Here's a proposed system I'm working on. I plan for it to be my 24/7 web server + torrent box + general use computer. I have a secondary laptop for backup. I need it to be completely silent because I'm going to sleep in the same room and I cannot stand much noise.
I used to have a build in an Antec Fusion 430 case and it was WAY too loud. When I turned it on, I would hear the fans spin up and the hard drive noise was particularly bad.
Here's my proposed Cooling Setup.
Cooling:
Zalman Reserator v1
Apogee Storm GT
Zalman VGA water block (I know about mixing metals, and over the past 2 years, I've seen no noticable corrosion)
Replace all case fans with Notcua 8 Dba fans (low airflow, but the CPU and GPU are water cooled)
Case
Antec P180 or Lian Li A-05. Any opinion as to which one is quieter? The Lian li is aluminum, but the Antec has a lot of holes in the back.
Hard Drives
Suspension Mounted in the 5.25" bays.
PSU
Seasonic M12-II 430W
Is there any other major noise source I should deal with
Completely Inaudible System
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee
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thejamppa
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Hi! Welcome to the SPCR!
Your first problem will be a pump. You have to put a pump on sorthobane pad. However general consensus is that current Air Coolers are almost equal to water cooling kits, with lesser noise.
As for case fans noctua's are good choice, albeit Scythe Slipstreams maybe better.... And cheaper.
Antec P182 has these days only holes in back are for water colling, so there is no more the expansio slot grille like in P180. P182 is quieter out of box than lian Li, I'd say...
Your first problem will be a pump. You have to put a pump on sorthobane pad. However general consensus is that current Air Coolers are almost equal to water cooling kits, with lesser noise.
As for case fans noctua's are good choice, albeit Scythe Slipstreams maybe better.... And cheaper.
Antec P182 has these days only holes in back are for water colling, so there is no more the expansio slot grille like in P180. P182 is quieter out of box than lian Li, I'd say...
Which hard drives are you going to get? The WD Drives that spin at 5400rpm are quieter than the other large capacity drives.
Do you already have the reserator and are happy with the noise level?
I will also give a recomendation for the scythe slipstream fans. With water cooling you might be able to use the 500rpm versions for case fans, and not have to worry about undervolting fans.
Do you already have the reserator and are happy with the noise level?
I will also give a recomendation for the scythe slipstream fans. With water cooling you might be able to use the 500rpm versions for case fans, and not have to worry about undervolting fans.
The pump is integrated into the reserator, and it's completely inaudible once the air has been bled out. I've had it for over a year. I tried a "silent setup" before, but it was unbearably loud (antex earthwatts, antec tricools and that effing hard drive)
I'm not sure on the hard drive. Originally I was going to suspension mount a 7200 RPM drive. Does anyone have any experience with how loud that would be.
Alternatively, I could just get a 2.5" and suspension mount that.
P182 it is. Thank you. How many case fans are there in the 182? Does the top blowhole allow a lot of noise to get through?
Also, what's a good PSU for under $200. Although I would like to use the Koolance water cooled PSU, it's not practical.
I'm thinking Enermax Modu82+ 430. Will a fanless work in the P182 if I use a notcua fan to blow air over it? Maybe the nightjar?
I'm not sure on the hard drive. Originally I was going to suspension mount a 7200 RPM drive. Does anyone have any experience with how loud that would be.
Alternatively, I could just get a 2.5" and suspension mount that.
P182 it is. Thank you. How many case fans are there in the 182? Does the top blowhole allow a lot of noise to get through?
Also, what's a good PSU for under $200. Although I would like to use the Koolance water cooled PSU, it's not practical.
I'm thinking Enermax Modu82+ 430. Will a fanless work in the P182 if I use a notcua fan to blow air over it? Maybe the nightjar?
quiet fans and noise reference
FAN Reference:
What should be obvious to you is that you don't just want quiet fans, you want quiet fans that have a decent amount of airflow (cfm). Anything under 20dba is going to be pretty much unnoticeable and will be drowned out by normal room noise; unless you have an exceptionally quiet room. I have entirely the Scythe 8db fans in my antec 900 case (replaced case fans, aftermarket cpu cooler fan and power supply fan) and my case is absolutely silent. a master ninja sneaking up on you would make more noise. i have no trouble keeping temps low (but I also do not overclock).
