Silverstone Grandia GD05 isn't quiet

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lionhater
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2011 9:12 am

Silverstone Grandia GD05 isn't quiet

Post by lionhater » Sat Sep 24, 2011 12:08 pm

I'd never opened a PC case, let alone building one. I've always used Macs, but recently, instead of buying another overpriced Mac (Mini) with its iOS-ised operation system, I've opted to get a custom (prebuilt) PC and install Linux (Mint) on it. This is just for web browsing, word processing, music and movie playing; no gaming, video editing etc.

Everything went fine except the noise of two case fans. My confifuration:

Intel Core i3-2100;
Asus P8H67-M EVO Intel H67 (B3 Revision);
Team Xtreem S1 60GB 285MB/sn SandForce 2.5" SSD;
Team Elite 4GB DDR3 1333MHz CL9 Ultra Low Voltage Dual Kit (2x2GB);
Akasa ES 450W Power Supply with 12cm Ultra Quiet Fan;
Samsung SH-B123L BluRay;
SilverStone Grandia Serisi GD05.

Using a SSD I thought I wouldn't need the single fan cooling it on the left. So I disabled it, but the ones on the right, contrary to what silentpcreview says in its review, are noisy. It's not very annoying, a windy noise, but all the same it annoys me, especially at late hours and especially after the dead silent old Mac Mini.

I would get a dedicated CPU cooler as I've read that the original one is noisy, but I can't hear that default noisy cooler at all, nor the fan of the power supply. Only those two case fans.

I've heard that those fans could be connected to the mother board. Should I do that? Or try (if easy) to undervolt them to 7 or 9 V (read in another post it's easier to do that by a fan controller)? Or replace those fans with Noctua or something?

Can you please help?

frenchie
Friend of SPCR
Posts: 1346
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 4:53 am
Location: CT

Re: Silverstone Grandia GD05 isn't quiet

Post by frenchie » Sat Sep 24, 2011 3:04 pm

Welcome to SPCR !!!

For your problem, yes you can get a fan controler, and yes you can also connect your fans to the motherboard and use a software solution to reduce the fan speed (Speedfan is a good start). Keep in mind that depending on your motherboard, software solutions might not work.

On a side note, how far from the box do you sit ? SPCR's measurements are taken 1m away so it is very possible that you are hearing more noise than measured by SPCR ;)

lionhater
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2011 9:12 am

Re: Silverstone Grandia GD05 isn't quiet

Post by lionhater » Sat Sep 24, 2011 3:17 pm

Thank you, frenchie. My distance from the box is 1m, though I can easliy hear the fans at 2m as well. At night when I power off the computer I feel relieved.

quest_for_silence
Posts: 5275
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:12 am
Location: ITALY

Re: Silverstone Grandia GD05 isn't quiet

Post by quest_for_silence » Sat Sep 24, 2011 9:54 pm

lionhater wrote:I've heard that those fans could be connected to the mother board. Should I do that? Or try (if easy) to undervolt them to 7 or 9 V (read in another post it's easier to do that by a fan controller)? Or replace those fans with Noctua or something?

First of all, going with the IGP you should need just one (1) fan, not both (with a better CPU cooler, I mean you can even try using no case fans at all).
And you have to connect this running one to the fan header which is near the CPU FAN header.

Then, your mobo comes with the ASUS AI Suite: you should use it to lower that last fan (the PWR_FAN header isn't useful). But you use Linux: so you could do the same inside your UEFI, or try to properly setup fancontrol(8) and pwmconfig (you have to look around for some fine manual to read). This latter option might require to swap the case fans with PWM ones, but I dunno for sure.

If you feel uncomfortable with just one fan, you have to use use a fan-splitter which has a molex for electric supply (I wouldn't draw 6-7W from a mobo header with not-PWM fans for safety reason, but it's not mandatory): I'm thinking to something like the Akasa AK-CB002, but I don't think that AKASA one will work with your fans.

Eventually, IMO you can't use any "standard" hardware fan controller (rheobus) with your hardware, there's no room for it. Unless you use something like this one (personally I would avoid other manual fanmates, but it's good to know that there are some around).

Gramkow
Posts: 35
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2005 11:46 pm
Location: Denmark

Re: Silverstone Grandia GD05 isn't quiet

Post by Gramkow » Sun Sep 25, 2011 4:14 am

I have a GD05 myself. The 120mm fans fitted as standard in the case cannot be called quiet if they are run at 12V. If the builder of the system used the fan power splitter which is included with the case, they are indeed running at 12V. However, I find them really, really quiet if you drop them down to 7V (and decently quiet even at 9V).

The GD05 is a really nice and quiet case - once you dial down those 120mm fans.

I use this to drop the fans down to 7V - http://www.caseking.de/shop/catalog/Kab ... anguage=en

Good luck with your build.

/ Gramkow

lionhater
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2011 9:12 am

Re: Silverstone Grandia GD05 isn't quiet

Post by lionhater » Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:54 am

Thanks, quest_for_silence and Gramkow. I'll check those controllers.

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