Help, I'm a NOOB! Need hardware sugguestions.

Mankey · Post by **Mankey** » Wed May 26, 2004 11:45 pm

Hi, I'm looking for a new silent computer system.
I have tried making my exisitng case to be more quiet, but have failed miserably, probally because I have used substandard silencing hardware. I.e. vantec stealth fans, vantec controller. Pretty much the only worthwhile silencing components I have bought have been my seagate drive and my zalman CPU heatsink. Other than that, my computer is much more noisy that I would like.

I need advice on what components to get. I am looking to get a new:
1) case
2) power supply
3) fans.

I have done some research on here, and I am overwhelmed with the number of differing sugguestions, many of which aren't available to me at common retailers in the US. I was hoping that you experts could help narrow down my choices, providing some specific model numbers and places where i could purchase such hardware.

I am open to all sugguestions. Here is what is important to me.

-120 mm exhaust fan
-GOOD hard drive cooling, I would like my hard drives to run as cool as possible.
-GOOD hard drive silencing. I am running 2-3 hard drives in this system, and I am getting an intermittent low level hum. I am told this is from the 7200 RPM drives acoustically "overlapping" and producing this hum. I would like to elimiate this, while preserving the temperatures of my drives.
-GOOD air flow. I use this system to encode video 24/7 pretty much, so the CPU is running at 100% most of the time. I need something that won't melt down. I don't overclock or anything crazy though.

I have looked into the 3700 BQE, and have heard that the power supply is a little on the loud side, and the hard drive cooling isn't all that great. Please help me out with other silent sugguestions. Thanks a lot.

gertjant · Post by **gertjant** » Thu May 27, 2004 1:39 am

Maybe my own experiences may be of some help.

I am a newbie at PC silencing as well and really learned a lot from Ralf Hutters's PC silencing project to be found elsewhere on the site.

In fact, I copied his design by using an Antec 3700 case and did the following:

(1) cut out the front and rear fan grills

(2) bought an additional Papst 120 mm fan (one stock Antec fan is included)

(3) Modded the fan Molex connectors so both fans run a 5V

(3) replaced Antec power supply with a 300W Nexus

I noticed the Antec fan, which has a reputation for being noisy, is perfectly adequate at 5V. The Nexus PSU is also fine enough for my P4 2.4 Ghz system with three hard disks and an ATI Radeon 9700, no need to get a more powerful PSU.

Overall, I benefitted greatly from Ralf Hutter's excellent explanations and the system works great and very silent for me.

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Thu May 27, 2004 5:55 am

gertjant wrote: (1) cut out the front and rear fan grills

(2) bought an additional Papst 120 mm fan (one stock Antec fan is included)

(3) Modded the fan Molex connectors so both fans run a 5V

(3) replaced Antec power supply with a 300W Nexus

I noticed the Antec fan, which has a reputation for being noisy, is perfectly adequate at 5V. The Nexus PSU is also fine enough for my P4 2.4 Ghz system with three hard disks and an ATI Radeon 9700, no need to get a more powerful PSU.

Mankey - This sounds like a good plan to me. Whoever this Hutter guy is, he sounds like a pretty sharp cookie!

MGP · Post by **MGP** » Thu May 27, 2004 6:01 am

Ah, that's Ralf -- Always coming to the rescue of n00bs across the globe...

Mankey · Post by **Mankey** » Thu May 27, 2004 7:33 am

what are your hard drive temps like?

Also, since I use my computer to encode, will the higher power draw cause the nexus power supply's fan to ramp up and become noisy?

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Thu May 27, 2004 10:48 am

Mankey wrote:what are your hard drive temps like?

Who, me?

I run Samsung Spinpoints in one system and the typical idle temp (at 20°C ambient) is around 28-29°C and the load temp is 34-36°C.

In my other system I run Barracuda IV's. Idle temps run 30-31°C, load temps about 35-38°C.