One other point to keep in mind is that the enclosure remains useful for its form factor's lifetime. I have a Smart Drive that's had probably 4 different HDs in it over the years, and it has reduced the noise of them all. In that light, an extra $30 or so is money well spent. Compare that to a $50 h...

cmthomson wrote:...the "media wearout indicator" on my drive is 93 after almost exactly a year, so that would suggest a 10yr lifetime.

Does that mean 93% life remaining? If not, what?

The Radeon 5770 strikes me as the obvious choice.

I can't tell you what's best, since I've not tried all of the 785G boards. But I'm pretty happy with my new Gigabyte GA-MA785GM-US2H (and the earlier 780G version). One significant drawback for SPCRers: the fan-control options stink.

Possibly needed to run as admin when setting the config.

I'm guessing the review would have been a rave if Stone had waited to ship an i7-860.

mefizto, what's your location?

Nice build. I'm jealous of your HP2s. Simply outstanding headphones.

Please post your results. We haven't seen much discussion about undervolting pumps. FYI, next time you take the loop apart, you can mod the radiator to improve bleeding. Get a brass, sheet metal screw & rubber washer, then drill a hole in the upper end tank to fit. Crack the screw when filling, and ...

MikeC wrote:...our homes become havens from the madness beyond.

How often do you find yourself hiding out in The Chamber?

Can't believe I've missed this thread... From newest to oldest: Dell 2209WA - Very quiet, high-frequency whine. Brightness does not affect it, but the image modulates the volume. I can usually hear a bright picture, while a dark image is effectively silent. Annoying when I notice it, but even a slig...

Sunbeam Rheobus. Details of the build are in this thread.

My DDC has been undervolted for more than 4 years now without issues. Temps increased a very little, but noise dropped significantly at around 10V.

If the 4830 was fast enough for you, you should look for a 4770. It would run a bit cooler than the 48x0 cards & match the 4830's performance.

In other advice, I doubt you need so many fans & suspect that an HD enclosure might make an audible improvement.

Thanks for the clarification.

We have to restrict our formal comments on the products we know and/or have reviewed. We actually don't know the HX450, and until we do it's not wise for us to comment. So what's with the following line from the Antec Signature 650's comments? Note: The 850 was not reviewed, but we have every confi...

PMing about the CPU & HSF.

rookhawk wrote:[The Q9550S] is currently the fastest quad core CPU and that particular model ($100 more for the s) gets you a 65W core instead of the hotter running 95W core such as the one I used. (95w is still within spec for the case however)

Have you seen SPCR's Q9550S review?

The contenders are... Prolimatech Megahalems Thermalright U120E Xigmatek HDT-S1283 Noctua NH-U12P Zalman CNPS10X Extreme Thermolab Baram These have large enough fin surface area and tight fin spacing to make 2-fan push-pull worthwhile. Not the Ninja or HR01. I nominate the Zerotherm Zen FZ120 for t...

That's a killer CPU, running at 3.6 with such low voltage!

ryboto wrote:Anand shows this...
<snip>
...I added another one from their review.

Freshen up on SPCR Forum Rule 14.

MikeC wrote:I didn't say better heat transfer does not affect steady-state operation...

Fair enough. My apologies.

...then improving it to 0% would actually lower temp in real conditions, where the thermal load does not stay steady, but instead bounces up and down depending on what the user is asking of the computer. MikeC, I'm disappointed to see you write this. Better heat transfer certainly affects steady-st...

Did you folks read the article? The patents apparently describe assessing a PC's noise, not simply thermal management.

In any event, I'm reasonably confident that a mountain of prior art exists here.

What CPU are you running? If OCed, what settings?

What PSU? If it has a 120mm fan, try a passive GPU cooler & duct to the PSU's intake.

You probably have more airflow than you need. I'd test by disconnecting the 140mm and running the 120mm exhaust around 700rpm.

~El~Jefe~ wrote:The computer IS the processor. everything else is secondary to its performance.

I ain't saying that the CPU doesn't matter, but the overall system is what counts in the end. I'd much rather have an E7400 with 4GB than an E8400 with 2GB.

Blue & Black both have 2 platters at 7200rpm, right? So any noise difference should be the same as sample variance between 2 of the same model. If you think a little more speed and longer warranty are worth $20, I see no reason to dismiss the Black for noise.

I'm not dismissing WW - I've used it in both my WC PC & racing karts - but its properties are not unique. eh, it changes the flow of the water by a LOT. makes the water lose its surface tension. Real cheapskates* can achieve the same result with 1 drop of dishwashing soap (e.g. Dawn) per gallon of d...

MikeC wrote:+10 dB requires a 10x increase in power, but sounds only twice as loud. <snip>...the power difference between in 10W/ch amp and a 100w/ch amp is not really discernible. It's really only 3 db -- 6 dB in stereo.

Huh? Isn't +10x power the same as +10dB?

~El~Jefe~, any signs of build-up in your tubing?