Search found 648 matches

by teejay
Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:06 pm
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Antec NSK3480 help me find silence
Replies: 6
Views: 3538

I'm currently building two NSK3480s, both with an E5400 cpu and a Ninja heatsink. I am considering mounting the rear case fan in reverse (i.e., have it blow inwards from the back), thus providing direct cooling to the cpu, and potentially also delivering some airflow to the motherboard. I'm a bit wo...
by teejay
Thu Dec 03, 2009 12:22 am
Forum: Video Cards & Monitors
Topic: Quiet / Noisy Monitor Survey
Replies: 272
Views: 506522

Samsung 2343BW : pretty loud, very "tonal" whine, easily audible at a normal working position at anything but 100% brightness. At first I thought one of my Raptors was finally giving up (which I would more or less welcome from a noise perspective :)) but after powering down it turned out to be my b...
by teejay
Tue Dec 01, 2009 11:24 pm
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: New exciting case: Fractal Design - Define R2
Replies: 72
Views: 75167

teejay, thanks for the great info/impressions (snip) The CPU cooler (maybe a Zalman CNPS9900LED) would be blowing almost directly at the rear case fan just as you described. Welcome. Any particular reason you'd choose this cpu cooler? Have you read the SPCR review ? And while Zalman continues to mo...
by teejay
Mon Nov 30, 2009 9:33 am
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: New exciting case: Fractal Design - Define R2
Replies: 72
Views: 75167

Even though I haven't seen the B10 in person, I can give some general comments on the case design: Lian Li cases in general do not suffer as much from the "aluminium hum issue" as other cases: this has to do with the thickness of the material used as well as with the sturdy construction & well desig...
by teejay
Sun Nov 29, 2009 9:28 am
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: New exciting case: Fractal Design - Define R2
Replies: 72
Views: 75167

In the Netherlands, this case runs roughly EUR97, whereas a P183 would cost about EUR110... Personally, I'd go for the Antec with this little difference in price.
by teejay
Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:20 pm
Forum: Power Supplies
Topic: I am thinking of upgrading to the Enermax PRO82+ 525W
Replies: 3
Views: 2411

I've had bad experiences with two similar units: a Modu82+ 425W and a Pro82+ 385W. The Pro82+ has developed a very annoying "chuffing" noise after a few months of roughly 24x7 duty. It is not very loud, but easily the loudest noise in a quiet 2-fan, 3-disk system. Luckily this machine runs headless,...
by teejay
Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:29 am
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: Should I use notebook drives (or not)?
Replies: 16
Views: 7432

Thanks a lot for all the insights! Much appreciated.
by teejay
Tue Nov 24, 2009 5:54 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Fan Advice
Replies: 10
Views: 4763

Zalman Fanmates are great little products. They control 1 fan each (it has a male and a female connector). A motherboard fan header is usually well capable of running a 120mm fan, so you could simply buy 3 and connect them to your motherboard. As an alternative, you could link the Fanmates to your c...
by teejay
Mon Nov 23, 2009 10:53 pm
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Advice: AMD vs Intel
Replies: 17
Views: 5435

The SSD is a really good idea, I've compared otherwise identical high-end laptops with and without; the difference is very noticable. In the "bang-for-buck" department you could also consider the Pentium Dual Core line, E5x00 (x = 2, 3, 4). The E5200 is ~$65 on newegg and usually overclocks like a c...
by teejay
Mon Nov 23, 2009 12:09 pm
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: Should I use notebook drives (or not)?
Replies: 16
Views: 7432

The idea of my parents (60+) as speed freaks made me smile :) I'll be building simple E5x00 based systems in an NSK3480, really nothing fancy whatsoever. Usage will be some light stuff: a bit of browsing, some MS Office, maybe a late-night session of Mahjong or Minesweeper, that's about it. Definite...
by teejay
Mon Nov 23, 2009 2:36 am
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: Should I use notebook drives (or not)?
Replies: 16
Views: 7432

Should I use notebook drives (or not)?

