Need comments on components. Project: DEAD SILENT computer.

[victorhortalives]

Hmmm... that's annoying. I guess you could mark where the holes need to be, take them down to your local machine shop and get them to drill the holes and tap a thread in. But there must be another HDD enclosure that has multiple mounting points?

Nope. The space is so restricted that it's almost impossible to mount a 3.5in drive in a 5.25in enclosure AND fit the damn thing in the case (without going back to the poorly performing Antec PSU). A 3.5in can be suspended behind the front - your post ?

What I have done is to use a 2.5in and suspend it in the floppy tray. I could put it in a Scythe Quiet Drive box and mount it in the bottom support, but the benefit might be marginal.

When I get my Silverstone then I can hear whether I need to quieten the 2.5in drive any more.

[Big SturL]

Thank you for paying attention to my thread victorhortalives.

As far as the 2.5" hard drive is concerned, I need one with at least 160GB. Are there any single-plattered drives with such capacity?

[Big SturL]

I am also a bit incertain of which graphics card to get. After reading some reviews on the 8500GT, it seems that it does not offer much performance for the price (as the 8600GT is marginally more expensive, but performs up to twice as well). Of course, power consumption is something that has to be taken into consideration, as the case will not be extremely well ventilated.

So, which GPU will offer the best combination of price, performance and power consumption? Keep in mind, I'm not much of a gamer, and the performance of a 8600GT is more than sufficient.

[Mats]

The E7200 is the new, lower priced 45 nm CPU.
http://www.amentio.no/PartDetail.aspx?q=p:1966701

[thejamppa]

E7200 is not that much slower compeared to E8200. But quite a lot cheaper. Its 5 - 10% slower than E8200, due narrower FSB and reduced L2. However, it does pack serious punch for price conscious builder or gamer. However its still 65W TDP. Too bad its not 45W CPU. Lower TDP is easier its to cool passively without tricks.

I am planning to change my 65W X2 into 45W X2 4x50e-series. I wonder when Intel gets fully into 45W CPU's.

[Big SturL]

Thank you for paying attention to my thread, but I am unfortunately not after processor recommendations, as I have decided on using a Celeron 440 (due to the 35W TDP). What I am after is a GPU recommendation, a graphics card that is. The criterias are in my last post.

[Mats]

E7200 is not that much slower compeared to E8200. But quite a lot cheaper. Its 5 - 10% slower than E8200, due narrower FSB and reduced L2. However, it does pack serious punch for price conscious builder or gamer. However its still 65W TDP. Too bad its not 45W CPU. Lower TDP is easier its to cool passively without tricks.

I am planning to change my 65W X2 into 45W X2 4x50e-series. I wonder when Intel gets fully into 45W CPU's.

Tests have showed that the whole E8000-series seems to be well under 45 W in power consumption. I don't know if this actually would qualify them as 45 W TDP parts, only Intel knows that, but the thing is that you shouldn't look too much at the TDP values. Check real world power consumption instead.

They are using much less than 65 W, and the same goes for the E7200.

[amyhughes]

E7200 ... still 65W TDP. Too bad its not 45W CPU. Lower TDP is easier its to cool passively without tricks.

I am planning to change my 65W X2 into 45W X2 4x50e-series. I wonder when Intel gets fully into 45W CPU's.

I've seen graphs that say the E7200 consumes about 21W at load and the E8500 consumes about 30. My own measurements say my E8400 uses less than 40 at load, including inefficiency in the PSU, and my 4450E is about the same.

I've built a 4450E system that idles in the mid to upper 20's. I'd like to build as bare a system for Intel to do a direct comparison.

Has anyone built a 20-something system using E8x00 or E7200?

[Mats]

The nVidia 8000-series is getting old, look for a 9500 GT or a 9600 GT. Avoid the 9600 GSO.

[Mats]

My own measurements say my E8400 uses less than 40 at load, including inefficiency in the PSU, and my 4450E is about the same.

Remember that there's a power loss in the motherboard as well when going from 12 V to Vcore.

