Fractal Design Node 304 HDD suspension

Show off your quiet rig.

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lemons
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:38 am

Fractal Design Node 304 HDD suspension

Post by lemons » Sun Jun 30, 2013 3:28 pm

Hello. Just showing some pics of my build. Used mainly as a HTPC

Case - Fractal Design Node 304
MBD - Asus PBZ77-I Deluxe
CPU - Intel 3740k i5
Memory – 2X4GB Corsair Vengeance Low Profile
PSU - Seasonic Fanless 400W Platinum SS-400FL2
SSD – Samsung 830 Series 128GB
HDD – Samsung HD204UI 2TB 5400rpm
CPU Heat sink - Noctua NH-U12P-SE2
External USB Dac, Headphone amp – Aune T1

Image Image

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Some notes on the fans.
I tested the front fans connected to the Nodes fan controller. The fan controller has three speeds 5v, 7v and 12v (confirmed using a multimeter). The 92mm Fractal Design fans are pretty much silent at 5 and 7 volts but don't move much air. They are too loud for me at 12v. I then tested some Nexus 92mm Real Silent Basic fans alongside the stock fans. The Nexus fans are a bit louder than the Fractal fans at 5 and 7 volts but shift significantly more air. I would describe the noise of the Nexus fans to be a plastic scraping sort of a noise. The fans were tested simply by listening and holding my hand next to the fans to feel the air. I decided to use the Nexus fans as a small amount of noise is worth the trade-off for the extra air flow as my rig runs 24/7.

CPU Cooler
The Noctua NH-U12P-SE2 looks and feels well made. The mounting hardware is easy to install and feels very secure in place. A much better design than my old ninja heatsink. The Noctua comes with two fans. My plan was to use one fan on the heat sink and the other as the case rear exhaust.

Rear Exhaust Fan
As noted above, I planned to use one of Noctua 120mm fans from the CPU cooler as an exhaust. I have read many gushing reviews about Noctua fans so ran some comparison tests to see how good they really are. I had three fans to compare, the stock Fractal Silent Series R2 140mm, Noctua NF-P12 and a very old Yate Loon D12Sl-12 that has been in a number of my previous builds and has the dust and butchered wires to prove it. I ran all three fans together side by side, connected to the Nodes fan controller.

Fractal Silent Series R2 140mm
At 5 volts the fan makes a soft ticking sound and moves noticeably less air than the other two fans at the same voltage. Same at 7 volts.

Noctua NF-P12 120mm
Moves noticeably more air than the other fans. Makes a “vrrrrrrrr” noise at 7 volts. Not sure if its the motor or gushing air noise. Most significantly, the Noctua has a starting voltage greater than 5 volts so cannot be used on the lowest setting of the fan controller. I was very surprised that an expensive fan designed for quiet enthusiasts cannot be run at 5 volt.

Yate Loon D12Sl-12 120mm
The trusty old Yate Loon starts at 5 volts and moves more air than the Fractal but less than the Noctua. It is near silent at 5 volts and makes a faint hum at 7 volts.

I decided to use the stock 140mm Fractal fan but with some rubber fittings for the exhaust and use the Yate Loon on the CPU cooler. Both the Noctua fans were sold on ebay.

Update
Today I tried a new 140mm yate loon as the rear exhaust. Very little to no air could be felt when running a 5v so binned it.

mkk
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Re: Fractal Design Node 304 HDD suspension

Post by mkk » Sun Jun 30, 2013 4:59 pm

Always interesting. :)

Did you try the standard drive mounting first? I found it just fine for a couple of HD204UI's myself with no resonance through the case.

Too bad you got an exhaust fan that ticks at 5V. I've had more luck with my own three samples of the Silent Series R2 140mm fans, while having the opposite experience with the old design. A good 140mm fan could generally provide enough airflow alone for this build.

CA_Steve
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Re: Fractal Design Node 304 HDD suspension

Post by CA_Steve » Sun Jun 30, 2013 7:13 pm

So, what temps are you seeing?

lemons
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Re: Fractal Design Node 304 HDD suspension

Post by lemons » Mon Jul 01, 2013 9:28 am

A good 140mm fan could generally provide enough airflow alone for this build.
You are probably right, but I find multiple fans running at 5v easier on the ears than one running at a higher voltage. Not sure if it’s actually quieter or just a gentler tone. I would also worry just running one fan in case it failed.

I didn’t try the stock HDD mounts. I think my solution gives more space for the fan-less PSU to breathe.
Image

Temps. Mild overclock at 4.2GHz. PC lives in a closed wooden cabinet.
Fan control set at 5v idle 34°C, 100% load for 1hr 87°C. Fan control set at 12v temps come down to 65°C at full load.

5v idle
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5v full load
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CA_Steve
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Re: Fractal Design Node 304 HDD suspension

Post by CA_Steve » Mon Jul 01, 2013 9:51 am

Code: Select all

 PC lives in a closed wooden cabinet.
That's probably worth 5C or more on your load temp.

snakyjake
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Location: WA, USA

Re: Fractal Design Node 304 HDD suspension

Post by snakyjake » Wed Oct 30, 2013 6:31 pm

What was the reason for suspending the drives?

Ralf Hutter
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Re: Fractal Design Node 304 HDD suspension

Post by Ralf Hutter » Thu Oct 31, 2013 4:59 am

snakyjake wrote:What was the reason for suspending the drives?
Noise and vibration reduction:

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=8240

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