I hold this community responsible! ;-)

peterson · Post by **peterson** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 10:01 am

For getting me bit by the get-my-rig-as-silent-as-possible bug.
No just kidding of course.

I've read this forum for a few months now and have gotten much inspiration here. But also getting a bit frustrated with the noise i've begun to hear.

And i have perfect hearing no matter what my wife says.

Ok, so i'd thought i strut my stuff after reaching my first goal. Not that i have a future one at the present but anyway...well maybe an Antec Phantom 500.

As many of you here, i have a Antec Sonata chassi. Modded with the cutout in the front bezel. Not that i noticed any significant drop in temp but at least i didn't get any more noise. I also glued on higher footstands for better airflow, and hopefully keeping away from most of the dust. These normally operate as doorstop and are made of rubber so maybe i get a tiny bit of damping any vibrations.

Internal: from top down.
The PSU has gotten a new fan plus a buddy mounted on the outside of the PSU case. These are intended to work as push-pull. They are Pabst 80mm 8412N2/GL. Spec to 12dB. The PSU also has a kind of airduct (2mm alu) that is supposed to get air from the holes in the chassi, fresh air hopefully rather than old CPU air, and keeping some dust away from the rest of the PC. It also keeps some noise from slipping out this way. I put some strip seal under the airduct but was so tight getting it under the new PSU-fan that it leans a bit. No worries.

I have an Intel 3.0 Prescott so it required a heavy duty cooler. The best i could think of is the Thermalright XP-120 which i enriched with a Pabst 120mm 4412F/2GL. btw: Pabst is probably the quietest fan to get here in Sweden. At least it's available almost everywhere. So, naturally, the chassifans are also Pabst 120mm 4412F/2GL.

The graphics card is a Leadtek 6800GT. The stock cooler is great i think but a bit too loud. So i bought a Arctic Cooling NV5. But if you've already looked at my picture, you'd notice somethings wrong.

I was pleased with the reduction in noise level but not the temp. It idled in 60C with fan on full speed. And when i installed a T-Balancer, the fan started to sound irritating. So today i got a Zalman VF-700 Cu. Now it idles at 55C with fan at 35%. But the fan still sounds a bit so i'm investigating a fan swap. If anyone here has info on it, i'm listening

Last but not least. As mentioned, i have a mCubed T-Balancer to not having to dial on various knobs once in a while. It does the work for me. And i must say it does a heck of a job. I have sensors in PSU(close to the transistors), CPU (underneath the XP-120), Northbridge, and on graphicscard just beside the GPU. It takes a bit of work to dial it in but once done it's a superb gadget.

And yes i know, i should manage the cables, but since it took me some 6 hours yesterday i really was eager to test it.

The result is: Much quieter rig, but a little bit warmer. But now since i've begun to work on getting noice level down, i'm only satisfied when it's turned off.

Thanks to all for info and inspiration.

/Lars Peterson

mei · Post by **mei** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 11:46 am

Nice with some swedish guys/chicks, will soon fix pics of my rig to.
Btw. Thx for the infomation about the graphiccard. I have the same model, and have thought about changing that out, so now i know

.
2nd Btw. Where in Sweden did you buy your fans? I think im gonna buy a Papts fan, when i get money.

burcakb · Post by **burcakb** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 1:17 pm

peterson,

Nice build.

You've got little results from your bezel intake mods because you've blocked your intakes on the inside with the foam blocks

As for the PSU channel, I tried a similar thing with my Sonata. After extended load (folding 24/7) the PSU began screaming for air. Hopefully your backup fan will solve your problem. I'm very interested in long-term load results. Keep us informed (You're folding, right?

)

I've never had a pabst (I do but it's a powerful, noisy monster that doesn't undervolt) but I sincerely recommend the Nexus fans. BIG difference to anything else. Considering the Papst aren't cheap either, no reason to not go for the best one.

peterson · Post by **peterson** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 1:35 pm

mei wrote:Where in Sweden did you buy your fans? I think im gonna buy a Papts fan, when i get money.

I bought them from pcaction. They are the cheapest at the present. But i got them when the shipping was free. They have it from time to time.

burcakb wrote:peterson,

Nice build.

You've got little results from your bezel intake mods because you've blocked your intakes on the inside with the foam blocks

As for the PSU channel, I tried a similar thing with my Sonata. After extended load (folding 24/7) the PSU began screaming for air. Hopefully your backup fan will solve your problem. I'm very interested in long-term load results. Keep us informed (You're folding, right? )

I'm not sure the foam blocks is the problem. When i compared it i didn't have them there. Now they are intended to hush the discs, which they manage pretty well, secondly they're there to direct the air above them and past the discs. I'm not sure it works as intended. I'll test a few days w/o them.

The first time i tested the duct, i got higher temps indeed, if only 2-3C.
And it may just be a good theory that's bad in practise.

I'll test w/o that too later on.

Thanks for the response

mei · Post by **mei** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 10:32 pm

Thanks, will check out that later when they have free shipping.
Anyhow, arent you a little bit worried for the graphiccard? The Zalmancooler seems to be a little bit to heavy.

peterson · Post by **peterson** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 11:06 pm

mei wrote:Thanks, will check out that later when they have free shipping.
Anyhow, arent you a little bit worried for the graphiccard? The Zalmancooler seems to be a little bit to heavy.

Not worried at all. It weight something like 200grams and that's not much really. And it's less than the NV5 anyway. And i won't do any drop tests with it either.

I would be worried if i had had those near 1 kilo CPU heatsinks though.

mei · Post by **mei** » Fri Jan 21, 2005 3:45 am

Hehe ok. Thogth it weighted around 500grams

peterson · Post by **peterson** » Fri Jan 21, 2005 4:20 am

burcakb wrote:peterson,

Nice build.