[Big SturL]

Thank you for mentioning the 9500GT Mats. I see that it has a smaller brother, the 9500GS, which might be exactly what I'm looking for. According to the sources, they will be produced with 55nm cores, which hopefully will reduce the power consumption further. Performance-wise, they are right in the sweetspot for me.

[Big SturL]

I found some sound-dampening materials at an autoshop which I think might be suitable for this project. The materials and shape are different, but some of you might have some experience with this, and are able to tell me what could be suitable. The site is in Norwegian, so I'll translate some of it.

Type 1:
It says it's designed for cars and boats and such, and that it damps sound and heat from enginge, transmission and chassis. I reckon its heat-isolating abilties is less desirable, as I want the heat to be effectively removed from the case.

Type 2:
For sound-dampening in cars and boats, and is attachable with glue. Can damp up tp 40dB.

Type 3:
For sound-dampening in speaker cases. With 5 pieces of 40x60x2 cm, this seems as the best option. I don't know whether this comes with adhesive or not, but I reckon I can buy some spray-glue or double-sided tape.

[amyhughes]

Type 3:
For sound-dampening in speaker cases. With 5 pieces of 40x60x2 cm, this seems as the best option.

I haven't opened any speakers built this century, but at least once upon a time speakers were lined or completely filled with fiberglass batting.

[Fallsroad]

I haven't opened any speakers built this century, but at least once upon a time speakers were lined or completely filled with fiberglass batting.

These days fiberglass has been abandoned in favor of less messy filler material, from forms of cotton batting to heavy rubberized mats mounted to the interior cabinet walls, much like some silent PC enthusiasts do to the inside of their computers.

I did speaker repair for a very long time and had my fill of fiberglass stuffing while working on old Advents and ARs. Nasty stuff.

[Big SturL]

I was able to acquire an Antec Solo case for very cheap, as the webshop where I bought it had priced them incorrectly - a well $ 10 spent. I also got hand of the sound damping material which I mentioned above. I believe that it will be the perfect solution for stopping airborne noise, and paying $ 12 for 1 m² (~10sq ft) I believe is somewhat of a great deal, considering what Acoustipack costs.

So, the computer will now be based around this midi-tower case, which actually suits me quite well. It will be fitted with one Scythe Slip Stream 1200 RPM fan, which I encouraged a webshop to add to their inventory. What I am a bit incertain of which to use now, is the power supply. As I have read a fair bit of reviews on different supplies, it seems that none are able to accomodate the level of sound which I am after. My solution to this will be to remove the stock fan, and replace it with a more quiet solution. But, I don't know whether to get the Antec HE430 and fit it with an 80 mm Nexus, or get another modular supply which utilises a 120 mm fan, and replace it with the Slip Stream. What I do know is that I will not use the internal controller for the fan, as I wan't it to run at a constant revolution.

What also is a bit interesting, is which LCD to get. I see, and know, that a lot of screens have a tendency of humming (my Acer has a tendency of howling), especially when they have internal inverters. So, which GOOD displays in the range of 20" to 24" are without any extraneous noises?

[MikeC]

So, the computer will now be based around this midi-tower case, which actually suits me quite well. It will be fitted with one Scythe Slip Stream 1200 RPM fan, which I encouraged a webshop to add to their inventory. What I am a bit incertain of which to use now, is the power supply. As I have read a fair bit of reviews on different supplies, it seems that none are able to accomodate the level of sound which I am after. My solution to this will be to remove the stock fan, and replace it with a more quiet solution. But, I don't know whether to get the Antec HE430 and fit it with an 80 mm Nexus, or get another modular supply which utilises a 120 mm fan, and replace it with the Slip Stream. What I do know is that I will not use the internal controller for the fan, as I wan't it to run at a constant revolution.

In that case, the Nexus 80 swap is fine & much cheaper, obviously. But imo, with your components, any psu in the top half of the spcr recommended PSU list will do fine -- the load will not be enough to make the fan speed up.

