Hello,
I am new to the forum and have been reviewing the posts and articles here and I think I am ready to try and quiet down my PC.
I currently have a P4 3.06 with a 6800GT and a single Seagate Baracuda drive running in an Antec 630 case. The case has a single 80mm exhaust fan, 550 watt Antec True Power PS, and the CPU has the standard Intel cooler on it.
I am thinking about replacing the case with an Antec Sonata, with a Zalman 7000 CPU cooler, and 120mm Vantec case fan. Should I expect this setup to quiet things down a lot?
How much quieter is the Sonata over the 630?
How much quieter is the Zalman 7000 over the stock Intel cooler?
Thanks!
R
SUCCESS! Case and Cooling Help
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee
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rickshobbies
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2005 9:14 am
SUCCESS! Case and Cooling Help
Last edited by rickshobbies on Sun Feb 13, 2005 12:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
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GrahamGarside
- Posts: 158
- Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 11:34 pm
the cases themselfs won't make much differance
the move to a CNSP700B-cu should make things much quieter, after that your 6800's van will be the problem, a change to an arctic cooling nv5 would fix tht, then your psu fans will stand out, and the only way to keep the noise of these down is to make sure they get a good amount of col air and also take them off the psu's automated fan controller
I don't recomend the sonata, go for a Antec SLK3000B or Antec SLK3700BQE
Also don't touch vantec fans
the move to a CNSP700B-cu should make things much quieter, after that your 6800's van will be the problem, a change to an arctic cooling nv5 would fix tht, then your psu fans will stand out, and the only way to keep the noise of these down is to make sure they get a good amount of col air and also take them off the psu's automated fan controller
I don't recomend the sonata, go for a Antec SLK3000B or Antec SLK3700BQE
Also don't touch vantec fans
Re: Case and Cooling Help
Welcome to SPCR!rickshobbies wrote:Hello,
I am new to the forum and have been reviewing the posts and articles here and I think I am ready to try and quiet down my PC.
You're probably better off silencing what you already have as an intermediate step before working on a new case as there is plenty of potential for sound reduction already. After learning from that you can then tackle a new case. The zalman cooler in "silent" mode is much quieter than the stock HSF from Intel, but is not really "silent" by SPCR standards - a fan swap would be required for that. The fan swap for the Zalman is not difficult but does require some cutting which people are not usually happy to try early on. A better choice is to get the XP90 and put a quiet fan (eg Nexus) for maximum compatibility and better cooling than the Zalman in "silent" mode. If you can fit an XP120 then you win in every way - better cooling and maximum silencing potential but it's not really required for your cpu.rickshobbies wrote: I currently have a P4 3.06 with a 6800GT and a single Seagate Baracuda drive running in an Antec 630 case. The case has a single 80mm exhaust fan, 550 watt Antec True Power PS, and the CPU has the standard Intel cooler on it.
I am thinking about replacing the case with an Antec Sonata, with a Zalman 7000 CPU cooler, and 120mm Vantec case fan. Should I expect this setup to quiet things down a lot?
How much quieter is the Sonata over the 630?
How much quieter is the Zalman 7000 over the stock Intel cooler?
Don't go anywhere near the Vantec fans. Read the recommended list of fans and other hardware from this website first; the Vantec fans while quieter than stock fans, are very noisy by SPCR standards.
Replace the exhaust fan with a quiet 80mm or if you can fit a 120mm exhaust fan even better put a quiet one of those on.
Suspend your hard drives or mount them in some decoupled fashion - hard drives add a surprising amount of "singing" noise to your pc that most people aren't aware of until they have been silenced.
All of these changes can be transported to a new case when you get one so it is better for you to experiment and learn along the way before investing in a new case.
[edit] - similar rules apply to 6800 but I'm not experienced in silencing one of those
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rickshobbies
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2005 9:14 am
Let the changes begin!
First of all, I want to say thanks to everyone that provided input. It definately helped quite a bit.
I am just starting to understand what it means to have a quiet PC, but I think I am off to a good start.
My goal was not just to quiet the machine, but improve cooling and provide a platform for 6800 Ultra at some point. I also needed to reduce the size of the case to fit under a new computer desk.
