Can you help silencing this SFF build please?

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wywywywy
Posts: 69
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:47 pm
Location: UK

Can you help silencing this SFF build please?

Post by wywywywy » Wed Jun 29, 2016 2:50 am

Hi all,

I've recently replaced/upgraded a bunch of components in my ITX system to an even smaller SFF ITX system in preparation for VR, but I have run into a noise problem.

This is the current spec -
Case - Silverstone SG13
CPU - i7-3770 (77W TDP)
Mobo - Asrock H77M-ITX (2 PWM fan headers)
GPU - 1070 Founders
PSU - Silverstone SF500-LG (SFX-L 120mm fan spins only over 20% load)
Intake - Noctua Redux NF-S12B (120mm PWM 1200rpm)
HSF - Noctua NH-L9x65

First of all I already know the 1070 Founders is noisy. Before I bought it I thought the fan stops at idle like the AIBs, but it's not the case so I may just return it. But it's not the main issue right now.

I was going to re-use my Scythe Big Shuriken but unfortunately it doesn't work on any of the 3 boards I've come across due to the CPU being too close to the PCIe, so I bought the L9x65.

Now the problem. The CPU idles quite high at around 45-50C. I have set both fans to be around 40% at low load. At load the CPU goes up to 75C and the fans basically go berserk in terms of noise :(

So what should I do to reduce the noise while keeping a reasonable temp? Another thing is I don't want to spend TOO much money because I've spent quite a bit of it and the VR stuff already.

So to sort out the CPU fan... I have tried using a crappy & very old but thick Arctic 92mm to test instead of the slim Noctua fan. It's still noisy but the temp is slightly lower. Should I get a good thick 92mm fan? A good 92mm is like over £10 so it just doesn't seem good value for money especially when it probably won't lower the temp/noise by much.

I could also replace the HSF with another one. I think the only one that is bigger and will fit is the ThermalRight AXP-100 (2 more heat pipes, similar fin volume, 100mm fan). But it's not really that much bigger so I'm not confident there will be a meaningful difference. Any thoughts on this?

Or I could go for an AIO watercooling solution. I don't have a lot of space so it'll be a low end single rad 120mm solution I'm after. Now I'm confident that the temps will be much better than what I have now (120>92) but what are they like from a noise perspective? Especially when it comes to pump noise. Also I've done quite a lot of research on it (table attached) but am still undecided on which one to go for. This will solve my intake fan problem too, but with much more hassle. Any suggestions? Mostly likely the CoolerMaster Seidon 120V or the Corsair H55 because they are popular.

As for the intake fan... Can I set it to a static speed in the Asrock BIOS? I can't see a way except full speed. And the variation in speed doesn't seem to help the CPU temp AT AAAALLLLLL anyway.

Sorry for the wall of text. Advice welcome.

Thanks.

Code: Select all

                            rad w   rad h   rad d   fans    fan d   total d £   
coolmaster  nepton 120xl    119     150     38      2       25      88      72  
coolmaster  seidon 120v     119     152     27      1       25      52      35  
corsair     h45             120     152     27      1       25      52      42  
corsair     h55             120     152     27      1       25      52      45  
corsair     h60             120     152     27      1       25      52      62  
corsair     h75             120     152     25      2       25      75      63  
corsair     h80i v2         123     154     49      2       25      99      75  
nzxt        kraken x31      120     155     30      1       25      55      60  variable pump
fract       kelvin t12      132     163     46      2       25      96      60  expandable
antec       h600 pro        120     155     27      1       25      52      35  
antec       kuhler 950      120     159     50      2?      25      75      50  
silverstone td03 lite       120     153     27      1       25      52      45  
silverstone td03 slim       120     153     22      1       15      37      48  
silverstone td03 e          124     159     27      2       25      77      62  

quest_for_silence
Posts: 5275
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:12 am
Location: ITALY

Re: Can you help silencing this SFF build please?

Post by quest_for_silence » Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:48 am

Delid the CPU.

wywywywy
Posts: 69
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:47 pm
Location: UK

Re: Can you help silencing this SFF build please?

Post by wywywywy » Wed Jun 29, 2016 7:08 am

I thought about that but I don't think the cost & risk together is worth the potential gain? Correct me if I'm wrong though.

lodestar
Posts: 1683
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2005 3:29 am
Location: UK

Re: Can you help silencing this SFF build please?

Post by lodestar » Wed Jun 29, 2016 8:50 am

Going the thicker 92mm fan route for the CPU cooler is probably at least worth trying. And the obvious choice would be the Noctua NF-A9 PWM at around £14. It includes a PWM Y cable that could be used to run both the CPU cooler fan and the intake fan in synch from the CPU PWM header.

