Antec SLK3700BQE (Post mods)

Enclosures and acoustic damping to help quiet them.

Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Devonavar

Keitaro
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Post by Keitaro » Thu May 06, 2004 3:40 pm

Wow finally haha, this would've helped when i was modding my BQE. Anyway heres what I've done.

1) Stiick in a rheobus to control my 4 fans:
a: CPU Fan
b: PSU Fan
c: HDD Fan
d: Rear exaushst

2) I have an abit nf7-s, which includes a noisy HSF for the northbridge. I replaecd that with a zalman-47j. It decreased noise by an insane amount, VERY good cheap mod.
3) Using the front grill like ralf did in his review, I added a 92 panaflo M1a with rubber grommets.
4) Changed the rear fan to a Papst 120 mm, reduced noise a bit, plus lowered my temps by 1C or so.
5) Used Arctic Silver 3 on everything
6) Used arctic VGA cooler, lowered temps again by 1C.
7) Modded PSU ala Tom, which was bend all the grills to allow more airflow. Then i swapped the PSU fan with a Panaflo M1A. Perhaps the most drastic that reduced temperatures and noise. At 12V, my System temps dropped by 3C compared to the self-regulating standard fan.
8) Using an SLK947U with Panaflo 80mm H1A, to really reduce temps when it gets hot in southern california, but can undervolt quite nicely.
Last edited by Keitaro on Thu May 06, 2004 4:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Keitaro
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Post by Keitaro » Thu May 06, 2004 4:13 pm

92mm - FBA09A12M. The 92 mm fans in the front have to be x25mm depth in order to fit the front grill.

THe papst 120mm is Papst 4412FGL

Ralf Hutter
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Post by Ralf Hutter » Fri May 07, 2004 5:04 am

Hmm, mods on my BQE?

Um, I mounted the HDD on sorbothane to keep it from passing it's vibration into the case. I mounted the rear 120mm fan with EAR isolators and am using an EAR isolator mounted 92mm fan as an intake/HDD cooling fan on the front 120mm grill. Oh, I taped up all the holes on the front of the case except the fan hole. That's it.

Jan Kivar
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Post by Jan Kivar » Fri May 07, 2004 8:19 am

Is the door of BQE suitable for a PSU duct? I mean, when the door is closed, is it flush mounted on the front bezel (from the sides), or is there a crack/gap as in Antec 10x0 series?

Cheers,

Jan

dasman
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Post by dasman » Fri May 07, 2004 8:41 am

Mods to BQE -- All I've done so far is a PSU duct here.

I'm planning on removing the HD cage and a filtered bottom intake, but haven't really figured it out yet -- maybe in a couple of weeks...

Dave

Ralf Hutter
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Post by Ralf Hutter » Fri May 07, 2004 1:43 pm

Jan Kivar wrote:Is the door of BQE suitable for a PSU duct? I mean, when the door is closed, is it flush mounted on the front bezel (from the sides), or is there a crack/gap as in Antec 10x0 series?

Cheers,

Jan
It's pretty much closed up and doesn't breath well at all. You'd need to leave the door ajar or mod it.

Sardaan
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Post by Sardaan » Fri May 07, 2004 2:40 pm

I picked up a BQE today while I was out and about. When I saw that Bestbuy actually had them in stock I had to get one (I admit they are cheaper online). At any rate I spent alot of getting all the cable work correct and I decided to use the stock PSU.

I made three mod's to the case:

1: Cut out the front fan grill (no fan mounted here ATM)
2: Cut out the rear fan grill
3: Used Tape to seal the front grill so that air must pass through the filter

I also modded the stock PSU buy removing the back side grill.

My only concerns are my case temps. Idle CPU: 53 C, Case: 55 C ; Full load CPU 57 C, Case 59 C.

I am wondering if mounting a 120 fan in the from would help significanly. Also tomorrow I am going to pull out the stock PSU and install an Enermax EG465P-VE(FCA) with both the chrom (gold) fan guards removed. I hope by installing this fan along my temps will drop to more reasonable levels. If not I am going to purchase a 120mm for the front mount and I will prolly replace the rear 120mm fan with something a little more quiter.

Any insight would be appreciated.

TIA

dasman
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Post by dasman » Fri May 07, 2004 2:50 pm

I can't believe your case is hotter than the CPU -- the HSF (or something else) must be blowing hot air on the sensor.

