Search found 31 matches

by rhys j
Fri Nov 06, 2009 6:03 pm
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Antec P180, P182, or P183
Replies: 8
Views: 5805

I've taken the hat ("spoiler?") off my P180 because it decreases airflow if you're using very slow fans. Only very slightly, but it doesn't seem to serve much purpose so I take it off.
by rhys j
Fri Nov 06, 2009 3:44 am
Forum: General Gallery
Topic: Finally got pics! Custom wood case!
Replies: 10
Views: 14070

Nice bump - cool wooden system... almost inspired to build my own!
by rhys j
Thu Nov 05, 2009 8:05 pm
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: Scythe Quiet Drive enclosure, it´s good :)
Replies: 94
Views: 107741

It's true that the final temperature of the casing doesn't depend on the conductivity, but if you filled it with cork the drive would probably overheat before the casing reached the final temperature. And the final internal temperature would be too high anyway.
by rhys j
Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:57 pm
Forum: Video Cards & Monitors
Topic: Fanless 5750 announced
Replies: 21
Views: 16830

Looks awesome.

Wonder if it's going to be available in the UK? Might sell my GTX260 and get one of these. Slightly less performance (but not far off), but silent and less than half the power rating!
by rhys j
Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:23 pm
Forum: Video Cards & Monitors
Topic: recommended quiet GPU for Dragon Age: Origins?
Replies: 8
Views: 4586

You can get the Asus card for about £145 including shipping via Amazon marketplace, or something very similar by Zotac on ebuyer for £125. Weird how it's suddenly so expensive though... I paid £113 including Batman Arkham Asylum (8 GB download meh) 5 weeks ago. Your current card should be plenty ...
by rhys j
Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:39 am
Forum: Video Cards & Monitors
Topic: Quiet / Noisy Monitor Survey
Replies: 272
Views: 506423

Samsung T260 Was perfectly silent for the first couple of months. A couple of days ago it started an annoying buzzing sound at brightnesses below 100%. Seems tempramental and sometimes it's possible to find a sweet spot at medium brightness where it doesn't buzz. But currently I'm trying to get used...
by rhys j
Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:17 am
Forum: SPCR Article Discussion
Topic: Scythe Quiet Drive 2.5
Replies: 45
Views: 34763

There's a discussion of the 3.5" version in this viewtopic.php?t=32220 thread.
by rhys j
Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:13 am
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: Scythe Quiet Drive enclosure, it´s good :)
Replies: 94
Views: 107741

Just got mine, housing a Spinpoint F3 in a P180 case. At the moment it is on the standard rails in one of the 5.25" bays. It seems clear that this won't be a satisfactory position, because a bit of nudging creates a buzzing that resonates through the case. Previously I had the drive suspended in the...
by rhys j
Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:22 pm
Forum: Video Cards & Monitors
Topic: Radeon HD 4650, 1gb or 512mb?
Replies: 5
Views: 2889

The Radeon is probably the best out of those two. I think it almost certain you will be able to control the fan speed using RivaTuner, with greater flexibilty than with the bundled software.
by rhys j
Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:40 am
Forum: SPCR Article Discussion
Topic: Scythe Quiet Drive 2.5
Replies: 45
Views: 34763

Thanks for the review. Was thinking of getting one of these to shut up a Spinpoint F3 (3.5" version obviously), because even if I get an SSD I'll still need somewhere to store all my movies and music.
by rhys j
Mon Nov 02, 2009 1:55 pm
Forum: Video Cards & Monitors
Topic: Manual Hybrid Power - removing the 2nd GPU when not in use
Replies: 2
Views: 2088

I've thought before that this would be a good idea, but I don't see how it's possible with current hardware, since the physical output port is different for the onboard graphics and the VGA card output. Latest cards do automatically underclock themselves massively, to save on power in 2D mode. You c...
by rhys j
Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:47 am
Forum: Video Cards & Monitors
Topic: Quietest 260 GTX?
Replies: 13
Views: 9256

I've got the Asus GTX 260 SP216 55mm card. I use RivaTuner to change the fan profile, and for desktop work it's running at 22%, which is 750rpm, and almost inaudible - quieter than my hard drive. It's idling at 57 degrees C. You can slow the fans even further, at the cost of having the GPU running a...
by rhys j
Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:38 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Nexus NX-5000 R3 530W
Replies: 1
Views: 1648

Check the power supply forum...
by rhys j
Sat Oct 31, 2009 8:41 am
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: Quick SSD question
Replies: 8
Views: 5095

Running W7 RC x64, and quite often the only time my movies drive spins up is when I open up My Computer and it tries to get a figure on how full the drive is. (Other than watching a movie of course ;)) Thanks, that's what I wanted to know. I also read a suggestion somewhere which said you could dis...
by rhys j
Fri Oct 30, 2009 12:51 pm
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: Samsung F3 series - 500GB per platter - 7200RPM - 500GB/1TB
Replies: 169
Views: 304361

ES-tool worked fine for me. Burnt the iso onto a CD, changed the BIOS to boot from CD, put the CD in and restarted the computer, selected the right drive by typing "m:" in dos, "dir" to list the files, then "estool.exe" to run it, and it worked. Tried changing the AAM mode to from Disabled to Quiet ...
by rhys j
Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:15 am
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: Quick SSD question
Replies: 8
Views: 5095

