Is a fanless PC possible?

The Gangrel · Post by **The Gangrel** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 7:51 am

To build a fanless, modern(i.e dual core, high end graphics card) system is to do it for the challenge, rather than any audible gain.

As we've seen, systems like this take absurdly large heatsinks and a lot of DIY case modding to be made usable.

It is far easier to run an 120mm Nexus fan very slowly which, from far enough away(15+ inches), will be inaudible.

I'd suggest having the Nexus fan blowing out from the power supply onto the CPU heatsink(Ninja preferably) with airflow coming out through the front of the case(where you could elastic mount your HDD's). This would require a special case or at least some reorientation.

Easier still would be to stick quiet fans in all the usual places on your PC and remote desktop into it via a thin client, leaving the PC somewhere out of earshot.

jaganath · Post by **jaganath** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 9:02 am

To build a fanless, modern(i.e dual core, high end graphics card) system is to do it for the challenge, rather than any audible gain.

As we've seen, systems like this take absurdly large heatsinks and a lot of DIY case modding to be made usable.

not always:

viewtopic.php?t=47075

admittedly the graphics in that setup is hardly cutting edge but then unless you are gaming it doesn't need to be.

kentc · Post by **kentc** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 9:09 am

I've previously posted (can't seem to find it now) an idea to hook the computer up to the household ventilation system. Plenty of airflow and no noise but "ambient".

Kent

The Gangrel · Post by **The Gangrel** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 9:53 am

jaganath, the thread you mentioned did indeed have a reasonably normal fanless system running, but...so what?

As someone else commented in the thread 63c for the CPU restart temperature in BIOS is very high. OK, so he can run his equipment fanless, but how long will it run at such temperatures.

Other than the thread you mentioned, who really wants to run their computer at dangerously high temperatures just so that it is fanless, there's no sense nor reason to do so.

mertsag · Post by **mertsag** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 1:38 am

I just tried a fanless system to see how it works :
-Cooler master cosmos
-Seasonic M12
-Asus P5E-WS
-C2D 6320
-Passive Ninja rev.b
-Geforce 8800 gt with Accelero S1 rev.b
-Geil esoteric ddr2-1066
-WD800BEVS (2.5")

It isn't really a 100% fanless system as there is still the power supply fan, but it's inaudible and in the cosmos it doesn't suck air from the case like in most cases, so it has almost no effects. I think it would be the same with a passive psu.
Well, that system works quite well, is rock solid. Even pushig the fsb to 400, without changing voltage, it's 100% stable.
But even idle, it gets very, very hot.
During high loads, it's so hot that every heatsink (mb, gpu, cpu, ram) will burn your skin if you touch them! I had several burns on the fingers just by checking the heatsinks! cpu and gpu went over 70Â°c! I don't think that running a computer every days in that condition would be reasonable... But it works.

I will try a fanless system on another computer soon. It should be much more acceptable since cpu is a celeron conroe-l and mb has integrated graphics. Obviously, it's not the same performance level... I plan to use that computer as a NAS... I'll keep you informed!

FartingBob · Post by **FartingBob** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 5:11 am

If your CPU is getting over 70 then it might be stable for now, but not for long, unless youve been lucky and got a better than average chip.

jaganath · Post by **jaganath** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:27 am

obviously it's unreasonable to expect to run (high-powered) components at their full frequency and voltage and expect things to go fanless without any work from you, they have fans for a reason! but even a little bit of undervolting goes a long way and will bring down peak temps considerably.