My replacement drive is indeed much quieter than the original. It is a 2 platter model, however, so that might have something to do with it. In the meantime I also obtained a WD10EAVS (with smaller cache), and that one is noisier during seeks than the replacement 10EADS, but quieter than the old (de...

Here are HDTune benchmarks, all run with fast setting with SATA in IDE mode and in the same machine (AMD 780G). P7K500 AAM off: http://img269.imageshack.us/i/hitachip7k500500gbaam25.png/ WD10EADS AAM on: http://img27.imageshack.us/i/wd10eadsaam128inidemode.png/ WD10EADS AAM off http://img504.imagesh...

I have just been testing it so it was laying by the case. Other drives are suspended, but I tried holding it between my fingers and the noise was as bad. @webs0r: thanks for the test, that confirms what I thought. My 6400AAKS is quiet as yours (barely audible), so I guess it will be an RMA for the W...

I just received a WD10EADS (3-platter version) for my HTPC. I'm astonished by the seek noise of this drive and am wondering if it is defective. The drive shipped with AAM off. With this setting, seeks are comparable to a 500GB 7200.11 (which is to say, quite loud). They are also noticeably louder th...

HTPC based on AMD 780G + Athlon X2 5000+ is deeply undervolted in BIOS. Runs passive 90% of the time. Older laptop based on 1.5 GHz Pentium M is also undervolted with RMClock to prolong battery life and reduce heat/noise. Desktop based on Core 2 Quad is left at stock voltages in BIOS with SpeedStep ...

There were a few reports this past week saying that the upcoming 880G chipset (780G successor) would have the same integrated Radeon 3450 GPU. Disappointing.

I've been testing my new system a few days for stability with rmclock (m2a-vm hdmi + 4850e + picoPSU, good undervolting but crashes :roll:). The issue seemed to be switching states. Then this topic came up. I tried crystalcpuid and I confirm that seems to solve the issue (I want to test more throug...

MikeC,

I remember reading a while ago that you requested a P7K500 sample. Did you ever get it?

It would be an interesting addition to this comparison...

I was in the same situation as you and went with the 5000+ Black Edition. I just undervolted it and it runs at 2.6 GHz @ 1.21V (normal VID 1.30V). Of course if you underclock you can lower the voltage further. Either way you'll be in the same range as the energy-efficient BE and e processors, but yo...

Thanks for the reference to Tom's. It's unfortunate that they didn't try undervolting their 9100e. Based on what I've gathered, the Phenom's seem to operate within a narrow voltage range that doesn't scale very much with frequency. The X3 has a default VID of 1.05V at its lowest multiplier (yielding...

I've been contemplating getting a Phenom X3 8450 to replace an Athlon 64 5000+ Black Edition in my HTPC, in order to unlock more post processing options with the 780G IGP. My Athlon is undervolted and is cooled by a Ninja Mini. I'm wondering what to expect with a Phenom in terms of undervolting pote...

There might be a 40% threshold, I wouldn't know since I always went straight to FSB 333. When using SetFSB, the only issue I have is that when resuming from S3 standby, the FSB falls back to its default of 266. So I just execute SetFSB again when needed. Alternatively, you can run a script automatic...

Indeed, the P5K-E will set a fixed Vcore when you raise FSB (not sure about 40% threshold). However, you can use SetFSB to increase the FSB after Windows has loaded and EIST will then function normally. With a Q6600, you can also do the pin mod trick to change FSB to 333 permanently.

I can imagine what a pain it must be to have a new driver released with such poor timing. Most other reviews I've seen have only compared the IGP with a Hybrid setup in terms of performance. It is very interesting that you tested with only the discrete graphics card and the IGP disabled. The results...

Catalyst 8.3 has been released, FYI.

If you compare the noise measurements from that site with those here , you''ll notice some strange inconsistencies. For instance, the F1 is quieter that the T166 according to the tech report, but louder according the other site. There is definitely very real sample variation in any mechanical produ...

I did find this , so, yes, it looks like access time is a problem. The 320GB Samsung T166 looks pretty good in that comparison. 500GB GP vs. P7K500 -- the Hitachi is mostly faster and louder. The mythical Samsung F1s (HD322HJ and HD642JJ) look like they will be the ones to get. The new WD3200AAKS i...

Ok thanks. Guess it's time for some modest "home improvement".

Thank you very much for taking the time to post a picture. I actually tried to do that initially, but the plastic was so hard to cut that I gave up. I guess I will need a proper saw. May I ask what you used?

Thanks again!

I have a very simple question that will sound trivial, I'm sure, but nonetheless: Did anyone replace the top Tri-Cool fan in the P182 with a Yate-Loon D12BL-12? The fans I've purchased won't fit under the metal tabs that are used to hold one edge of the fan instead of screws. It seems like the only ...

Good luck with the replacement. I'm glad I bought an Asus as this problem seems to be widespread.

Just got one of these. Unfortunately it is much noisier than I expected. In fact this little box makes more noise than my quad core desktop, mainly due to the fan, but also from the HD vibration, which I doubt is acoustically dampened. I'll probably end up opening it to see what I can do...

So they allowed you to return the Gigabyte and pick another card? They actually issue a refund, and you then have 30 days to order a replacement with free shipping if you wish (it can be a different product). Their policy does say that they charge a 15% restocking fee, but I believe they do not app...

Sorry I wasn't clearer. I was referring to the second one. Both cards were returned to DirectCanda.

If you do return it, I suggest you replace it with a different model as there seem to be quite a few in the retail channel that exhibit similar problems.

Well Gigabyte issued an RMA number so I could send it back to them directly, but because they have a 2-3 week turnaround and I ran the risk of having to pay custom brokerage fees (offices in the USA), I requested an RMA with DirectCanada and sent it back there instead. Let me know if you need furthe...

Just a follow up. I ended up purchasing an Asus Silent EN8600GT. This one IS completely silent. Quite happy with it.

A few points that might be useful to you: If you're in the US the MSI cards appear to be cheaper than others and would probably be good choices (can't find them in Canada). Among the 8600GT models, the Asus has HDCP, to my knowledge others do not (if that is important to you). Note that all 8600GTS ...

The P5K, unlike many of its higher-priced companions such as the P5B or P5W, lacks the ability to control a 3-pin fan connected to the 4-pin CPU header. On other boards, there is an option in the BIOS to run this header in "PWM" or "DC" mode (ie, in 4-pin or 3-pin mode), but the P5K does not have t...

I'm not very familiar with the limitations of the 8400/8500 series compared to the 8600, but I wouldn't take that for granted without checking first. Total bandwidth and processing power are important to achieve smooth playback + post processing with high bit-rate codecs, and the lower cards might h...

If you plan on watching HD-DVD or Blu-Ray eventually with this card, you should get at least the nVidia 8600 or ATI 2600 series of cards for proper decode acceleration and optimal image quality.