Case for Dell Studio XPS 8100

john33 · Post by **john33** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 10:38 am

Hello,

My Dell Studio XPS 8100 is loud. The specs are: Intel i7-860, 2.80GHz, 8GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz-4x2GB, one Radeon HD 5750 video cards, one Western Digital Caviar Black 2 TB hard drive, two optical drives, and Dell's multi-card reader.

The Wester Digital drive is loud, but the hard drive noise does not bother me, it is the other noise (I guess it is coming from the CPU fan or the fan on the back of the case) that makes the system loud. Without liquid cooling, what are my options? Which case would you recommend to transfer everything from the current case to the new one to make the system nearly silent?

Thanks for the help.

Trav1s · Post by **Trav1s** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 11:31 am

I would begin by applying some basic quieting techniques to the current case before I considered a re-case:
1. Under-volting or fan replacement
2. Replacement heatsink for processor
3. Soft mounting drives
4. Remove case fan guards to smooth out flow of air
5. Noise-dampening materials on interior case surfaces

Interior and exterior pics of the system might help with suggestions.

Luke M · Post by **Luke M** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 4:28 pm

Download speedfan and reduce fan speeds.

speedkar9 · Post by **speedkar9** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 6:24 am

I second Trav1s's suggestions on quieting down your Dell.

However looking at XPS8100 pictures online, that Dell case seems a bit cramped to effectively cool and quiet your computer's components. Your final attempt at silencing this PC would be ultimately replacing the case (unless you think the Dell is ugly), in which I'd recommend the Antec P180 mini (though make sure the PSU is ATX and cables can reach from bottom to top of the case!)

IMO you could still do alot with your old case/ components to make it cooler; the small, high-speed PSU, CPU and especially graphic card fans would be the first I'd tackle.