Silence = Golden: Silent PC Project
CPU Cooling by Bosw8er @ 2003-06-24
How to fit a complete PC setup into small closet and make it really really quiet!
Review
Introduction
No space, no noise and loads of problems
As I’ve moved, my pc, my desk and myself have moved into wardrobe furniture. Yeah, yeah ... very funny. I bet you don't have kids running around that will actually demolish everything in their path. The wardrobe is needed to protect the goods. And besides, I adjusted everything myself and it's actually a good workplace.
Problem 1
Problem is that the "free" depth of the closet is max 55 cm. I now have a Chieftec of 47 cm depth and it only fits sideways because i need about 10 cm for the cords that stick out of it (for example: ATI 8500dv + adapter + monitor connector).
I can’t count the times I bumped my head while trying to put a CD in the tray, I even considered wearing a helmet. So I need a new case that is maximum 45cm deep so I can put it straight, access my CD-player easier and have more room to stretch my legs. Bonus would be some front USB and firewire for my camera.
And besides, it just looks dumb to put my PC sideways being a HW – enthusiast. I still have some pride left.
Problem 2
The Chieftec case is fairly quiet. All fans are Papst fans which i consider one of the most silent brands. But it isn’t like whisper-quiet. You can still hear it from 5-6 meters away in a silent environment. As I work late, I get distracted by the noise … the more you concentrate on it, the louder it gets. I could buy some silent Via mini box which doesn't produce any noise at all, but i need a lot of horsepower for video - editing so that's no option.
Right Click Save file as...
Problem 3
Heat! As i'm into silent air-sytems I don't use high RPM fans, resulting in more heat ofcourse. And besides, it’s too cramped in the Chieftec and that also results in heat.
I hope a bigger case will help in transferring the heat. Only choice when you are looking for a bigger case that is not deep is a maxi-tower.
As I’ve moved, my pc, my desk and myself have moved into wardrobe furniture. Yeah, yeah ... very funny. I bet you don't have kids running around that will actually demolish everything in their path. The wardrobe is needed to protect the goods. And besides, I adjusted everything myself and it's actually a good workplace.
Problem is that the "free" depth of the closet is max 55 cm. I now have a Chieftec of 47 cm depth and it only fits sideways because i need about 10 cm for the cords that stick out of it (for example: ATI 8500dv + adapter + monitor connector).
I can’t count the times I bumped my head while trying to put a CD in the tray, I even considered wearing a helmet. So I need a new case that is maximum 45cm deep so I can put it straight, access my CD-player easier and have more room to stretch my legs. Bonus would be some front USB and firewire for my camera.
And besides, it just looks dumb to put my PC sideways being a HW – enthusiast. I still have some pride left.
The Chieftec case is fairly quiet. All fans are Papst fans which i consider one of the most silent brands. But it isn’t like whisper-quiet. You can still hear it from 5-6 meters away in a silent environment. As I work late, I get distracted by the noise … the more you concentrate on it, the louder it gets. I could buy some silent Via mini box which doesn't produce any noise at all, but i need a lot of horsepower for video - editing so that's no option.
Right Click Save file as...
Heat! As i'm into silent air-sytems I don't use high RPM fans, resulting in more heat ofcourse. And besides, it’s too cramped in the Chieftec and that also results in heat.
I hope a bigger case will help in transferring the heat. Only choice when you are looking for a bigger case that is not deep is a maxi-tower.
More problems & Solutions!
Most maxi-towers are absolutely butt-ugly. Yeah, go ahead, look around in some online shops. All those cases look like they are designed by the same stuck-in-the-80’s architect.
I hear you thinking "MOD it, lazy bum !". I would if i had sufficient time.
Solutions
Solution to almost all my problems could be the “Silentmaxx st 11 Big Schwartz”
It fits the requirements for the depth. It should be more silent due to the absorbing mats. It’s about 30 cm higher than the Chieftec so it should be less cramped. And, last but not least, its looks are OK.
Nice bonus here is the removable mobo-tray.
The sliding front-panel is a nice gadget. I personally witnessed a HW-guru that couldn’t keep his hands off it.
Next I bought a black Tiger panel so I have front Firewire and two temperature readouts. You can put a fan or a HD inside that Tiger panel.
To be sure the cpu-temps would be tolerable under load I switched an Alpha 8045 by a Thermalright 900u. That heat sink should do better than the Alpha and I can mount a 92mm (more powerful and quieter) on it, that’s like a win-win situation. I put a 32dba 43CFM 90mm YS-Tech on the Thermalright.
The PSU is a ProSilence 420W. The two PSU fans are 80mm Papst fans and they produce about 19dba.
Noob as I am I bought the Zalman 80HP silent cooler for my ATI 8500DV. I was convinced the card had holes to mount the Zalman on, I didn’t even check it. Sad, sad … mainly because that ATI cooler was the noisiest bugger in my system.
