Is Acoustipack really safe?

Slaugh · Post by **Slaugh** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 1:26 pm

Hi there!

I'm planning to put AcoustiPack pre-cut kit in my Antec Sonata... The stock fan was replaced by a Nexus 120mm fan and I have a spare one in case I need to increase intake airflow... The power supply is gone and in the next days, I'll receive a brand new Phantom which I plan to put outside the case. I'm wondering if the acoustipack will increase temp inside the casing alot. There's no other fan except for that Nexus, the CPU and GPU are watercooled by a Reserator and the HDD cooled by a heatpipe cooler from Zalman (ZM-2HC1). The GPU is a Radeon X800XT and the CPU a Athlon64 3400+ (S754).

I know it sounds overkill but I really need to get my computer as silent as possible...

Thanks!

Slipstream · Post by **Slipstream** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 1:44 pm

With a single fan (exhaust?) I don't think Acoustipack is the answer since most of the sound will be from air exiting the case and not internal noise.

Some kind of exhaust muffler would probably work better. Although the Hard Drive noise could be helped by the Acoustipack. If the drive is the main source a SmartDrive 2002c enclosure is cheaper than Acoustipack. I know the enclosure made a HUGE difference on my 7200rpm WD drive. You would have to give up the Zalman heatpipe cage for it though.

From what I have read here the temps with the dampening materials aren't any worse than without it. I just ordered a deluxe kit myself.

freak_in_cage · Post by **freak_in_cage** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 1:57 pm

it will increase your temps a little due to the additional insulation. is what are you trying to quieten with this acoustipack? your hard drive and your nexus fan? have you tried suspending your hard drive?

the only problem i can forsee is with increased temp of your your graphics card. such a high end card being passivly cooled, you may have probs.

i would suggest you have a fan running over your graphics card, even if its at 5V or something, so there is no way you will be able to hear it. its not worth risking running a card like that with a case with such little airflow on passive cooling man.

heck, why cant you put a GPU block on your graphics card and let the reserator do the work? what are your current CPU temps like? that way, all you would have to do would be to quieten your disc drive. you may find suspending it will be enough and you wont need an expensive acousipack, plus your graphics card will be cooler.

this would eliminate the need for a case fan, as the 3 hot components (CPU, GPU & PSU) are already taken care of!

Slaugh · Post by **Slaugh** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 2:34 pm

Slipstream wrote:With a single fan (exhaust?)

Yes, I just replaced the one that come with the Sonata.

freak_in_cage wrote:heck, why cant you put a GPU block on your graphics card and let the reserator do the work?

I already have a GPU block on the Radeon X800XT! No way to cool this card using a passive solution! Only the northbridge is passively cooled (there's no fan on the Asus K8N-E Deluxe). The CPU and GPU are cooled by the Reserator. The reason of acoustipack is to kill the noise caused by the HDD and the DVD-RW when it's burning (case vibration). Don't know if I can suspend the HDD and cool it as well, this is why I bought the Zalman heatpipe cooler in the first place. But if is possible, I surely give it a try!

ddrueding1 · Post by **ddrueding1** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 3:32 pm

Slaugh wrote:Don't know if I can suspend the HDD and cool it as well, this is why I bought the Zalman heatpipe cooler in the first place. But if is possible, I surely give it a try!

I now have my HDD mounted in a Zalman ZM-2HC1 without the rubber dampers and the whole thing suspended on 3/16" shock cord. I've found that suspending a drive can raise it's temperature significantly, and adding the surface area of the heatpipes helped a lot.

freak_in_cage · Post by **freak_in_cage** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 6:12 am

sorry m8, i misunderstood, thought you had a zalman thing on your graphics card!

you could try suspending your hard drive (even though its already in the heatpipe cooler! if its STILL too loud for you, you could buy an enclosure for it:

Silentmaxx Aluminium
HDD Enclosure

http://www.quietpc.com/uk/harddrive.php

these are ok from what i have herd. search around cos im sure you could get one from a cheaper site.

what drive do you have? the pioneer 108 drives are quiet, i have one, i have herd sony are also quiet too. liteon are very loud!

if all that fails, and u still want quiet, then cool, go for the foam m8, although i dunno how much it will help with your dvd noise, as thats case vibration as well as mechanical noise.

sounds obvious m8, but if you burn the DVD disc at a slow speed it will be quieter, so try that if the noise really bothers you that much.

tias · Post by **tias** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 9:24 am

How was the difference from Antec stock fan to the Nexus?

Slaugh · Post by **Slaugh** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 1:45 pm

Sorry, I'm a bit busy these days...

Just received my acoustipack today... Now I just need to find time to put it inside my case... And I'll have my Phantom in the beginning of next week... So I guess I'll play with my new toys this Christmas!

Hey, by the way... I'm planning to put the fanless PSU outside the case but that will left a big hole opened. Should I cover it with foam or left it open? Or there is really no need to put the PSU outside the case... There's enough foam left to cover that hole...

I have many other changes to make on an old computer (which I give to my father for Christmas) so I'll try suspending the noisy WD. The first thing I did was to replace that awful TT Volcano 7+ that sounds like my hair dryer!

Tias wrote:How was the difference from Antec stock fan to the Nexus?

I saw a good difference with the Nexus fan since the system is passively watercooled... And when the Phantom will be installed, I guess it will be even more apparent... But maybe if you keep the stock PSU and use active cooling, there's not much of a difference... When you silence one component, you quickly find that another one is now too noisy! Is there a end?