A64 / Sonata silencing

[spicetek]

Hi all. First off thanks for the fantastic site - the info here is diamond.

I'm in the process of silencing my A64 system and I have a few Q's.

In its current state, the noisiest components are (in order):

FAR TOO LOUD
1- Antec TruPower 380W supply (came with the Sonata case)
1- Panaflo 120mm L1A fan (attached with rubber gromets beind the drive bay, drawing air in)
3. Antec 120mm fan (came with case, in exhaust position at back)
(Both fans at 7V via the Vantec NXP205 fan controller)

BORDERLINE
4. Zalman 7000-AlCu on CPU (turned down to min with fanmate)

FINE
5. Zalman VF700-CU on VGA (5V)

Misc hard drives (haven't tested these yet)

So my questions are :

1 PSU.
I've emailed several UK seasonic distributors, and all say they only get the rev 2 not rev 3 super tornado models, so I think that option is out. The 3 next best seem to be the Nexus NX4090, NoiseTaker 475, and SilenX '14dB' 400W. I can't work out which will actually be the quietest though - is it even as simple as that? I'm mostly concerned about the low-load noise when the system is left on overnight. Any opinions?

(I almost went with the NX4090 - the fan recommendation page says it comes with a Nexus-like fan which is listed at 23dB, but the NX4090 review page says it comes with a Yate Loon fan which is listed at 35dB, so I'm a little confused there).

2 Case fans.
I really don't know why the Panaflo is so loud - the L1A seems to be a very popular silent 120mm fan, but mine is a monster. My Nexus controller only takes it down to 7V which is still too loud - would I be better off getting a controller that can take it even lower, or replacing it (and the other fan) for a quieter model all together?

As far as I can tell the Nexus is the quietest 120mm - I assume if I run it at 5V or 7V it will be as good as silent? Is there anything quieter?

3 CPU.
The Thermalright XP-120 seems to score a little better than my Zalman 7000-AlCu, but both descriptions are fairly qualitative - has anyone tried the two head to head?

It seems that the XP-120 could be a tiny bit quieter than the Zalman, pushing it from near-silent to silent. Is this reasonable to assume? I also note the XP-120 reviewer favours the Globe fan with it, but the specs are a bit confusing - 25-30dB with built in controller, and reported "buzzing and humming".

Would a Nexus 120mm + XP-120 be the optimal silent solution?

Oh, and last but not least, does anyone have any general tips for getting the best possible airflow / accoustic characteristics out of my Sonata case? There really doesn't seem to be that many options. Is pulling air in through the drive bay and exhausting it out the back the optimal config? (seems so as the back fan will be exhausting some CPU + VGA heat).

Sorry for the long post, I have done all the research I can, but some points are so finely balanced it can only come down to personal experience and word of mouth!

Cheers

[Tibors]

Welcome to SPCR

2 Case fans.
I really don't know why the Panaflo is so loud - the L1A seems to be a very popular silent 120mm fan, but mine is a monster. My Nexus controller only takes it down to 7V which is still too loud - would I be better off getting a controller that can take it even lower, or replacing it (and the other fan) for a quieter model all together?

As far as I can tell the Nexus is the quietest 120mm - I assume if I run it at 5V or 7V it will be as good as silent? Is there anything quieter?

Does the the Vantec Nexus controller use PWM or linear regulation? IIRC the Panaflo L1A doesn't like PWM, so that might be the source of the noise.

The only 120mm fan that I know that is more quiet than a Nexus at 5V is a fan that is off.

3 CPU.
The Thermalright XP-120 seems to score a little better than my Zalman 7000-AlCu, but both descriptions are fairly qualitative - has anyone tried the two head to head?
(...)
Would a Nexus 120mm + XP-120 be the optimal silent solution?

In the review of the Zalman 7700 the Zalman 7000 and the XP-120 are used as a reference.

The Nexus 120mm + XP-120 is the quietest, coolest solution (with a fan) availlable at the moment. But it is quite expensive. AMD64 chips run fairly cool, so you might get equal quietness with a cheaper solution. E.g. changing the fan in your Zalman 7000, with a Nexus 92mm fan. (You can find a description and some links of this at the end of the Zalman 7700 review linked above.)

Oh, and last but not least, does anyone have any general tips for getting the best possible airflow / accoustic characteristics out of my Sonata case?

In the Cases & Damping forum there is a sticky with all the "standard" Sonata mods.

[BlueCan]

1 PSU.
(I almost went with the NX4090 - the fan recommendation page says it comes with a Nexus-like fan which is listed at 23dB, but the NX4090 review page says it comes with a Yate Loon fan which is listed at 35dB, so I'm a little confused there).

You should just get the 4090. It will be MUCH quieter than the PSU it's replacing. I think MikeC might still have one for sale in the "SPCR Lab Clearance Corner" for a steal of a price.

2 Case fans.
As far as I can tell the Nexus is the quietest 120mm - I assume if I run it at 5V or 7V it will be as good as silent? Is there anything quieter?

There's not much quieter than a Nexus at 5V. You should ditch the "Intake" 120 and put a Nexus on the exhaust. Oh. The Nexus fans are manufacutred by Yate Loon.

3 CPU.
The Thermalright XP-120 seems to score a little better than my Zalman 7000-AlCu, but both descriptions are fairly qualitative - has anyone tried the two head to head?

Yes. I did. The XP-120 dropped my CPU temps (as reported by MBM) by 6C. ...and MUCH quieter.

-Patrick "Nexus, Nexus, Nexus"

[rtsai]

Would a Nexus 120mm + XP-120 be the optimal silent solution?

There is a caveat that the XP-120 is not compatible with all motherboards, exactly because of its huge size that makes it so popular here. The Thermalright website has a motherboard compatibility page describing the problems it has with some motherboards.