Underclocking - Silent PC

[larry]

I'd like to build a silent PC. It looks like PC Power & Cooling has a quiet power supply & case fan. I noticed in an article someone cut a fan size hole in front of the case fan which may reduce noise. Anyone have suggestions beyond this ?

It looks like a sweet spot on a CPU might be a PIII 733 at $134 (googlegear.com). Curious - might similar CPU's at different speeds be constructed the same - just tested at higher speeds ?

Also - would a faster CPU, whether rated or overclocked, always run hotter, requiring more cooling/noise ? Don't shoot me, but could I underclock if needed, to allow running with less fans or whatever ?

[Liquid_N2]

erm....

Although never actually trying it myself, underclocking that is, i don't see why not, as default mobos come set to the lowerst cpu setting anyway, so actuall y workings of a cpu at a lower speed isn't an issue, with regards to the heat aspect i can only assume that it would not run as hot.

But then again what would be the point of buying a decent cpu of your going to downrate it, for the difference to be great enough you would seriously have to downgrade the higher end specs cpus for the sake a but of extra noise.

I personally like to know that my cpu is being cooled before it cooks, I like to hear the fans whirling away, plus it also helps if you leave the house without switching the comp off. (which has been know to happen!)

In theory there should be no problem.

Erm...., happy underclocking....., i guess, ?

[marty]

I am trying to quiet my CPU fan by adapting from a 60x60 mm Sunon to a Power and Cooling 80x80 fan. It will probably be fine but there are two other fans making noise in my case including the power supply fan. Likely the only loud fan will be the power supply fan once the project is over.

But it isn't really loud. It just isn't silent.

[Phil]

I can run my celeron 600 at 600 with just the FOP heatsink and Artic silver, plus a near silent psu fan, and I have run it 900 but the heatsink was far too hot for my liking even though the system apeared stable, but I have currently fitted several types of sound proofing, I have some carpet lining the case using the mastic gun things (used for tiles in bathrooms and stuff) also my fans are wrapped with inner tubes out of bike tyres and foam and also rubber spacers between the fans and the surfaces they are mounted on and this makes my system with 2 47cfm 80mm ys-techs, 1 26cfm 60mm ys-tech, a 40mm 9cfm or so fan and a 20cfm or so 80mm fan almost as quiet as it was before I put the 3 ys-techs in

[bdf24]

My old PII 300 came without a fan on the heatsink. Although the heatsink was massive! Far bigger then the biggest Alpha or anything else out there for cooling cpu's. I got that pc from gateway. So go figure.

[Door Knob]

I have never actually used one (let alone heard one) but from what I get, a peltier with water cooling should be very quiet depending on the pump (that way you could still overclock :) ). Also I'd advise using larger case fan's at a lower rpm. You would be getting the same amount of air into the case but with less noise. Hell take the cover off and use less case fans. Just keep some air in a can around to keep the dust bunnies out.