How quiet can it get?

[Illah]

Barring exteme measure, how quiet can one's PC actually get? Mine has gotten near silent, but sitting in silence with the machine 2 feet from my head I can still hear it. Just wondering what level of silence you guys achieve.

--Illah

[nici]

Well, i have my HD enclosed and i will be putting the Reserator back on this rig, and add the Phantom. So if im spared of coil-whine from the phantom, i doubt it would be possible to hear it if its on the floor. If its on the table i need to put the reserator on something soft to stop the table from resonating..

[lm]

Neither of my computers are silent, but the server is pretty quiet compared to our central heating. I'm quite happy with the current noise level.

[m0002a]

Barring exteme measure, how quiet can one's PC actually get? Mine has gotten near silent, but sitting in silence with the machine 2 feet from my head I can still hear it. Just wondering what level of silence you guys achieve.--Illah

You can stop now. That is good enough. Be careful not to let this silent stuff become an obsession and a bottomless pit into which you throw money (unless you really need a hobby).

[MikeC]

The main lab data collection PC is an AMD XP2500+ (I think) with a Thermalright XP-90, 512 or a gig of RAM, a Seasonic Tornado 300, a Nexus 120 fan, and a suspended Samsung (or Seagate?). Whatever. Both fans are at 5V, I think. No fan on the CPU. It sits on the carpeted floor beneath the table on which the monitor & keyboard sit. 99% of the time, I can't hear it. The monitor buzz is usually too loud. (~20 dBA/1m) If the monitor is turned off and it's late at night, when the ambient is <18 dBA, then yes, I can hear a bit of hum from the PC or some kind of fan noise effect. But it is effectively silent 99% of the time; turning it on or off has no impact on the perceivable acoustic in the room.

That's probably close to the least noise you can get.

One step further: If the fans were gone and the HDD was a notebook drive encased in a SmartDrive AND soft suspended and the whole case was treated with acoustipack or similar, then we might actually have no perceivable noise even when the ambient is <18 dBA. (Yes, this is an extremely quiet room.)

Yes, it certainly can become quite the habit.

[Illah]

Haha, cool good to know! All that's really left for me is *maybe* new fans, patching my quiet 120mm to my fan controller (currently has full molex, needs a mobo connector, been to lazy to solder one on), and getting a second silent/quiet hard drive. After that I think I'm done with it, if there's anything going on in my place I can't really hear the thing (maybe a little), it's only when the heat is off, the fridge isn't running up, my dog is sleeping, my girl isn't watching TV, etc. that I can hear it clearly.

Plus I can never go TRULY silent as I've backed off my overclock as much as I'm willing to go No sense in a quiet machine that's weak.

--Illah

[Techno Pride]

the Athlon XP is not compatible with the XP90

[Edward Ng]

Barring exteme measure, how quiet can one's PC actually get? Mine has gotten near silent, but sitting in silence with the machine 2 feet from my head I can still hear it. Just wondering what level of silence you guys achieve.

--Illah

I'm where you are with my Sigma Two machine; the one based on my User Review of the SLK2650-BQE and unfanned, XP-120 cooled NewCastle. Outside of a meter in extremely low ambient, it's virtually inaudible. The objective for me is complete inaudiblity from my music listening seating position, which is two meters back, so it easily meets that objective.

-Ed

[mikellpp]

I think it can get as quiet as the monitor noise i.e. that is the sound of no fans spinning and no hard drives humming :-)

After playing the silencing game for over 3 years i have finally arrived at my quietest system. This is with a AMD64_2800 overclocked to 2.5 Ghz. This system uses the venerable Chieftec-Dragon steel case with no fans except for the cpu fan. This is 92mm Evercool fan on the Thermalright XP-90 heatsink.

In just surfing the net, email etc. the cpu temp runs 28-30 C and the fan controller on the motherboard actually stops the fan spinning for much of the time (this is the sound of no fans spinning). At full load the cpu temp is 40 C (with 20C ambient) and the fan contoller spins the fan at reduced speed so its not audible with the case under the desk.