Abula
Posts: 3662
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:22 pm
Location: Guatemala

Re: Can you help silencing this SFF build please?

Post by Abula » Wed Jun 29, 2016 9:35 am

Btw is the PSU fan facing down or up?

quest_for_silence
Posts: 5275
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Location: ITALY

Re: Can you help silencing this SFF build please?

Post by quest_for_silence » Wed Jun 29, 2016 1:07 pm

wywywywy wrote:I thought about that but I don't think the cost & risk together is worth the potential gain? Correct me if I'm wrong though.

With the Coollaboratory Liquid Metal Pro I got 15°C less on a 3570.

wywywywy
Posts: 69
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:47 pm
Location: UK

Re: Can you help silencing this SFF build please?

Post by wywywywy » Wed Jun 29, 2016 1:38 pm

lodestar wrote:Going the thicker 92mm fan route for the CPU cooler is probably at least worth trying. And the obvious choice would be the Noctua NF-A9 PWM at around £14. It includes a PWM Y cable that could be used to run both the CPU cooler fan and the intake fan in synch from the CPU PWM header.
I have already tried using a thicker thicker 92mm fan (Arctic F9) though and it only made maybe 2-3C of difference at around the same rpm (1100 rpm is what I tested). It could even be margin of error. I don't think an NF-A9 would be THAT much better or would it?
Abula wrote:Btw is the PSU fan facing down or up?
I tried both. Facing down is worse because the PSU fan never shuts up, and also CPU was slightly hotter (but within margin of error). So I have it facing up at the moment.
quest_for_silence wrote:With the Coollaboratory Liquid Metal Pro I got 15°C less on a 3570.
Really 15c?!?! That's a massive difference! Is that load or idle?

------

Also anyone any thoughts on the AIO coolers?

lodestar
Posts: 1683
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2005 3:29 am
Location: UK

Re: Can you help silencing this SFF build please?

Post by lodestar » Wed Jun 29, 2016 2:54 pm

wywywywy wrote:I have already tried using a thicker thicker 92mm fan (Arctic F9) though and it only made maybe 2-3C of difference at around the same rpm (1100 rpm is what I tested). It could even be margin of error. I don't think an NF-A9 would be THAT much better or would it?
The NF-A9 was tested by SPCR as part of a review of the Noctua 92mm coolers (the NH-U9S, NH-D9L and NH-D9DX ) and from these results it still seems to me to be worth chancing £14 on.

quest_for_silence
Posts: 5275
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Location: ITALY

Re: Can you help silencing this SFF build please?

Post by quest_for_silence » Thu Jun 30, 2016 4:59 am

wywywywy wrote:
quest_for_silence wrote:With the Coollaboratory Liquid Metal Pro I got 15°C less on a 3570.
Really 15c?!?! That's a massive difference! Is that load or idle?

Load: idle gain is lower, about 5-8°C depending on the core.

wywywywy
Posts: 69
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:47 pm
Location: UK

Re: Can you help silencing this SFF build please?

Post by wywywywy » Thu Jul 07, 2016 7:02 am

Bit of an update if anyone cares.

I've since found out that the VID on my particular CPU is high (higher than my other 3770). So I reduced the Vcore by 0.110v and it dropped about 2-3C on average without affecting stability, tested by running Prime95 for a couple of hours.

I've also bought a Corsair H55 AIO water cooler, but not using the supplied fan. Instead I'm using two Noctua Redux 120mm PWM fans in push-pull, running at around 550rpm when under 65C.

The pump then became the noisiest part, so I reduced the voltage from 12v constant to 9v constant, by using one of those Noctua noise reduction cables. This reduced the rpm from ~1500 to ~1100.

The CPU part is now very very quiet and I am happy with it. It idles at around 40C, goes up to around 70C in Prime95, and around 65C in gaming.

The next loudest thing now is the fan on the 1070 FE, which runs at 1100rpm at idle. It's a quiet well built fan but I'm hoping for better. Going to wait for BIOS mods to be available so that I can lower it to 600rpm at idle... Because I'm not sure if a non-blower card is suitable for this case really.

wywywywy
Posts: 69
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:47 pm
Location: UK

Re: Can you help silencing this SFF build please?

Post by wywywywy » Thu Jul 07, 2016 7:04 am

Still want to try de-lidding though. I may just buy that tool from EnterSetup, because I could use it on multiple CPUs anyway.

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