OPERATION: QuiteCase

[Gomer]

Time to tear apart my noisy old rocketship of a system and quiet it down a bit.

Current setup is an AMD XP 1800+ in a generic newegg case w/ an 300W enlight PS. Cooling is handled by the stock AMD HSF, 1 80mm in and 1 80mm out. Mobo is an epox 8kha+, it has a small fan on it. Video card is a GF2 with a small cooling fan on it.

This thing sounds like a jet taking off and that doesn't cut it since it is in my living room and sucks to try to watch a movie/listen to music when it is on. It also tends to fill up w/ dust.

Normal operating temps (web, whatnot) are50C proc, 28C system, 24C ambient.
Full load temps for 30 minutes are 56C proc, 28C system, 24C ambient.

I am going to tear down the system and reinstall it in an Antec Sonata. This case is designed around a single 120mm exhaust fan and a super quiet 380W PS. Tonight I will contiue using my stock HSF, but I have a Thermaltake SILENT BOOST HSF that should be here tomorrow.

Pics and new temp BM's to follow =)

THIS DAMN THING HAD BETTER BE QUIET!!!

[poopeyhed2]

Good luck on Operation: QC

You made a fine selection on the parts, all I would recommended was to get a different HSF for your CPU as well as a rheobus/baybus, but since it's a little late, the parts desicion was a fine one

[ShawnD1]

I've found that one can get very effective cooling with fewer fans by simply putting a vinyl hose from a case fan to the heatsink.
First, flip the fan on your heatsink so that it blows air away from the heatsink. After that, put one end of the vinyl hose around a case fan (blowing air OUT) and seal the hose to the case with epoxy. Losely put the other end of the hose over the heatsink.

When 2 fans are pumping air directly from the heatsink to the outside of the case, it makes a very efficient cooling system. When you use this system, you will only need 1 case fan since your video card is only a GF2.

Seriously try this. It works

[Gomer]

Well.... so far so good. The only thing I am hearing is the stock hsf. If I put my finger on it, it is silent as a mouse. New HSF should be here tomorrow.

I didn't check my normal, net surfing etc. baseline temps, but full load is looking fine. Proc is at steady 50C (6C lower, maybe lack of dust on hsf, maybe the big 120mm pulling air over it) system temp is 30C, ambient has gone up 2C in my apartment since I got home from work. Those temps are after 30 minutes full load. I can live with those temps and I imagine proc temp will look better with the new HSF.

poopeyhed2:

I would recommended was to get a different HSF for your CPU

What did you have in mind? I considered the vantec as well as a Zalman CNPS7000A-AlCu. What is your concern?

ShawnD1:

I've found that one can get very effective cooling with fewer fans by simply putting a vinyl hose from a case fan to the heatsink

Good idea for bonus cooling action, but my primary concern is noise.

[ShawnD1]

If you have more effective cooling, you need fewer fans

You won't need the intake fan for sure.

[Gomer]

Hard to get much fewer than 1 case fan eh?

Anyhow... my idle temps in the new case are 43C proc, 28C system, with an ambient of 24C.

Time to add the new thermaltake HSF and get this thing nice and quiet. If I am not back in a few hours or so it means I slipped with the screwdriver and borked my mobo =)

[poopeyhed2]

I was thinking about the Zalman too I haven't seen any reviews about the silent boost, but then again, I don't really care too much about a quiet computer so I never looked for a review aobut the silent boost. If you're not Overclocking, try reducing the Vcore, as that'll lower the heat coming out of the CPU.

[tchang]

is that few hours passed? just wondering how his mobo doing :P

[Gomer]

ah crap... Techimo ate my post where I had all the pics layed out nice. I will recreate it tomorrow. For now I will share the temps.

Configuration #1 is the original. Stock heatsink and fan (4500 RPM), Enhance 300W PS w/ 1 80mm fan, 1 80mm intake, and 1 80mm exhaust. Plenty of dust bunnies.

Configuration #2 is the new case w/ the stock heatsink and fan, Antec TruePower-S 380W power supply, and 1 120mm exhaust fan. The PS is an Antec modded version with larger vents, and only 1 80mm fan instead of the 2 it normally uses. It is thermally regulated and also regulates the case fans. The 80mm in the PS was turning about 1500 RPM.

Configuration #3 is the same as above but with the Thermaltake Silent Boost heatsink fan combo. This is turning 2500 RPM which is about half as fast as the old HSF combo, but it is an 80mm fan.


____ambient__I-sys__I-proc__F.L.-sys__F.L.-proc
#1.......24C......28C......50C.......28C.........5 6C
#2.......26C......30C......43C.......30C.........5 1C
#3.......24C......28C......40C.......28C.........4 3C

Considering I only have one active case fan + the PS fan both exhausting, I don't think 43C full load is too shabby. Considering that my goal was a quiet system, and not a super cold one this is bonus.

As far as noise goes... it is much, much quieter... but not quite silent. Some of the noise I think is the hard drive, but I can still hear the HSF a bit. Big improvement though.