HI Chris, welcome to SPCR. That has to be as long a post as I've seen anywhere! <br> <br>A few suggestions: <br>1. read the P4 silencing article in the Mods & Projects Topic <br>2. the stock Intel HS with a quiet fan at V combined with some Vcore reduction will keep the P4 perfectly cool. The Zalman...

Nothing dodgy about them. They're engineering formulas. The table is exactly that, calculated values, intelligent guesstimates based on formulas on fan airflow and noise. Sort of like, if all fans behaved ideally, then... Clearly explained in the article and the intro, with caveats about their real-...

Sounds like your PSU may have become ill. You say it didn't use to happen with the old VID card; now it does it with both. Only thing you can try is another PSU (borrow, beg, steal from a second PC?); if that doesn't buzz, you know the old one could be at fault. Then hook up the old one to a differe...

Generally, PSUs in a line of say 300~500W differ primarily in the current ratings of its components -- caps, coils, regulators. The higher rated models use components rated for higher current, and usually, this means high tolerance to heat. Sometimes, they have higher airflow fans and/or larger heat...

I saw it too and didn't believe it. There's not a single PSU on the market that claims any higher than ~75%. How they'd get 82-85%, I don't know. <br> <br>Tomas Risberg of TheSilentPC was the one who first alerted me to RSG & he and I both requested review samples for SPCR, to which they replied no....

Once the Q-tech PSU arrives, I'll be able to rate it right away and post a quick ranking on the recommended list as a preview to the full review. So far, I have to say among all the unmodified PSUs that the Seasonic 300 is the quietest -- albeit by a nose. The price is slightly higher internal temps...

Most 7200 rpm drives run too hot for Silent Drive. There IS danger; many have reported early demise of HDD in the thing. for store bought solutions, the No-Vibe mount by noise control and Smart Drive (reviewed <!-- BBCode Start --><A HREF="http://www.silentpcreview.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Se...

I have to admit I made no attemp to underclock the P4-1.6A because there was no need. It runs virtually inaudibly even overclocked to 2 - 2.1G at stock Vcore with the stock Intel HS (or any number of other better HS) and Panaflo 80mm L at ~5-7V. <br> <br>As I type, the P4 is running at 2.13 GHz with...

Most PSUs are specified for operation at 0 - 50C. Arbitrarily, if the sensor location is close to the hottest spot in the PSU, 50C is *probably* a good safe maximum.
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Check Maxtor's drive temp specs. The outside of the case will always be a bit cooler than the inside; maybe add 5C as a guess to what the internal temp is.
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>>Turned out to be the neon light. I switched to cold cathode and have no problem.
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<br>neon light where?
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The FAQ does need updating. Thanks for the sharp eyes! <IMG SRC="modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif"> <br> <br>NoVibe does something Smart Drive does not: completely eliminate vibration into the cae as a source of noise. This is why the seek noise is audible in Smart Drive while it is not...

Not recommended. <!-- BBCode Start --><A HREF="http://www.silentpcreview.com/goto.php?t=s&id=15&a=1 " TARGET="_blank">This article</A><!-- BBCode End --> asks the question & answers it in detail. Especially if left inside a PC in the normal position, the internal temps would exceed 60C. PSUs drop in...

Usually, higher, because hot air rises, but not necessarily. The PSU is already blowing air out, there could be airflow interference between the 2 fans. Sometimes it's better to use the vent below the PSU as an intake with duct to CPU HSF. Usually drops CPU temsp a few degrees immediately because th...

Intesresting observation. <br> <br>Which model is it? Apparently, even among units with the same power rating, there is more than one model -- the part # is different. <br> <br>I have a QT-02300, a 300W unit, powering an AMD XP system that is not in a case, just sitting on a test bench. The fan does...

It's not the same as the review sample I have. If you have a digicam, take some pics & email them to me & maybe we'll be able to tell whether they just changed the label. This one has a proper wire grill & active PFC (doesn't have 110/220 switch).
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Looks like you're well on the way there <IMG SRC="modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif"> <br> <br>There is an IBM noise muffling software that works on most WD -- they were sharing the same technology (and even identical models, really) for a while. Can't remember whether we've got it in th...

Check Seagate's site for specs -- I think the difference is 20dBA for single platter (20/40G) vs 24 dBA for dual (60/80G). Going by this, 2 single platter drives are about the same noise level as one 2-platter model. 2 platter models do produce a *bit* more heat but nowhere as much as 2 single-platt...

>>So i think that when Mike puts the PSU upside, with the cover ON, he's getting closer... The "tube" is vertical, but it's rather obstucted at one end : you'd need to cut the back of the PSU open (the side that is opposite to the 80 mm fan). <br> <br>Actually, with that particular Enermax, the side...

If you position the hovering fan over the video card just right, a lot of the airflow will go over the NB, so fan removal is ok. Did this with an ABIT KT7A -- no problems.
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<!-- BBCode Start --><A HREF="http://www.directron.com/noise.html " TARGET="_blank">http://www.directron.com/noise.html </A><!-- BBCode End -->-- "The relative noise levels of 28 different 80mm case fans are measured under the same conditions." <BR> <BR>Amazing how poorly this is done, despite so-ca...

Comments -- <br> <br>1. Why 12V? Why not 7 or 5? The difference between the Panaflo and quieter fans at 12V is SMAller than the dif between the Panaflo at 12V vs ~7-8V. %V will make them silent, essentially. <br> <br>2. Are you sure the whine is not your hard drive? <br> <br>3. The Mechatronics fan ...

Surely it's nothing more than a largish transformer encased in plastic with a lead & plug -- the kind we all have at least half a dozen of.
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Good question. Optional is a curious word. Here's my take on it: I think they put the fan on the 800 because the HS is pretty weenie & in the small cases the EPIA boards are designed for, lack of case airflow to move the hot air around the CPU (even if it is only 10W) is a small risk. I'd suggest re...

Too bad silentmods is gone. That's the only source I know of.
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<br>One approach that might work is to try 24V volt fans. They will run fine at 12V, but much slower & quieter. One with good quality bearings would probably be fine. No voltage modding necessary.
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It does seem like a short -- 2 ordinary 12V fans can't overload a PSU 5V line.
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I think you're right about that electronics being part of the case. Anyone with a MiniITX case to comment here, please??
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Hello TerryW, <br> <br>Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience with us in that summary of how a switching PSU works. I'm sure lots of folk appreciate the info. <IMG SRC="modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif"> <br> <br>Re -- the thermistor-removal warning, I gather you refer to the ...

>> Most (smart) manufacturers design their equipment so the product "stands alone" without ancilliary devices, like a fan. I would hazard to guess the fan is an afterthought, to get the heat out of the PSU and away from critical components. <br> <br>For computer PSUs, that would surprise me a lot. T...

This idea has been around for a while. Sometimes called a "muffler" box. Here's the <!-- BBCode Start --><A HREF="http://www.makeitsimple.com/sections.php?op=listarticles&secid=1" TARGET="_blank">earliest link</A><!-- BBCode End --> I found for such things. The first of the Case Noise Reduction arti...