Search found 198 matches

by Steve_Y
Sun Nov 25, 2012 9:58 am
Forum: CPU Cooling
Topic: Fractal Define Mini CPU cooler
Replies: 14
Views: 18688

Re: Fractal Define Mini CPU cooler

The Macho (162mm) is going to be too big I think and the CM Hyper 212 Evo is 159mm. I use a Macho in my Define Mini. The heat pipes touch the soft foam pad, but that isn't really a problem in my opinion. There's also the option of swapping around the side panels so that the one with the fan hole is...
by Steve_Y
Sat Oct 20, 2012 7:51 pm
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Fractal Define Mini and HR-02 Macho
Replies: 2
Views: 3005

Re: Fractal Define Mini and HR-02 Macho

The HR-02 Macho and fan fit with a few mm to spare, but the top of the heatpipes and large TY-140 fan will push into the foam covering the side vent. What I did was reverse the side panels, placing the one with the fan hole on the other side of the case. The foam just fits in the cavity behind the m...
by Steve_Y
Sat Oct 20, 2012 3:16 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Windows 8: what do you think about it?
Replies: 87
Views: 97190

Re: Windows 8: what do you think about it?

Having an "App Store" is one thing. Making it a lock-in, exclusive dictatorship is another. A lot of games companies in particular are worried about that, especially as Microsoft's app store has content restrictions that (in theory) would prohibit many of the most popular titles. Personally I'm a h...
by Steve_Y
Fri Oct 19, 2012 2:08 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Windows 8: what do you think about it?
Replies: 87
Views: 97190

Re: Windows 8: what do you think about it?

I'd intended to install Windows 8 on the new PC I'm building, but I've definitely had second thoughts after trying it. With just the new desktop features it'd be the obvious choice, unfortunately I utterly hate and loathe that Metro/Modern UI crap. It may be mostly avoidable in Windows 8 (at least w...
by Steve_Y
Tue Oct 02, 2012 6:36 pm
Forum: Power Supplies
Topic: Seasonic G360W gold for $60 - Review & Giveaway!
Replies: 169
Views: 247205

Re: Seasonic G360W gold for $60 - Review & Giveaway!

I'm sure this would be adequate for an i5 3570k + Radeon HD7850 setup, but can anyone put my mind to rest that it wouldn't get annoyingly noisy under load? Its small physical size and cheap price make it very appealing, but I'll happily pay more for noticeably less noise, and I don't really want to ...
by Steve_Y
Mon Jun 04, 2012 6:43 pm
Forum: SPCR Article Discussion
Topic: Fan Roundup #6: Scythe, Noiseblocker, Antec, Nexus, Thermalr
Replies: 84
Views: 67066

Re: Fan Roundup #6: Scythe, Noiseblocker, Antec, Nexus, Ther

It's a shame the TrueQuiet Pro 120 isn't more impressive. It would've been nice to have seen such a genuinely unusual design make a real performance difference. If you're correct about the less turbulent airflow being responsible for reducing its cooling efficacy, maybe it'd work better as a case fa...
by Steve_Y
Fri May 25, 2012 3:52 am
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: "New and Improved" Acoustipack
Replies: 1
Views: 2106

"New and Improved" Acoustipack

I'm currently building a low noise Ivy Bridge system and bought an Acoustipack kit to add some extra damping. This is probably old news, but I was surprised by the changes made to Acoustipack since the last time I used it. The "new and improved" material is thinner and significantly lighter than the...
by Steve_Y
Sun Apr 29, 2012 8:36 am
Forum: Deals, Vendors and Classifieds
Topic: New Ivy Bridge processors released today!
Replies: 7
Views: 5023

Re: New Ivy Bridge processors released today!

No it doesn't. I was at an Ivy Bridge launch event yesterday which included demonstrations of overclocking up to 5Ghz. This was with an i7-3770K, MSI Z77A GD65 motherboard and Dark Rock Pro cooler (think Noctua NH-D14). In open air (test bench setup) 5Ghz was resulting in CPU temps of around 75C. T...
by Steve_Y
Tue Apr 10, 2012 3:09 pm
Forum: SPCR Article Discussion
Topic: Corsair Obsidian 550D Quiet Mid-Tower Case
Replies: 18
Views: 18531

Re: Corsair Obsidian 550D Quiet Mid-Tower Case

Even with the flaws and compromises it looks like a really nice case for a low noise PC. I like the little touches, like screw holes on the drive cages for mounting fans internally (I imagine one attached to the top cage would work well for GPU cooling), and the neat magnetic fan filters. I'm torn b...
by Steve_Y
Fri Mar 09, 2012 12:23 pm
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Corsair Obsidian 550D = P280 done right?
Replies: 27
Views: 19509

Re: Corsair Obsidian 550D = P280 done right?

