Noisy PC - What part to blame?

DAMIENNOLAN · 2 Jul 2008 at 20:51

[UPDATE] Noisy PC - What part to blame?

I've recently put together a new pc comprising mostly new parts except for the optical drives and the case which i've had for the last few years.

The pc itself is running perfectly except that it is very noisy, a constant loud hum.

Can anyone identify what component might be at the root of the problem and/or suggest a solution.

Components (all new):
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM
Gigabyte GeForce 8800 GT OC 512MB GDDR3 HDTV/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) -
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro CPU Cooler (Socket LGA775)
OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) PC2-6400C4 800MHz Reaper HPC Enhanced Bandwidth Edition Dual Channel DDR2 (OCZ2RPR800C44GK)
OcUK Value IP35 Pro Intel P35 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
Akasa Ultra Quiet 650W PowerPlus Active PFC ATX2.0 PSU
Intel Core 2 Quad Pro Q6600 "Energy Efficient SLACR 95W Edition" 2.40GHz (1066FSB)

Case:
Chieftec Dragon MidiTower, w/Door, Blue

DAMIENNOLAN · 2 Jul 2008 at 22:13

Duke said:
HD vibrating in chassis?

No, don't think so. It's not that sort of noise, much more like a hum than a rattle. I still have to investigate but i initially suspect fans or perhaps psu, all possibly combined with the case.

DAMIENNOLAN · 2 Jul 2008 at 23:34

by a crude process of elimination, I think the biggest noise culprits are the:
1) cpu fan (most noise)
2) psu (some noise, but acceptable)
3) the case (doesnt seem to carry noise very well)

what can i do to try reduce the cpu fan noise?
would replacing the cpu fan without the original intel stock fan make a difference?
(replacing the case isnt out of the question either)

DAMIENNOLAN · 9 Jul 2008 at 21:13

UPDATE

So, i replaced the Artic Pro 7 fan with the standard Intel stock fan. That has made a considerable difference however it is only half the problem, the psu is definitely creating a lot of noise as well.

I am considering replacing the psu as well and wonder can anyone recommend a very quiet psu.

One which I am considering is the the Corsair TX 650W ATX2.2 SLi Compliant PSU. Seems to have good reviews reagrding quietness.

All advice appreciated.

P.S. I tried swapping some parts with a mates pc so I am 100% sure that my current psu is the cause of the remaining noise. Only a small part is due to the pc case.

DAMIENNOLAN · 9 Jul 2008 at 21:39

fobose said:
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro CPU Cooler (Socket LGA775) - Deffo the source of a LOT of noise. At full speed this thing is VERY noisy. Can you change the bios options to limit the speed? My asus motherboards Qfan feature sets the fan at 800RPM and this is SILENT!

I can turn the fan speed down though the bios and it does make a difference alright. I used the standard Intel stock fan just to eliminate the Artic Pro and as I'm not overclocked at the moment, ill probably just leave it on until I decide to do so.

DAMIENNOLAN · 12 Jul 2008 at 14:05

Ok, so the PSU is definitely a major source of noise so I would like to pick up a replacement one. Can anyone tell me the minimum watts I will need to run my pc.

Gigabyte GeForce 8800 GT
Intel Core 2 Quad Pro Q6600
3 Hard Drives
3 Optical Drives

Many thanks