Search found 111 matches

by Darth Santa Fe
Thu Apr 14, 2016 7:15 pm
Forum: Fans and Control
Topic: Quick tip on Nexus 120mm fans
Replies: 0
Views: 8040

Quick tip on Nexus 120mm fans

It's been reported before that the Nexus 120mm fan doesn't work especially well blowing air upward, and I've found an easy way to solve this! If the fan will only be used for upward airflow, such as in the top of a case, first remove the blades from the fan (there's a small snap ring in back). Press...
by Darth Santa Fe
Thu Apr 14, 2016 7:06 pm
Forum: Power Supplies
Topic: Making the EVGA 500W quiet!
Replies: 3
Views: 5380

Making the EVGA 500W quiet!

I built a new computer about 2 months ago with a goal of making a decent gaming system with ultra low noise on a budget. My setup has 4 case fans running at very low speed for intake and exhaust, a tower cooler with a 120mm fan also running at low speed, and an MSI video card with their super quiet ...
by Darth Santa Fe
Sat Jan 23, 2016 11:35 am
Forum: CPU Cooling
Topic: An actual decent AIO?
Replies: 0
Views: 6247

An actual decent AIO?

I have no need for a water cooling system, but I ran across this and thought it was interesting: http://www.swiftech.com/h220x2prestige.aspx Unlike the more common all-in-one water cooling systems reviewed by SPCR, these come with a built in reservoir and use NoiseBlocker fans. Cheap AIO coolers hav...
by Darth Santa Fe
Tue Mar 31, 2015 8:18 pm
Forum: General Gallery
Topic: Quiet HTPC build video
Replies: 3
Views: 4893

Re: Quiet HTPC build video

Thanks! I actually did cut quite a bit out of the video to shorten it to what it is. There is a lot I decided to leave in though, since I felt it could be applied to situations that may come up during a build, or that it could help with making a better decision when choosing parts. It does run cool!...
by Darth Santa Fe
Sat Feb 21, 2015 11:29 am
Forum: General Gallery
Topic: Quiet HTPC build video
Replies: 3
Views: 4893

Quiet HTPC build video

I wanted a nice, quiet, lower cost HTPC for my entertainment center, so here's a video showing it all go together! No picture gallery, but I figure having the video makes up for that. I made the video in kind of a "how to" format for those who don't know about building computers (which most of you l...
by Darth Santa Fe
Sat Jan 31, 2015 10:20 am
Forum: Fans and Control
Topic: Quiet 80mm on a budget?
Replies: 9
Views: 6465

Re: Quiet 80mm on a budget?

I've honestly found Apevia 80mm fans to be really good for the price. The two that came with my case, although they make a bit of ticking noise, have been running great for over 6 years, and the airflow has a fairly smooth sound. I also tried Antec and Enermax maglev fans. The Antec fans had a very ...
by Darth Santa Fe
Wed Mar 19, 2014 7:42 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Better long-term investment PS4 or XB1?
Replies: 18
Views: 14960

Re: Better long-term investment PS4 or XB1?

Both consoles are very powerful, so what it really comes down to is what games and features you prefer. I'd personally wait for both consoles to develop before making a decision, see what games come out, and let them work out the rest of the hardware issues. Me? I'm starting with Wii U (which is NOT...
by Darth Santa Fe
Sat Jul 06, 2013 8:28 pm
Forum: SPCR Article Discussion
Topic: NoFan CR-95C Copper Fanless CPU Cooler
Replies: 44
Views: 60020

Re: NoFan CR-95C Copper Fanless CPU Cooler

Whether the high price is worth it or not, it's a very interesting and apparently well designed cooler! There's one thing I've been wondering since I read this review. With that big hole in the middle, what kind of performance would the thing have with a large fan (120mm?) zip-tied to it, pushing or...
by Darth Santa Fe
Sat Dec 31, 2011 5:20 pm
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Arctic Cooling HC01-TC HDD cooler review
Replies: 2
Views: 3010

Re: Arctic Cooling HC01-TC HDD cooler review

The fan pulls cool air from outside. There's plenty of ventilation in the front, so the cool air goes all around the hard drive. As I said before, the fan doesn't kick up to full speed until the hard drive gets very hot, and when it does, it should keep it within safe temperatures.
by Darth Santa Fe
Mon Dec 26, 2011 10:38 am
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Arctic Cooling HC01-TC HDD cooler review
Replies: 2
Views: 3010

Arctic Cooling HC01-TC HDD cooler review

I thought I'd give you all a review of the HC01-TC hard drive cooler/enclosure, which I just installed in my computer yesterday. :D I didn't take any pictures, so here: http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/cooling/ram-and-hard-drive/201/arctic-hc01-tc.html?c=2311 The cooler is a very simple and straight forwar...
by Darth Santa Fe
Tue Nov 01, 2011 9:17 am
Forum: Fans and Control
Topic: Noiseblocker Multiframe M-12 Fans Bearing Type???
Replies: 1
Views: 1860

Re: Noiseblocker Multiframe M-12 Fans Bearing Type???