Do you have any impression of the effectiveness of its sound damping?
by Steve_Y
Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:15 pm
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Corsair Obsidian 550D = P280 done right?
Replies: 27
Views: 19509

Re: Corsair Obsidian 550D = P280 done right?

I really like the 550D's design, the only thing that concerns me a bit is the relatively low weight of the case. The 550D is listed as weighing 7.5kg, compared with 9.5kg for the smaller Fractal Design Define Mini, 12.5kg for the Define R3, or 10.2kg for the Antec 280. Since the internals of all of ...
by Steve_Y
Mon Feb 28, 2011 6:48 am
Forum: Video Cards & Monitors
Topic: Lowest power consumption graphics card?
Replies: 3
Views: 2798

Lowest power consumption graphics card?

I'm not a gamer and I've been very happy with my 790GX motherboard's onboard graphics until now, but I'm planning on upgrading to a monitor with a higher resolution than it can support. I'm cooling the PC with a single low speed fan and would like to keep the increase in power consumption and heat d...
by Steve_Y
Wed Feb 10, 2010 9:01 am
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: What's wrong with just about everybody. In a nutshell.
Replies: 56
Views: 16037

Religion is not needed, Faith is essential. I've always seen faith (i.e. treating untested beliefs like unshakeable truth) as a completely false virtue, and these days I agree with Richard Dawkins that faith is comparable to the deadliest diseases in the damage it has caused. I look at the worst at...
by Steve_Y
Thu Jan 14, 2010 6:58 am
Forum: Power Supplies
Topic: Fanless 130W ATX PSU with 120W AC adapter *Video.
Replies: 186
Views: 201872

speedboxx wrote:Im thinking about picking up one of the DC-DC PSUs + AC adapter then take it apart and put it inside an old broken ATX power supply.
The Winmate DC-DC PSU is a bit too long to fit inside a standard ATX power supply case.
by Steve_Y
Thu Dec 17, 2009 8:21 am
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Best Case Stategy: holes + airflow OR sealed + dampening?
Replies: 4
Views: 3443

When I used a relatively hot system I used a very well ventilated case. This worked pretty well, keep it cool enough without the fans running too fast. After building a low power system with onboard graphics I've found it much better to go the other route. With hardware that's easily cooled the main...
by Steve_Y
Wed Dec 09, 2009 3:17 pm
Forum: Power Supplies
Topic: Fanless 130W ATX PSU with 120W AC adapter *Video.
Replies: 186
Views: 201872

I've had a play comparing the Winmate+Li Shin 160W with a Seasonic S12II-380 . With the Seasonic my Celeron idles at 43W AC input, with the Winmate+brick it goes up slightly to 45W. You can see SPCR's calculated efficiency for the Seasonic here . From that, I'd estimate that the Winmate+Li Shin is a...
by Steve_Y
Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:17 am
Forum: Power Supplies
Topic: Fanless 130W ATX PSU with 120W AC adapter *Video.
Replies: 186
Views: 201872

Thanks, Steve, for the good tip. 160W brick for a laptop! Sheesh. The Fujitsu's musta had high-end Pentium 4's under the hood? Good to know the pinout is compatible too! Do you have a model #? My 160W brick's # is: 0226A20160 Believe it or not that seems like the low end model in the range. There a...
by Steve_Y
Wed Dec 09, 2009 2:47 am
Forum: Power Supplies
Topic: Fanless 130W ATX PSU with 120W AC adapter *Video.
Replies: 186
Views: 201872

I think the motherboard's an MSI MS-6340, I'll confirm that when I get home. Other than that the spec is: Athlon XP 1700+ 256Mb RAM GeForce FX 5200 128Mb AGP graphics PCI Network card When I tested it with the Winmate I had all the drives disconnected, and it doesn't need a P4 cable, just standard 2...
by Steve_Y
Mon Dec 07, 2009 4:43 pm
Forum: Power Supplies
Topic: Fanless 130W ATX PSU with 120W AC adapter *Video.
Replies: 186
Views: 201872

I received my Winmate DD-24AX today and connected it to a spare PC, with all drives and other peripherals disconnected, but so for I haven't had a lot of luck with it. When I hit the power button the CPU fan spins for a second or so, but then stops, with no other sign of life from the system. I'm us...
by Steve_Y
Sun Nov 29, 2009 3:09 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: If you could ask God one question ...
Replies: 357
Views: 480829

