Guess I'm getting old. : )

[stonez]

I am finding out that my computers are too loud for my tastes. My main computer is between 25-30 decibles as is my wifes computer. She has 5 25-30 decible fans in her computer and I find it loud. Blah! hahaa..

[Learux]

I have the same problem my next computer is going to be a quit one!

Learux

[Bearded Kirklander]

Fan controllers are your friend.

Placement of the box can of course make a diff. I have my computer on the floor under the table pushed towards the back, so it blocks much of the noise I would normally hear if it was up on the desk next to the monitor, I guess.

[Z3R0C00L]

Ditto, use fan controllers, antec psu, slower fans, fewer fans...

But go silent! It is the wave of the future. I am happy to say my next computer might have passive cooling, as those are still around!

[shasha]

I've done just about everything imaginable to make a PC quiet over almost the last decade (damn, I guess that I am getting old too). I learned a few things and here are few in no particualar order:

1. Jut because it says quiet or someone else says that it is does not make it so. Listen for yourself. This is especially true for PSU's.

2. More expensive does not mean quieter, it just means more money. That doesn't mean that something that costs less is better, but quality isn't always the same as cost.

3. Trying to build a budget system and then putting twice as much money into cooling is stupid. There is a point where you could have gotten a much more stable system for the same price and it would be quieter. I learned this one the hard way.

4. Less fans means less noise. It is simple math. It is more important to draw cool air into the case by exhausting the hot air out than it is to force cool air into the case. If you have to lose a fan or two, lose the intakes.

5. Quality fans are worth the money. Panaflo are some of my favorites, but SilenX is my new hero. They don't move quite as much air, but if you have good airflow and aren't OC"ing the bejeesus out of your system than they are perfect.

6. Big fat HS's aren't always the best. The secret is a big fat HS with lots of area that will move the heat to the air, meaning lots of small fins. Surface area is the secret, not mass.

7. If you have the money, go with a company that specializes in silent cooling, like Zalman. There are others out there with similar products, but once you see the fit, finish, craftsmanship and performance, it is worth the money.

8. I have yet to see a NB chipset that needs a fan, though they love to put them on there. A good passive NB cooler (like a Zalman) is usually better and it is silent. Plus it doesn't fall off or wear out.

9. Thermal paste is a godsend, but it can also be a nightmare. It should be used to fill in the scratches and small imperfections in the surfaces, no paste out ther beats metal to metal contact. It is better to use too little than too much believe it or not. This is also where quality comes in, you can have a big fat HS, but if it isn't flat than it isn't worth much. Flat and smoot is important.

10. Muffin fans or squirrel cages need to be used more. The best one I have come across is a Nidec Gamma 28, it is only 10cfm, but it is concentrated and will actually blow the fan across the table if it isn't strapped down. It is also nearly silent. Perfect for blowing onto a HS and they work great for case exhaust too.

That's enough for now, got other stuff to do.

[Fiero]

Originally posted by shasha

10. Muffin fans or squirrel cages need to be used more. The best one I have come across is a Nidec Gamma 28, it is only 10cfm, but it is concentrated and will actually blow the fan across the table if it isn't strapped down. It is also nearly silent. Perfect for blowing onto a HS and they work great for case exhaust too.

I looked up at Nidecs site and they claim a dBA rating of 38.4. That's not quiet at all on paper, but in practice, how do they compare to your silenX fans.

Also, SilenX does not manufacture any products. They relable them. They relable good products but you can find comprable parts elsewhere, for less money. Also, take a look at what SilenX did at SPCR.

[Kappa2001]

If you want quiet fans look for noiseblocker.
You might also get a good sound system and crank the volume up so you can't hear the computer but i think it would be too expensive

[stonez]

Well i removed my wifes front two fans and side fan, hooked up her rear fans to the fan only antec leads... I cant hear it! hahaha... case temps 29c, cpu 45c. Definately comparable to all the fans running. Not sure if i am going to get that drastic on my computer.. We will see...

[shasha]

I didn't know that they relabeled them. I bought a 40mm fan for my PSU (I know it is puny, very odd case) 16db and I can't hear the damn thing at all. Before it was a screamer. It also came with some great rubber grommets for mounting it instead of screwing it down. I didn't do a comparison because it was such a PITA to get it installed in the first place.

The gamma blowers are strange, I don't know how they are rated. I had 2 of them that I used to make my own silverado type cooler several years ago. I had to put my hand over it to see if it was running at all, I couldn't hear them. And my hearing (even at my old age) is almost too good. I can't sleep if there is a TV in another room turned on, with doors closed and volume turned all the way down. I hear the scanning and it drives me crazy.

[stonez]

I hear ya.. I'm very sensitive to light and sound when I'm trying to sleep.

Something else that helped my hearing is that I used to work in a department that required earplugs. They killed me... I moved to the shipping area and now I don't need to wear them... thank god!

[shasha]

Originally posted by stonez
I hear ya.. I'm very sensitive to light and sound when I'm trying to sleep.

Something else that helped my hearing is that I used to work in a department that required earplugs. They killed me... I moved to the shipping area and now I don't need to wear them... thank god!

Man you aren't kidding, I can't stand earplugs. It screw up my equilibrium and I get light headed.

I work for a TV station and the sound of monitors makes me irritable. Probably not the best job. If there is other sound to drown it out than I am fine, but like at the end of the day if I am the only one in the building I will go from room to room looking for that one TV that is left on with no signal because I start getting angry and know that it is on. I guess it helps with power conservation.

[stonez]

yea that high pitched noise.. ahhhhh

[Z3R0C00L]

What the hell makes that noise anyway? IT kills me, when I have the tv on mute and there is some commercial that flashes from light to dark screens, it almost gives me brain damage.

Its like it is not even in my ears: but in my soul.

[stonez]

Originally posted by Z3R0C00L
What the hell makes that noise anyway? IT kills me, when I have the tv on mute and there is some commercial that flashes from light to dark screens, it almost gives me brain damage.

Its like it is not even in my ears: but in my soul.

Its the mind control man...

[Z3R0C00L]

Lol... but what makes the noise? Is it the gun? The caps? The tubes? (You can tell how much I know about crt technology).