Hi, everyone.
I built my current computer before I really cared about noise. As such, it's rather un-silent. I've tried to determine the primary cause(s) of noise, but have not been successful. The suspects are:
120mm rear case fan on SLK3700AMB
SL350 PSU on said case
Radeon 9800 (built-by-ATi with regular reference HSF)
CNPS 7000A-AlCu
Anybody know where the these components rank in terms of noise? In case I ever decide to quiet this baby down, it'll be quite important to know that - plus, I'm just darn curious.
Assume the 9800 (non-pro, built by ATi) is putting along just showing my desktop and the Zalman HSF is at 1400 rpm.
TIA
What's my "quietness bottleneck"? (hsf, vc, psu, c
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WildWeasel
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Edward Ng
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What hard drive(s) you using there, bub?
What speed is the fan on your CNPS7000(a)-(Al)Cu set for?
Is your case exhaust fan on full 12volts, or is it undervolted?
Is that a built-by-ATi 9800? nonPro/Pro, or XT?
What CPU are you running, and what mainboard? Is the northbridge passively cooled, or is it actively cooled?
Give us more details, we'll give you more help.
-Ed
EDIT: Oh yes, mustn't forget: WELCOME TO SPCR!!!
What speed is the fan on your CNPS7000(a)-(Al)Cu set for?
Is your case exhaust fan on full 12volts, or is it undervolted?
Is that a built-by-ATi 9800? nonPro/Pro, or XT?
What CPU are you running, and what mainboard? Is the northbridge passively cooled, or is it actively cooled?
Give us more details, we'll give you more help.
-Ed
EDIT: Oh yes, mustn't forget: WELCOME TO SPCR!!!
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acaurora
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Re: What's my "quietness bottleneck"? (hsf, vc, ps
First off, get rid of that 350W PSU. It sucks, and it's WHINY. Get a NoiseTaker or a Super Silencer, or a NexusWildWeasel wrote:Hi, everyone.
I built my current computer before I really cared about noise. As such, it's rather un-silent. I've tried to determine the primary cause(s) of noise, but have not been successful. The suspects are:
120mm rear case fan on SLK3700AMB
SL350 PSU on said case
Radeon 9800 (built-by-ATi with regular reference HSF)
CNPS 7000A-AlCu
Anybody know where the these components rank in terms of noise? In case I ever decide to quiet this baby down, it'll be quite important to know that - plus, I'm just darn curious.
Assume the 9800 (non-pro, built by ATi) is putting along just showing my desktop and the Zalman HSF is at 1400 rpm.
TIA
Secondly, it's probably the 9800 making the 2nd loudest noise.
The 120mm fan, if it's the same that comes with the 3700BQE, shouldn't be anything to worry about. Pretty darned quiet.
The Zalman, makes *some*, but not a lot, of noise. That is, if it's set @ min speed. Yah, as Edward said, we need more info ~.~... pics would also be nice
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WildWeasel
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First: Edward, you need to read a little more carefully. I said in my post that 1) the Zalman is @ 1400 rpm and 2) that my R9800 is a non-pro BBA. 
My hard drive is a Maxtor 6Y160M0...I think. 7200 rpm, 8MB cache, SATA.
My case exhaust fan is at stock molex-attached-to-PSU voltage (12V?).
I have a 2.6C (currently ~2.8GHz - long story) on an IC7 v1.1.
The NB fan died a long time ago, but it's stable running passive so I left it that way.
I'm also under the impression that my PSU is the biggest noisemaker.
The 9800 is a funny story. When I built this computer, I was really excited about being able to play computer games (aside from Civ) again. I bought the 9800 when it was on sale, built my computer, and promptly stopped playing games on my computer. Now I wish I'd bought a 9200 or FX5200 with a passive sink. Oh well, you know what they say about hindsight.
I keep thinking about disconnecting that case fan sometime just to see if I can hear a real difference, but I never remember to actually do it. If I could get the Zalman to be the loudest part of my comp, I'd be happy - it's not at all too loud for me.