So, I ended up with the Sonata case. I like the air filter and the noise reducing features, plus the size is relatively small. Now, I had an Antec True Power 550 PS, which is nearly new, to accomodate the 6800 Ultra OverClock (I have a 6800 GT now but I am receiving the Ultra as a gift, so I want to make sure that I can use it in my rig). I figured that it would be a good functional decision to stick with the 550 PS even though it would be a little louder than the 380s.
As for the cooler, I went with the Zalman 7000 copper/aluminum CPU cooler. It's currently running in silent mode and it FAR quieter than the stock Intel fan. I also opted to use the included Antec 120mm fan for the exhaust and it is hooked up to the PS "fan only" connector. I used the Zalman provided thermal paste. I thought that I probably should have used arctic silver or something, but hopefully this included stuff is decent.
In the end, I have a PC that is FAR quieter than I had before. Pretty much at a whisper level of sound. At idle, the sound of the air running through the case is mostly all that I can recognize. I am sure there are fan noises in there too, but I haven't "learned" to pick them out yet.
So, for now, it meets my needs. I will probably look to replace the 120mm Antec fan with a Panaflo or something. Not sure yet. I may also look at some sound dampening material. For now, I think that's where I will stop (wishfull thinking?).
I did do one other thing. I installed a rubber Power Supply mounting "gasket". I had some misgivings about it though. I hope there isn't anything comprised for chassis ground by using it, though the four screws are still metal to metal. The gasket also causes the power supply to mount a little off. The screw holes barely matched up.
Is that gasket worth it? Is it really doing anything for me, or was it a bad idea. The manufacturer of the gasket is "Vantec", just in case that matters.
Lastly, to improve airflow, I installed the round IDE cables. Since I only have one HD in the system, I left out the other drive caddys. I figured it would only improve airflow since they are not in the path anymore.
I would love to hear from anyone to get their opinions, advice, comments, etc!
Thanks again for the help! This is a great site!
Regards,
Rick
I am just starting to understand what it means to have a quiet PC, but I think I am off to a good start.
My goal was not just to quiet the machine, but improve cooling and provide a platform for 6800 Ultra at some point. I also needed to reduce the size of the case to fit under a new computer desk.
So, I ended up with the Sonata case. I like the air filter and the noise reducing features, plus the size is relatively small. Now, I had an Antec True Power 550 PS, which is nearly new, to accomodate the 6800 Ultra OverClock (I have a 6800 GT now but I am receiving the Ultra as a gift, so I want to make sure that I can use it in my rig). I figured that it would be a good functional decision to stick with the 550 PS even though it would be a little louder than the 380s.
As for the cooler, I went with the Zalman 7000 copper/aluminum CPU cooler. It's currently running in silent mode and it FAR quieter than the stock Intel fan. I also opted to use the included Antec 120mm fan for the exhaust and it is hooked up to the PS "fan only" connector. I used the Zalman provided thermal paste. I thought that I probably should have used arctic silver or something, but hopefully this included stuff is decent.
In the end, I have a PC that is FAR quieter than I had before. Pretty much at a whisper level of sound. At idle, the sound of the air running through the case is mostly all that I can recognize. I am sure there are fan noises in there too, but I haven't "learned" to pick them out yet.
So, for now, it meets my needs. I will probably look to replace the 120mm Antec fan with a Panaflo or something. Not sure yet. I may also look at some sound dampening material. For now, I think that's where I will stop (wishfull thinking?).
I did do one other thing. I installed a rubber Power Supply mounting "gasket". I had some misgivings about it though. I hope there isn't anything comprised for chassis ground by using it, though the four screws are still metal to metal. The gasket also causes the power supply to mount a little off. The screw holes barely matched up.
Is that gasket worth it? Is it really doing anything for me, or was it a bad idea. The manufacturer of the gasket is "Vantec", just in case that matters.
Lastly, to improve airflow, I installed the round IDE cables. Since I only have one HD in the system, I left out the other drive caddys. I figured it would only improve airflow since they are not in the path anymore.
I would love to hear from anyone to get their opinions, advice, comments, etc!
