Dynamat?

[PolyPill]

It maybe a stupid idea, but I'm trying to make my comp run as quiet as possible (a whisper is too much). For car audio people put this stuff called Dynamat www.dynamat.com and it deadens the sound. Would this same stuff work on a computer case or is the sound level not high enough?

I do a lot of recording with Cakewalk and it'd be nice to be in the same room as the computer without a hum in the background.

 

[Placid]

Yes it will work but it will also increase the temps.
Some people make a "fort" using a box a little bigger than the pc case and adding a few holes for ventalation and lining it with dynamat.

 

[Megahurtz]

The above 'sounds' optimal. a less extreme route, albeit a less effective one is this. Lay it in the bottom of your case. Sort of like a 'floor mat'. A friend did only this, and the difference in perceived noise level was certainly more than I had anticipated. If placed on the floor of the case, it has less chance to interact with the major pathways of air inside the case, potentially lessening the negative impact on cooling.

T

 

[ken257]

I would think an acoustic foam like you would use inside of a speaker cabinate would work better then dynamat. The reason dynamat works in a car it it is heavy and is used to add mass to the sheet metal to change it's resonate frequency and help control vibrations from heavy bass. It is not actually meant as a sound proofer.

 

[Szech]

It's been done, and it works. 7volts provides a lot of information on quieting a computer. Good reading.

BTW, the difference in noise after dynamating the case is really noticable if you have some screamers (a.k.a. deltas) in your system. Otherwise, the guy who runs 7volts said that he didn't notice too much of a difference (he already has low noise fans, etc.) after lining his case with dynamat.

 

[stool]

ken257 (May 21, 2001 10:02 p.m.):
I would think an acoustic foam like you would use inside of a speaker cabinate would work better then dynamat. The reason dynamat works in a car it it is heavy and is used to add mass to the sheet metal to change it's resonate frequency and help control vibrations from heavy bass. It is not actually meant as a sound proofer.

The major trouble with acoustic foam is that it makes it difficult or impossible to put your sides back on the case. Dynamat does actually silence noise from fan vibrations, etc, but as stated above it helps contain heat and adds a lot of weight to your case.

 

[UnseenMenace]

Rather than spend a great deal of money on dynomat you may as well get lead flashing from a local hardware store, the lead sheets used to repair roofs as this will also change the acoustic properties of the case and reduce noise. A better course of action though would be to create a new case from a acoustically superior material such as MDF, Marine Plyboard etc, which will also give you the opportunity to improve airflow through your case without the weight problem associated with mat

 

[jgaud]

I use it And the improvement over the noise is very noticeable, I can do without the wait though, heat doesnt seem an issue.

 

[UnseenMenace]

Although Dynamat is used by car audio people, it does not feature as widely in competition cars as it does in customer vehicles, which is basically due to the price, weight and the amount required to do a reasonable job in a vehicle running a large system (we use nomex matting a lot for this). As stated in my privious post I do believe that building your own accustically correct case would be better value for money.. if you do decide to sound proof your own case, I would suggest a 'Spray Sound proof' which is widely used in competition cars under wheel arches and inner door skins as this does not have the weight problem associated with dynamat and is easier to apply.. All good Rockford Fosgate dealers will be able to sell you a product to do this.

 

[oc jason]

how would that increase the heat? by reducing the total cubic feet of the heat to reside in-maybe-but im still gonna try it, i have loud fans and want a quieter rig-anyone got anything to use besides Dynamat?

 

[Szech]

The dynamat blocks airways, and insulates the case. Normally, the panels radiate some of the heat in the case. If it's insulated, it will not. If you have good airflow though, it shouldn't be too big a deal.

 

[UnseenMenace]

LikuidFusion (May 22, 2001 07:08 a.m.):
how would that increase the heat? by reducing the total cubic feet of the heat to reside in-maybe-but im still gonna try it, i have loud fans and want a quieter rig-anyone got anything to use besides Dynamat?

Yes theres a spray sound proof which is used in vehicle doors by the car audio community due to the fact that Dynamat's excessive weight can make the door hinge drop.. Rocford Fosgate dealers sell it.. (read my previous posts)

 

[Fink]

I Dynamat almost all the cases that I work in close proximity too.

But, its effectiveness is limited. With larger cases, dynamat is great at cutting resonance frequencies in the large side panels and is rather effective. Smaller cases don't seem to be much effected by dynamat.

Dynamat seems to work best when combined with other noise reduction methods; isolating fans and harddrives from the case, cutting fan voltages down and putting fan covers/filters on.