The "nano-sli" bearing is an advanced sleeve bearing, rated at 140,000 hours (16 years). It apparently lasts 5 to 6 times longer than the usual sintered bronze sleeve. I've been using an M12-S2 fan for a couple years now, and it seems to be holding up fine so far. Of course, I put my computer in sle...
by Darth Santa Fe
Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:27 am
Forum: Fans and Control
Topic: Larger fan over smaller holes...
Replies: 5
Views: 3584

Re: Larger fan over smaller holes...

I haven't tried it, so I don't know for sure, but a larger fan might be able to push a little more air through the vent hole. I suspect there would be some feedback and additional turbulence though, since the outer area of the blades will be pushing air flat against a wall. If you use an adapter duc...
by Darth Santa Fe
Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:43 pm
Forum: Fans and Control
Topic: What is the quietest 120mm fan?
Replies: 23
Views: 15370

Re: What is the quietest 120mm fan?

Usually, quality fluid dynamic bearings are some of the quietest, and most types of quality sleeve bearings are very quiet too. The biggest factor in noise is the blade size and shape. Speed, electronics, and material will also affect it. Some of the overall quietest 120mm fans known right now are f...
by Darth Santa Fe
Tue Jun 28, 2011 8:28 pm
Forum: Fans and Control
Topic: Scythe Gentle Typhoon First impressions (pics added 8.8.09)
Replies: 52
Views: 50469

Re: Scythe Gentle Typhoon First impressions (pics added 8.8.

I use both a GT and a NoiseBlocker Multiframe (which I assume has similar acoustic quality to the Black Silent). Up close, the GT has a smoother and less noticable sound, but the NB is also so quiet I can't hear it over the rest of the computer. I usually keep both running at around 900 RPM. I shoul...
by Darth Santa Fe
Mon Jun 27, 2011 8:48 pm
Forum: SPCR Article Discussion
Topic: Cooler Master Silencio 550 Quiet ATX Tower
Replies: 31
Views: 24636

Re: Cooler Master Silencio 550 Quiet ATX Tower

How would the case perform if you filled that last fan opening?
by Darth Santa Fe
Sat Mar 12, 2011 9:31 pm
Forum: CPU Cooling
Topic: Here is one interesting CPU Cooler
Replies: 30
Views: 10125

Re: Here is one interesting CPU Cooler

I think that fanless cooler is only for CPUs up to about 90W or so. I wonder how it would do if they used an extra heatpipe or two?

That Scythe cooler is stupid huge. I wonder if it will actually perform as well as it is big? And I wonder how many people will actually be able to use it?
by Darth Santa Fe
Sun Feb 20, 2011 10:08 am
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Every Trackpad Should Look as Good as HP’s Invisible Wonder
Replies: 9
Views: 4467

Re: Every Trackpad Should Look as Good as HP’s Invisible Won

An invisible pad is a bad idea on so many levels, especially if you don't have a USB mouse. I already don't like the regular pads much, but that's ridiculous. EDIT: By the way, Belinda, since this is your only post so far, and it's kind of in the form of an add, are you by any chance an employee of ...
by Darth Santa Fe
Fri Feb 04, 2011 1:23 pm
Forum: CPU Cooling
Topic: Zalman not giving up on the "flower" heatsinks
Replies: 12
Views: 6832

Re: Zalman not giving up on the "flower" heatsinks

I just made a quick run by Zalman's news on their website for their participation at CeBIT 2011. Looks like they've got a new "flower" heatsink, which they've called the CNPS12X. It is an absolute monster!! I can't tell clearly from the picture, but it looks like it has 3 140mm fans surrounded by 2 ...
by Darth Santa Fe
Fri Jan 14, 2011 7:08 pm
Forum: CPU Cooling
Topic: Quiet AM2 Heatsink/Fan
Replies: 8
Views: 3220

Re: Quiet AM2 Heatsink/Fan

No, I don't use one. I run an overclocked 95W quad-core, which is effectively cooled by a Zalman 9500 heatsink. But I recommended that Artic Cooling heatsink because I remember seeing SPCR often use the Intel version (Alpine 7) in earlier reviews, and because it's half the price of the Scythe. I bel...
by Darth Santa Fe
Thu Jan 13, 2011 6:29 pm
Forum: CPU Cooling
Topic: Quiet AM2 Heatsink/Fan
Replies: 8
Views: 3220