I have the Barracuda IV, Samsung spinpoints and Raptors and they all make some noise, even with the soft suspension mods so i settled for a 15K Fujitsu SCSI drive which is attached by 20 ft. cable in the next room (this is the sound of no hard drives humming).

I put a ThemalTake Fanless PSU in the Chieftec Dragon case. I cut a top blower hole and mounted the PSU vertically so there is basically a chimmney for the heat from cpu and psu to rise out the top and top rear of the case, drawing air from the front vents. No case fans needed.

I use 3 probes to monitor temps in the case and all is well with this setup. I wait for the warm summer temps and see how it fares then.

[Tom Brown]

You can stop now. That is good enough. Be careful not to let this silent stuff become an obsession and a bottomless pit into which you throw money (unless you really need a hobby).

This is the most wise post I've ever read on SPCR.

By the way, my system is similar to MikeC's lab system in terms of components. It is *ALMOST* silent. Certainly, sitting on the carpetted floor (well... actually on shot glasses) beside my huge white oak desk it is inaudible 100% of the time, unless I put my ear up to it.

Modified Antec Sonata
Athlon XP2500+
Abit NF-7S (with active NB cooler replaced with Zalman passive heat sink)
SLK-800A
Panaflo L1A CPU fan
PSU fan swapped with L1A also
Stock Antec case fan
Seagate 7200.7 HD
1GB RAM
Abit / nVidia 5200 video card with passive cooling

This site has done more for improving the pleasantness of my time spent at the computer than any other site. I've never been this content with a system before. I'm in a room with two systems and can't hear them (although there is quite a bit of space between the systems and only one is very close to me).

When I put my systems together, I simply read this site, selected the recommended components, did the recommended mods, perhaps devised a thing or two of my own which I've shared in the Case Mod forum... and that's pretty much where I sit. I'm happy as a clam.


Thank you, SPCR.

[Shadowknight]

It depends... I STILL haven't met the silent at 1m test.

My rear Nexus is at 850rpm. I NEED airflow for my system, so I can't go to 5v
My front Nexus is around 700? Can't hear it even if I put my ear up to the case.
My CPU 92mm Nexus is at 1250rpm.
My hard drive is in a Smart Drive 2002 on foam. When I had my Samsung in there, I couldn't hear any seek noise with the case closed. My drive may have been damaged from josteling the power cable when it was running, or from the drive overheating (going from a 3.5v Evercool to a Nexus at ANY speed significantly decreased the airflow in my system).
All fans, including the CPU one, are softmounted (silicon Antec mount for the CPU fan, verax rubber sticks for everything else).
Purely passive video card.
Purely passive PSU.
Grills cut out on front and back, with aftermarket grill put on back to keep kitties from sticking their head in. Note: one corner isn't completely open, cutting off part of the airflow from the fan... more turbulence, probably.

It's very very quiet... just not silent silent. Probably because I'm testing this with ZERO background noise... I can hear my monitor, and the buzzing from the AC adaptor for my DSL modem... Just sucks I can't get it any closer to being silent.

Due to my Spinpoint possibly being damaged, I've picked up a Raptor from CompUSA to see how much noise it puts out. I'll post a mini-user review in the appropriate section.

A question re: fans. They generally have four pieces of plast securely in from the frame to the motor in the center. Would the fan still be held in place if I cut two of these off? Just trying to squeeze out every single bit of airflow, and minimize turbulence noise, as much as possible.

[Chris.Day]

The loudest thing in my system (during normal use) is now the Nexus NX-4090 just after powering on (so pretty much idle and it feels cool to touch). Is this as quiet as most people are getting because I'm afraid it's becoming a bit of an obsession.

[m0002a]

It depends... I STILL haven't met the silent at 1m test.

How about trying "sleep" mode.

[m0002a]

The loudest thing in my system (during normal use) is now the Nexus NX-4090 just after powering on (so pretty much idle and it feels cool to touch). Is this as quiet as most people are getting because I'm afraid it's becoming a bit of an obsession. :roll:

If you are truly obsessed, get a Seasonic S12-380 or even an Antec Phantom 350.

