[RESOLVED] My PC is too noisy, needs advice which fans/PS to buy.

[gilwe]

Hi all !

It's about time to make my PC quiet ! it is way too noisy. I use my PC for audio recording and would like to have it as quiet as possible. Would you recommend me about a quiet Power Supply (preferably fan-less, but quiet fan is acceptable) + quiet CPU fan (I have Core2 Quad Q8200) and a regular chassis big fan which is quiet as well ?

I would prefer buying from the same ebay seller if possible... Thanks!

 

[Shinma]

... quiet Power Supply ...

Retail models of Seasonic and/or those using Seasonic as OEM.

... quiet CPU fan ...

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus or Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo,
paired with a quiet
Scythe Kama Flow 2 series, Scythe Gentle Typhoon series, or Noctua 120mm fan.

 

[gilwe]

Thanks a lot !

What would you recommend as 80mm fan ?

 

[equinoxe3d]

Thanks a lot !

What would you recommend as 80mm fan ?

There's not that much choice for quiet 80mm fans. Personally I'd go with the Noctua NF-R8, it comes with two inline adapters (LNA and ULNA) to reduce speeds if your motherboard or case lacks fan speed controls. I also used the Zalman ZM-F1 Plus for power supply fan swaps, it comes with a similar adapter to reduce speed/noise as the Noctua but spins a lot faster up-front (2800 RPM vs 1800 for the Noctua) so it won't be as quiet unless you have fan control to make it run really slow (around 5V).

 

[gilwe]

Thanks for the recommendation about the Noctua NF-R8 , I can find it locally for 15$.

I really would like to get minimum amount of noise going out from the computer case (I use it in a recording room) so I'm just wondering (and thanks in advance):

1. Is there a cheap *fanless* PSU that you would recommend ? also, can I install the NF-R8 in my current PSU and still get minimum noise ? Should I get the 1800 or PWM version ?

2. I see most CPU coolers make at least 40dba of noise... in some site they even state the stock Intel fan is the quietest... I really have no intention to overclock etc., just need minimum noise... is there a cheap *fanless* cpu heatsink which you would recommend ?

3. Do I really need to use two 80mm fans, one on the back and the other placed on the front of the case?

Thanks !!

 

[equinoxe3d]

What are the specs of your system, and your budget ? This should help us narrow it down better

1. Fanless PSUs are usually niche items so they are mostly expensive. The good news is that if you're not gaming you'll probably need 400w at most.
The Seasonic X400 Platinum and Kingwin Stryker STR-500 would be good choices, and even the X400 Gold if you can still find one, which should be cheaper than the Platinum version.
Keep in mind you still need some airflow around it (slow case fans should suffice).

As for swapping PSU fans, I would not suggest it except a last resort measure (eg: you really like your PSU and have no budget for another one) as it can be a bit dangerous and you need to know what you're doing (knowing starting voltages for the original fan and swapped fan, risks of electrocution inside the PSU and voiding the warranty).

2. Honestly, I would not go fanless on the CPU. Going all-fanless without sufficient ventilation/surface area is a recipe for disaster, so it's usually better to have slow-spinning fans instead.
The CM Hyper 212 Shinma mentioned should be really quiet with the fan dialed down to 6-700 RPM in the BIOS controls.
Same thing with case fans: mine spins at around 650 RPM when idling or light loads and I can't hear my PC unless I'm 1 feet or so from the case.

3. Ideally, yes, to ensure a constant intake/exhaust. Is your PC a custom-built system or a Dell/HP/etc ? Most modern cases use 120mm fans, which are slower-spinning for moving the same volume of air, thus quieter... and they are the standard so they have much more variety on the market. Newer cases (like the Fractal Design R4) even come with 140mm fans now. If you can, changing the case might be a more expensive but better move overall than trying to fit quiet 80mm fans.

Additionally, if you're really interested in silent components, Silent PC Review (SPCR) is pretty much the reference on the internet on this subject

 

[DanceMan]

Another vote for SPCR -- it's the best place to learn about quiet computing.

The fanless debate has occurred there and my take on the consensus is that a large, slow fan is the best compromise. As equinoxe3d said, you still need air movement for cooling and properly controlled (fan speed vs. temp) quiet fans are the answer.

 

[gilwe]

I have an Asus P5Q motherboard equipped with a Core2Duo Q8200 @2.33, the current case supports only 80mm fans.

The MB has PWM fan jack for the CPU, but 3 pin jacks for the case fans (2 x chassis fans + 1 x power fan).

I checked for Seasonic psu's and they are quite expensive... What could be a cheaper alternative which will also be very quiet ?

The CM Hyper 212 Evo is available here for 50$ so no big deal... I'm also wondering if keeping using the current case with two Noctua NF-R8-1800 fans will still be quiet enough... or I really need 120mm case fans :/

Just trying to get it as cheapest as possible.

 

[SpywareDr]

SilenX EFX-08-12 80mm Effizio Quiet Case Fan - 12 dBA - $7.99 (including shipping)

Several more 80mm fans that are less than 15 dBA and $10

 

[jimbo1763]

I have an Asus P5Q motherboard equipped with a Core2Duo Q8200 @2.33, the current case supports only 80mm fans.

The MB has PWM fan jack for the CPU, but 3 pin jacks for the case fans (2 x chassis fans + 1 x power fan).

I checked for Seasonic psu's and they are quite expensive... What could be a cheaper alternative which will also be very quiet ?