Don't forget, the other cause of noise is due to vibration. I used those silicone fan (and power supply) silencers, as well as silicone hard drive silent mountings.
I prepared my case by putting sound dampening material under the motherboard, and on all flat surfaces (including on the psu). 3A Link All Althorn, Acoustipack, and Nexus DampTek all make sound dampening materials. These help isolate any noise in your pc and keep it from coming out... If you are taking all these steps, I'd suggest the least expensive sound dampening material, because there isn't going to be much to dampen.
Don't forget to check the dba of your pump. also, you dont need an extreme flow to do ordinary cooling. unless you are a super o'clocker, i wouldn't recommend spending more than 50-50$ on your pump.
unrelated: a 700-1000Watt (3000-3500BTU) heat dissipation radiator should run you ~$50-60
---
Other Notes:
* yes, you need a fan in your psu, replace it with one of the quiet ones above, or ask whoever you buy it from (svc comes to mind) to replace it before shipping it to you to save you the hassle.
* a 7200rpm drive loudness: I'm pretty sure the NoiseMagic NoVibes III Hard Drive Decoupling Cage is rated the highest. I just use mitron silicone dampeners.
* you mentioned a 2.5" drive -- if you get a 2.5" solid state drive you wont need to cool or silence it. they dont make any noise or generate any significant heat.
- cfm/db -- fan
043/22 -- Cooler Master 120mm Blue LED Case Fan OEM 43CFM 22dBA $4
052/22 -- Cooler Master Y720SCB-12K1-GP 120mm Silent Case Fan 52CFM 22dBA $8
090/19 -- Cooler Master R4-L2R-20AC-GP 120mm LED Silent Case Fan 90CFM 19dBA (red, or green or blue) $10
090/19 -- Cooler Master R4-C2R-20AC-GP 120mm Long Life Silent Case Fan 69CFM 19dBA $10
110/16 -- Cooler Master Y720DCD-25T1-GP 120mm Blue LED Silent Case Fan 110CFM 16dBA $14 *highest cfm*
110/16 -- Cooler Master Y720CCD-25K1-GP 120mm Silent Case Fan 110CFM 16dBA $13 *highest cfm, 80k mtbf*
???/16 -- Cooler Master SAF-S12-E1 120mm Ultra Silent Cas Fan 11.27CFM 13dBA $9
076/15 -- Nexus D12SL-12 PWM Clear 120mm Case Fan 76CFM 15dBA $16
034/08 -- Noctua NF-S12-800 120mm Very Low Noise Case Fan 34CFM 8dBA $20 *quietest
034/08 -- Scythe SFF21D 120mm S-Flex Fluid Dynamic Bearing Case Fan 3-Pin 34CFM 8dBA $15 *quietest
025/08 -- Scythe SY-1225SL12SL SlipStream 120mm Case Fan 500RPM 25CFM 8dBA $10
040/11 -- Scythe SY-1225SL12L SlipStream 120mm Case Fan 800RPM 40CFM 11dBA $10
069/24 -- Scythe SY-1225SL12M SlipStream 120mm Case Fan 1200RPM 69CFM 24dBA $10
038/09 -- SilenX IXP-74-09 Ixtrema Pro 120mm x 25mm 9dBA 38CFM Silent Case Fan $19 *quiet
046/11 -- SilenX IXP-74-11 Ixtrema Pro 120mm x 25mm Case Fan 46CFM 11dBA $19 *quiet
072/14 -- SilenX IXP-74-14 Ixtrema Pro 120mm x 25mm Case Fan 72CFM 14dBA $18
072/14 -- SilenX IXP-74-14B Blue LED Ixtrema Pro 120mm x 25mm 14dBA 72CFM Fan (red, green, blue) $20
var/xx - - SilenX IXP-74-14T Ixtrema Pro 120mm Thermistor Case Fan 24-72CFM 6-14dBA $20
- studio for sound = 18dba
Rustling leaves = 20dba
whispering= 25dba
library = 30dba
average home = 50dba
- cfm = cubic feet per minute
db = decibels (also dba)
What should be obvious to you is that you don't just want quiet fans, you want quiet fans that have a decent amount of airflow (cfm). Anything under 20dba is going to be pretty much unnoticeable and will be drowned out by normal room noise; unless you have an exceptionally quiet room. I have entirely the Scythe 8db fans in my antec 900 case (replaced case fans, aftermarket cpu cooler fan and power supply fan) and my case is absolutely silent. a master ninja sneaking up on you would make more noise. i have no trouble keeping temps low (but I also do not overclock).
