Antec 300 on its way to silence and performance

[coolhand]

Well here are some shots of my Antec 300.

Asus P5Q Pro Turbo
Q6600 Intel Core 2 Quad (OC'd to cpU 3.0Ghz fsb1333)
HD5750 Sapphire Vapor X
Coolermaster 212+ CPU Cooler (1 cm fan and 1 silverstone fan, switch to noctua 120mm when i take them out of my HTPC tonight)
ModXtreme Pro 500W Modular PSU
2GB Dual channel DDR2 Kingston Hyper RAM (2x 1GB)
4GB Dual channel DDR2 Kingston RAM (2X 2GB)
LG DVD Read/ write
Samsung 640GB F1 HDD
Case Fans - Front intake 1x Noctua 120mm, 1x Nexus Real Silent 120mm
Rear Exhuast 1x Silverstone 120mm, Top Exhaust Antec Tricool 140mm
3 Perforated PCI slot covers.

Ive Cut out the front fan intake grills, ive cut the plastic out of one of the 5.25" bay covers to let direct outside air flow to the CPU cooler (push - pull out the exhaust)

Used Extensions for the 24Pin ATX and 4Pin ATX power cables.
Im looking at drilling holes in the bottom to mount my PSU face down.
Im also looking at case holes to route the wires, as you can see from the pics its not bad the way it is, but theres always room for Improvement.
possibly mount a 92mm Noctua in the bay cage to direct more outside air at the CPU. all fans set to low rpms are barely audible(aside from the 140mm which im working on)









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[markyb]

I believe there is room for improvement in there deffo.. Some of the mods youve carried out i dont get tho. Alas i am new to silencing and case modding myself but bare with me

I changed my Antec 300 top exhaust fan for a sharkoon 140mm 900rpm fan which cured some of the vibrating i had and mounted them on soft mount pins.. Im still getting alittle vibration so going to try dampening it abit more hopefully..

The side exhaust was also blocked off with acousti pack stuff and i did the full inside of the case to help with that.. I also blocked off the bottom intake.. *wanted to see the case temps first then decide if it was needed or not*

In fact there is very little open spaces or voids to let air in apart from the fan in and outlets.. the problem with that i feel is.. you also let vibration and noise out from inside the case..and also let dust inside the case without filteration.. Suspension mounting the hard drive/s will cut down noise even further i found in that case.. They arent easy to replace but im not hoping to be replacing them that often

My thread is here to view if you wanna take a look. Like i said its all constructive and how far you wanna go with it.. Im by no manner of means any pro or anything but just a quest to get a good silent pc

viewtopic.php?t=54822&highlight=

Ive since took the top grill off and got some softer feet for the bottom of the case

I dont see how the psu mounting with the fan downwards is gonna do anything but lessen the case temps.. heat rises so this could be dangerous for the PSU. And there is also the issue of getting rid of the warm air from around the case after?

I holesaw'd mine and also rubber grommeted around them.. just to neaten it off best possible. Was ALOT of work to do, but believe it sets it off well and shows cable management is just as important for cooling as the products we use

[danielG]

You have way too many fans. You shouldn't need intake fans unless your southbridge ou GPU runs hot. Even then, just one should sufice. Also, is push-pull on the CPU heatsink really necessary? Three fans that close will increase the noise level dramatically. Check if you can live without the "pull" fan.

You might also consider replacing the Antec Tricool on the top with a better fan. Antec fans are noisy.

[bozar]

Very clean and nice build! Finally someone who takes advantage of Threehundred's cable management possibilities.

It doesn't look very quiet though but cooling must be great.

[coolhand]

I agree i may have a few fans, which are all undervolted, bringing in air slowly and quietly.
im new to silencing as well, but i dont want to bake my components, im finding a blance between performance and silence.

The top 140mm fan does vibrate and i could live without it, or replace it,or remove mesh and rbber mount a 140mm.

Side panel with mesh has been put on the opposite side of the case so this helps dampen sound from case.

push pull fans on the cpu you bet i can try it with out the pull fan(thnx).

Holes = noise. i agreee, more air = less heat, less heat = slower moving fans,
slower moving fans= less noise. I am trying to find a balance.

Iwill try less fans.

here are my new pics with different fans mounted.


Removed both plastic centers in 5.25 bay inserts




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[PudinPops]

Also, is push-pull on the CPU heatsink really necessary? Three fans that close will increase the noise level dramatically. Check if you can live without the "pull" fan.

You might also consider replacing the Antec Tricool on the top with a better fan. Antec fans are noisy.

I agree with this.

I tried going the push pull method with the Hyper 212+ and found it didn't make a difference. I was around 1c hotter with push pull, but that might or might not have been due to the ambient temperature. I'd leave the fan that came with it, and remove the other one. If it's a quiet fan, replace the antec case fan with that one.

I'd keep at least 1 intake fan, and block off the other opening.

Nice build BTW!!!!!