Also, that slipstream at 1200rpm will not be quiet -- you'll need to slow it down to well under 800rpm -- probably as low as ~500rpm -- to get it down to the level of a Nexus 80 at 5~8V.

Finally, the differences between the 5400rpm 2.5" drives are small, hence the lack of "best" consensus. In the P150/Solo, a WD GP 500 suspended would be almost as quiet as any laptop drive. Ambient noise may obscure any differences... depending on how close you site the computer. Put it under the desk and all of these fine differences will probably become moot.

[Big SturL]

Thank you for paying attention to my thread Mr. Chin.

I reckon the Neo HE430 is the least expensive modular PSU on the market (right?), so even though the 80 mm Nexus is more expensive here in Norway than the 120 Slip Stream, chosing the HE430 would be the cheapest choice. Seeing that the fan has a horisontal intake is also an asset, as I then won't get as much hot air from the rest of the components into the PSU.

As far as the fan speed goes, I was planning on undervolting them. My choice of the Slip Stream 1200 fan was based on your review here.

It is very encouraging what you write about the hard drives, as I was a bit afraid that 160 GB would be a little short. But, would using a 2,5" drive for the OS, and then a 3,5" for the files be an optimal setup? Or is the difference between the Green Power and a 2,5" drive so miniscule that I would be satisfied with just it?

[Greg F.]

I am also a bit incertain of which graphics card to get. After reading some reviews on the 8500GT, it seems that it does not offer much performance for the price (as the 8600GT is marginally more expensive, but performs up to twice as well). Of course, power consumption is something that has to be taken into consideration, as the case will not be extremely well ventilated.

So, which GPU will offer the best combination of price, performance and power consumption? Keep in mind, I'm not much of a gamer, and the performance of a 8600GT is more than sufficient.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814121243

Perhaps this GPU would work for you. I have the 3450 and it runs at about 35C where my passive XFX7600gs runs at 53C.
I have Samsung (P & T) drives in a Solo, and with suspension and AAM I don't hear them above ambient. I do hear the particular WD drive that is in that box.
A P35/E7200 would be more future proof and quiet and fast.

[Big SturL]

I like the look of that cooler, and it could maybe have been a viable option had it not been for the shere fact that I will never buy a product from ATI again (simply hate the drivers).

I recently found an XFX 8500GT with passive cooling for 350kr (~$ 40), which I found to be a very nice price. I am still considering the XFX 630i motherboard, and the color scheme mentioned on the first page.

[MikeC]

would using a 2,5" drive for the OS, and then a 3,5" for the files be an optimal setup? Or is the difference between the Green Power and a 2,5" drive so miniscule that I would be satisfied with just it?

The first option is 2 drives, which means 3 dBA higher noise than one (if both drives are the same noise level). It seems obvious to me.

Judge for yourself. Look in detail at the WD GP reviews we've done --

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article804-page1.html
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article786-page1.html

and compare the results in detail with quietest 2.5" drive review data.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article29-page2.html

[Big SturL]

Well, considering the numbers, I reckon you are right in your assessment that the GP will be the best option. Of course, the 40 GB 4200 RPM drives ARE the most quiet, but at the cost of low capacaity and speed I think they can be ruled out.

[Big SturL]

Finally, I have set up a preliminary computer consisting of the following components:

Case: Antec Solo
CPU: Intel Pentium E2180 2,0GHz
MB: Asus P5K SE/EPU
RAM: Kingston HyperX PC8500 2x1024MB
VGA: Powercolor Radeon X1950Pro w/Accelero S2
PSU: Antec NeoPower 430W
HDD: Western Digial GP 500GB
CPU-cooler: Thermalright Ultra Extreme 120
Exhaust fan: Noctua NF-P12

Though I am quite satisfied with a lot of the components, some alterations will have to be made.

I am for one not all too well pleased with the WD GP drive. I am aware that there are two versions of it, and I might have recieved the worse of the two, but if not, I do not find it to be all that quiet. It is currently resting on a pad of sound-deadening material, so any vibration transfer to the chassis is ruled out. Would a Scythe Quiet Drive help me with this issue?