Don't forget, the other cause of noise is due to vibration. I used those silicone fan (and power supply) silencers, as well as silicone hard drive silent mountings.
I prepared my case by putting sound dampening material under the motherboard, and on all flat surfaces (including on the psu). 3A Link All Althorn, Acoustipack, and Nexus DampTek all make sound dampening materials. These help isolate any noise in your pc and keep it from coming out... If you are taking all these steps, I'd suggest the least expensive sound dampening material, because there isn't going to be much to dampen.
Don't forget to check the dba of your pump. also, you dont need an extreme flow to do ordinary cooling. unless you are a super o'clocker, i wouldn't recommend spending more than 50-50$ on your pump.
unrelated: a 700-1000Watt (3000-3500BTU) heat dissipation radiator should run you ~$50-60
---
Other Notes:
* yes, you need a fan in your psu, replace it with one of the quiet ones above, or ask whoever you buy it from (svc comes to mind) to replace it before shipping it to you to save you the hassle.
* a 7200rpm drive loudness: I'm pretty sure the NoiseMagic NoVibes III Hard Drive Decoupling Cage is rated the highest. I just use mitron silicone dampeners.
* you mentioned a 2.5" drive -- if you get a 2.5" solid state drive you wont need to cool or silence it. they dont make any noise or generate any significant heat.
Completed Build:
I was running short of money, so I went for a budget build.
Here's what my final design was: (I totally forgot about this thread)
Antec 300 (on sale)
Gigabyte Mobo (on sale)
AMD Phenom 9500 (on sale) w/ Scythe Orochi, the fan was attached to the blowhole
ati 3850 (from my last build) w/ AC Accelero 2
Thermaltake 430W PSU (forgot which one, it was on sale)
elastic suspended 7200 RPM 3.5" HDD
2 Scythe 8 Dba fans (1 input, 1 on the Accelero)
It's barely audible, but only if i listen for it. The only problem is that the scythe orochi comes with a horrible mounting system. It won't stay on the CPU unless I set my case sideways.
Nonetheless, successful build.
I was running short of money, so I went for a budget build.
Here's what my final design was: (I totally forgot about this thread)
Antec 300 (on sale)
Gigabyte Mobo (on sale)
AMD Phenom 9500 (on sale) w/ Scythe Orochi, the fan was attached to the blowhole
ati 3850 (from my last build) w/ AC Accelero 2
Thermaltake 430W PSU (forgot which one, it was on sale)
elastic suspended 7200 RPM 3.5" HDD
2 Scythe 8 Dba fans (1 input, 1 on the Accelero)
It's barely audible, but only if i listen for it. The only problem is that the scythe orochi comes with a horrible mounting system. It won't stay on the CPU unless I set my case sideways.
Nonetheless, successful build.
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NeilBlanchard
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The Scythe are advertised at 8Dba, It's low CFM / low RPM, but it gets the heat out.
The thermaltake PSU is the purepower430 it's old, but i had it lying around.
I think I put together this build for <$400.
Idle is a about 34*C for CPU, 35 - 38*C GPU. Under load, the CPU and GPU top out at about 60*C, all according to everest
The thermaltake PSU is the purepower430 it's old, but i had it lying around.
I think I put together this build for <$400.
Idle is a about 34*C for CPU, 35 - 38*C GPU. Under load, the CPU and GPU top out at about 60*C, all according to everest
info adjustment
Thank you rkaye for the "cool" chart.
I just want to point out a clarification (I know I got my hopes up),
The Y720CCD-25K1-GP for example does put out 109.6CFM but at 38 dBA rather than the minimum of 16.5dBA.
The Nexus D12SL-12 Pulse Width Modulation (which connected to a normal 3 pin power source will run at full speed) fan does put out 76CFM but at 27dBA rather than 13.
And I'm not an expert on silent fans but I don't seem to be alone in the frustration of getting the "SilenX IXP-74-14T Ixtrema Pro 120mm Thermistor" to stay on. They seem very flakey, it will only turn on half the time with the thermistor between my fingers or even against the extremely hot heat sink of the high end video card.
