This a bit off topic but all the silencing techniques in the world sometimes can’t quiet that noisy computer.
Having started reading SPCR a couple of years ago I became obsessed with reducing the noise in my computer. Selecting the recommended little by little aquiring a corsair power supply , Scythe Ninja cpu cooler, Fanless Video card, nexus fans and spinrite Hds I set about under volting fans and suspending Hds.
Everything was going to plan as I seemed to have eliminated all bar an annoying background whistle/hum which seemed to be coming from the Hds. As they were already suspended by stretch magic I set about reducing their noise further by completely encasing and sealing the Hds in lead sheeting in their stretch magic suspensions. The annoying background noise which I believed was a HD spinning was still there.
So everything came out and sound absorbing foam went in and a general overall of all components fixing arrangements was made. Still the noise was there.
I had encased it in a very expensive Thermaltake Tai-Chi but having read where aluminium cases sometimes give unusual resonance's I was convinced the Aluminium had to be replace by steel. So I went back to my old “no nameâ€

Good point--it goes the other way too. Being in charge of computers for my parents, I was worried about parts while building one for my mom....then remembered her hearing is shot. So is my dad's No worries about that anymore, just find something with the right performance at the right price (cheap!) and all is well

Sorry to hear about the tinnitus--every now and then I get a ringing sound and if it goes a couple hours it's quite terrifying, as was a day a couple weeks where I lost most hearing in one ear.

Watch out for all the candles on your next birthday cake

psiu writes : Sorry to hear about the tinnitus-

The ringing/whining is in background all the time but it does not bother me until there is silence and then I notice it. Prognosis is it won't get any worse but it is unlikely to go away. I assure you I am far from being a martyr but I can live with it. Ignoring it is the trick.
Good to see your parents involved with computers (your encouragement?). Most people my age just can't be bothered to learn the computer basics as they just don't see how rewarding it can be in all facets of their life.
cheers busso

I don't know if it's the alcohol, or just that I'm easily amused, but I find it AWESOME that you know how to build computers at your age. I idolize you.

I wonder how my hearing will turn out--when you start to look back at all the noisy (and fun!) things in ones life it makes you wonder how that will effect things down the road.



Well, let's not get carried away and assume they know what they are doing with them But my mom uses hers for email and pictures and etc and a stitching program and my dad has gotten himself into trading and made some money that way.

But it is still a paaaainful process doing tech support for them (especially being 600 miles away from them, it's usually over the phone while my wife is laughing silently at me).

There does seem to be an age range of people interested in computers and how they work--as you mentioned, older people tend to look at the magical voodoo machines and not want to get into it. Seems that many of the younger kids just don't care, the things are so commonplace what's the big deal.

To those of us growing up while computers made the switch into personal devices (along with a billion other electronic devices made possible by the ever increasing computing ability) it seems to be a more fascinating subject.

Good to know there's hope for me yet, and I can still be tormenting my wife in 40 years tinkering with computers

i've had a mild case of tinnitus (i assume) as long as i can remember, it's a continuous shreaking droning noise around 15khz, very high i know. it's always there, to the point where i need some background noise of any kind to drown it out. it's worst when i'm lying in bed trying to sleep and everything else is quiet.

at any rate, it's good to see a fellow aussie silencing computers, i know it's expensive over there (i moved to the usa 7 years ago). i suppose all your pc needs now is a white/pink/grey noise generator to create the minimum background noise level to drown out the tinnitus for you!

I get it in seasonal changes, related to steel. I applied it pc builidng, I choose secc2 metal, It is quite obviously a winner. it is in many electronics, electronics has many frequencies, the correct metal needs to stop it. From the late 90s for several years afterward, you could buy the worlds biggest butthead for a pc case, no concerns for metal, claims of the coatings fixing it.

This tinnitus may be paranormal to identify, because it has a real reason. to hear a noise other than ourself, is just that. It is not imagination, it is not a disease. It is beyond assuming an elitist doctor came yup with the disease, because he couldn't hear what his patient did.


Because I have 20/10 vision, doesn't mean there isn't a glowing red beetle bug in the tree off yonder DOC. I bet he'd call it beetle delusion syndrome, because he can't see it, douse me with thorozene, electro shock therapy, and send me home drooling.

The first machine I built was a super heterodyne valve radio around 1961 (everything was hard wired and soldered)and I was tickled pink it just worked when I flicked the switch.
I still get that feeling of anticipation and excitment when I build a computer and flick the switch. Mind you its just putting the pieces together and whacking in the software. The transition to transistors was difficult but exciting and printed ckt boards made life easy but boy I fried a few of transistors learning to solder them into boards.
psiu writes he builds for his parents, my children (twins aged 30) rely on me to build and maintain their family's computers. I think I went wrong there and did't make them independant enough LOL but its a good excuse to catch up with the grandies.

Sad story, that must be very frustrating for somebody who appreciates silence.

Good to see a fellow West Aussie on here. Are there a few decent computer stores down in Busso (assuming from your nick) or do you usually order from further afield?

[quote="

Good to see a fellow West Aussie on here. Are there a few decent computer stores down in Busso (assuming from your nick) or do you usually order from further afield?[/quote]

Not much in Busso, Harvey Norman, Goodguys etc are ok for printers,routers DVD players etc but I get alll my computer components in Perth or off net.

But it is still a paaaainful action accomplishing tech abutment for them (especially getting 600 afar abroad from them, it's usually over the buzz while my wife is bedlam silently at me)

You'd be surprised how many older people are proficient at building and using computers. PCs have been around for more than 30 years, and in the early days required a lot more tinkering than today. I'm 62 and many of my friends build/upgrade their systems regularly.

Even my 85-year-old mother has installed hard drives, RAM, and video cards, with a little phone support from me. She and her friends stay in touch via Skype video. When she was teaching, she ran a computer lab of Commodore 64 systems and taught Basic programming to high school kids.

Tinnitus almost crippled me. Laying at home, at night, with complete silence would bring a slight ringing in my right ear. Slowly, but surely, the ringing would increase to the point of severe physical pain. Luckily, any ambient noise would immediately silence the Tinnitus. Music at a low level helps, but gets old... fast.

I was delivered heaven by my lovely wife in the form of a fish tank. Just the sound of the bubbling water is enough to stop the Tinnitus. It's calming and not annoying like repetitive music, or a white/brown noise generator.

I built a silent computer so I could run http://simplynoise.com/

reminds me how i could still hear my silent pc, till i found out, my 24" tft screen has a fan, too! near silent, but not completely.

in other news, i have occasional tinitus, too. i'm 25, then again, i'm a dj