Let's make this beast a bit quieter, eh?

[1cem4n]

I would highly recommend just getting a new case. The Xaser is really hard to get the noise down as the fan grills are very restrictive and there are way too many fans. My suggestion is to get a case with 2x 120mm fans/fan mounts. and then mount some panaflos and clean up the wiring. Then you could get a Zalman or something.

If you don't have enough money though, you could cut out the fan grills, get lower dba fans and tidy up wiring. I would also put a drop of oil on some of the bearings on the fans(just a drop). if you want, you could get a duct and then mount a fan on the sidepanel and get a zalman cnps7000-alcu or something.

-1cem4n

 

[Blueacid]

Well, i've been talking to friends, and one of them has a dremel which I can borrow, so that'll take care of the fan grilles.

I tried mounting a fan on the side panel, and because of the way Thermaltake had drilled holes on the side, it made even more noise! - should i mount the fan completely to the perspex, or should I try and space it slightly, by putting a small duct in between the perspex and the fan?

As for the CPU cooler, i'm going to order the Scythe Katana in the next few days (I'm travelling back to university tomorrow, so i'll wait till I get there), along with a new cooler for the 9800 pro (Zalman VF700-CU), since that will take care of the majority of the noise - bear in mind that i'm simply trying to reduce it, so that I can sleep at night, not make a "recording studio quiet" computer


It had crossed my mind to get a new case, however most of the good ones are £75+, and often over £100, which is just too much to spend, when I've already got a reasonable case right here! (ok, so it's a bit noisy, but £100 just to leave it turned on at night is a bit much in my opinion)

Thanks all for the help, i'll get to work in a while, and report back


oh, and NOW'S YOUR CHANCE, if i'm about to make a screaming error, TELL ME BEFORE I GET THE CREDIT CARD OUT

 

[Shadowknight281]

New case: Get an Antec 3000b, it's quiet with good cooling, 120mms with low restriction grills. Fairly cheap too.

 

[Blueacid]

Ok, i've ordered the Scythe Katana, and VF700-CU graphics card cooler. Those two should be with me tomorrow, and we'll see how it goes

 

[Adak]

As was mentioned, if you can replace all those fans with 2 120mm fans, both blowing front-to-back in the case, that should help out the fan noise, and also give you the air flow you need.

May not help you now, but next time you're looking for a case, look at the Antec Sonata II. Mine's 4 feet away from me, and sometimes I can't tell from the sound, if it's even on or not.

Sound wise, they do a LOT of little tricks, and it all adds up to a very quiet case. My cpu only uses 95 Watts, (AMD 64 3800), and my graphics card is not one that a gamer would drool over, but there's no doubt this is the quietest case I've ever owned.

(Just as I'm writing this, my neighbor fires up his LOUD lawnmower. ) <sigh>

Adak

 

[Blueacid]

Ooops.

In installing the zalman graphics card cooler, i slipped with my screwdriver, and stabbed my poor little 9800.

I'm happy, no really, i am



NEW THREAD TOPIC: Cheap AGP cards which are alright for current games, such as FEAR.


(btw, i'm typing this on the 9800. It's an experience, let me tell you!)

-Blueacid

 

[Ebola]

If you want a slient PC case then having a windows isn't the best option. Removing loud fans is the first step but there are other things you can do as well.

I've tried a few different sound dampening/absorbtion products. Dynamat is a waste for the most part. It will get rid of some high pitch noise and vibration. Right now I'm playing with Acustifoam which is pretty good. Its a two layer foam (rubber mat+foam) and it works pretty well. Its not a solution but it will drop the noise by a few decibals.

 

[Blueacid]

Well, despite being fairly well broken, my system is more than quiet enough - if i listen to it, all i can hear is the gentle rush of air, which is perfectly quiet enough for my liking!

My only concern now is the need for a new graphics card!

Otherwise, that advice for making the system much quieter worked a treat - thanks guys