Search found 22 matches

by james
Tue Aug 13, 2013 11:45 pm
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: I want a quiet 2.5" HDD
Replies: 30
Views: 30025

Re: I want a quiet 2.5" HDD

i have a blue 2.5 1TB drive in my PC at the moment. Easily the quietest 2.5" drive i've ever had, but still audible. Head noise is also pretty low as well. If you are worried about drives spinning down, theres an option in windows power settings to never power down the drives. I however set mine to ...
by james
Mon Aug 12, 2013 4:52 am
Forum: General Gallery
Topic: Silent Rackmount PC Build
Replies: 19
Views: 14596

Re: Silent Rackmount PC Build

Thanks So far, even when stressing CPU & GPU, the central heating pump is louder... Hard drives make the most noise haha! Temps are amazing as well, CPU I can't get past 45 C, GPU hits 55 C under stress, 47-48 C gaming. I can't see any issues whatsoever with cooling an i7 in there ;) I'll post more ...
by james
Sun Aug 11, 2013 6:38 am
Forum: Video Cards & Monitors
Topic: Undervolting a HD 7750
Replies: 3
Views: 5162

Undervolting a HD 7750

I'm trying to undervolt my HD 7750, however I am struggling to find any software to do this MSI afterburner, Catalyst Control Centre & Sapphire TRIXX only allow me to adjust the power, not the voltages (adjusting the power down just slows down the card!) ATI Tray tools is too old, and won't work on ...
by james
Sun Aug 11, 2013 6:28 am
Forum: General Gallery
Topic: Silent Rackmount PC Build
Replies: 19
Views: 14596

Re: Silent Rackmount PC Build

Managed to make some more progress :) Front View http://lucasstuff.site50.net/Projects/2U%20Rack%20PC/IMG_6269.jpg http://lucasstuff.site50.net/Projects/2U%20Rack%20PC/IMG_6271.jpg DVD Drives and card reader - I need to make a slight tweak to get the drives 100% straight http://lucasstuff.site50.net...
by james
Fri Aug 09, 2013 1:07 pm
Forum: Video Cards & Monitors
Topic: AMD ZeroCore observations
Replies: 19
Views: 18378

Re: AMD ZeroCore observations

I ahven't done any power measurements yet, but I've found a lovely bug... If I'm running a fullscreen app (e.g. game), and Alt+tab to the desktop, and I leave it to idle (and screen to turn off), then when I return to 'wake' the PC again, the screen turns on, but shows black. Only way to get it back...
by james
Fri Aug 09, 2013 2:34 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: TOTALLY fanless, caseless, wireless, pretty powerful & small
Replies: 41
Views: 26870

Re: TOTALLY fanless, caseless, wireless, pretty powerful & s

having an unlocked processor makes NO difference when Undervolting / underclocking. an unlocked processor allows you in increase the multiplier above the stock maximum, for overclocking. So unless you plan to overclock (not recommended for your application!!!) just go for a normal (Non-K) CPU. BIOS ...
by james
Wed Jul 24, 2013 6:13 am
Forum: Video Cards & Monitors
Topic: Fixing a non-booting graphics card at the component level?
Replies: 4
Views: 3245

Re: Fixing a non-booting graphics card at the component leve

With the caps still in circuit, you are probably measuring the resistance of the rest of the circuit. Also, measuring the resistance of a capacitor is a pretty fruitless exercise, it'll only show if they've failed short. Cheap capacitors just tend to loose capacitance, so you'd need a capacitance me...
by james
Mon Jul 15, 2013 1:03 pm
Forum: General Gallery
Topic: Silent Rackmount PC Build
Replies: 19
Views: 14596

Re: Silent Rackmount PC Build

Done a bit more over the weekend. Front panel is finished (other than mounting of buttons & LEDs etc) Also mounted the components inside (some temporarily!), to check fit. It'll probably be a while before I can any more done (Too many other things happening) so I shall add a few photos as it current...
by james
Sat Jul 13, 2013 2:47 am
Forum: General Gallery
Topic: Silent Rackmount PC Build
Replies: 19
Views: 14596

Re: Silent Rackmount PC Build

Yesterday's Progress. Backplate done, front panel started :) http://lucasstuff.site50.net/Projects/2U%20Rack%20PC/PC%20Build%20Day%202%20(1%20of%205).jpg http://lucasstuff.site50.net/Projects/2U%20Rack%20PC/PC%20Build%20Day%202%20(2%20of%205).jpg http://lucasstuff.site50.net/Projects/2U%20Rack%20PC/...
by james
Sat Jul 13, 2013 2:44 am
Forum: General Gallery
Topic: Silent Rackmount PC Build
Replies: 19
Views: 14596

Re: Silent Rackmount PC Build

Another related thought, if you're not using all the PCI expansion slots, maybe you could make some ventilated PCI brackets. :) Or just buy some I guess: http://www.btostech.com/store/pc/Half-Height-low-profile-Ventilated-Slot-bracket-with-holes-p259.htm Or don't use any at all? Three of the slots ...
by james
Sat Jul 13, 2013 2:42 am
Forum: General Gallery
Topic: Fanless HTPC build (Streacom FC5 EVO and Haswell m-ITX)
Replies: 6
Views: 10442