[bozar]

Push-Pull is perhaps beneficent with a highend cooler like Mugen 2 or Thermalright Ultra Extreme but on this cooler I doubt it makes a difference.

How is the HDD mounted?

You should definitively cut out fangrills in the back to open up airflow and hinder obstructive noise from occurring.

[coolhand]

Actually, this cooler in most reviews performs the same or better than those more $$$ coolers, what experience do you have with temps from those compared to the 212+ direct touch cooler( www.frostytech.com , www.Hardwarecanucks.com)? I ask only because im a facts kinda guy.
any factual/experience advice is much appreciated. i like constructive crit.

I have taken the pull fan off the cpu cooler, and will record temps vs push pull while stressing the core with prime95

HDD is mounted reverse with thumb screws. i had it suspended, but didnt notice a difference in the vibration noise (its getting old and clicking a bit). what i want is some SSD's. or 2x 2.5's suspended

[bozar]

Actually, this cooler in most reviews performs the same or better than those more $$$ coolers, what experience do you have with temps from those compared to the 212+ direct touch cooler( www.frostytech.com , www.Hardwarecanucks.com)? I ask only because im a facts kinda guy.
any factual/experience advice is much appreciated. i like constructive crit.

I have taken the pull fan off the cpu cooler, and will record temps vs push pull while stressing the core with prime95

HDD is mounted reverse with thumb screws. i had it suspended, but didnt notice a difference in the vibration noise (its getting old and clicking a bit). what i want is some SSD's. or 2x 2.5's suspended

Sites like anandtech, xbitlabs and a few more have a different view of the performance, only a few coolers do benefit from push pull, and those who do are really large like IFX-14, DH14 or have very well bit tight fin spacing with excellent heat-spreading such as TRUE:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cooler ... html#sect0
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cooler ... html#sect0
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cooler ... html#sect0

Mugen 2 is also gigantic for only having one fan so it also benefits from push-pull which you can find all about in the SPCR review
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article961-page6.html

I think direct contact is overrated, there are lots of coolers with a solid base performing better, direct contact heatpipes are merely a selling-trick, maybe potential for great heat-spreading but it's seldom used in a efficient way.

I've never been interested in using a puch-pull configuration myself because it wouldn't benefit me, I prefer lower noise over cooling performance and my ninja 2 has such wide spacing that it would be only a matter of one or two degrees. But I do not overclock and neither do I use it for gaming, your needs are totally different from mine.

[coolhand]

thanks^
I always enjoy reading reviews.

If anyone has a cheap solution for dampning pads i could attach to the side pannels that would be much appreciated. (eggcrate foam excluding, not trying to create an oven)

I really enjoy silence, and gamming, so for me i need the air to cool(id do liquid cooling but for me its not cost effective, plus you get the sounds of the pumps), and i need silence. im thinking about blocking off the 140mm fan exhaust with sound dampening as well, the vibration is killing me.

[nomoon]

Are you using any fan controllers to reduce the fan speed? With that many fans, I'll bet that you can use extremely low fan speeds while still adequately cooling the components. I'll bet that you could run that system with all fans running between 500 and 700 RPM.

[coolhand]

you bet, all the Noctua NF-S12B FLX 120MM's have the ULN resiters on for 600-900rpm operation. (i do have 2x 3 fan controllers, just not using them)

right now i have the 2 front intakes running at 600rpm (noctua 120mm)
the cpu cooler running at 900rpm (removed the pull fan)
rear Exhuast Fan is a nexus real silent running at 700rpm(might swap it out for the noctua pull fan)
Ive unplugged the tricool 140mm top exhaust.

[BlackWhizz]

you bet, all the Noctua NF-S12B FLX 120MM's have the ULN resiters on for 600-900rpm operation. (i do have 2x 3 fan controllers, just not using them)

right now i have the 2 front intakes running at 600rpm (noctua 120mm)
the cpu cooler running at 900rpm (removed the pull fan)
rear Exhuast Fan is a nexus real silent running at 700rpm(might swap it out for the noctua pull fan)
Ive unplugged the tricool 140mm top exhaust.

Why dont you remove the top exhaust and attach something to fill the fan holes up. By doing that you'll get one point less where false air can be sucked in.

[coolhand]

I will remove the top fan. id like to get my hands on some dampening material. Not gonna spend $80 bones on nexus stuff from NCIX, $40 for acoutipack is more the price range, but not willing to spen the $30 on shipping from the states.

I've read about sticky back vinly tiles, i kinda like the look and performance of the acoustipack, any suggestions? specifically on where to buy. like today? in vancouver BC

[BlackWhizz]

Just to cover a fan hole up? A few pieces of duck tape will do the job

[PudinPops]

Try hitting up a home depot and look for polystyrene sheets.

I'm not sure how well it would work (never tried it or seen anyone try it) but you can get a 1/2" thick 2x8ft sheet of it for under $7.

That's an experiment that's light on the wallet in case it doesn't work.

