I only began my silencing project Christmas eve and it seems that now I've started I can't stop!

The closer I get to silencing my computer, the more sensitive my ears become and I keep noticing more noises. For instance, I used to think my monitor was nice and quiet but tonight, I've been tinkering with my computer and now that it's even quieter, I can hear my monitor from where I'm sitting!

Is it just me, or is PC silencing simply a maddening quest?

YES, YES, YES!!!!!!

WELCOM TO THE CLUB!!!

Addicted from 3 YEARS

First it`s the disk drive. Then the monitor, surge protector, the fridge, the the neighboor`s heater.... and finally your own breath. Now how do you silence that?

Yeah, that's a pretty common problem around here. I occasionally have to go listen to friends' and family's computers, to remind myself of what I used to consider quiet.

Strangely, the very small amount of noise from my computer irritates me more than louder systems not designed with silence in mind. When I'm forced to work on a different computer, I tend to tune the noise out and ignore it, but when I'm using my own computer I listen very critically, judging my own handiwork.

Well I guess it's reassuring that it's not just me

But on the other hand, I'm actually thinking of undoing some of my mods to INCREASE the noise of my computer and see if that's any less off putting

When it's really quiet and I start to be able to hear the sounds coming from my PC, I stick a CD on as a kind of "Lalalalala I can't hear you" tactic. It's a total cheat I know, but at least I can console myself with the fact that I can put a CD on at a low volume late at night and hear it perfectly.

EDIT: But I can't have it too low, otherwise I can hear the CD spinning. AAAAAARGH!

It is common phenomenon of psycho-acoustics and hearing... So welcome to the club...