Hi, this is my first post at SPCR.
I've been reading up on the articles and posts here and have tried to follow some of the suggestions so far. I would appreciate comments and suggestions to further quiet my PC.
My current setup is:
CPU: Intel 2.8C w/ Zalman 7000A-AlCu @ 1000 RPM (PVM)
Mobo: Asus P4P800-Dlx
Video: ATI Radeon 9500 Pro w/ Arctic Cooling VGA Silencer
H/D: Maxtor 7200RPM 120 GB
CDRW: LG 52x24x52 + 16xDVD
Case: Antec Lanboy w/ original PSU (Smartblue 350 - 80mm and 92mm fans)
Fans: 2 Panaflo 80mm @ ~7V with Fan Mates (1 front, 1 rear)
The temperatures (according to AsusProbe and SpeedFan):
@ ambient ~20-22C
Idle: CPU: 34, M/B (northbridge): 30, H/D: 26
Load: (folding) CPU: 49, M/B: 42, H/D: 35
Future plans:
-enlarge the rear exhaust fan opening to fit 92mm fan (is 120mm possible?) - Will this make much of a difference in terms of noise?
-mod the PSU with quieter fans (Panaflo / Nexus) or just change it for something quieter - perhaps Seasonic? - the temperature of the PSU exhaust under load is ~37C, I'm not sure how high the temperature can reach before risking damage to it
-suspend the hard drive
Currently, the PSU is the loudest component, so it will be my first priority to fix that.
Suggestions, comments, and opinions greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Suggestions for Quieting my PC
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee
Hi SignoDX,
Your temperature looks fine to me.
Normally PSU's burning temperature is 55'C. If it has over 50'C is it in real danger. Yes you can change the fan inside with fans like Panaflo as you mention or you could change it with a fanless PSU like Antec Phantom or silverstone.
Larger fan with lower fan speed is more quiet. But there isn't much choice of 120mm fans around. Sometimes two 80mm ultra quiet fans are still more quiet than a "normal" industrial 120mm fan. So shop and listen around first
Your temperature looks fine to me.
Normally PSU's burning temperature is 55'C. If it has over 50'C is it in real danger. Yes you can change the fan inside with fans like Panaflo as you mention or you could change it with a fanless PSU like Antec Phantom or silverstone.
Larger fan with lower fan speed is more quiet. But there isn't much choice of 120mm fans around. Sometimes two 80mm ultra quiet fans are still more quiet than a "normal" industrial 120mm fan. So shop and listen around first
First things first:
WELCOME TO SPCR !!!
I don't have direct experience with your casing but I'll venture some guesses.
#1: An undervolted 92mm or preferably a 12V Nexus 92mm will blow enough air as your Panaflo @ 12V (IIRC) so going with a 92mm as your exhaust will make a difference.
#2: I've found all Antec PSUs I've handled to be hot-running and noisy. By the "smart" prefix, I'm assuming this is also from the SmartPower series which is the cheaper/relaxed line of Antec. You could possibly do a fan swap but it's much much better to go with a high-efficiency PSU. Go with a Seasonic. Not just because it's quieter, it's more efficient and will probably help your case temps too.
#3: I believe the LanBoy is an aluminium case. Which means that harddisk must be shaking it like mad. I'd venture a guess that suspending your harddisks will make as much a difference as swapping your PSU.
#4: Side note, it's probably possible to cool your Radeon passively. But I'm not sure whether it'd make any difference noisewise, you've got a few loud components there.
WELCOME TO SPCR !!!
I don't have direct experience with your casing but I'll venture some guesses.
#1: An undervolted 92mm or preferably a 12V Nexus 92mm will blow enough air as your Panaflo @ 12V (IIRC) so going with a 92mm as your exhaust will make a difference.
#2: I've found all Antec PSUs I've handled to be hot-running and noisy. By the "smart" prefix, I'm assuming this is also from the SmartPower series which is the cheaper/relaxed line of Antec. You could possibly do a fan swap but it's much much better to go with a high-efficiency PSU. Go with a Seasonic. Not just because it's quieter, it's more efficient and will probably help your case temps too.
#3: I believe the LanBoy is an aluminium case. Which means that harddisk must be shaking it like mad. I'd venture a guess that suspending your harddisks will make as much a difference as swapping your PSU.
#4: Side note, it's probably possible to cool your Radeon passively. But I'm not sure whether it'd make any difference noisewise, you've got a few loud components there.