Quiet Build with Athlon64 X2 4000+, Gigabyte GA-MA69VM-S2, Antec NSK4000


Purpose

-> Keep noise under ambient sounds in my flat
-> Decent tempratures
-> Keep it simple & cost effective, i.e use most included parts and a healty dose DIY. Harder than i thought, mostly the hard drive suspension and PSU fan

Components

CPU: AMD Athlon64 X2 4000+
CPU Cooler: Scythe Mine Rev B
CPU Fan: -
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA69VM-S2
Memory: 2 x 1024MB Samsung, 800Mhz
Case: Antec NSK4000
Case Fan: Nexus D12SL-12 @600rpm
PSU: 350W FSP with Noctua S12-800 (Basicly same PSU as Nexus NX-4090)
Video: Albatron 9600GT with Accelero S1 Rev. 2
Hard Disk: Samsung 500GB HD501LJ

Pictures

Temps

CPU: 28°C, Cool'n'Quiet (load 38°C)
Hard Disk: 28°C
System: 42°C
VGA: 44°C

The build

My motto is always to attack the noise where its made, thus I'm no big fan of filling the case with sound deadening material.

All vents sealed - intake through the CD drive slot (to get air moving close to disk). I have replaced the stock Tri-cool fan with a soft mounted Nexus D12SL-12 and connected it to a Zalman Fan Mate 2 -- tuned very low but still gives some air flow @600rpm.

350W FSP has had a fan swap to Noctua S12-800 (horrible stock-fan)

Scythe Mine fanless: and I still have great temps. Right now typing this 26C, under load (3Dmark03) 38C. Over all i'm very happy soundwise, or the lack of it. Sitting a meter away I can barely notice it. I actually don't think a P182 would give me better temps nor lower noise-levels.

all these people posting sub-30 temps for idle make me think you're using an outdated version of speedfan. download the newest beta of speedfan, retest, and let me know.

cause if your temps really are that low, i need to take another look at my mounting...

(42-44C idle, 60C load)

Could also be just very cold rooms? My C2D running at 3.0GHz idles 74C away from TJuction, simply due to the fact that my poorly insulated room is COLD.

For the OP: Get those pics!

bryan d

Here you go. I downloaded SpeedFan 4.33 + EasyTune5 (Gigabytes own monitoring program) + a check in bios, all three gives me the same temp ~26C CPU. I've also touched the heatsink with my hand, and its not even lukewarm, not even at the base. So I think these temps are right. With Cool‘n’Quiet disabled the CPU goes up to 31C. My room temp is around 20C. Winter in Sweden, but warm inside...

Edit: I have now measured the power consumption and it idles around 50-60 W (right now 52W) with Cool‘n’Quiet enabled. Lets say the PSU has 80% efficiency, then the components inside will be using around 40 Watts, or?



http://img01.picoodle.com/img/img01/4/2 ... a0191f.jpg

BTW: I tested the instrument (Watt meter?) on a 60W light bulb, and it showed 59W. Rather exact.

Nice build. I have a rather similar setup except that the air enters through the back of the case (laptop hdd needs no cooling).
Completely sealing the front and using sound deadening material helped me silence the disk drive, might sound like overkill but at 4am I could hear it ...

what kind of undervolt did you achieve with your 4000+?

@ ryboto

Oh, I might have been a bit unclear, its the fans that are "undervolted" the CPU runs at stock speed.

@ ntavlas

Thanks! I'm sleeping 3 meters from mine, and I can barely hear it. My fridge who is some 5-6 meter away sounds much more. Sadly I can't turn it off.

Undervolt the processor! I've gotten mine to run at 2.4ghz using just 1.125v. It would do the default 2.1ghz with just 1.025v. I think the latter would be sub-40W.

Great idea.! Did you use CrystalCpuid for changing V?

Yes I did, works perfectly

New graphic card - the 9600GT.

I'm actually surprised on how quiet the fan is. And it doesnt rev up in 3D. Great.

Power consumption? In 2D (typing this) 96W, 3D (or 3Dmark03) 162W. And that's for the whole system...

How well does that Mine fit? I have (almost) the exact same processor (4000+) and mobo (690G) and I am looking to replace the stock cooler.

No problems at all. But I wouldnt recommend a smaller case.

Nice setup,

I have the FSP400, and removing the grill for the fan made a significant difference in sound reduction; I wonder if you can reap even more benefits by doing the same?

bryan d

Removing the grill wont effect the noise at all, not in my build. So i keept it.

I am thinking about getting a 9600GT, and want to know what brand u have that run that quiet with stock cooling?

nice setup btw

Both the Arctic Cooling Accelero S1 and S2 support the 9600GT, and with the low prices of both, I think installing one of these is the best way to silence the card.

Thanks, I got the Albatron 9600GT. I think it uses the reference nVidia- design.

Sure if you want it dead silent passive is the way to go. But im not in a hurry to replace it, the stock cooler really surprised me, and im fairly picky when it comes to noise.