Culture includes Religion but Religion doesn't include culture. That's because Religion is based on an idiology that is fixed once and for all, while culture is evolving constantly. It seems to me that most religions have done a lot of evolving too, at least if you look at the mainstream rather tha...
by Steve_Y
Wed Nov 18, 2009 4:36 am
Forum: Power Supplies
Topic: Fanless 130W ATX PSU with 120W AC adapter *Video.
Replies: 186
Views: 201872

If you want to connect the power brick's cord out right in the DC-DC in, then look here , or here , or FSP branded one . Even Mini-Box has such 4-pinned brick, here . 150W is very suitable for 130W DC-DC if you want to load it fully. If not, 100-120W brick will do. I don't think that the first two,...
by Steve_Y
Sat Nov 14, 2009 7:42 am
Forum: Power Supplies
Topic: Fanless 130W ATX PSU with 120W AC adapter *Video.
Replies: 186
Views: 201872

I'm very interested in giving one of these a go, but I'm having a lot of trouble sourcing a suitable AC adapter in the UK. Considering the weight and cost of postage, I'd far rather get one locally than have to ship from abroad. I've been going through the spreadsheet of efficient AC/DC adapters pro...
by Steve_Y
Thu Nov 05, 2009 2:22 pm
Forum: SPCR Article Discussion
Topic: Winmate DD-24AX DC-DC Module for Silent, Efficient Power
Replies: 35
Views: 45575

I notice that DC/DC modules like this appear to offer very few connections, with this one it looks like there's only a single SATA power cable.

That's fine for a minimalist build, but are there any options for someone who'd want to run 3 or 4 drives in their PC?
by Steve_Y
Wed Nov 04, 2009 1:28 pm
Forum: SPCR Article Discussion
Topic: Scythe Quiet Drive 2.5
Replies: 45
Views: 34770

The last 3.5" drive I tried in a quiet PC was a 500Gb Western Digital Caviar SE16. Even carefully enclosed it was much louder than 2x 2.5" drives, and I was unhappy with its temperature in a low airflow system. Obviously certain newer 3.5" drives are a fair bit quieter, I might give them a try in a ...
by Steve_Y
Tue Nov 03, 2009 4:21 pm
Forum: SPCR Article Discussion
Topic: Scythe Quiet Drive 2.5
Replies: 45
Views: 34770

One thing 2.5" silencers might want to consider is that an enclosure intended for 3.5" drives can easily hold two 2.5" drives. Not an option for mini PC fans, but practical for anyone with a 5.25" bay going spare, or space at the bottom of the case. I used an old SilentDrive enclosure that I'd disca...
by Steve_Y
Sat May 16, 2009 9:03 am
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: I often think of God ....
Replies: 47
Views: 20490

Every man needs faith. Even atheists have faith. They have faith God doesn't exist. I've seen this kind of claim repeated several times and it's complete nonsense. Even the people who are the nearest thing to atheist figureheads, Richard Dawkins for example, typically don't profess certainty in the...
by Steve_Y
Sat May 16, 2009 7:47 am
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: Is a truly silent magnetic hard disk possible?
Replies: 26
Views: 10959

I use a couple of 320Gb WD Scorpio Black 2.5" HDDs in a SilentDrive enclosure. Hard mounted in a 5.25" bay they were still audible due to vibration. In the bottom of the case, on a soft rubber pad, the drives are no longer audible at 1m. Even when the room is very quiet and other sources of noise ar...
by Steve_Y
Wed Apr 01, 2009 3:24 am
Forum: SPCR Article Discussion
Topic: Samsung YP-S3 digital media player
Replies: 21
Views: 23977

You still have to transcode from FLAC (or even uncompressed) to mp3/ogg. And in this day and age, nobody should be encoding lossy anymore. 8 gigs is plenty. Assuming 60% compression, that's around 20 hours of FLAC music. Why use lossless even when you can't hear the difference? Modern lossy encoder...
by Steve_Y
Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:09 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: God adverts on busses - how to complain
Replies: 76
Views: 29404

Thats not quite my viewpoint, I am not complaining about it a great deal, I just want to see the ASA ban the advert simply because those bunch of nutcases tried (and failed) to get the previous "Athiest" adverts banned. Isn't that dangerously close to sinking to their level? These are the people wh...
by Steve_Y
Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:20 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: God adverts on busses - how to complain
Replies: 76
Views: 29404

I don't see the point in complaining about this kind of thing. It just encourages the existing persecution complex that a lot of religious people seem to have. "Those evil unbelievers are censoring us!" makes good propaganda, like the "Satanic war on Christmas" hyperbole every time a store decides t...