

At this point, I really hate my neighbour...

Looks like you need to turn you fans up a bit. Fan noise is more comfortable than fridge buzzsaw

Yeah... wait... My fans are full @ 12v... I guess I finally found weakness of Noctua NF-S12 800 RPM fans: They're not noisy enough for these kind of situations!

*growls*

I am thinking of putting table fan spinning in lowest mode. The "dark" and lower toned noise with air swooshing is a lot better than listening my neighbours fridge...

At this point, I am also wishing I would have .05 Barret M95 so I could shoot thru wall his dang fridge...

sounds like the walls are so thin all you need is a 22!

Unfortunately so... But .50 would then go thru wall and fridge putting the fridge out of misery, when .22 probably would just dent it.

Other than that, this flat is really quiet compeared some others. The walls is definate problem for silence enthusiast like me. But I can't affect in all... I mean I can't glue 2" layer of Bitumi matt on my wall and expect it to work ^^

Can't hurt...

Well, as I recall there's a sound deadening material called brown bread out there thats not overly expensive, and it would likely stick to the wall just fine.

Stick it on, put another wall up about an inch from the original wall and paint over. No more buzsaw....

Of course this is a bit extreme, but its the only solution I can see short of assassinating his fridge

Here, I can't here my computer over the ambient noise from outside (I don't close my front door/windows, have security doors). Likewise my computer is a mix of good enough though not necessarily best components.

The components recommended on SPCR often aren't available in Australia or are too expensive. Though most of what I know I have learn't on SPCR about noise. Mind you, I did manage to get Samsung HDD's, damn these are nice and quiet.

I just stick with 21dBa case fans, reasonably quiet SkyHawk modular PSU (the fans buzz a little at low RPMs) Sunbeam Arctic Cooling Freezer knockoff and Vantec IceBERQ 6.

You can't have the absolute quietest PC on air here in Australia. It's just too darn hot most of the time. I'm satisfied I have the best of both worlds. Something which doesn't overheat, yet I often forget to turn off as I can't hear it.

It's 29C ambient room temp here right now.

My grandma always says something like: "there's more than one way skin the cat." I think I can think some solution...

I guess sleepin pill + ear plugs for now are good solution. Later I might change where my bed is so I won't be sleeping right behind his fridge.

As many people find the P180 looking strangely similar to a fridge, I can't see a reason why you shouldn't point your neighbor to SPCR to learn silencing techniques

Great thread

All you gotta do is make him aware of the same curse that we face.

ie, we goto SPCR, realise that our PC's are making noise and then try our hardest to stop the noise we didn't hear in the first place.

So why don't you ask you neighbour, "Hey Ned, is your fridge one of those noisy ones? My cousin had to update his fridge because it kept him awake at night. Have a listen to yours and see if it is loud."

Then hopefully he will SUDDENLY REALISE (play tada music) that his fridge is in fact a fugloudenfridgen and will get totally bugged out by it and update.

I have a suspicion that if the fridge were 'soft mounted' - that is, sitting upon some soft material like thick rubber - a lot less vibrations would transfer across the room. Even better would be suspending it.

I had the same problem....a freezer in a spare bedroom that was quite audible when running. I solved much of the problem by setting the thing on a thick soft rubber mat....meant for foot comfort in areas where you would stand frequently. For the small cost of the thing, just give one to your neighbor and offer to help him install it.

If his fridge is pissing you off, it must be pissing him of much more, if you are friendly with him I would have a chat about his fridge, it might be faulty, or it might even be a vibration that sounds like buzzing.


Andy

PS: Good luck

A heavy blanket hung on the offending wall may help. We used to spend many hours in blanket-covered basements in my amplified youth.

Most refrigerators have a large fan at the bottom that keeps the compressor cool. They also have fans internally to move cold air between the compartments. So, I think you should recommend to your neighbor that he replace those fans with some nice large size Yate Loons. Failing that, a Scythe Infinity mounted to the compressor in passive mode might be all the cooling it needs.

You also mention that the power supply on his fridge is making an electrical hum. Now, I'm not sure what the wattage is on your standard fridge (thank God he isn't running two fridges in SLI) but he might be able to replace that with a Corsair or Seasonic. This should not only provide his fridge with good clean power, but it will cut down on noise. And, best of all, they're modular so he can use only the cables needed!

