Thanks for this. I am starting to play with a Z87-A and I'll keep these observations in mind as I progress down ASUS' maddening rabbit hole. I would kill for a software-managed PCIe fan controller with 5-6 fan headers. I've given up on motherboard vendors... I don't think any of them can get their s...

I think I'm giving up on the HA250JC. Maybe I'll try to find one if I visit Switzerland later this year. In the meantime, I'll get a mass-market 7200rpm drive and hope for the best.

2.2 idle bels, how I long for thee......

No FDB motors in those.

Wow, hard to find!

Good catch. Too bad it's not SATA but I can live with that. Idle is 7 watts and 2.2 bels -- should be nice.

Now to find a retailer...

I've finally outgrown my Maxtor 4R160L0. AFAIK, these 4RxxxL0 Maxtors were the only drives ever made that combine old-school 5400rpm with FDB technology. Idle noise and thermal dissipation are very low. This drive is operating in the bottom chamber of a P180 with the fan disconnected. A Seasonic S12...

Hi Matt, I have an SL350 in an SX835II case and I, too, have noticed that the exhaust fan is the loudest component in my whole system. Jamming a foreign object into the grille for a few seconds seems to cut the total system noise in half! What was the scoop on allowable fan thickness? Can I get away...