Thanks again for the help! This is a great site!
Regards,
Rick
Hello Rick,
The Sonata is a good case for a new silencer like yourself. Some 6 months - 1 year down the road, you'll probably start running into its limitations but then it's also a great case to experiment on
First off, the Zalman was a wise choise. Once you start picking up individual fan noises consider a fan-swap with a Nexus.
The rear Antec fan isn't bad at all but I find it a bit too loud at anything above 5V. Fan-only connectors are usually above 5V. Do some experimenting. If you DO replace it, go for a Nexus or a Yate Loon.
Some foam on the door panel is a must IMO. That door rattles all by itself even in the quietest setups and if not, lends a tinny echo to air whoosh that I find annoying. Even the cheapest packaging foam will help.
I'm no fan of gaskets, especially the Vantec ones. But after some trials, I found that decoupling the PSU from the case is a good idea. On one machine I used the Vantec gasket, on another, I used a combo of windshield wiper elastic and double sided foam tape. IMO, there isnt much difference between them. Have something there but don't go out buying things for it
The drive cage is a serious airflow blocker. Watch your temps carefully and hopefully get around to cutting it out at some point.
The side Antec holes are a point of hot debate. Some like it closed, some like it open. I had to have them open, otherwise the PSU would heat up. If you can close them up (preferably with foam), it'll help a lot on getting the noise down. Experiment on it.
Did you look at the Sonata Mods thread? Most of those are near-mandatory
Have fun.
The Sonata is a good case for a new silencer like yourself. Some 6 months - 1 year down the road, you'll probably start running into its limitations but then it's also a great case to experiment on
First off, the Zalman was a wise choise. Once you start picking up individual fan noises consider a fan-swap with a Nexus.
The rear Antec fan isn't bad at all but I find it a bit too loud at anything above 5V. Fan-only connectors are usually above 5V. Do some experimenting. If you DO replace it, go for a Nexus or a Yate Loon.
Some foam on the door panel is a must IMO. That door rattles all by itself even in the quietest setups and if not, lends a tinny echo to air whoosh that I find annoying. Even the cheapest packaging foam will help.
I'm no fan of gaskets, especially the Vantec ones. But after some trials, I found that decoupling the PSU from the case is a good idea. On one machine I used the Vantec gasket, on another, I used a combo of windshield wiper elastic and double sided foam tape. IMO, there isnt much difference between them. Have something there but don't go out buying things for it
The drive cage is a serious airflow blocker. Watch your temps carefully and hopefully get around to cutting it out at some point.
The side Antec holes are a point of hot debate. Some like it closed, some like it open. I had to have them open, otherwise the PSU would heat up. If you can close them up (preferably with foam), it'll help a lot on getting the noise down. Experiment on it.
Did you look at the Sonata Mods thread? Most of those are near-mandatory
Have fun.
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GrahamGarside
- Posts: 158
- Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 11:34 pm
I recomend you swap the case fan from the fan only to just 5V (by swapping the pins round on the molex) the fan only starts the fans up at around 5V but brings them up to around 10V after a while, it does so gradually and you may not even notice but the system will remain much quieter on just the 5V lines and that fan shifts plenty of air.
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NeilBlanchard
- Moderator
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- Contact:
Hello Rick:
I would not get the Sonata, but rather the SLK3000B. It has a much better HD cage and the front bezel is much better. If you do need a front fan, the 3000B's actually pushes air into the case; whereas the Sonata's just stirs air around inside the case (it is behind the HD's) and it is largely obstructed at that.
Plus, you get to choose your own PS -- the stock Sonata PS is barely into the "quiet" range. A nice Seasonic Super Torando is much quieter, and much more efficient, which makes it cooler running.
I would not get the Sonata, but rather the SLK3000B. It has a much better HD cage and the front bezel is much better. If you do need a front fan, the 3000B's actually pushes air into the case; whereas the Sonata's just stirs air around inside the case (it is behind the HD's) and it is largely obstructed at that.
Plus, you get to choose your own PS -- the stock Sonata PS is barely into the "quiet" range. A nice Seasonic Super Torando is much quieter, and much more efficient, which makes it cooler running.