[coolhand]

No not just to cover the top fan hole but to line the sides of the case the bottom and the top. aka a Acoustipack sound dampening kit.

I have the top and side fan mesh covered with shrink wrap at the moment to keep dust out, but its not really sound deadning.

Im looking for an astetically pleasing route. i mean not to know the ol' duct tape methods of red green, but i likemy stuff looking pro. this weekend i'll propperly route my cables(cutting a couple holes, then use grometts to clen up the look. as well as auto edge trimming the fan intake/outakes where ive removed the mesh.

Performance, Quiet, Beauty

[coolhand]

Updates, HDD Suspended, Sound Damping material Added and Cable.
routing holes cut and cables re-routed. Thanks to Mike C for the Bungee Cable and Acoustipack. More to come: Covering the Top fan Exhaust(any Ideas SPCR people? Fan filter? acousti pack? Solid Aluminum cover?) the only sound is the HDD Seek and a slight hum from the front intakes and i think its the auto trim i used to line the cut mesh (fans are pushed tight to the case)

[sub]

Very clean built coolhand, you're 300 should be very quiet now !

[coolhand]

Thanks^^ its a work in progress. and yes its very quiet, i can hear HDD seek noise and a low hum when i put my ear to the case. So i have a bit more to do.

[capecodbackup]

beautiful build! SSD will solve hard drive noise once and for all. get a nice external USB 3.0 or esata for space.

[coolhand]

^Thanks!!! I would love a SSD but its not in the budget at 3+$ per GB.
maybe in quarter 2 when intel releases their new SSD's and the prices come down a little.

Anyone have a HD5750 GPU? i need to quiet the fan down, even at 20% its audible, ive looked everywhere for aftermarket coolers and there only seems to be 1 by thermalright (SApphire HD 5750 Vapor x) or even a replacement fan that might be quieter?

update:

front intake fans are now at 400RPM, CPU cooler at 800RPM, Rear Exhaust is at 700RPM.

Having an aluminum/Steel Plate made to cover top exhaust hole.

[BlackWhizz]

^Thanks!!! I would love a SSD but its not in the budget at 3+$ per GB.
maybe in quarter 2 when intel releases their new SSD's and the prices come down a little.

Anyone have a HD5750 GPU? i need to quiet the fan down, even at 20% its audible, ive looked everywhere for aftermarket coolers and there only seems to be 1 by thermalright (SApphire HD 5750 Vapor x) or even a replacement fan that might be quieter?

update:

front intake fans are now at 400RPM, CPU cooler at 800RPM, Rear Exhaust is at 700RPM.

Having an aluminum/Steel Plate made to cover top exhaust hole.

Well, you're right. Thermalright is the only company who makes coolers for reverence PCB's. Thats because you can flip the cooler that it is on top (on the other side of the connectors).

[coolhand]

So the V2 is the only VGA cooler that will fit.. hmmm where can i buy one?
or better yet where can i get a new fan for the VGA?

thanks.

[coolhand]

More Case Damping Material added, this is getting closer to silence.
still hear some turbulance from the rear exhaust(Noctua 120mm at 385RPM)






Here i used a square of rubber damping material attached to the top of the sticky side of the material i used to line the top of the case. Blocks the 140mm fan mesh and keeps the sticky backing of the other material from collecting dust.




and a shot of the inside Because i like the inside.

[coolhand]

More Case Damping Material added, this is getting closer to silence.
still hear some turbulance from the rear exhaust(Noctua 120mm at 385RPM)






Here i used a square of rubber damping material attached to the top of the sticky side of the material i used to line the top of the case. Blocks the 140mm fan mesh and keeps the sticky backing of the other material from collecting dust.




and a shot of the inside Because i like the inside.

[themaster1]

More Case Damping Material added, this is getting closer to silence.
still hear some turbulance from the rear exhaust(Noctua 120mm at 385RPM)

Where can i get this Devo material ? You think it can make a difference?

[JamieG]

still hear some turbulance from the rear exhaust(Noctua 120mm at 385RPM)

Try cutting out the rear fan grill with some tin snips. This should reduce the turbulence noise.

If you need some form of fan guard to avoid potential finger injuries, try a simple wire fan guard.

[coolhand]

More Case Damping Material added, this is getting closer to silence.
still hear some turbulance from the rear exhaust(Noctua 120mm at 385RPM)

Where can i get this Devo material ? You think it can make a difference?

I actually Met up with Mike from SPCR and bought some of his exess damping material. that EVO stuff fell off the roof of my PC the glue didnt stick as well as i had hoped so i peeled it completely off, yes it worked, my non-silent pc case was made silent. to be honest i prefer the dampinfg material used on the side pannel over the evo stuff.

[mikk]

Glad to see you tidied it up a little more. I do similar sorts of cuts to all my cases.

This is the way proper case building gets done. Good job!

I wasn't very impressed with the 300 case as a whole. I've found much cheaper cases that do a better job.

viewtopic.php?t=54636