BTW. I recently saw that Gigabyte has released a passive 9600GT for less money than I got my Albatron card for, so I would say go for that one.

http://www.gigabyte.eu/Products/VGA/Pro ... uctID=2785

Yeah, ive been looking for the gigabyte, but i've had problems tracking it down, its probably too new.

It's okay though, as i have found an asus 9600gt at a great price and hence get an accelero s1 with it for about the same price as a GF 9600gt from anywhere else. So i'm happy.

On a side note, im also getting a Dual 2 core E8400, i had to check at least 15 shops before i tracked one down that have them in stock. Has anyone else noticed this?

Yeah I've heard lots of people complain about the availability of the e8400 - looks like intel can't keep the supply up...

Ordered mine on Jan.21 (or 22?) and got it around 1st of Feb, (local shop here in Switzerland - guess that was the first batch they ever got) so maybe i was just lucky....on the other hand it might be that they can just barely keep up with supply and you pretty much need to preorder (and wait) for a few days if you want one as the ones the shops get are already pre-sold by the time they get them in...

Lucky me, i found a small shop that had them in stock. They mentioned something about being one of three or so stores in finland that had got it in the last couple of weeks or so.. so yeah, must be a supply issue. Some stores even expect next shipment as far forward as in the beginning of june!

oh, and sorry for hijacking ur thread.

Hi everyone,

You did a very nice work with your config and i find it very inspiring.

I actually own a nsk4000 and a seasonic S12+ 380W and i'm upgrading all the rest.

So I already ordered and received

- MB gigabyte GA-EP35_DS3R (2GB kingston hyperX DDR2-6400)
- SAPPHIRE RADEON HD3850 ULTIMATE (fanless)
- HDD WD 500GB caviar.
- Scythe Ninja plus rev B.

and i'm waiting for a brand new E8400 It wasn't in stock and I might wait a little bit more, it is said not before 20 april. It is very frustrating since i've got all the rest.

To reduce noise as much as i can i already suspended the hard-drive in a 5 1/4 bay.( i will post maybe these pics one day, but since i got inspired from spcr forum, it will not be very helpfull).

My question are :
1) do you think the scythe ninja plus (110x110) is fitting the nsk4000 case since its dimension is a little bigger than yours. i'am afraid that it will touch the PSU. I can't see clearly on your pics the space between the top and the PSU.

2) will i be able to run fanless on the CPU (E8400 is officially a 65W TDP but most people says that it is consuming less power than real 65 W) with acceptable temps? I will let the antec tricool for extracting at the back and i bought noctua 80mm for blowing at the front. Both at minimum speed.

3) Can you notice clearly the difference by opening the air exhaust at the back of the case. I'm quite doubting about that. OK with you ear at 20cm, but from 1 meter away ??

Thank you in advance for your answer and i would like to thank all the forumers for helping newbies like me. And thanks to you I became a computer nerd

if you hate fans, why not try a little mod i did:

mount your power supply externally, while utilizing the rear fans like:

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g319/ ... G_0848.jpg

works wonders for keeping temps down, since the psu itself radiates heat inside.

I think you should post your own thread on that mod so we can ask questions and request more pics

or have you already posted a thread and I haven't looked

My question are :
1) do you think the scythe ninja plus (110x110) is fitting the nsk4000 case since its dimension is a little bigger than yours. i'am afraid that it will touch the PSU. I can't see clearly on your pics the space between the top and the PSU.

[color=green]Depends on your motherboard.[/color]

2) will i be able to run fanless on the CPU (E8400 is officially a 65W TDP but most people says that it is consuming less power than real 65 W) with acceptable temps? I will let the antec tricool for extracting at the back and i bought noctua 80mm for blowing at the front. Both at minimum speed.

[color=green]No problems![/color]

3) Can you notice clearly the difference by opening the air exhaust at the back of the case. I'm quite doubting about that. OK with you ear at 20cm, but from 1 meter away ??

[color=green]Nah not really. But airflow is better, noise is the same i would say. atleast at these speeds.[/color]

Thank you in advance for your answer and i would like to thank all the forumers for helping newbies like me. And thanks to you I became a computer nerd [/quote]

[color=green]Thank you too [/color]

Cool. but not very practical. Besides the noise is already very low and reducing it further wouldnt really make much difference.

BTW.
Huh, my PSU started to make a whining noise. And I found this noise to be annoyingly loud. So I began some research and soon found out that the sound had to come from one of the coils, so I opened it up and poured some epoxi glue over them, actually quite much, a whole tube. Waited 1h and a turned it back on. And guess what -- the whining noise is now history.

Almost 3 months later and the PSU is still silent

I bought the Accelero S1 Rev. 2.

Idle 42c (50c before)
Load 50c (~65c before)

BTW, that old thermal compound almost looks and feels like chewing gum -- nasty.












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