Yes, by decreasing the supply voltage you will also decrease the fan's speed for the same PWM signal. However, I've heard that CPU and GPU fan headers usually establish lower limits by measuring RPM (can't remember where, though, so take that with a heap of salt). If that's true, then decreasing the...

I would like your advice on whether it's safe to mount a large (1Kg) CPU heatsink on a motherboard, but without mounting the heatsink backplate. If the mobo's horizontal and the system is rarely and carefully moved, it probably won't cause damage, but increased mobo flexion might compromise mount q...

I was thinking of writing a program to automatically change it depending on what application is running. Seems like most overclocking software these days has that functionality without command-line fiddling, and I don't think software-overclocking is significantly more dangerous than BIOS. In fact,...

i'm going to build my first HTPC. Good luck. IMO, there is no good off-the-shelf HTPC solution because PC's can't look like an A/V component without severely compromising airflow and/or limiting hardware choice, and no A/V furniture fits normal PCs without lots of assistance from power tools. Howev...

gaming+laptop+silence=unicorns. Exactly, and not just because passive cooling requires more surface area. It also requires wider fin-spacings and (worst of all,) vertical airflow. Increased area and spacing just means added weight and bulk, but the only ways to get vertical airflow are to exhaust f...

IMO, stock Lian Li cases probably won't cut it for you. I used an A05FN for a while, and had terrible vibration issues. The HDD decoupling was insufficient, the fan mounts were murder on static pressure, and it didn't take much airflow to turn it into a freaking pipe organ. Having said that, if you ...

Another possibility would be to replace the whole cooler with something like an MK-26, but does it even fit this card, being a non standard design? Mounting the Mk.26 is not a problem, as it will fit on almost anything. But squeezing it into a system is another matter. On my 6950, it stands a smidg...

Has anyone tried this case with fanxpert 2 and quiet components? Is it quieter than Define r4? I haven't used either case, but judging by the designs, the answer to your second question is probably, "Depends on your system." The R4 is likely to be quieter at lower flows because it blocks all direct...

Every Coolermaster fan, I've ever heard, including the stock fan for my 212+, has been just a little too noisy for me. They're not really loud so much as annoying, producing buzzing and clicking instead of the more pleasant, broadband hiss that comes from turbulence. However, I believe the Evo has a...

As others have suggested, I good option could be building a nas and put it elsewhere... That would work, but you could also try taming the noise with a little modding. The forums are full of clever methods of decoupling and enclosing drives, but if you're not feeling adventurous enough for that kin...

I thought it looked as if the backplate would come in contact with the MB tray or even press against it, and I didn't want to risk that Why not? There's no risk of electrical shorts (the Hyper 212's backplate is electrically insulated on both sides, and even if it weren't, most mobos have no expose...

Well it happens until you get down to no moving parts, with a non-buzzing TFT and non-whiny AC-adapter. But then you are somewhat limited performance-wise and need another system altogether for stuff like gaming.. *sigh* I'd expect you'd also need to get the room quiet, and soundproofing a room is ...

If i put 200GB on a 256GB SSD do you think the performance will go down much? You can benchmark the difference, but in normal usage you won't be able to detect the difference. Maybe I'm more sensitive than most or maybe it was all in my head, but I started noticing a decline in performance round ab...

Isn't that what always happens? I've been playing a game of acoustic whack-a-mole for years now.

Brief aside on anodizing, if it's still relevant: anodization is just running a bunch of electricity through aluminum immersed in dilute sulfuric acid. Equipment and operating costs are quite low, and it doesn't take much skill to produce excellent finishes. The biggest problem/expense is usually th...

I personally wouldn't get the FT02 or any case with the rotated orientation because it greatly limits your cooling options. No matter what kind of wick is in them, heatpipes don't function as well when moving heat in the same direction as gravity (ie, when the heat source is higher than the heat-dis...

I kind of doubt that either the Sandia cooler or DCJ is going to end up in quiet PC's any time soon. I have to question the longevity of the Sandia cooler (how long until the spinning element loses alignment and starts grinding against the baseplate?) and the ability of DCJ to scale up to handle the...

To state my opinion in the most measured, diffident way I can manage, BUILD IT YOURSELF!!!! My experience with prebuilt PC's (yes, that includes laptops) has been universally horrible. Manufacturers use generic garbage from the bottom of the barrel for everything that doesn't end up in the specs (HD...

Do you know why one does not see a lot of Blu-Ray record and playback decks (internal) on the market?? Largely because the MPAA is violently opposed to them. They think that if it were cheap to write Blu-Ray discs then piracy would increase. They also think "PC" stands for "pirating consumer" and t...

My understanding is that impedance problems usually lead to loss of bass, not increased noise. My guess would be a ground loop. If the headphone amp inside the studio speaker isn't designed to drive a low impedance load like those Steelseries, the net result could be what the OP heard. Ah. I was as...

If it's airborne noise, then thick foam-like stuff is needed to dampen it. Technically, in that case the term is "absorb," not "damp," and the <1"-thick, polymer foams they sell for case "damping" only absorb very high frequencies. They might change noise character, but they'll barely touch the ove...

My understanding is that impedance problems usually lead to loss of bass, not increased noise. My guess would be a ground loop. Try plugging the headphones into the speaker through an extension cable. If either the HD500s turn dirty or the Fluxes turn clean, then that's almost certainly your problem.

In most of the places I've lived, I could tell if my neighbors were using a dimmer switch by listening to my sound system without a power conditioner. Something is wrong in that case. You shouldn't have noise being injected back into the mains by dimmer switches ... Absolutely true. A properly wire...

No one's said this explicitly yet, so I will: poorly grounded cases are not just a safety issue. One of the primary purposes of a computer case is to act as a Faraday cage, and if it isn't grounded, it's effectiveness at shielding against EMI/RFI drops dramatically. That means buckets of electronic ...

Judging by what I know of sound physics (which isn't all that much, alas), I suspect you'll see better results from mass-loaded vinyl or the like. You might want to try pasting on a few adhesive-backed, vinyl floor tiles from Home Depot/Lowes/whatever. They're dirt cheap, have been recommended by ot...

Hmm, yeah.. I wish I could get hold of some of that air cond. filter that cheap here in the UK. :| Looks like it would be perfect. Oh. Right. The UK is frigid all year-round. Forgot about that. :lol: However, any form of reticulated foam with 30-60 ppi ("pores per inch") will do. PuraPC sells stuff...

Lucien wrote:How's sorbothane as a mat for the HDD to sit on? I remember that was popular but I don't recall seeing that mentioned recently.

Meh for mats. Suspension is da bomb, if you'll pardon the archaic phraseology. It's safer, cooler, and quieter.

Fabrics and meshes make crap filters. They're fine for removing big stuff like hair, but the 3D structure of foam allows it to capture far more and far smaller particles. Buy some air-conditioner filter foam sheet and cut it to size. The stuff's cheap (I got enough for a dozen 120mm fans for $1.50),...

Just a note: the absolute max card length to fit inside a Solo is 10.2" Not if you possess a Dremel. :twisted: Seriously, though, if the drive cage is the problem, it shouldn't be too hard to fix if you're willing to do a little modding, don't have a bazillion drives, and aren't one of those people...

Thank you very much for the advice, guys. Sorry I didn't respond earlier, but I've been swamped.

So it sounds like PCIe 2.0 works fine, but 3.0 is a bust. I'm not particularly surprised, but I am disappointed. Sounds like I better work out a way to keep my GPU off a riser.