So if I set the hard drive to power off after 1 minute, is that 1 minute after that particular hard drive was accessed, or is it 1 minute after any system activity? And will it do it on a drive-by-drive basis? Also in practical terms, will it stay off or will programs like the indexing service or an...
by rhys j
Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:45 am
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: Quick SSD question
Replies: 8
Views: 5095

Quick SSD question

If I get a 30 GB SSD for the operating system and commonly used program files, and use my Spinpoint F3 for music / movies / game installations, can/will Windows 7 power off the storage drive whenever I'm not using those particular files?
by rhys j
Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:25 am
Forum: Power Supplies
Topic: Nexus RX-5300
Replies: 8
Views: 6692

I took the Nexus PSU out of the computer case and connected it up to have a closer listen to the noise. It does have a bit of a throaty growl to it, which may be due to a dodgy bearing or something, but it's definitely quieter than my old PSU. Like another Nexus product I had, the fan spins faster t...
by rhys j
Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:13 pm
Forum: Power Supplies
Topic: Nexus RX-5300
Replies: 8
Views: 6692

It's weird because after using my computer for a few hours more, there are moments when I notice I can't hear the computer at all. Then a few minutes later it'll be whirring away audibly. No change in load. I don't think it's my ears/mind playing tricks on me, but unfortunately I don't have a sound ...
by rhys j
Wed Oct 28, 2009 3:49 pm
Forum: Power Supplies
Topic: Nexus RX-5300
Replies: 8
Views: 6692

Hmmm, well it came today, and I've fitted it. Unfortunately I'm not greatly impressed. My old PSU was the loudest component, and this new PSU is quieter, but still the loudest component. Not sure if my sample is faulty or if this is just how they are, but it sounds rather like a car engine ticking o...
by rhys j
Sun Oct 25, 2009 8:37 pm
Forum: General Gallery
Topic: Shinobi
Replies: 1
Views: 2808

Nice fridge!
by rhys j
Sun Oct 25, 2009 8:27 pm
Forum: General Gallery
Topic: Project ZdB (Zero deciBel)
Replies: 41
Views: 27097

What graphics card is that in it?
Does the memory need all those cooling fins or is it just for looks?
What's the heatsink on the bottom-right of the motherboard for?
by rhys j
Sat Oct 24, 2009 3:18 pm
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Dead-silent pc wanted!!!
Replies: 8
Views: 3889

I was going to say you should be able to run the CPU and GPU passively for normal operation, and with good ventilation could probably turn off the case fans too, so your only moving parts would be in the PSU. But that case doesn't have any ventilation for the main compartment at the top, which would...
by rhys j
Sat Oct 24, 2009 6:28 am
Forum: Power Supplies
Topic: Nexus RX-5300
Replies: 8
Views: 6692

Yeah I was going to get the Value 430, but it didn't make any sense buying that when it is so close in price to this one, which is actually rated to run a GTX260, and is modular with a higher efficiency rating.
by rhys j
Sat Oct 24, 2009 6:08 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: My shopping cart, your expertise
Replies: 10
Views: 4732

Do you really need a quad-core processor? For most applications a dual-core processor will be quicker due to the higher clock speed, use less power, and is less expensive. An E8400 will do you just fine... or an E7400 if you can find one is just as good. I'd go for the newer Spinpoint F3 drive, whic...
by rhys j
Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:54 pm
Forum: Power Supplies
Topic: Nexus RX-5300
Replies: 8
Views: 6692

Nexus RX-5300

Just ordered one of these.... http://www.nexustek.nl/images/rxpsuwithcables.jpg http://www.nexustek.nl/Nexus_RX-5300_Modular_Quiet_Power_Supply_530W.htm Anyone else got one? Their acoustic measurements look very similar to the Value 430, but my graphics card needs 36A on the 12v rail so that would h...
by rhys j
Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:30 pm
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Experiments in CPU cooling in a P180
Replies: 6
Views: 3976

I have a Corsair HX520. Like others have said many times, it is by far the quietest item in my system. Even under load, makes no discernible noise. I highly recommend it. Thanks, will take a look at it. It sounds like finding a way to slow down your CPU fan would be a high priority. I make an argum...
by rhys j
Tue Oct 20, 2009 4:55 pm
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: figuring out fans/airflow/cooling for Mini P180 Core i5 box
Replies: 3
Views: 2636

OK I'm no expert, but I'm doing a similar project so here are some thoughts: It'll probably be really really easy, so long as you don't require it to be completely silent. HD: get a Samsung Spinpoint F3. Fastest HD available, silent, and cheap! I have one not suspended, just sitting on some silicone...
by rhys j
Tue Oct 20, 2009 3:11 pm
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Experiments in CPU cooling in a P180
Replies: 6
Views: 3976

Experiments in CPU cooling in a P180

Hi all, I'm new here so not sure if this is the right forum, but thought you might be interested in what I found while playing around with my fan configs under stress testing. Skip to the Conclusions section if you don't want to read it all. System: http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/1459/imgp3065s.jp...
by rhys j
Tue Oct 20, 2009 3:10 pm
Forum: Newcomers Briefing Room
Topic: Introduce yourself...
Replies: 20
Views: 50379

Hi, I'm new here and am shamelessly posting here to get my post count to 3, so that I can post a link in my thread in the hardware advice forum (re cooling / fans in a P180 case).