The CM Hyper 212 Evo is available here for 50$ so no big deal... I'm also wondering if keeping using the current case with two Noctua NF-R8-1800 fans will still be quiet enough... or I really need 120mm case fans :/

Just trying to get it as cheapest as possible.

Since your motherboard doesn't seem to support PWM for the case fans-have you considered undervolting two 80 mm case fans, if the fans running at regular voltage are too loud for you? They won't turn as fast, but two of them may give you the ventilation you need.

 

[DanceMan]

One trick is to connect fans to the old Molex connectors (power connectors to IDE hdd's) and to connect to the 5V pins. Not all fans will start at 5V -- it's hit and miss. You'll get about 5/12 of the fan's rated speed. Some people connect between the 5V and 12V pins on a Molex (red + to the 12V) and get 7V. It's a better voltage for assured starting, but opinions vary as to the safety to the psu of doing that.
I think if you were using two 80mm fans it ought to be possible to wire them in series to 12V. Each fan should get 6V. Best if the fans are identical.

 

[equinoxe3d]

If you go with the Noctua 80mm they already come with two 3-pin inline adapters to undervolt them (LNA and ULNA, to around 9V and 7V if I remember correctly) and a Molex adapter if you don't want to use or do not have enough 3-pin jacks on your motherboard : . At 7V they should be quiet enough.

As for the PSU, you can always go with the Seasonic G Series as they are less expensive and still very quiet. Newegg only has the 550w model available, but you can probably find a G Series 360 or 450 cheaper.

 

[Shinma]

Since you mentioned 80mm fans,
If using an old computer chassis,
It may be more cost effective/quiet to use a quiet computer case utilizing 120mm fans.
e.g. Fractal Design R3/R4 series.

 

[gilwe]

Hi and thanks !

Since the cheap cases still utilize 9-8cm fans as rear, and since I really do not want to spend too much,
what would you say about these options ?

CPU:

Arctic Cooling Alpine 11 Pro Rev.2
http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/cooling/cpu/7/.html

or Arctic Cooling Alpine 11 GT ?

The latter one seems to be a little quieter by this spec sheet ?
http://xtreview.com/images/arctic alpine 11 GT, Alpine 11 and Alpine 11 Pro 02.gif


Case:

the suggested Noctua NF-R8 , which I will be able to voltage down to make even quiter...
My Asus P5Q doesn't support PWM for case fans so the regular NF-R8 will suffice (?)

Power Supply:

The suggested Seasonic models are above what I wish to spend for the little "upgrade"...
Will you suggest me cheap PSU which will be quiet enough ? probably one using a 120mm fan ?

Do you think using another NF-R8 for the current PSU is a good option ?

Thanks again !

 

[DanceMan]

Don't know how much power your computer needs, but if real (not inflated) 350 watts will do, look for the SeaSonic SS-350ET. It's a budget model, but has the Seasonic quality, basic efficiency, and their effective fan controller. Its availability will likely vary with time and location (yours is not stated), but it's shown up in NCIX sales occasionally in Canada at fairly low prices, though not as an everyday item.

 

[gilwe]

Thanks,

I wanted to get it as cheap so what I did was using a Nactua NF-R8 in place of the fan used in the cheap PSU currently installed. Connected without as attenuator adapter, it was actually quite noisy ! not what I expected. So I now use the red wire between it's voltage connector and the 12v rail, and getting reasonable quietness, fan running at 1300rpm. Will of course monitor the PSU heat, if too hot will get a new PSU for the job

I also installed an Arctic Cooling Freezer 11 LP (low profile 92mm) which so far is very quite and keeps the Q8200 Core2 Quad at 40c-45c with fan speed varying between 600rpm-1000rpm.

Not sure about what to use as intake fan as, as I said, the NF-8R at full speed is not quiet. Will running it ULNA (800rpm) be good enough ? as I said it is not a gaming machine, but quite standard.

I also found that there's a dedicated place for a 120mm fan on the left cover, so I wonder if it would be ok to use that one instead of the rear 80mm fan.

 

[DanceMan]

If you put a fan on the left cover, make sure the rpm is slow. A general principle is that fans on the rear will be quieter because of the rear location, while fans on the front or side will be noisier because of the more direct path to your ears. Front fans obstructed by filters or fascia structure could be somewhat quietened, making side fans directly on the cover potentially the noisiest location. In addition, mounted on the thin metal of a cheaper case, a side fan can make the entire side cover vibrate and transmit noise. If you do put a fan there, see if you can attach some kind of heavy lining on the inside of that cover.

 

[gilwe]

Thanks for the suggestion.

I meanwhile managed to get another NF-R8 to use as intake. Connected with no resistor RPM attenuator, it spins at about 700rpm (very silent). Is the motherboard able to control the fan speed with no PWM ? (the P5Q has 3 prone jacks for the chassis fans)... Just wondering

I will get just about another NF-R8 for the exhaust. So far so good !

 

[AlbertBarkley]

Before buying your PC, you should check out CPU/Processor of your computer. Whenever, it gets heated then fan automatically speeds up to make processor/CPU cool..

 

[gilwe]

My PC now runs almost totally quiet with a [email protected] as intake, No-brand [email protected] as exahust and an [email protected] as PSU fan. CPU cooler is Arctic Cooler Freezer LP 11.
CPU temp runs 38-47C at max, and ambient temp of about 40C. The PSU is a bit warm but doesn't feel too hot for a power supply...