Need any more info? Any case mods (like removing the rear fan grille) are out of the question, as is replacing the video card's HSF. Short of that, I think I'm open to most things. I've even considered suspending my hdd like I've seen some people here do - I would probably do it if that was a main noise contributor, but I don't think it is.
My hard drive is a Maxtor 6Y160M0...I think. 7200 rpm, 8MB cache, SATA.
My case exhaust fan is at stock molex-attached-to-PSU voltage (12V?).
I have a 2.6C (currently ~2.8GHz - long story) on an IC7 v1.1.
The NB fan died a long time ago, but it's stable running passive so I left it that way.
I'm also under the impression that my PSU is the biggest noisemaker.
The 9800 is a funny story. When I built this computer, I was really excited about being able to play computer games (aside from Civ) again. I bought the 9800 when it was on sale, built my computer, and promptly stopped playing games on my computer. Now I wish I'd bought a 9200 or FX5200 with a passive sink. Oh well, you know what they say about hindsight.
I keep thinking about disconnecting that case fan sometime just to see if I can hear a real difference, but I never remember to actually do it. If I could get the Zalman to be the loudest part of my comp, I'd be happy - it's not at all too loud for me.
Need any more info? Any case mods (like removing the rear fan grille) are out of the question, as is replacing the video card's HSF. Short of that, I think I'm open to most things. I've even considered suspending my hdd like I've seen some people here do - I would probably do it if that was a main noise contributor, but I don't think it is.
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Edward Ng
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Sorry for skipping over those details; I have to read and respond to a huge number of forums posts, PMs and e-mails on a daily basis, and details get skipped over, not to mention trying to coordinate review samples and performing/setting up/down for reviews, etc. (and that's just my SPCR duties!)...
Your Maxtor hard drive's acoustics are most likely in the only-some-what-whiny idles side with mid-low frequency rumble-like seeks; if they don't bother you, it shouldn't be much of an issue to worry about.
If you can describe the predominant noise signature of your machine (being that it's not all that quiet, it shouldn't be too difficult to do, and yes, I did check your posts in this thread so far to see if you mentioned any sound signatures, and you haven't), it would be handy; it's easier to identify the culprit if we at least know the most predominant type or at least frequency range of the noise.
Luckily the NB fan died and the machine runs fine; no need to worry about it.
If you can spare the drop in air flow, I recommend plugging the case fan into the fan-only molex hookups from your TruePower (assuming you don't change PSUs); considering you're not heavily loading that video card very often, it won't be too dangerous to try it; just keep an eye on the hard drive's temps when you go to cut down case air flow/noise.
Would a PSU fan swap be too hardcore of a mod for you? It makes a massive difference, which I can attest to with my Sonata and its now modified TruePower with AF80CT.
-Ed
Your Maxtor hard drive's acoustics are most likely in the only-some-what-whiny idles side with mid-low frequency rumble-like seeks; if they don't bother you, it shouldn't be much of an issue to worry about.
If you can describe the predominant noise signature of your machine (being that it's not all that quiet, it shouldn't be too difficult to do, and yes, I did check your posts in this thread so far to see if you mentioned any sound signatures, and you haven't), it would be handy; it's easier to identify the culprit if we at least know the most predominant type or at least frequency range of the noise.
Luckily the NB fan died and the machine runs fine; no need to worry about it.
If you can spare the drop in air flow, I recommend plugging the case fan into the fan-only molex hookups from your TruePower (assuming you don't change PSUs); considering you're not heavily loading that video card very often, it won't be too dangerous to try it; just keep an eye on the hard drive's temps when you go to cut down case air flow/noise.
Would a PSU fan swap be too hardcore of a mod for you? It makes a massive difference, which I can attest to with my Sonata and its now modified TruePower with AF80CT.
-Ed
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acaurora
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That maxtor is pretty loud in terms of idle noise. I have the 200 GB version, and, with watercooling, and all fans off (including my toasty 9800 XT, but just for a few seconds), aside from the PSU fan, the idle noise generated by the maxtor is pretty audible. It's sort of like a loud hum.
