help!-silencing my brand new antec182

grofeas · Post by **grofeas** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:06 am

Hello there everyone, after extensive reading I still am need of help.
My system is inside an Antec182 case. I have proceeded with the following mods:
* sound isolation (pyramid type foam) panels glued wherever posible without blocking air
* rear panel cutout where exhaust case fan is located
* stock antec case fans replaced: top fan removed and grill closed by foam and rear fan replaced by Nexus basic fan (3pin MB connected)

CPU: Q6600 and Thermalright Ultra 120 + Nexus basic fan (3pin MB connected)
VGA: Quadro fx1700 + Arctic cooling accelero (Passive)
HD: 1xWD 1TB + 1X WD 500GB both SATA very quiet indeed.
PSU: Seventeam ST-550P-AG
MB: Asus P5K

Problem: PC is pretty loud considering time and oney invested

To be more specific, I tried to stop both Nexus fans by hand, and it does seem that the PSU is the main source of the low frequency "hum".
also please tell me how I can control the Nexus (3pin MB) on the thermalright cooler. It seems that with Q-fan either active or not it just stays at 1000RPM. On the contrary the same Nexus case fan, does reach 660RPM when controled by asus Q-fan. Would a 4-pin fan solve this problem? which one would you recommend?
And lastly, should I replace the PSU fan? would that make things better? I recently had a very positive experience with an Asus T-2 barebone, replacing stock PSU fan with a silenx fan: system became virtually inaudible!
thanx in advance for your help!
oops! forgot the images, here goes:

Delta_42 · Post by **Delta_42** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:31 am

erm, your power supply doesn't appear to be a Seasonic.

Here is a review of a different Seventeam PSU which might give you an insight into yours.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/401/3

Post by **MikeC** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 8:44 am

Just swap out the fan in the PSU, maybe for a Nexus run permanently at 7V using the 7V trick (search on the main site). It's down in the separate thermal chamber, so the risk of it heating up is very low.

As for the CPU fan, do whatever you have to in order to slow it down. That shouldn't be much of a challenge in this day and age.

Plekto · Post by **Plekto** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 8:07 pm

Yeah, those 12v fans run at 12v are good for about 30db each and the PSW us equally as loud(total about 38-40db total, I'd wager).

Also, the sound of the air intake(s) is probably just as loud. Sometimes sealing a case too tightly makes the small front holes make a loud racket as they have to suck air in under significant pressure.

A quick thing to try - open up one of the covers for the topmost 5.25 bay and see if that doesn't lower the noise a bit(simple 30 second mod).

You need to undervolt those things to about 7v. They will literally drop to half of their volume. Note - your internal temps will rise a bit of course.

Also mount the fan on the rear of the cpu cooler. Pushing air through those tiny fins makes a bit more noise that pulling it.

grofeas · Post by **grofeas** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 2:15 am

Sorry about that mistake, it is a Seventeam PSU.
And yes I just did swap the PSU fan with a Nexus one. To my surprise the stock PSU fan was also a 3-pin drawing voltage from a connector within the PSU case. However I discovered that my Asus P5K has a 3-pin connector labeled "PSU Fan" so I thought: what the heck lets try it.
And it works like a charm! Fan speed reports to Bios and Asus- Q-fan controls the fan (I think ?!)
Also I got my hands on an Arctic Cooling 12cm 4-pin fan and swap the CPU fan, now the fan goes down to 350RPM !

So the previous CPU fan (Nexus) became the second case fan, also conected to the MB via 3-pin.
Overall MUCH quieter, the stock PSU fans are just plain garbage!
I now have the impression that the PSU exhaust holes cause most of the "hum". But still I am very happy even at full throttle rendering the machine is VERY quite.
Thanx again to all the forum users