[Wedge]

You can stop now. That is good enough. Be careful not to let this silent stuff become an obsession and a bottomless pit into which you throw money (unless you really need a hobby).

This is the most wise post I've ever read on SPCR.

........

When I put my systems together, I simply read this site, selected the recommended components, did the recommended mods, perhaps devised a thing or two of my own which I've shared in the Case Mod forum... and that's pretty much where I sit. I'm happy as a clam.


Thank you, SPCR.

Ditto.

The PC in my sig is virtually inaudible. This is because it sits on the carpet, under my desk. Yes, the fans are quiet, not silent. However, I simply cannot hear them in my normal upright position, nor can I hear them at night in the AM hours either. I must get down on the floor with my head within a 2 feet of the machine if I want to discern any humming noise. I suspect what I am hearing at this position is mostly hard drive vibration since I don't have it suspended.

Truth is I do obsess with it at times. I'm always thinking/looking for a way to make it inaudible when there is really no need. The monitor is set to standby in 15 mins of inactivity, so many times I leave the PC and don't remember if it was on or off. I have to look at the power LED in order to determine this. I would say my PC is quiet enough, yet my mind is still going through the options I have yet to try. I guess it's now a hobby.

[peteamer]

I guess it's now a hobby.

Wedge, Your amongst friends now,... come out into the open, ... call it like it is,... embrace it,...


You know it's ... 'an obsession' ...


We're here for you... ... no need to feel ashamed... ..




Pete 'got to tell my girlfriend to be quiet so I can hear how loud it is,... but I'm not obsessed' Amer

[Green Shoes]

so where are the "Silencers Anonymous" meetings held? I'm thinking of starting a local chapter....

[UndCon]

i have 2 100% silent systems currently running (no moving parts at all)

1 router and 1 webbserver...

both (exactly same hardware) can run linux from CF or USB memory to act as a workstation / mp3player / movieplayer / carpc for wifispotting

[lenny]

so where are the "Silencers Anonymous" meetings held? I'm thinking of starting a local chapter....

See http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewto ... 1739#51739

[Wedge]

I guess it's now a hobby.

You know it's ... 'an obsession' ...


We're here for you... ... no need to feel ashamed... ..

Damn Pete, you saw right through me
I thought my last sentence "it's now a hobby" would throw you off just enough to think I fall well within the range of what is considered normal. Did anybody fall for it at all?
Anyone?

Yes, every day I think of how it can be made better (quieter). Every day. There is always something brewing, usually some idea I picked up here at SPCR.


Oh well. It's good to know that, although I may be a bit neurotic, I find peers among you guys (my best freind in real life can't understand my obsession with this)

[StarfishChris]

I have to admit... I'm a teenage silencer... (the shame of it all! )

I saw what everyone else was doing, it looked so cool... and quiet... I'm only young and impressionable. They hooked me in with their promises of 'hearing the silence', and I did - the quietening effects wore off more and more, I needed even more silence. To feed my habit I had to start programming for money! No more freeware... But what worries me is...

...what happens when I can't hear my PC any more?

Silence the monitor... ...silence the perpetual buzz from the kitchen... ...brick up the windows... ...stop my heartbeat... It's a good thing music exists, then!

[Green Shoes]

lenny

My name is Inexplicable and I'm a silencer. I guess I'm just addicted to silence.

Yesterday... I ducted.

I had been thinking about it for a while, planning and drawing. Not a day went by without thoughts of air flow. It's especially hard when you go outside, feel the wind in your face. But every day I put the drawings away, holding on, fighting the obsession. One day at a time. Until yesterday... Yesterday I walked by the hardware store and I saw the pipe in the window and... I just couldn't help myself. I went into the store, bought the pipe, and I ducted all night. And most of this morning. My temps are down by three degrees and my PSU is now my loudest component. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

absolutely true.

Silence the monitor... ...silence the perpetual buzz from the kitchen... ...brick up the windows... ...stop my heartbeat... It's a good thing music exists, then!