Afterwards i was happy not mounting the Zalman the onconventional way. The placement of the bottom case-outtake fan is excellent for normal vidcard cooling. But it is placed soo close to the top of the card the Zalman wouldn't have fitted.
Oh well, hopefully the Silentmaxx will absorb its noise.
A lot of the edges of the Silentmaxx are sharp, really sharp. I cut myself several times.
Final stages
Maxi towers look like the most spacy thing you can imagine, but in fact it’s even more cramped than the Chieftec.
The ram barely fits. I’ll buy some conversion kits so i can put the HD’s in the 5.25 bays. The situation as it is now isn’t recommended.
Straps are needed in different places to keep the fan blades from chopping the cables.
Luckily JMke was around to help me out because some adjusting/construction in the cramped area required four arms.
I thought the sliding mobo-tray was a very nice bonus. In fact it's a real pain to get it in and out, you need some muscle to do so.
Thermaltake copper spacers are a little thicker than the XP-core.
A perfectly good 2600XP down the drain in … what … about 2 to 3 seconds?
I bought a Barton 2500, 100 EUR, enough performance and 3 years warranty because it’s boxed. I didn’t even bother to try to use f#ç!*|* spacer again.
The Outcome
OUTCOME
Keep in mind it’s quite hot in Belgium at the moment (28°C). The box is silent and has more than enough juice. Slightly OC’ed it (increased multi by 1).
Pro
The box is definitely quieter. When listening to background music you will NOT hear it. I'm satisfied with the lack of noise knowing the case has a noisy Ati 8500DV, a 43CFM cpu fan and 3 extra 19CFM outtake fans. You can compare the noise yourself.
I can finally access my cdroms without massive headache.
Front USB and Firewire is excellent-a-mundo for video-editing use.
The pricetag of 135 EUR is low.
Contra
Cramped, cramped, cramped. Took 4 hours to put everything in working condition.
Temps are too high. I didn't notice it while playing around with it at first, but the case seems to absorb the heat. At boot-up time i have a very healty 36°C ... after an hour or three working (= MS Office) i have 52°C ! Putting in an extra 26CFM front intake lowers the temps with 4°-5°C ... but increases the noise to the previous level. Most important factor in the temperature buildup are the silencing mats. Second factor is the placement of the case inside a wardrobe, most (warm) air comes out at the back and returns directly (still warm) back into the case.
Sharp edges
Lost 2600XP
I’m looking at the Innovatek H20-cooling brochure again.
Comments and ideas can be shared in this thread @ the forums!
*** UPDATE ***
How about writing your very first article and making the wrong conclusion ?
Updating the motherboard bios (Abit NF7-version 2) to the latest BIOS gets rid of the "temperature too high issue".
I already thought it was impossible to have such high temps: the CPU had a better heatsink and a more powerful fan, the Barton had a better CW and larger die than the Thoroughbred and the case ventilation (3 x 19CFM) should be more than adequate.
Temps idle = 40 to 42°C
Temps load = 47 to 49°C
I'm happy and embarassed at the same time.
*** UPDATE ***
Keep in mind it’s quite hot in Belgium at the moment (28°C). The box is silent and has more than enough juice. Slightly OC’ed it (increased multi by 1).
The box is definitely quieter. When listening to background music you will NOT hear it. I'm satisfied with the lack of noise knowing the case has a noisy Ati 8500DV, a 43CFM cpu fan and 3 extra 19CFM outtake fans. You can compare the noise yourself. I can finally access my cdroms without massive headache. Front USB and Firewire is excellent-a-mundo for video-editing use. The pricetag of 135 EUR is low. Cramped, cramped, cramped. Took 4 hours to put everything in working condition. Temps are too high. I didn't notice it while playing around with it at first, but the case seems to absorb the heat. At boot-up time i have a very healty 36°C ... after an hour or three working (= MS Office) i have 52°C ! Putting in an extra 26CFM front intake lowers the temps with 4°-5°C ... but increases the noise to the previous level. Most important factor in the temperature buildup are the silencing mats. Second factor is the placement of the case inside a wardrobe, most (warm) air comes out at the back and returns directly (still warm) back into the case. Sharp edges Lost 2600XP I’m looking at the Innovatek H20-cooling brochure again.Comments and ideas can be shared in this thread @ the forums!
*** UPDATE ***
How about writing your very first article and making the wrong conclusion ?
Updating the motherboard bios (Abit NF7-version 2) to the latest BIOS gets rid of the "temperature too high issue".
I already thought it was impossible to have such high temps: the CPU had a better heatsink and a more powerful fan, the Barton had a better CW and larger die than the Thoroughbred and the case ventilation (3 x 19CFM) should be more than adequate.
Temps idle = 40 to 42°C
Temps load = 47 to 49°C
I'm happy and embarassed at the same time.
*** UPDATE ***