The fan in the NeoPower is going to be switched for a Noctua NF-R8. I have already bought the fan, and am awaiting the swap.

The motherboard seems to be producing some extraneous noises. For instance, whenever I move the mouse, a high pitched noise can be heard from the computer. Upon closer inspection, I have singled the noise to a place between the CPU and the I/O-ports.

The Accelero X2 on the graphics card is the noisiest in the entire machine, so the fan or maybe the whole card will be swapped for a passive solution. The HD 4650 might be something I will look into, as it allegedly has a 256 bit memory bus. I have also read about the HD 4850 SCS3 from Powercolor, which comes with the Accelero S1.

As of now, the CPU-temperature is a bit high it seems. I do not know whether this is due to bad contact because of an uneven HSF, or too much thermal paste, but I am going to find out soon enough.

[MikeC]

I am for one not all too well pleased with the WD GP drive. I am aware that there are two versions of it, and I might have recieved the worse of the two, but if not, I do not find it to be all that quiet.

This is news to me.

It is currently resting on a pad of sound-deadening material, so any vibration transfer to the chassis is ruled out.

I would not rule it out. Try the built in suspension -- it should be better. We recently measured the idle in our new anechoic chamber to be 15 dBA/1m.

The motherboard seems to be producing some extraneous noises. For instance, whenever I move the mouse, a high pitched noise can be heard from the computer. Upon closer inspection, I have singled the noise to a place between the CPU and the I/O-ports.

It's possible this is the PSU -- but ikt can also be the VRM components on the board.

The Accelero X2 on the graphics card is the noisiest in the entire machine...

S1 is the obvious solution.

[Big SturL]

Thank you for paying attention to my thread.

I ordered some replacement parts for the ones I wasn't quite satisfied with. Hopefully, all unwanted noise will soon disappear from my computer.

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-P31-DS3L
Hard drive: Seagate Momentus 5400.4 250GB
Graphics card: Asus 8800GS 384MB
GPU-cooler: Cooler Master CoolViva Z1

I decided that I wanted to hear whether there is a substantial difference between the GP and a 2,5" drive. If there is not, then I will simply use the ordered 2,5" drive in my laptop, as it could need some extra capacity.

The reason I went for that particular graphics card was due to its price. I got it for the equivalent of 40-50$ (unused), and the passive heatsink was also very cheap (15-20$). Considering that the 8800GS is just as good as the 9600GT and almost as good as the 8800GT at moderate resolutions, it was all in all a steal.

I will try the suspension method in the Solo, but I have my doubts that it will sound any differently. In idle, I can't hear the disk, but when downloading and rearanging files, it can easily be heard. As far as the "two versions" go, I was certain that I had read that here. Whether it was the 500GB version, or a different one, I am not sure, but I can vaguely remember that you could differ between the two disks by looking at the "support-brackets" on the bottom side.

[MikeC]

I will try the suspension method in the Solo, but I have my doubts that it will sound any differently. In idle, I can't hear the disk, but when downloading and rearanging files, it can easily be heard. As far as the "two versions" go, I was certain that I had read that here. Whether it was the 500GB version, or a different one, I am not sure, but I can vaguely remember that you could differ between the two disks by looking at the "support-brackets" on the bottom side.

We've had discussions about different versions of the 320GB single platter WD. Perhaps that's what you recall.

The suspension will make an audible difference. Chances are you'll still hear the seek, but it will be muted, softened.

[RaptorZX3]

I have also a passion for mATX-cases, as well as sleek looks.

I like the looks of the NSK 1300,

but the NSK3480 looks like the most boring thing in Antec's inventory.


I haven't seen one in person, admittedly. Am I missing something?

if not, try the get the Aria, it's the previous version of the NSK 1300, it have a firewire port on the front, and also a cards reader, as well as the usual (2 USB ports, headphones jack, microphone jack). It have square buttons on the front. But the low point is it doesn't have the top air intake for the power supply, so it heats a bit more inside. But you can always take the top part of the NSK 1300 and use it on the Aria.