As some have already mentioned, he could probably use some sound dampening material along the back and sides to cut down on noise transfer. Plus, if it's a vibration issue, he might be able to use some form of rubber sling system to isolate the fridge from the rest of the case, er... house. I'm thinking of something like the Antec Solo/150 system, of course, you know, bigger. And for fridges.

Edit: I think I've been reading SilentPC too much.

Well to be serious...

It is possible that the sound is traveling through building structures. You cant do much about that. But you can tell to your neighbor that his fridges vibrancy is really bothering you as it sound loud when you try to sleep. I you tell your concern as reasonably and polite I think that he will listen you.

For isolating, a some sort of "rubber" mat or feet under the fridge would do the trick. If you want to do it properly, not just by luck, you should calculate witch mat to use. Because every mat works for different loads.

A Ninja is Infinitely better in passive mode, but beware! there have been reports of loose fit with Scroll-775 compressors

(Edit: me too)

The scrolls are not that loud. However, a mere 1/100th of an inch can be the difference between a very quiet scroll and a "noisy" scroll.
Of course, you can't beat a Brysch modulating compressor for noise. At low capacity, it literally sounds like a motorcycle...

Thanks, guy is around 18 year old, who has loud metall music on around midday to around 5 pm. When this flats janitor went ask him to quiet down, that guy opened door with 9" meat knife...

If I have to go open his door, I will pack my 11" ranger knife with me... or my Marine Issued Ka-Bar fighting knife, 12½ inch blade length

Anyway, now the sound has gone away, which is weird, but I am grateful.

Yikes! sounds like the neighbour from hell...

Guy plays linkin' park when I prefer Metallica, With-in Temptation and Nightwish... ( odd selection f music for silence enthusiast )

But I have nothing to fear from him. if he tries fun stuff, I take my wakizashi from wall ^^

but now currently my computer's steady airflow hum is loudest noise in my room, aslong HDD's don't seek, so my computer sings the humming lullaby now and I sleep fast. That is how things should be ^^

or suspending the neighbor

"Dear judge, it was not murder. I merely suspensed him with bicycle innertube... From his neck to silence him. They told me in SPCR to do it so..."

I don't think that would work But since problem is solved without any drastic measures, I can only be satisfied.

Hanging hum in a silent fashion is rather funny, but I am still interested in exactly how you sorted out your problem with you kitchen knife weilding maniac neighbour


Andy

LOL, appareantly he changed fridge... I saw one day ago as they were moving new fridge into his apartment... Good for me.

I can hardly hear my (not even close to quiet) Dell laptop over the outdoor florescent light fixture mounted outside my bedroom wall. The ballast emits a 120Hz rectified sine wave that's driving me nuts. I just moved here last month, and tomorrow I'm going to the rental office to ask them to do something about it... or "some out of control teenager" might happen to throw a rock at it.

in future you might have to refer to www.silentambientreview.com seeing as silencing your pc is not enough

chances are he's reading SPCR too

I have no very quiet case, Antec SLK3000b with fan grills cut and some dampening matt added. Now degree of quietness if great, but there is some mechanical noise I cannot fully get disposed from the case. Its some mechanical hurl, probably caused by PSU ball bearing that gets audiable for me.

I have super sensitive hearing when it comes high pitch noises or irregular noises.

Therefore, I will start building new system, instead from extreme quietness ( which is almost impossible to achieve with Air Cooling with satisfactory level ). I will start building a system, that has no vibration or resonance what so ever.

Only noise I will make is air hum. I plan to adjust air Hum somehow so, that it will not be that noticable, but it will cover all irregular voices my components can cause.

Naturally, when I keep window open, the new system will be inaudiable. The case I chose for this new 24/7 project is Antec P180B which was on special sale.

Let us see how I will manage to survive this challenge, making computer that humans the sweet lullaby. I really love how air hum sounds as it reminds me a wind.

P.S. GableKami, I am up for challenge. 2000 zip ties, 1 roll black electronic tape and 2 meters of black spiral cable wrap should be enough ^^

Is it more lame that I want that site to exist, or that i actually clicked on the link to see if it did?