Need some help silencing my rig but still keep it cool

[raginaot]

Hello spcr
I'm raginaot and I've been building PCs since I was a kid, but noise has never really been an issue for me.
It wasn't until I started working at a PC repair shop some months ago, being surrounded by buzzing fans all day long. Now when I get home I just want some peace and quiet.
But my system sounds like a vacum cleaner and I don't know what to do.

It gets pretty toasty, overclocked i7 and a HD5870 GPU + 5 hard drives.

Here are my specs.

Case: HAF 922
CPU: i7 920 @ 3,8GHz
GPU: HD 5870 (that thing gets pretty hot)
PSU: Corsair HX620
I've been adding to many hard drives recently, I have 5 in the case now. But there will be just 2 left very soon. (samsung F3, they are dead silent to my ears)

My cpu cooler is Prolimatech Megahalems with a couple of Ultra Kaze fans strapped to it, needless to say this is the main source of noise
i have a fan controller though but they are still pretty damn loud at 1200RPM


So now that you know my system, what can I do to get it to shut up?
Is the HAF922 a lost cause? I've noticed it tends to vibrate a lot. Should I replace it with something else? If so, what?

And the fans. It's my understanding that Noctua is top of the line in silent fans, but how are they doing cooling wise?

Any help, tips and pointers and what not is much appreciated.[/b]

[Vetotat]

My cpu cooler is Prolimatech Megahalems with a couple of Ultra Kaze fans strapped to it, needless to say this is the main source of noise
i have a fan controller though but they are still pretty damn loud at 1200RPM

Swap the Ultras for Nexus RealSilent or Scythe S-Flex fans. How much margin do you have before the CPU overheats? Slow down the fans further if you can; there's no point in keeping the parts cooler than they have to be.

Is the HAF922 a lost cause? I've noticed it tends to vibrate a lot. Should I replace it with something else? If so, what?

To avoid vibrations, make sure all fans are softmounted with silicone/rubber “thingsâ€

[speedkar9]

Welcome to SPCR!

Soft mount the drives, swap out the fans for quieter, soft mounted ones, swap left panel with the one on the right (if you can) to block direct noise path out of the PC from that side vent. You can probably get away with one front and the two back/ top exhaust fans in that case.

If the case panels still vibrate, consider adding sound dampening material, or look into a new case altogether (Antec P183?).

Your GPU might also be the next cause of noise, you should look into an aftermarket cooler (Accelero + Twin turbo?).

If its still way to loud, it may be time to consider watercooling

Cheers

[raginaot]

Thanks for the replies

Swap the Ultras for Nexus RealSilent or Scythe S-Flex fans. How much margin do you have before the CPU overheats? Slow down the fans further if you can; there's no point in keeping the parts cooler than they have to be.

The temps are actually pretty high already. The cpu goes up to 68°C at 100% load, and I would like to keep it under 70°C
Haven't changed the termal paste in a while though and I'm pretty sure all the hard drives are blocking the front air intake.
I'm thinking I might put a quiet fan in the 5.25" bay.
That way the air can travel in a straight line from the front, through the heatsink and out the back.

To avoid vibrations, make sure all fans are softmounted with silicone/rubber “thingsâ€

[Vetotat]

So like rubber "screws" of some sort? Where could I buy those?

Soft fan mounts looks like this:
http://www.acousticpc.com/images/a_nexu ... mounts.gif

They are sometimes included with silent fans. I'm quite sure they come with the Nexus fans.

[danimal]

I'm pretty sure all the hard drives are blocking the front air intake.
I'm thinking I might put a quiet fan in the 5.25" bay.
That way the air can travel in a straight line from the front, through the heatsink and out the back.

pull the side off of the case, and compare the maximum open case temps to the maximum closed case temps.

if your case is cooled correctly, there should be little or no difference in cpu temps.

try using a pwm fan solution, perhaps something where you can run two pwm fans instead of one... some nexus fans sacrifice maximum cooling capacity in favor of less noise, so buy for what your intended useage will be.