I agree, basically we are looking for a golden mix of cfm to dBA ratio.
I am still looking for the dream fan (within budget).
I just want to point out a clarification (I know I got my hopes up),
The Y720CCD-25K1-GP for example does put out 109.6CFM but at 38 dBA rather than the minimum of 16.5dBA.
The Nexus D12SL-12 Pulse Width Modulation (which connected to a normal 3 pin power source will run at full speed) fan does put out 76CFM but at 27dBA rather than 13.
And I'm not an expert on silent fans but I don't seem to be alone in the frustration of getting the "SilenX IXP-74-14T Ixtrema Pro 120mm Thermistor" to stay on. They seem very flakey, it will only turn on half the time with the thermistor between my fingers or even against the extremely hot heat sink of the high end video card.
I agree, basically we are looking for a golden mix of cfm to dBA ratio.
I am still looking for the dream fan (within budget).
7 x 15 = 105
xgecko, very much appreciate the correction on the dBa for those fans -- it did seem too good to be true. The data on the chart i made was from a vendor website (silicon valley computer). You definitely saved me the trouble of buying and returning.
I have no experience with the silenx thermistor, I'm using an Aero Cool PowerWatch to control my fans which has its own temperature leads for CPU, hard drive, case, etc -- and varies the fan speed by temperature. [works great for me]
I've given the subject of PC case fans a great deal of thought, and I think I'm going to stick with the ultra-quiet lower-CFM on my next mid-tower build. my reasoning: I have two fans in the front of the case, one in the back, one in the side panel, one in the top venting up; plus the CPU fan and the power-supply fan. That's seven fans (not counting the built-in fan on the graphics card). Seven... Seven times even a low CFM, say 15 is (7fans x 15cfm) is 105CFM. I'm skeptical that switching them with 110CFM fans would result in a dramatically lower temperature; I'd guess maybe .1 or .2 degrees Celsius. We're not going to decrease the temp in the PC lower than room temperature no matter how high we push the CFM...
If I try the new Antec Skeleton case though I haven't the foggiest clue what I'll use to keep it imperceptibly quiet. Might be a fun (read: damning) project though.
I have no experience with the silenx thermistor, I'm using an Aero Cool PowerWatch to control my fans which has its own temperature leads for CPU, hard drive, case, etc -- and varies the fan speed by temperature. [works great for me]
I've given the subject of PC case fans a great deal of thought, and I think I'm going to stick with the ultra-quiet lower-CFM on my next mid-tower build. my reasoning: I have two fans in the front of the case, one in the back, one in the side panel, one in the top venting up; plus the CPU fan and the power-supply fan. That's seven fans (not counting the built-in fan on the graphics card). Seven... Seven times even a low CFM, say 15 is (7fans x 15cfm) is 105CFM. I'm skeptical that switching them with 110CFM fans would result in a dramatically lower temperature; I'd guess maybe .1 or .2 degrees Celsius. We're not going to decrease the temp in the PC lower than room temperature no matter how high we push the CFM...
If I try the new Antec Skeleton case though I haven't the foggiest clue what I'll use to keep it imperceptibly quiet. Might be a fun (read: damning) project though.
I have a 320gb WD and a 500gb Samsung both 7200rpm, both suspended off bungie cables right behind my case's front fan (I add that because its a big area for sound to leak). The result? I can't hear a damn thing.b4cheung wrote:I'm not sure on the hard drive. Originally I was going to suspension mount a 7200 RPM drive. Does anyone have any experience with how loud that would be.
My point is, when you mechanically "decouple" the hard drives from their cage, you eliminate 99% of the noise. the ONLY time I can hear them, even when my room is dead silent, is when I boot up. in the first couple seconds of spooling up, they arn't designed to be quiet at that rapidly changing rpm. Other than that..I cant hear them one bit.
If I were you, I would focus more on computing needs and price than sound considerations for your hdds. When you suspend them...as long as they are good quality drives, you arn't going to hear them.
-rogue
Re: quiet fans and noise reference
Bunk, fake, bullshit, lies. Be very very mindful of manufacturers' "specifications" for fans (and this doesn't go for just SilenX - as Neil pointed out, the Scythe 8 dBA are fake too).rkaye wrote:072/14 -- SilenX IXP-74-14 Ixtrema Pro 120mm x 25mm Case Fan 72CFM 14dBA $18