Dave

Keitaro
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Post by Keitaro » Fri May 07, 2004 3:59 pm

those temps are seriously wrong.


Ive tried configurations involving both a front fan and no front fan, and it did not change System temperatures at all. Do you have a rear exauhst fan? Or did you install the one that came with the BQE? Because ive never had a PC run that hot unless it was in high ambient, or there was no fan. Even if it was a really high ambient, 55 C ambient seems too hot.

Storm
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Post by Storm » Fri May 07, 2004 5:51 pm

EAR isolators plus other fan mountings can be found here:

http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/Fan_Mounting.html


Papst 4412FGL can be found here:

http://www.koolnquiet.co.uk/index.php?m ... &cat_id=25


For the Panaflo FBA09A12M - theres a better fan Panaflo 92L1BX here:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dorothy.br ... anaflo.htm

Sardaan
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Post by Sardaan » Fri May 07, 2004 8:15 pm

Keitaro wrote:those temps are seriously wrong.


Ive tried configurations involving both a front fan and no front fan, and it did not change System temperatures at all. Do you have a rear exauhst fan? Or did you install the one that came with the BQE? Because ive never had a PC run that hot unless it was in high ambient, or there was no fan. Even if it was a really high ambient, 55 C ambient seems too hot.
Its late and I will be out most of tomorrow. But I snagged a screen shot showing cpu at 52 C and case at 54 C. When I toss my IR thermometor on the outside of the case I am getting 84 F. I am hoping that changing out my PSU will help.

chylld
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Post by chylld » Sat May 08, 2004 2:30 am

hmm here's what i've done to my bqe:
  1. lined with AUD100 of acoustic dampening material
  2. cut out front and rear fan grills
  3. enlarged opening at bottom of front bezel
  4. added a filter to this opening
  5. taped over holes on front panel
  6. removed psu grill
  7. bent psu slats parallel to airflow
  8. swapped out psu fan for an L1A
  9. done 7v molex trick to give 7v to L1A in psu and 120mm case fan
  10. added a perspex window to the side
  11. cut out the section of the motherboard backplate beneath the cpu socket to ease access to the mounting holes
  12. cut out holes in the back for watercooling tube routing
  13. and finally... watercooled.
i think that's about it

nuttybing
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Post by nuttybing » Sat May 08, 2004 6:36 am

Hi chylld
May I know where did you get your acoustic damping material?

Jan Kivar
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Post by Jan Kivar » Sat May 08, 2004 7:08 am

Ralf Hutter wrote:
Jan Kivar wrote:Is the door of BQE suitable for a PSU duct? I mean, when the door is closed, is it flush mounted on the front bezel (from the sides), or is there a crack/gap as in Antec 10x0 series?
It's pretty much closed up and doesn't breath well at all. You'd need to leave the door ajar or mod it.
Oh crap! :o :shock:

Could You put up a nice close-up of the door's side? (NOT from the hinge side, but the other)

Or, is it possible to mod the side of the door to match the door of Antec 10x0 series? Is there enough thickness on the edge? I'm not willing to do a hole to the front of the door (look/noise issues), but the side is sacrificeable.

Cheers,

Jan

Ralf Hutter
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Post by Ralf Hutter » Sat May 08, 2004 1:30 pm

Jan Kivar wrote: Could You put up a nice close-up of the door's side? (NOT from the hinge side, but the other)
The right side of the door looks just like the left side, except that it has a 2" x 1/4" slot cut in it to use as a handle to open the door. That's the only ventilation on the entire door, but I don't see any reason that you couldn't continue this same pattern up and down the entire edge of the door, even on the hinged side for that matter. This would probably work quite well.
Jan Kivar wrote:Or, is it possible to mod the side of the door to match the door of Antec 10x0 series? Is there enough thickness on the edge? I'm not willing to do a hole to the front of the door (look/noise issues), but the side is sacrificeable.

Cheers,

Jan
Look at this pic and see how they do it on the SX10x0's. On the left side of the door there's a narrow slot that runs for almost the full length of the door, and in the center of the bezel you can just barely make ou the series of 1" x 3/16" slots that run around the outside edge of the inner design on the bezel. This combination is enough to allow very good airflow through the front drives of these cases.

