Quieting my system on a budget

The forum for non-component-related silent pc discussions.

Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee

Post Reply
JWarrior
Posts: 26
Joined: Tue Feb 18, 2003 4:58 pm

Quieting my system on a budget

Post by JWarrior » Sun Feb 23, 2003 12:05 am

After finding this site and reading the articles and posts in this forum, I've decided that it's time to quiet down my PC. However, due to a severe lack of $$$$ I need to do so on a tight budget.

Right now, I've got:
  • -Athlon XP 1600+
    -TT Volcano 6 HSF (By far the loudest component)
    -MSI GeForce 3 Ti200
    -WD 100 GB HD w/ 8MB Cache
    -Enermax EG365P-VE dual fan PSU
Here's what I'm considering doing:
  • -replace the Volcano with either an Artic Cooling Super Silent Pro or a SVC GC68 with either an NMB or Panaflo fan (I've got another post about this in the cooling forum, that goes into a bit more detail http://forums.silentpcreview.com//viewtopic.php?t=3424
    -unplug the 40 mm fan on the Ti200, replace it with an NMB 80 mm mounted perpendicular to the card so that it blows on both sides of the card
    -replace my IDE and floppy cables with rounded versions
    -add an 80 mm NMB intake fan at the front of my case
    -mod the PSU by removing the 92 mm fan entirely, and replacing the 80 mm fan with an NMB fan (UNSURE ABOUT THIS ONE)
The total cost will be under $30 (USD)

I'm really open to suggestions that might make for a better set up. I'm also curious if there's any real advantage in using Panaflo fans over the NMB ones. They're both on the recommended list, but I can get 4 NMB fans for the price of one Panaflo. Are the Panaflo's really that much better?

JW

powergyoza
Patron of SPCR
Posts: 543
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2002 1:01 am
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Contact:

Re: Quieting my system on a budget

Post by powergyoza » Sun Feb 23, 2003 12:51 am

JWarrior wrote: replace the Volcano with either an Artic Cooling Super Silent Pro or a SVC GC68 with either an NMB or Panaflo fan
1st, I'd try some simple DIY mods. Find a spare 80mm fan (or cut out a template) and rotate/move it around above the Volcano sans fan. Do at least 2 mounting holes match? You may not need to replace the volcano...
replace my IDE and floppy cables with rounded versions
Or just be neat and tidy like ralf did - check the SPCR case gallery.
add an 80 mm NMB intake fan at the front of my case
-mod the PSU by removing the 92 mm fan entirely, and replacing the 80 mm fan with an NMB fan (UNSURE ABOUT THIS ONE)

I'm really open to suggestions that might make for a better set up. I'm also curious if there's any real advantage in using Panaflo fans over the NMB ones. They're both on the recommended list, but I can get 4 NMB fans for the price of one Panaflo. Are the Panaflo's really that much better?
If you live in a neighbourhood with no car/ped. traffic you'll need to undervolt those fans to achieve "silence". NMB's are almost as good as panaflos (from personal experience), but you can get panaflos for $4 from http://www.quickar.com/fanblow.php.

JWarrior
Posts: 26
Joined: Tue Feb 18, 2003 4:58 pm

Post by JWarrior » Mon Feb 24, 2003 1:42 pm

The Volcano will only accept a 60 mm fan, there's no way to attach an 80 mm fan to it with more that one screw, which would probably cause all kinds of unwanted vibrations and noise.

I'm gonna see what I can do with tidying up my IDE cables, maybe I can pass on the rounded cables if I do a decent job.

Basically my goal here is to quiet my computer, not necessarily silence it. That's a project that I'll leave to my next system, which I'll probably start in a few months.

seishino
Posts: 150
Joined: Fri Aug 23, 2002 10:41 pm
Location: Boston, MA
Contact:

Re: Quieting my system on a budget

Post by seishino » Mon Feb 24, 2003 2:36 pm

Don't bother with the rounded cables. If you feel compelled to have them, zip-tie the things into a circle, or double-sided tape them down to the side of your case. They're more money than they are worth, if you are on a budget.

Save a few bucks for spare parts on a hard drive case... that WD is going to quickly become the most annoying part. Arguably, because of the high-pitched whine, it probably already is the most annoying part, you just don't know it yet.

-C

powergyoza
Patron of SPCR
Posts: 543
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2002 1:01 am
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Contact:

Post by powergyoza » Mon Feb 24, 2003 4:13 pm

JWarrior wrote:The Volcano will only accept a 60 mm fan, there's no way to attach an 80 mm fan to it with more that one screw, which would probably cause all kinds of unwanted vibrations and noise.
You have one of these right?

Image

If so, I've seen someone attach at 80mm fan to it using epoxy/superglue and metal/plastic brackets.... might be worth a try. TerryW did it: http://forums.silentpcreview.com//viewtopic.php?t=2255

JWarrior
Posts: 26
Joined: Tue Feb 18, 2003 4:58 pm

Post by JWarrior » Mon Feb 24, 2003 5:32 pm

Yes, that's the cooler I've got.

That's an interesting mod, probably worth a try. I think I'm gonna have to make a trip to the hardware store soon.

And seishino, I think you're right about the Hard Drive being the most annoying thing in my case, but right now I can't tell because of the deafening whiny roar of this ridiculous HSF.

Tore
Posts: 72
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2003 5:38 am
Location: Tønsberg, Norway
Contact:

Re: Quieting my system on a budget

Post by Tore » Tue Feb 25, 2003 12:42 am

powergyoza wrote:
JWarrior wrote:replace my IDE and floppy cables with rounded versions
Or just be neat and tidy like ralf did - check the SPCR case gallery.
seishino wrote:Don't bother with the rounded cables. If you feel compelled to have them, zip-tie the things into a circle, or double-sided tape them down to the side of your case. They're more money than they are worth, if you are on a budget.
Another method is to use a pen knife. Make a small slice between each 5th wire, and then pull them gently appart. Bunch them together, and put some tape around it. Done nicely, there really isn't much difference between a cable done this way and a rounded cable.

Hmmm... maybe I should take a few pictures, write a few more lines, and maybe MikeC could put it on the web page? :shock: I know the cables don't really cost all that much, but since most people are on a budget and could spend the money better elsewhere (for instance on a movie theater ticket :lol:) rounded cables seems like a waste.

johnkenyon
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2003 3:51 pm

Post by johnkenyon » Tue Feb 25, 2003 6:46 pm

If you look at the picture in the previous post - I think you can remove the black metal plate covering the ends of the cooler. As the heat sink is approx 80x60mm you can then easily screw an 80mm fan straight onto the heat sink with a 20mm overlap on one side or even try a diagonal mount.

I really should get around to doing that to my 6Cu, but once I undervolted the CPU and put in a temp based fan controller I haven't noticed it too much. (Still being deafened by my Enermax 365 PSU :( )

Asmordean
Posts: 36
Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2002 10:12 pm
Location: Calgary - Canada

Post by Asmordean » Tue Feb 25, 2003 10:47 pm

A simple thing that makes a dramatic difference is to go get some dryer vent stuff (that stuff that looks like a slinky wrapped in vinyl)

Cut a section long enough to attach it to the top of the CPU fan and the other end to reach the back of your case where you have a spot for an exhaust fan.

Doing this will do two things:
1. Improve CPU tempatures because the CPU is now drawing in fresh outside-case air.
2. Deflects the sound a bit. It no longer strikes the side of your metal case as much which lowers the sound output.

I ran like this for months until I went H2O.

Post Reply