Re: Quiet AM2 Heatsink/Fan

Since your CPU's power rating is only 45W, I think you can go with one of the inexpensive coolers from Arctic Cooling, like this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186035 It's PWM controlled down to 500RPM, loses a lot of turbulence noise from the lack of a box frame, and ...
by Darth Santa Fe
Mon Nov 29, 2010 10:38 pm
Forum: CPU Cooling
Topic: Zalman not giving up on the "flower" heatsinks
Replies: 12
Views: 6832

Re: Zalman not giving up on the "flower" heatsinks

True, 900RPM is a lot for the typical 140mm fan, but the lack of a box or shroud should practically eliminate the majority of turbulence noise (aside from what goes through the fins). After experimenting with an 80mm Enermax fan, I found that it was practically silent at full speed (1,500RPM) withou...
by Darth Santa Fe
Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:50 pm
Forum: CPU Cooling
Topic: Zalman not giving up on the "flower" heatsinks
Replies: 12
Views: 6832

Zalman not giving up on the "flower" heatsinks

I don't know if anyone else has run across this, but Zalman's made what appears to be a major update to the CNPS9900 cooler. It's called the CNPS9900 MAX: http://www.zalman.com/ENG/product/Product_Read.asp?idx=416 I figured the name "MAX" would mean a higher speed fan, but it's just the opposite. It...
by Darth Santa Fe
Thu Nov 04, 2010 8:32 am
Forum: SPCR Article Discussion
Topic: Arctic Cooling Accelero Xtreme Plus GPU Cooler
Replies: 46
Views: 30888

Re: Arctic Cooling Accelero Xtreme Plus GPU Cooler

That card almost looks like it's gonna break! I wonder how heavy these things will get before they've reached their limit? I have an Accelero Twin Turbo on my Geforce 8800GT. Even at a constant 5V, it will cool the card very effectively through pretty graphics intense games while remaining inaudible...
by Darth Santa Fe
Sat Sep 25, 2010 12:08 pm
Forum: CPU Cooling
Topic: Noisy CPU Fan
Replies: 2
Views: 1574

I've found that AMD's coolers don't have the best sound quality, due to higher speeds and cheap dual ball bearings. They're decent if you can slow them down, but certainly not the best. Some good choices for replacement are Zalman's CNPS10X Quiet , Scythe's Yasya, and a number of others (check SPCR'...
by Darth Santa Fe
Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:14 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: The Pope's visit to an unreligious country
Replies: 40
Views: 21901

Although it is VERY refreshing to find that no "God Worshipers" have actually come up with a single decent argument so far, this can only mean one thing, we are winnig our intellectual battle against ancient text. What argument are you looking for? I'm not personally a supporter of the Pope, and I ...
by Darth Santa Fe
Wed Sep 08, 2010 11:51 am
Forum: CPU Cooling
Topic: Very interesting new heatsink design!
Replies: 8
Views: 3879

It may be similar to the designs used by Sapphire, and for a short time, Intel. NB calls it an "industrial heat-pipe", so I wonder if it's physically different from the vapor chambers at all? The Scythe Yasya includes a 1,900RPM fan, and it did very well in SPCR's review (that 1,900RPM PWM fan made ...
by Darth Santa Fe
Wed Sep 08, 2010 8:31 am
Forum: CPU Cooling
Topic: Very interesting new heatsink design!
Replies: 8
Views: 3879

Very interesting new heatsink design!

I just ran across this new CPU cooler from NoiseBlocker: http://www.noiseblocker.de/en/NB-TwinTec.php Yes, it's a tower design, and at first glance it isn't unique in any way. But! Take a look at the base and heatpipe design. There are two 6mm heatpipes in a U shape on the outside, and in the middle...
by Darth Santa Fe
Wed Sep 01, 2010 5:01 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: More efficient LCD's coming
Replies: 10
Views: 6074

I traveled millions of miles--correction--thousands of miles to see this new LCD technology, and now I find that the computer doesn't respond when I speak into the mouse? Oh well, might as well grab Spock and get some Italian food. I wonder how long it will take before this reduces the price of moni...
by Darth Santa Fe
Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:43 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Audigy 2 zs vs. Modern on board audio vs. X-Fi?
Replies: 38
Views: 17335

Just got the new soundcard installed (Xonar DS)! Instead of using the CD, which only has XP and Vista drivers, I downloaded the proper Windows 7 driver from online. It works great so far!! I've been testing it with music so far (Chicago, Peter Cetera, Phil Collins). Through the speakers (Creative T3...
by Darth Santa Fe
Mon Aug 30, 2010 7:18 am
Forum: SPCR Article Discussion
Topic: GELID Icy Vision Dual Fan VGA Cooler
Replies: 33
Views: 25930

Wow, and I thought my Arctic Cooling Twin Turbo was amazing! I'm not about to spend $55 to replace it, since the TT keeps my 8800GT at way under 70C at 5V, but now I know what to get if I ever wanted to upgrade to one of those super-powered graphics cards! :D