The spec is as follows:- Morex 3677 Case
Via 5000 Motherboard
External USB CD rom
256 or 512 sdram
4 gig disk on module,i.e flashdrive that plugs straight into motherboard,to run Puppy Linux or other Linux !
60 watt power supply as comes with case,laptop type brick.
The case has one small fan which I do not want to connect !
The object is to have a completely silent computer with no moving parts,can anyone tell me if I really can run this system without a fan,I have read on net of those that say its A.O.K !
Also it should be very light on power use,i.e around 11 watts idle and around 25 watts when used !
Any input that you can give me would be much appreciated
Regards
Casino888
p.s. I also have a Via 6000 motherboard and same questions apply please !
First Build for silent PC newbie !
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee
Others can chime in here with practical experiences.
but in general to run a PC with NO fan is not workable in the long run as you need some method to exhaust the hot air out of your case. With such a low power system like your planning there should not be much to exhaust, but some kind of slow moving fan is required.
I havent looked over your case, but if it has any places for an exhaust fan you can hook that up to a fan controller and run it at a low or very low speed. Then you should be good to go.
but in general to run a PC with NO fan is not workable in the long run as you need some method to exhaust the hot air out of your case. With such a low power system like your planning there should not be much to exhaust, but some kind of slow moving fan is required.
I havent looked over your case, but if it has any places for an exhaust fan you can hook that up to a fan controller and run it at a low or very low speed. Then you should be good to go.
First build for silent PC newbie
Thank you Kittle for your reply,I had hoped that natural convection may have been enough to vent heat but I see now what you are saying,even a little heat needs needs to be pushed out !This case can be mounted horizontally or vertically I thought that if I mounted it vertically it might be enough,the idea came from Damn Small Linux website where he has a very similar set up in which he appears to say it does not need a fan.
However if I need a fan then the one in case is a 60mm one which from what I have already learned from this site is just about as noisy as they get,is it possible to control fan speed(and noise) by a rheostat or even a thermostat.Another thought I had,and you may consider this only just short of lunacy would be to mount case vertically and cut out the fan grill vent from what would now be the top of case(remove fan) and add a 60mm diameter tube with a hood on it to effectively create a chimney and hope that that would assist convection,if I fit ram as two modules I guess that would help heat dissipation as well. Another thought would be to fit motherboard and power supply into a large case where there was more room for heat dissipation. the intention for this computer is to have always on internet for e-mail, browsing and internet radio with very low power consumption,and be completely silent.I could do away with flash drive and install Puppy Linux into ram and have no heat from flash drive.
Your help is appreciated and any comments you or any one else can add would be gratefully received.
However if I need a fan then the one in case is a 60mm one which from what I have already learned from this site is just about as noisy as they get,is it possible to control fan speed(and noise) by a rheostat or even a thermostat.Another thought I had,and you may consider this only just short of lunacy would be to mount case vertically and cut out the fan grill vent from what would now be the top of case(remove fan) and add a 60mm diameter tube with a hood on it to effectively create a chimney and hope that that would assist convection,if I fit ram as two modules I guess that would help heat dissipation as well. Another thought would be to fit motherboard and power supply into a large case where there was more room for heat dissipation. the intention for this computer is to have always on internet for e-mail, browsing and internet radio with very low power consumption,and be completely silent.I could do away with flash drive and install Puppy Linux into ram and have no heat from flash drive.
Your help is appreciated and any comments you or any one else can add would be gratefully received.
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greenfrank
- Posts: 101
- Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 2:32 pm
- Location: Mexico
a good alternative fanless solution is an intel D945GSEJT Atom N270 board in a Morex 350 case. No need for fans because the case has numerous small holes to allow natural airflow.
Power consumption is around 11w. CPU temperature is safely around 55-60 degrees.
I have it, running windows XP. Is powerful enough for office/internet/mp3 activity.
Power consumption is around 11w. CPU temperature is safely around 55-60 degrees.
I have it, running windows XP. Is powerful enough for office/internet/mp3 activity.
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jessekopelman
- Posts: 1406
- Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:28 pm
- Location: USA
I'm pretty sure this particular motherboard, Epia 5000, was actually designed to be run in a case with no fans. That said, you'd have been better with a case that had more air holes than the 3677 (3677 was designed to be used with a fan) -- something like Mini-Box's M350. In the end, whether your particular installation works out will come down to ambient airflow. People rarely consider this, but it is actually the biggest factor when dealing with a fanless/very slow fan installation. I'm talking 5-10C difference.
newbie silent pc probs
Thank you Jessekopelman and green frank,it does seem as if the M350 case is the way to go,there are a number of proprietary systems with this case and much more powerful processors,all of which claim no fan needed at all !
The problem I now have is what seems just not enough power in processor,all I want to do is read mail and browse the web whilst listening to music,BBC iplayer and it just does not seem to cope and crashes,I do have a Via 6000 board,would that give me any noticeable improvement over the Via 5000?
Thanks to all of you who have replied to me,I am most grateful !
The problem I now have is what seems just not enough power in processor,all I want to do is read mail and browse the web whilst listening to music,BBC iplayer and it just does not seem to cope and crashes,I do have a Via 6000 board,would that give me any noticeable improvement over the Via 5000?
Thanks to all of you who have replied to me,I am most grateful !