I was sort of surprised by this, and didn't notice it until all my fans were off. The seek noise is pretty bad too. I haven't suspended mine, so I don't know if that'll do any good. 1400 RPM... is that the lowest? I used to have the Zalman before I went to watercooling, so I dont remember the RPMs anymore. At the lowest to near-lowest, it's pretty quiet. The stock 9800 cooler is also sort of noisy. There's nothing you can really do with the 9800, i mean, other than going to WC, or slapping on an Artic Silencer, which, you said, you didn't want to do.
You may want to check the 12V fan, I'm not sure if it's the same quiet stock fan that is bundled with the BQE.
So yah, like I said, kill the PSU and get a better one, like I mentioned before. If you want to get a new GPU, and don't do any heavy gaming, a fanless 5200 Ultra would be nice, I've seen a few on newegg.com. The 9800 outperforms the 5200 by a long shot, but, like I said, if you're not playing anything really graphics-intensive, it should be fine.
I was sort of surprised by this, and didn't notice it until all my fans were off. The seek noise is pretty bad too. I haven't suspended mine, so I don't know if that'll do any good. 1400 RPM... is that the lowest? I used to have the Zalman before I went to watercooling, so I dont remember the RPMs anymore. At the lowest to near-lowest, it's pretty quiet. The stock 9800 cooler is also sort of noisy. There's nothing you can really do with the 9800, i mean, other than going to WC, or slapping on an Artic Silencer, which, you said, you didn't want to do.
You may want to check the 12V fan, I'm not sure if it's the same quiet stock fan that is bundled with the BQE.
So yah, like I said, kill the PSU and get a better one, like I mentioned before. If you want to get a new GPU, and don't do any heavy gaming, a fanless 5200 Ultra would be nice, I've seen a few on newegg.com. The 9800 outperforms the 5200 by a long shot, but, like I said, if you're not playing anything really graphics-intensive, it should be fine.
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Edward Ng
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Judging by the different opinions on the idle noise of Maxtor's Diamond Max 9 series drives, it's obvious that the number of platters will affect the idle acoustics of the drive. I'm using 6Y060L0s while acaurora is probably using either a 6Y200P0 or a 6Y200M0; he feels the idle acoustics are quite loud, while I can see how the 6Y060L0's idle noise level would be quite acceptable to many users. Also, manufacturing inconsistencies will always come into play; in case it matters at all, I used to have four 6Y060L0s in the same system; one died, so I'm down to three. I do not know how many Diamond Max 9's acaurora has tried.
Like I said, for some people, the Diamond Max 9s are too whiney. For others, it's acceptable; it's up to you to decide on that matter. It's most certainly several orders of magnitude less whiney than non-FDB Caviars, however, and the seek noise, as I said, is a less annoying lower-frequency rumble, not so much clattering or clicking, which is also helpful. I do, however, feel that they run warmer than Samsung's SpinPoints (of course they're louder than the SpinPoints, as well).
-Ed
EDIT: Typo City...
EDIT 2: He's using water cooling and like zero fans; I've got an AF80CT and an undervolted 120mm Globe generating, "cover," noise for the hard drives. That is what's really exacerbating the Maxtor's idle whine for him.
EDIT 3: Responding to his response below (trying to keep this thread on track by not completely turning it into a Diamond Max 9 thread), his numbers easily represent the truth behind my feelings about the Maxtor's heat output. If you are willing to swap over to a Samsung SpinPoint, not only will you cut down on your noise quite a bit, but it will A) reduce the heat generated that will heat up your case (thus reducing the need for noise/fans/air flow) and B) the hard drive itself will be less likely to fail from thermal issues in a low flow environment.