I used SX10x0 cases for years and always used two fan cooled mobile racks and that slot pattern gave more than enough airflow to cool the drives. When I tried the same setup with the SLK3700 series, the drives were starved for air and ended up running way too hot, unless I left the door ajar.

chylld
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Post by chylld » Sat May 08, 2004 3:18 pm

nuttybing: i got it from a company called soundguard in aus. linky to the product i used here. i got the 18mm thick one.

Maxamus: i got the perspex from a spare parts warehouse called "reverse garbage" for about a dollar per panel. i cut the perspex using a coping saw and the case panel with tin snips; it wasn't a premade kit or anything.

chylld
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Post by chylld » Sat May 08, 2004 7:04 pm

i used to have a humming problem like that too, but mine was different in that the humming sound was caused by unoccupied hdd racks. if you still have unoccupied ones there i suggest you remove them.

nuttybing
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Post by nuttybing » Sat May 08, 2004 8:34 pm

Thanks chylld, sound dampening stuff are pretty scarce in the australia...heh

Ralf Hutter
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Post by Ralf Hutter » Sun May 09, 2004 4:36 am

Maxamus wrote:I've noticed that my BQE is making a humming noise. At first i wasnt sure if it was the rear fan or the hard drive but it turns out that its the hdd.

Any idea how i can overcome this?
Read about my trials and tribulations of getting rid of BQE HDD hum in this thread. Bottom line, what worked best for me was two 1/2" x 1/2" x 3" strips of Sorbothane laying on the HDD cage with the drive sitting on top of them. Pics are included in some of my posts in that thread.

Jan Kivar
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Post by Jan Kivar » Sun May 09, 2004 11:35 am

First of all, thank You very much, Ralf, for assisting me. It's interesting that the review You wrote about 3700BQE is pretty much the only review of 3700BQE posted on the Internet... :shock:
Ralf Hutter wrote:The right side of the door looks just like the left side, except that it has a 2" x 1/4" slot cut in it to use as a handle to open the door. That's the only ventilation on the entire door, but I don't see any reason that you couldn't continue this same pattern up and down the entire edge of the door, even on the hinged side for that matter. This would probably work quite well.
So, in your opinion, cutting the whole handle side open (and maybe the hinge side also if necessary) would generate enough area for airflow?
Ralf Hutter wrote:Look at this pic and see how they do it on the SX10x0's.
...
The pic was very small... :D But searching in NewEgg with the file name found this. You meant the first pic, yes?

Now, as per my sig, I currently have a Antec SX1030B... :D IMO the door has enough area in the handle&hinge sides alone to have sufficient airflow for a PSU duct. Do You think that similar cutout is possible for the door of BQE?

The center of the 10x0's door would be optimal for a duct. However, I don't see a way of making such slots to the door of 3700 series. :?

Cheers,

Jan

Ralf Hutter
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Post by Ralf Hutter » Sun May 09, 2004 2:00 pm

Jan Kivar wrote:First of all, thank You very much, Ralf, for assisting me. It's interesting that the review You wrote about 3700BQE is pretty much the only review of 3700BQE posted on the Internet... :shock:
Ralf Hutter wrote:The right side of the door looks just like the left side, except that it has a 2" x 1/4" slot cut in it to use as a handle to open the door. That's the only ventilation on the entire door, but I don't see any reason that you couldn't continue this same pattern up and down the entire edge of the door, even on the hinged side for that matter. This would probably work quite well.
So, in your opinion, cutting the whole handle side open (and maybe the hinge side also if necessary) would generate enough area for airflow?
Yes I do.
Jan Kivar wrote:
Ralf Hutter wrote:Look at this pic and see how they do it on the SX10x0's.
...
The pic was very small... :D But searching in NewEgg with the file name found this. You meant the first pic, yes?
Yes.
Jan Kivar wrote:Now, as per my sig, I currently have a Antec SX1030B... :D IMO the door has enough area in the handle&hinge sides alone to have sufficient airflow for a PSU duct. Do You think that similar cutout is possible for the door of BQE?

The center of the 10x0's door would be optimal for a duct. However, I don't see a way of making such slots to the door of 3700 series. :?

Cheers,

Jan
I'd bet that slots on the outside edges of the BQE door would be enough. You'd probably end up with about 70-80% of the open area that's available on the SX10x0 door.

Jan Kivar
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Post by Jan Kivar » Mon May 10, 2004 12:55 am

OK; thank You very much, Ralf. Nice to know that all my plans weren't shot down...

Cheers,

Jan

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