Recipes for silence

darude · 26 Sep 2010 at 22:28

My new project is to build a silent machine - if this is at all possible!

So what do I need guys?

- SSD
- Passive CPU Heatsink
- Graphics Card with Passive Cooler
- PSU with a fan that only starts up under load?
- Decent case

Spec is what I can re-use. I should be able to use my P182, maybe replace fans with quieter ones? I guess whatever you build, you need some airflow. I don't know how noisy my PSU or case fans are alone....I should try check.

I'm looking to build an i5 or i7.

So what do you think guys? Laptops are silent, iPads are silent... why can't we do the same with PCs? Has any forum member here built a silent PC yet?

Jony27 · 26 Sep 2010 at 22:46

well my laptop is nowhere silent

fobose · 26 Sep 2010 at 22:50

I have a P182, I bought some fractal design 1000RPM fans for it and that quietened my PC no end (running them at 800RPM through bios settings). Recently I bought an arctic accelero S1 rev2 cooler for my 8800GT, this didn't actually help quiet my idle noise down but gaming no longer creates any additional noise.

I have an arctic freezer 7 on my 775 CPU which again, I have the bios control the RPM which doesn't go above 800RPM. I can still hear my PC, it is very quiet but I think it must be the PSU (Corsair HX520 - they are meant to be quiet though).

mattjd · 26 Sep 2010 at 23:36

I would suggest a passive 5770 graphics card and a Zalman heatpipe PSU they are the quietest top end parts you can get ATM.

Water cooling is very quiet you might want to research into it.

SSD's are very quiet but very pricey. Most modern 7200rpm hdd's are quiet such as the samsung f3 something even quieter would be the samsung f4 Eco green which is probably the fastest Eco green HDD out there but also very quiet.

Tealc · 27 Sep 2010 at 00:16

Seasonic X series PSU, even their fanless ones or a Corsair AX series for quiet.

Suspend the Hard drive or have it in a special enclosure.

Thermalright HR-02 for cooler.

Louis_Y · 27 Sep 2010 at 02:12

Big fan(s) at slow rpm - you should also test whether it is more noticeable having them spin up/down rather than running slowly but constantly. I tend to find I notice the change in noise more - if they run constantly, I kind of tune the noise out but ymmv.

Audigex · 27 Sep 2010 at 02:49

Hard drives are the noisiest component of my PC most of the time - only when the GPU fan ramps up under high load does it overtake them.

I'd stick with SSDs if possible, along with an i5 - i7s tend to be hotter running. Heat is your enemy here.

You will need some airflow - A case with one 120mm (or preferably 140/200mm) at the front and back at low RPM should provide enough cooling. Maybe an antect 1200 with a couple of sharkoon silent eagles in the front at 700rpm and the 200mm fan on top on low. The front fans, one at the bottom to push air to the GPU and PSU, one at the top for the CPU and memory, exhausted under positive pressure through any gaps and by the top fan. The antec has lots of openings to let the PC breathe as much as possible.

I'd also undervolt/clock things slightly if you can get away with it, or go for lower powered hardware in the first place.

It's definitely possible to build a very quiet PC without TOO much compromise - silent takes some real effort and work, but you can get it below a noticeable level.

JonJ678 · 27 Sep 2010 at 08:25

Silent or inaudiable? Silent is much harder as it implies no fans.

I periodically decide my computer is too loud then try to silence it. Im yet to find a good way to deal with the psu or a pump. Annoying things overheat in zero airflow, hard drives and motherboard in particular.

Hagar · 27 Sep 2010 at 09:36

JonJ678 said:
Silent or inaudiable? Silent is much harder as it implies no fans.

I periodically decide my computer is too loud then try to silence it. Im yet to find a good way to deal with the psu or a pump. Annoying things overheat in zero airflow, hard drives and motherboard in particular.

To achieve airflow in a silent system you need good ventilation to allow convection air currents to happen. Modifications to the case could include larger openings in the base and top of the case, a completely open top would be good but impractical, a meshed case top and base would be ideal. Air gaps around the case should be maximised.

A large aluminium case would be best, particularly if ways to conduct excess heat to the case itself are considered.

andy.

darude · 27 Sep 2010 at 19:02

JonJ678 said:
Silent or inaudiable? Silent is much harder as it implies no fans.

I suppose a build with no fans is too fussy/tricky to achieve. So anything as close as possible to silent would be my target. Some great suggestions coming in...

Fans at 700 RPM sounds interesting (for case airflow)
Large aluminium case to conduct heat
Undervolt/clock - although I'd like to avoid this if possible

I will do some research on:

Seasonic X series PSU (fanless)
Thermalright HR-02 (looks huge btw!)
Passive 5770

fobose said:
I can still hear my PC, it is very quiet but I think it must be the PSU (Corsair HX520 - they are meant to be quiet though).

fobose, I wonder if a fanless PSU is your answer?

Tealc · 27 Sep 2010 at 19:24

The Corsair HX series differ from the AX series. The fan in the HX series runs continually albeit at low speed up to about 300W while the fan in the AX series doesn't start until 200W or even more if the PSU is in a separate chamber.

The Corsair AX series is based on the Seasonic X series, with some minor differences added by Corsair.

The HX series is also made by Seasonic but is of a lower efficiency rating, is cheaper and makes more noise.

Silentpcreview.com has lots of information on quiet stuff.

sastusbulbas · 27 Sep 2010 at 22:12

I have a Seasonic X series in my main PC, it is silent, not that it matters with four Vipers for cooling.

My HTPC is silent, you have to put your ear to the case to hear it going, or your head round the back, even then all you hear is a slight whirr which is either the PSU ot two 80mm case fans, you can only just make out the HDD with your ear to the case.

Silverstone GD02 case has two Sharkoon 80mm SE fans running at 7v, E8500 is passive cooled with a Silverstone NT01-E, CPU at stock, GPU is a passive HD5750 and it has a Corsair 450w modular PSU and Samsung F3 500gb main drive.

It can get warm at up to 70*C sometimes with gaming and such, was thinking of trying one or two 60mm fans on the NT01 to see how much more noise versus temps I get.