Re: Fanless HTPC build (Streacom FC5 EVO and Haswell m-ITX)

I've currently got a couple of Sony Optiarc BD-5750H Slim Bluray Burners, and I can say they are surprising quiet for an optical drive. Playing CDs / DVDs at low speed they are pretty quiet, even when ripping at higher speeds they are not annoying (to me). And No vibration whatsoever as of yet (I ha...
by james
Fri Jul 12, 2013 12:43 am
Forum: General Gallery
Topic: Silent Rackmount PC Build
Replies: 19
Views: 14596

Re: Silent Rackmount PC Build

Very nice! Is it aluminium? Kinda looks like it. Very nice cuts :) some time ago i also tried to build a rack case myself but i couldn't do the backplate - all the pci cards and their mounts... also, measure everything a few times, i was using the parts manufacturers dimensions and they were off by...
by james
Thu Jul 11, 2013 12:34 pm
Forum: General Gallery
Topic: Silent Rackmount PC Build
Replies: 19
Views: 14596

Re: Silent Rackmount PC Build

Today's progress Started off with these http://lucasstuff.site50.net/Projects/2U%20Rack%20PC/PC%20Build%20Day%201%20(1%20of%205).jpg And got this far today http://lucasstuff.site50.net/Projects/2U%20Rack%20PC/PC%20Build%20Day%201%20(2%20of%205).jpg http://lucasstuff.site50.net/Projects/2U%20Rack%20P...
by james
Wed Jul 10, 2013 2:00 am
Forum: General Gallery
Topic: Silent Rackmount PC Build
Replies: 19
Views: 14596

Re: Silent Rackmount PC Build

Yeah, got quite a bit of rack stuff. Power amp, Firewire Audio Interface, preamp, couple of patchbays, and I'm planning on getting more!

Everything is being done by hand, so not the best quality, but should still be good enough :)
by james
Wed Jul 10, 2013 1:23 am
Forum: General Gallery
Topic: Silent Rackmount PC Build
Replies: 19
Views: 14596

Re: Silent Rackmount PC Build

One question - do You really need two optical drives and a floppy drive? do You use them or is it just a case of option-proofing because You make Your own case? Yeah, I got two blu ray burners (Useful for doing disc to disc copies, I do a lot of DVDs for my dad) got em for £40 each, so absolute bar...
by james
Mon Jul 08, 2013 4:14 am
Forum: General Gallery
Topic: Silent Rackmount PC Build
Replies: 19
Views: 14596

Re: Silent Rackmount PC Build

I gather there's no practical way of using a full height graphics card with a riser? Doesn't look to be enough space since you need to allow room for the power supply. Nah, I'm going for the HD7750 low profile. Plenty enough for my needs, although I be replacing the heatsink with something consider...
by james
Sat Jul 06, 2013 10:48 am
Forum: General Gallery
Topic: Silent Rackmount PC Build
Replies: 19
Views: 14596

Re: Silent Rackmount PC Build

Managed to get some CAD drawings done, so I know what I'm building :)
PC Image 1.jpg
PC Image 2.jpg
PC Image 3.jpg
by james
Mon Jul 01, 2013 6:40 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Mini-ITX Beast Planned with Antec ISK 110
Replies: 28
Views: 41060

Re: Mini-ITX Beast Planned with Antec ISK 110

My experience with the EPU is that it is a complete waste of time. You can get better results by undervolting manually! Just disable it in BIOS & mobo switch
by james
Fri Jun 28, 2013 12:54 am
Forum: Newcomers Briefing Room
Topic: Home server with 6+ HDD
Replies: 22
Views: 82963

Re: Home server with 6+ HDD

IMHO, the T (35W) versions are pointless. Just get a 55W one and underclock it to reduce max power. Idle power is the same.
by james
Wed Jun 19, 2013 12:17 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Upgrading my PC
Replies: 97
Views: 94500

Re: Upgrading my PC

some professional software products are more intel optimized than for AMD. I've also read about how the Intel CPU dispatcher checks vendor ID string and when processor is not "GenuineIntel" it runs the slowest possible instruction set. Russell That probably explains why I used to get much lower lat...
by james
Tue Jun 11, 2013 1:12 pm
Forum: General Gallery
Topic: Silent Rackmount PC Build
Replies: 19
Views: 14596

Silent Rackmount PC Build

My first proper post! :) I decided about a month ago that I needed a new PC - my Core 2 Dual laptop was beginning to feel slow, despite having a ram & ssd upgrade. Also had an AMD Phenom X4 / HD 6870 Gming machine, which I never used cos I rarely play games (and that PC used to draw about 300W... Wh...
by james
Tue Jun 11, 2013 11:38 am
Forum: Power Supplies
Topic: Wiring a PicoPSU in parallel with PCI-E?
Replies: 8
Views: 5962

Re: Wiring a PicoPSU in parallel with PCI-E?

I have actually done this, I'm powering an undervolted HD6870 va 2x PCIe power connectors & the motherboard & my monitor all from a single 200W 12V Brick type supply. (actual load when stressing everything was 15.5A - leaving only about 0.5A of headroom...) Before you do this, measure the resistance...