Like I said, for some people, the Diamond Max 9s are too whiney. For others, it's acceptable; it's up to you to decide on that matter. It's most certainly several orders of magnitude less whiney than non-FDB Caviars, however, and the seek noise, as I said, is a less annoying lower-frequency rumble, not so much clattering or clicking, which is also helpful. I do, however, feel that they run warmer than Samsung's SpinPoints (of course they're louder than the SpinPoints, as well).
-Ed
EDIT: Typo City...
EDIT 2: He's using water cooling and like zero fans; I've got an AF80CT and an undervolted 120mm Globe generating, "cover," noise for the hard drives. That is what's really exacerbating the Maxtor's idle whine for him.
EDIT 3: Responding to his response below (trying to keep this thread on track by not completely turning it into a Diamond Max 9 thread), his numbers easily represent the truth behind my feelings about the Maxtor's heat output. If you are willing to swap over to a Samsung SpinPoint, not only will you cut down on your noise quite a bit, but it will A) reduce the heat generated that will heat up your case (thus reducing the need for noise/fans/air flow) and B) the hard drive itself will be less likely to fail from thermal issues in a low flow environment.
Last edited by Edward Ng on Thu Jul 08, 2004 8:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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acaurora
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Warmer, definitely warmer. I have the 6Y200P0, with the FDB motors. Like you said, Edward, it generates a low type of hum. It is barely noticeable, but nonetheless can still be heard, and is thus a source of noise. The seek time is clearly audible, and somewhat annoying, compared to my Seagate Barracuda and 7200.7s, both of which are extremely quiet. Whilst my 7200.7 200 GB stays at around 35 C, my Maxtor stays a good 5 C higher. However, that may be due in part that the seagate stays in the lowest position of the HDD rack of my BQE, whilst the Maxtor resides in the highest. Ralf has suggested I move the maxtor down 1 position for better cooling; i have yet to do that. Also, my seagate is the primary drive, while the maxtor is a storage drive with my swap file on it. That may also be a factor in the temperatures.
Edward - This diamond max 9 200 GB HDD is the only one I've used. I have a maxtor onetouch 200 GB external drive, but I haven't opened mine to see which one is being used in it. It is quieter, to say the least.
Edward - This diamond max 9 200 GB HDD is the only one I've used. I have a maxtor onetouch 200 GB external drive, but I haven't opened mine to see which one is being used in it. It is quieter, to say the least.
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Edward Ng
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Btw, I find that Samsung's Spinpoint P80s run cooler than the Barracuda 7200.7s and the Diamond Max 9s. Didn't know until now that Diamond Max 9 was hotter than 7200.7; but Ralf may be right about the location of the drives being a factor.
The rest of my reply to the previous reply from acaurora is in EDIT 3 of my reply, before his.
-Ed
The rest of my reply to the previous reply from acaurora is in EDIT 3 of my reply, before his.
-Ed
wildweasel - open up your case and listen to the fans through a toilet roll. The helps isolate the sound from each individual fan.
You may even want to slow them a little with your finger gently on the hub to see which noise signature each of them has. This helps to mae your listening slightly more subjective.
I would reccomend repllacing tthe stock ati hsf with an arctic cooler, but i can understand if you dont want to. Just unplug the stock ati fan and mount a quiet 80mm or somesuch above it, blowing onto the cooler. Will really quieten things down without affecting your card.
Maybe a hard drive duct would be a good idea as well? I dont know that drive well, but lots of people here have noticeably silenced their pcs with duck tape, cardboard and the top 5.25" bay
griff
You may even want to slow them a little with your finger gently on the hub to see which noise signature each of them has. This helps to mae your listening slightly more subjective.
I would reccomend repllacing tthe stock ati hsf with an arctic cooler, but i can understand if you dont want to. Just unplug the stock ati fan and mount a quiet 80mm or somesuch above it, blowing onto the cooler. Will really quieten things down without affecting your card.
Maybe a hard drive duct would be a good idea as well? I dont know that drive well, but lots of people here have noticeably silenced their pcs with duck tape, cardboard and the top 5.25" bay
griff
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WildWeasel
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Man, post city. Thanks guys.