Have you ever been in an anechoic chamber? You sit in one for a minute and (after your ears adjust) all you can hear is a low-pitched noise and a high-pitched noise. The low-pitched noise is your circulatory system....the high-pitched, your nervous system .

I guess a little noise isn't necessarily a bad thing....I prefer it to hearing my synapses firing.

[Edward Ng]

lenny

My name is Inexplicable and I'm a silencer. I guess I'm just addicted to silence.

Yesterday... I ducted.

I had been thinking about it for a while, planning and drawing. Not a day went by without thoughts of air flow. It's especially hard when you go outside, feel the wind in your face. But every day I put the drawings away, holding on, fighting the obsession. One day at a time. Until yesterday... Yesterday I walked by the hardware store and I saw the pipe in the window and... I just couldn't help myself. I went into the store, bought the pipe, and I ducted all night. And most of this morning. My temps are down by three degrees and my PSU is now my loudest component. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

absolutely true.

Silence the monitor... ...silence the perpetual buzz from the kitchen... ...brick up the windows... ...stop my heartbeat... It's a good thing music exists, then!

Have you ever been in an anechoic chamber? You sit in one for a minute and (after your ears adjust) all you can hear is a low-pitched noise and a high-pitched noise. The low-pitched noise is your circulatory system....the high-pitched, your nervous system .

I guess a little noise isn't necessarily a bad thing....I prefer it to hearing my synapses firing.

If you're in a dead silent environment for too long you'd probably go insane.

[ilh]

Have you ever been in an anechoic chamber? You sit in one for a minute and (after your ears adjust) all you can hear is a low-pitched noise and a high-pitched noise. The low-pitched noise is your circulatory system....the high-pitched, your nervous system .

I was in Bose's anechoic chamber once, and that was one of the creepiest experiences I have experienced. Absolutely, the noise from your heartbeat, circulation, etc., is surprisingly loud once you are adjusted to the silence. What I found particularly creepy was while listening to another person in the room talk, if they turned away from you you pretty much couldn't hear them due to the lack of reflections.

[Shadowknight]

Perfect silencec is unacheivable for me. Due to about 30 ear infections between the age of 15 and 21, I have tinnitus in both ears. On days my ambient noise level is almost nonexistent, I hear a high pitched noise in both ears. This made it hard to calibrate my computer for minimim noise levels, as it made it difficult to differentiate the computer from my hearing problem.

[Green Shoes]

Perfect silencec is unacheivable for me. Due to about 30 ear infections between the age of 15 and 21, I have tinnitus in both ears. On days my ambient noise level is almost nonexistent, I hear a high pitched noise in both ears. This made it hard to calibrate my computer for minimim noise levels, as it made it difficult to differentiate the computer from my hearing problem.

Ick, sorry to hear that. I would think it would help that computers don't typically produce the 10 kHz whines that most people with tinnitus hear. Trying to listen to your monitor, on the other hand.....

Just out of curiousity, what are surgery options for that? Can they drain the fluid or anything, and is it just a temporary fix like carpal tunnel release surgery?

[peteamer]

I have to admit... I'm a teenage silencer...

Reckon you could make a career out of that ... want to start at my house ?

[Shadowknight]

Just out of curiousity, what are surgery options for that? Can they drain the fluid or anything, and is it just a temporary fix like carpal tunnel release surgery?

There are surgery options by slicing certain nerves in the ear. However, it's also possible the surgery will make it worse, so I've decided not to go throuigh with it. As long as I have a minimal amount of background noise, it's unnoticable. Of course, this means the quieter my computer is, the more I hear the tinnitus.

[StarfishChris]

I have to admit... I'm a teenage silencer...

Reckon you could make a career out of that ... want to start at my house ?

It'll be a short-lived career - only a few years left!

[lenny]

I have to admit... I'm a teenage silencer...

Reckon you could make a career out of that ... want to start at my house ?

It'll be a short-lived career - only a few years left!

I think peteamer means "silencing teenagers"

Anyone with experience silencing 3 to 6 yr olds?