I'm building a few entry-level systems for family members, all basic home PC usage, nothing fancy, "just" quiet. I have a hard time deciding between 2.5" and 3.5" disks. I like the intrinsic benefits the smaller drives offer (lower noise level, less power consumption), but I'm not yet sure if using ...
by teejay
Wed Nov 12, 2008 2:21 am
Forum: CPU Cooling
Topic: idle over 50c, harmful?
Replies: 11
Views: 5712

You can manually underclock the CPU from Windows to throttle down for normal desktop use (I used ClockGen for this on my old file server). My Barton idled around 45C with a Zalman 7000 in a well-ventilated case and has run for ~4 years, 24x7 without fail. Under (occasional) load it ran up to 62C. Re...
by teejay
Mon Nov 10, 2008 1:09 pm
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: Enclosure vs. Suspension
Replies: 16
Views: 7195

Sorry, but I beg to differ. Which is a good thing, IMHO. It goes to show that every situation and environment is different and that every individual perceives noise differently. It might have something to do with the fact that my Raptor is of the pre-FDB generation (ball bearing, I suppose), which ...
by teejay
Mon Nov 10, 2008 7:03 am
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: Enclosure vs. Suspension
Replies: 16
Views: 7195

NO! I admit, this is just one person's opinion, but I feel quite strongly about this one. I exchanged my suspensed setup (one 74 Raptor, one 250 Gb Spinpoint) for two Scythe Quiet Drive enclosures for the exact same reason: anoying seek noises. I am not happy with the results. Seeks are muted a litt...
by teejay
Thu Oct 02, 2008 1:49 pm
Forum: Video Cards & Monitors
Topic: Non-reference 4850 review at Extremetech:
Replies: 7
Views: 4997

Palit actually has (at least) three distinct models for the HD4850: a reference design, the Sonic version that is in the linked review, and the Palit Design version. This last one is not a quiet version at all! The cooler looks rather impressive, being a 2-slot copper-color-anodized-aluminium flower...
by teejay
Thu Oct 02, 2008 1:34 pm
Forum: Video Cards & Monitors
Topic: Need replacement for 8800 GTS - 4850 or 8800 GT?
Replies: 10
Views: 6434

Yes, it will (assuming you're referring to the "palit design" version of the HD4850).
by teejay
Wed Sep 24, 2008 10:29 pm
Forum: CPU Cooling
Topic: HR-01Plus and HR-01X
Replies: 7
Views: 3864

Like ryboto said: the HR-01X has a different mounting bracket. The HR-01+ with the S-clip option is what you need.

KlaymenDK's reply was tongue-in-cheek: no standard Thermalright mounting kit would let the heatsink be mounted at a 45 degree angle :)
by teejay
Mon Sep 22, 2008 1:58 pm
Forum: CPU Cooling
Topic: Ninja 2 or HR-01+ on AM2 board
Replies: 3
Views: 2743

Thanks for your extensive reply. After much deliberation, I've decided to build an E5200 Core2Duo system with a HR-01 instead of an X2 setup... my early-model-Ninja is still performing its magic on an AMD Venice 3000+ while I type this post: works like a charm!
by teejay
Mon Sep 22, 2008 1:53 pm
Forum: SPCR Article Discussion
Topic: Thermalright HR-01 Plus: 2nd Gen Killer Tower Cooler
Replies: 57
Views: 45800

I did a bit of research for a new build yesterday. According to the TR website, you'd need the HR-01+ with an S-type heatsink clip that allows you to rotate the heatsink. I do not think the HR-01X will fit.
by teejay
Sun Sep 21, 2008 11:42 pm
Forum: CPU Cooling
Topic: Ninja 2 or HR-01+ on AM2 board
Replies: 3
Views: 2743