AFAIK, my PSU is a SmartPower so I don't get the fan-only connectors. I don't believe it's the quieter revision that ships with the BQE, but I really don't know. I've considered replacing my current fan with a SilenX or Vantec Stealth or something, but...
...I have a feeling my PSU is either the loudest component or right up there. PSU-fan replacement is not an option for me, but I'm considering a whole new PSU. I don't want to leave the cozy little quality hut of Enermax/Antec, so I'd probably go with a low-wattage NoiseTaker - is that a good choice? (no need to get in depth. I can re-read SPCR's PSU reviews if I decide to buy). Or am I completely screwy, and Zalman/Tt/SeaSonic PSUs are every bit as durable as Antec/Enermax?
I will probably buy a Seagate or Sammy HDD for my next build, but this computer is sticking with my current Maxtor. It's not anywhere near silent when active, but it's idle almost all the time and I don't notice any noise in that state (from either "actual" noise or case vibration).
AFAIK, my PSU is a SmartPower so I don't get the fan-only connectors. I don't believe it's the quieter revision that ships with the BQE, but I really don't know. I've considered replacing my current fan with a SilenX or Vantec Stealth or something, but...
...I have a feeling my PSU is either the loudest component or right up there. PSU-fan replacement is not an option for me, but I'm considering a whole new PSU. I don't want to leave the cozy little quality hut of Enermax/Antec, so I'd probably go with a low-wattage NoiseTaker - is that a good choice? (no need to get in depth. I can re-read SPCR's PSU reviews if I decide to buy). Or am I completely screwy, and Zalman/Tt/SeaSonic PSUs are every bit as durable as Antec/Enermax?
I will probably buy a Seagate or Sammy HDD for my next build, but this computer is sticking with my current Maxtor. It's not anywhere near silent when active, but it's idle almost all the time and I don't notice any noise in that state (from either "actual" noise or case vibration).
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HammerSandwich
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Seasonic and Zalman (plus other Fortron-based supplies) are good, but I don't know about TT. You should think about getting one of MikeC's PSUs.WildWeasel wrote:Or am I completely screwy, and Zalman/Tt/SeaSonic PSUs are every bit as durable as Antec/Enermax?
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WildWeasel
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Now that is tempting.HammerSandwich wrote:You should think about getting one of MikeC's PSUs.
On a related note, I didn't know a TruePower 350S (listed in that post) existed. I thought the only Antec 1-fan quiet PSUs were the TruePower 380S in the Sonata and the SmartPower 350S in the SLK3700BQE...
Here is what I did.
Open machine. Listen carefully. Spot fan. Unplug it. Listen carefully. Try to tell if I can notice any difference. Plug fan back in. Yes, you can run your system with the fan on the heat sink unplugged for a minute or so without hurting anything..
Look for next fan. Repeat.
Look for power plug on hard drive. Repeat.
As a result, I replaced the stock retail intel fan with a cg68 and the exhaust fan with a L1A. Power supply is next as the system is still a little louder than I like and unplugging the hard drive made no noticable change. That leaves the power supply as the only sound source in the system
Open machine. Listen carefully. Spot fan. Unplug it. Listen carefully. Try to tell if I can notice any difference. Plug fan back in. Yes, you can run your system with the fan on the heat sink unplugged for a minute or so without hurting anything..
Look for next fan. Repeat.
Look for power plug on hard drive. Repeat.
As a result, I replaced the stock retail intel fan with a cg68 and the exhaust fan with a L1A. Power supply is next as the system is still a little louder than I like and unplugging the hard drive made no noticable change. That leaves the power supply as the only sound source in the system
Regardless of whether you think your HDD is fairly quiet or not, I highly recommend decoupling the drive (see sticky in storage forum). I only have experience with Samsung and Barracuda IVs, both of which are extremely quiet drives. The difference after decoupling was incredible. This is a very easy, cheap (and fun!) mod; anyone who tries it will be amazed by the results.