You've got little results from your bezel intake mods because you've blocked your intakes on the inside with the foam blocks

As for the PSU channel, I tried a similar thing with my Sonata. After extended load (folding 24/7) the PSU began screaming for air. Hopefully your backup fan will solve your problem. I'm very interested in long-term load results. Keep us informed (You're folding, right? )

I've never had a pabst (I do but it's a powerful, noisy monster that doesn't undervolt) but I sincerely recommend the Nexus fans. BIG difference to anything else. Considering the Papst aren't cheap either, no reason to not go for the best one.

I tried w/o the foam blocks, and it's noisier and i sense a slight raise in case temp. Could be the result from below though.
A few hours w/o the PSU channel actually made the PSU run hotter too.
And the CPU as well. I guess it has something to do with direction of airflow.

So i'm putting both back if you don't mind

And i'll dampen the resonance from the HDs as well. I'll just put some soft rubber beneath and on the sides.

I would really like to try a Nexus fan but i don't know anywhere here in Sweden where i can buy one.

Cros · Post by **Cros** » Fri Jan 21, 2005 5:21 am

Nice rig there peterson

sensei · Post by **sensei** » Fri Jan 21, 2005 12:36 pm

Nexus fans are available here in Denmark.

Try doing a search for them on http://www.edbpriser.dk. I bought a couple from Jysk Data Service. They are 200 danish kroner with shipping, so not cheap, but I almost can't hear them, and I have near zero ambient noise (I live in a very quiet neighbourhood).

My Spinpoints are the loudest component in my case by a very large margin.

burcakb · Post by **burcakb** » Fri Jan 21, 2005 1:10 pm

peterson wrote: A few hours w/o the PSU channel actually made the PSU run hotter too.
And the CPU as well. I guess it has something to do with direction of airflow.

I would really like to try a Nexus fan but i don't know anywhere here in Sweden where i can buy one.

That's great. I didn't dare put a second fan because the first was already screaming (and it's a normally-very-quiet Acoustifan). Do you have any idea what voltage the inside & outside-but-inside fan on the PSU are running at? It might be a good idea to hook up two medium globes/panaflos at 3.3V. That might just do the trick to reenable my PSU isolation too.

Don't know about Sweden. It seems that even though they're an EU company, EU distribution is a bit lousy. You can import them (www.silentpcshop.nl). For 120mm, you can also make do with the nearly identical Yate Loon fans from www.geeks.com or www.isellsurplus.com. WAY cheaper than the Nexus and should come out to the same (ex-shipping) price with the shipping from US.

Nevarion · Post by **Nevarion** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 12:42 pm

I bought 1 nexus 120mm and 2 nexus 92mm from www.silentpcshop.nl. cost = 450 swedish kronor incl. shipping. 48,95 euro.

Tephras · Post by **Tephras** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 3:38 pm

Oh, thanks for the info. I've been somewhat hesitant to order from Silent PC-Shop cause I thought the shipping would be higher, but apparently I was wrong, the shipping cost seems to be quite reasonable.

Webfire · Post by **Webfire** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 1:47 pm

Hi!
You might consider buying the Yate Loon fans at this german shop: www.ichbinleise.de
They cost 10€ plus 10€ shipping. Like the others mentioned the Nexus 120 is the same as the Yate Loon D12SM-12.

JanW · Post by **JanW** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 2:28 pm

Webfire: The Yate Loon ichbinleise sells (D12SM-12 as you noted correctly) is the medium speed Yate Loon. One of the strengths of the Nexus is its very low speed at stock voltage (IIRC, the closest would be the low speed Yate Loon D12SL-12). Read everything about Nexus and Yate Loon and where to buy in this HUGE thread.

StarfishChris · Post by **StarfishChris** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 4:28 pm

Isn't that extra PSU fan redundant unless you've made any more holes in the rear of the PSU case? I know the second fan doesn't cover up all the holes so there is airflow there, but it's all going to have to go out the rear fan anyway. Surely negative pressure is enough?

Webfire · Post by **Webfire** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 1:22 am

I'm sorry I got it confused somehow. But nevertheless the SM one isn't bad either. What I heard from others it starts and runs @3V. At the silendhardware.de-forum it's supposed to be one of the best 120 fans.

I don't have one of them myself. But I'll get two of them pretty soon.

But now back to the SL version, as mentioned in the other thread you could buy 10 or more at http://tekgems.com/Products/et-13713-fan-d12sl-12.htm With shipping to Germany it would be 5,98$ each. I think it will be about the same with shipping to Sweden. You can sell the fans you don't need to other silententhusiasts in Sweden. You would probably find some.

mei · Post by **mei** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 6:28 am

Btw. What motherbord is it you got there?

Webfire wrote: But now back to the SL version, as mentioned in the other thread you could buy 10 or more at http://tekgems.com/Products/et-13713-fan-d12sl-12.htm With shipping to Germany it would be 5,98$ each. I think it will be about the same with shipping to Sweden. You can sell the fans you don't need to other silententhusiasts in Sweden. You would probably find some.

If you do, i would be intrested in 2

, i mean peterson

peterson · Post by **peterson** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 10:15 am

mei wrote:Btw. What motherbord is it you got there?

Webfire wrote: But now back to the SL version, as mentioned in the other thread you could buy 10 or more at http://tekgems.com/Products/et-13713-fan-d12sl-12.htm With shipping to Germany it would be 5,98$ each. I think it will be about the same with shipping to Sweden. You can sell the fans you don't need to other silententhusiasts in Sweden. You would probably find some.
If you do, i would be intrested in 2 , i mean peterson

I've got an ASUS P4S800D-E. A board few dares to buy i think. It's got a SIS 655TX chip which works at least as good as 875 chip according to (all) tests. Just a lot cheaper