Ninja 2 or HR-01+ on AM2 board

Hi all, I know this topic has been chewed many times on SPCR, but I have not found too much specifics for an AM2 install. I am finalizing my shopping list for a complete new system. It will be Athlon X2/AM2+ based on a Gigabyte GA-MA790X-DS4 motherboard. It is going to be installed in a Lian Li V100...
by teejay
Sun Sep 21, 2008 10:03 pm
Forum: Fans and Control
Topic: quick question -- would 12 cm fan fit 5 1/4 bay on top drive
Replies: 10
Views: 4506

It would fit (I have one vertically in 3 5.25" bays) but it doesn't sound like it would do much good in your setup. If the fan does not draw cooler air from some other location, all it will do is circulate hot air around the drive. Also, the wind turbulence noise would probably be annoying. Could yo...
by teejay
Wed Sep 17, 2008 6:47 am
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Antec P182 - hard drives in upper or lower drive case?
Replies: 4
Views: 3398

Same thing I did in my Lian Li case (similar general layout): the Nexus 120mm PSU fan is more than able to keep my 3.5" raptors cool, no additional cooling required. I did seal up all holes except at the front, like blackworx suggested for the P182. Just try it, keep an eye on the drive temps with S...
by teejay
Wed Sep 17, 2008 6:43 am
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Antec 3000B: keep it or replace it?
Replies: 9
Views: 5999

I remember that I was very disappointed with this case when I got it, too: pretty flimsy, resonating front door, stuff like that. Almost made me wish I hadn't bought it to replace my severly hacked up generic beige tower (that also housed 120mm fans... after a fashion). However, after applying a lot...
by teejay
Wed Sep 17, 2008 6:32 am
Forum: Fans and Control
Topic: Long lasting fans?
Replies: 9
Views: 4641

My server machine uses 4 Nexus fans (2x 120, 1x 92, 1x 80) and has been running nearly 24x7 for about 4 years now. It is possible that they have gotten louder over time, but none of them have failed or caused problems. One fan is directly outside the PSU and the other one is mounted in the HSF (Zalm...
by teejay
Tue Sep 09, 2008 11:57 am
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Antec 3000B: keep it or replace it?
Replies: 9
Views: 5999

Thanks for the comments, guys. I guess the 3000 is going to get a third life, with a 120mm fanned PSU as per MikeC's suggestion. All I have to do now is to figure out how I'm going to suspend & cool the hard drives without turbulence noise from the front-mounted fan, but that's stuff for another thr...
by teejay
Wed Sep 03, 2008 12:57 pm
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Antec 3000B: keep it or replace it?
Replies: 9
Views: 5999

Antec 3000B: keep it or replace it?

I'm planning to replace my current server rig, which is very "old skool SPCR" but getting a bit long in the tooth (Athlon XP2800+, Zalman 7000B [with Nexus mod], etc). This machine resides in an Antec 3000B enclosure that has been modded quite a bit: Snipped the fan grills Made an intake opening for...
by teejay
Mon Apr 28, 2008 2:45 am
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Quality audio system for small home office
Replies: 19
Views: 7681

In terms of active monitors I have heard many positive reviews of the Audioengine A2/A5. I'd like to add a positive vote for the AEs too: I set them up in my fathers office and they sound great. You could combine them with a Trends Audio UD-10.1 * and have great sound. Another option is a set of (u...
by teejay
Thu Mar 06, 2008 11:06 am
Forum: Fans and Control
Topic: is a software-based closed-loop fan controller available?
Replies: 4
Views: 2566

Something like the mCubed T-Balancer range of products?
by teejay
Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:17 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: ?? About Windows File and Folder Names
Replies: 11
Views: 4889

Disclaimer: probably too simplistic for your needs. Open a command window, enter "dir /b /s > output.txt", wait until it finishes and import the resulting output.txt file in Excel. You might run into the max. number of rows that Excel can display, though. As an alternative, you could write (or look ...
by teejay
Wed Mar 05, 2008 2:12 am
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Cases with oddball fan configurations.
Replies: 3
Views: 3087

How about a Lian Li PC-343 cube case? If you're looking for very wide, it fits the bill... besides, it has plenty of room for upgrades: it fits 30 hdds and it has 18 5.25" external bays :shock: