Silent air-cooled computer

[Elrond86]

Hi!

I'm pretty much a newbie in the world of non-stock cooling, this is why I'm asking here for advice :) I hope I'm not posting in the wrong forum.

I'm building a new computer, which will mainly be used for gaming. I don't want to run everything at ultra high, and I don't want to overclock at all. I just want a good gaming rig, nothing too fancy.
I'm planning to use a Core 2 Duo E6750, a 8800GT, an IP-35 Pro motherboard, and a Zalman ZM600-HP PSU.

Now here's the tough part. I want it to be as silent as possible (without spending a fortune of course :) ). The PSU is supposed to be really quiet, so I only need to take care of the CPU, GPU and case fans. I've looked into watercooling and I've decided that I'm not prepared for the complicatedness/risks/costs involved with that (at least not yet).

My main questions are, what cooling do you suggest for the CPU, GPU and case? Remember, I'm not looking for extremely low temps. I'm looking for silence and acceptable temps.

Do Thermalright heatsinks cool well enough if I don't put fans directly on them?
Which setup would be the most silent while still keeping up with the heat of the CPU and GPU?
1. Two 120mm case fans and fanless Thermalright on CPU and GPU
2. Two 120mm case fans, Zalman CNPS 9700, fanless Thermalright on GPU
3. Two 120mm case fans, Zalman CNPS 9700, VF1000 on GPU
4. AcoustiCase C6607 (http://www.acoustiproducts.com/en/acousticase.asp) with quiet case fans and stock cooling on everything else
5. ...else?

How do the Thermalrights(with fans on them) fare against their Zalman counterparts in noise?

Also, is something like this AcoustiCase worth the money (around $100 here)? I figure it wouldn't help much if I already had silent coolers.

Sorry if this post is a little incoherent, I tried to keep it as short as possible.

Thanks for any help in advance!

[apexracing]

Hardware all looks pretty good to me.

For the cooling, I recommend the Thermalright HR01X with the same fan used for the case fans, no noise difference would be noticed. The Thermalright HR03 Ultra can be used on the 8800GT without a fan, only needed if you want to overclock. Great thing about Thermalright, is that you can choose your own fan, they can be as quiet or loud as you like. :D

As for the AcoustiCase, it looks like a gimmick to me. All that plastic on the front looks very restrictive and bound only to cause turbulent noise.

I've never used a Zalman cooler before, but I've read around that their fans tend to be pretty noisy when the speed ramps up. Their PSU should be fine, any model with a 120mm fan or bigger won't make much racket.

I'm not really good with case fans for silence, but someone else will come along and help you with those. :)

[Real Genius]

The Noctua NF-S12-1200 is clearly the best 120 mm fan. SPCR measured it as:

12V 25 dB(A) 63 CFM 1.32W
9V 21-22 dB(A) 52 CFM 1W
7V ~20 dB(A) 42 CFM .79W
5V <19 dB(A) 30CFM .6W

It's starting voltage is just 2.9V!

Google SilentPCReview for more info.

[mad_skills]

i wouldn't agree...
Noctua makes excellent fans, but for me Scythe and SilenX are the best all round case fans
e.g. Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F 120mm Case Fan:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185006

[Fujimitsu]

Either of the fans listed are gonna be pretty quiet, as for the sound coming out of a thermalright heatsink... it all depends on your choice of fans.

I've used a few zalman cpu and gpu heatsinks, they're all nearly silent, and the CPU ones come with a fan controller so you can tone them down.

The acousticase is a gimmick, if you really care you can put rubber seals between the fan and the case to reduce vibration. They also sell insulation for the inside of the case but you probably won't notice it with a system that's quiet to begin with.

Honestly? just get a good heatsink (zalman or thermalright) and a fan controller, $15 for a bay one is well spent IMO. Most fans can be turned down to around 80% and sound fine.

Not sure what the prices are like for you, but i wouldn't spend more than $10-$15 for a fan.

[Ethelred]

i wouldn't agree...
Noctua makes excellent fans, but for me Scythe and SilenX are the best all round case fans
e.g. Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F 120mm Case Fan:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185006

SilenX fans are quiet, however, they are far from the best...the specs are over exaggerated. Scythe fans are great, quiet and efficient. Some people say that it is a gimmick, however, look towards silicone mounts or silicone screws to absorb the vibrations. I have used them and think they do more good than not.

http://www.svc.com/sounddampening.html

[mad_skills]

yes, i agree on the SilenX i just reacted to the Noctua statement, they are both good but i think Scythe has best performance/noise ratio of them all..
will get one S12 Flexe for my Ultra120...:)

[Spawne32]

You people should be horse whipped for even mentioning the name SilenX on these forums. :D

[Ethelred]

You people should be horse whipped for even mentioning the name SilenX on these forums. :D

Perhaps they should add SilenX to the censorship list...henceforth it shall be S***nX(?).

They do have one redeeming traits...they don't look that bad.

[Fujimitsu]

Perhaps they should add SilenX to the censorship list...henceforth it shall be S***nX(?).

They do have one redeeming traits...they don't look that bad.

S:banana::banana::banana:nX :ROTF:

They are pretty ugly IMO, clear w/ LEDs or solid black is all I can stand to see. Aerocool turbines are probably my least favorite... yech

[spookmineer]

The 8800 GT emits less heat then an 8800 GTX, but it has a single slot cooler. It might be too noisy for your goal. Thermalright is releasing a HR-03 for the GT soon, it's one of the best air cooled solutions for new video cards.

The best you can hope/aim for is a quiet (enough) PC, any PC with moving parts in it will never be silent. That being said, there are a lot of quiet enough aftermarket products with quietness in mind. It takes some tweaking as most will not find the best setup the first time :/
To be as flexible as possible with the hardware you buy, a fan controller is money well spent.

A Thermalright 120 Extreme with a slow spinning fan (perhaps with a fan controller) is a quiet setup, and in the summer you can slightly up the fan voltage.
With a good airflow (neat cabling etc) you only need 1 case fan in the rear. Adding front case fans are counter productive when you are building a quiet case. Air needs to pushed out by force, and in reaction flows in by itself.

I'm folding 24/7 so my CPU is loaded 100% all the time. I have 1 CPU HS fan @ 800 RPM and a case fan at the same speed (both Scythe S-Flex E). The video card is watercooled.
It's not dead quiet but with very soft music playing it doesn't bother me. My clock ticking makes more noise.

[Ethelred]

A Thermalright 120 Extreme with a slow spinning fan (perhaps with a fan controller) is a quiet setup, and in the summer you can slightly up the fan voltage.


My personal opinion but I wouldn't be comfortable with a CPU fan on a fan controller, I would prefer my mobo to monitor and change when needed (granted I doubt it will ever run the hot, however, better to be safe).

The Sharkoon Eagles are really quiet fans according to the tests they are among the most quiet as well as most powerful. I would be more likely to spend more money on the fan that will go on the heatsink and go cheaper on case fans than anything else.

[goatboy]

The Noctua NF-S12-1200 is clearly the best 120 mm fan. SPCR measured it as:

12V 25 dB(A) 63 CFM 1.32W
9V 21-22 dB(A) 52 CFM 1W
7V ~20 dB(A) 42 CFM .79W
5V <19 dB(A) 30CFM .6W

It's starting voltage is just 2.9V!

Google SilentPCReview for more info.


From what I've read, the Noctua fans are near best when it comes to amount of air moved, quietness, and cooling power.


One good review, though a little old.

http://www.madshrimps.be/?action=getarticle&articID=421

[spookmineer]

IIRC the Noctua fans are great as case fans, but due to the shape of the fins, are not as well suited to go with a heatsink.
The fin shape makes the fan less suitable to bring up the needed backpressure, as compared to fans with normal shaped fins.

[Empty_Quarter]

The Noctua NF-S12-1200 and Scythe S-Flex are the quietest fans on the market IMO. For a silent system, all you would need are silent fans. 1 intake, 1 exhaust, a CPU HSF with a quiet fan, and the GPU with a quiet cooler.

As mentioned above, I really like thermalright because it doesnt come with the fan, and the fan you choose is really up to you.

You could probaby settle with an ultra-120 extreme (or ultima-90 as a cheaper equivelant) and run it with a silent fan, and possibly consider replacing the stock fan on the 8800GT with thermalrights soon-to-come HR-03 GT and again add a silent fan to it.

[mad_skills]

exactly my plan, i have 5x120mm Cooler Master SUF-S12 Red silent fans in my Nine Hundred, and that monster 200mm TriCool on Low settings, and i got the Ultra eXtreme few days ago...all i need now is to wait for my Scythe Flex to arrive and i have a silent mama for 24/7...:D

[Spawne32]

You guys are aware that noctua just released an entirely new lineup of case fans right? Check the news section for my post.

[cloned]

personally i say the antec tri-cool are very good fans on medium and low settings, i have all of mine on medium(except for the 200mm) and the cool great and are not that bad with noise.

the 200mm on my antec 900 is so freakin quiet that i just keep it on high all the time

also look into the scythe ninja HSF, i have mine pushing cool air up across the heatsink into my top fan. this gives me great cooling and the stock fan is very quiet

just my 2 cents

[Elrond86]

Whoa, thanks for all the replies, I really appreciate it :)

Not every brand is available here, but luckily I've found a few stores that sell Noctua 120mm fans (for around $22), so I guess I'm good to go.

[Mad1723]

personally i say the antec tri-cool are very good fans on medium and low settings, i have all of mine on medium(except for the 200mm) and the cool great and are not that bad with noise.

the 200mm on my antec 900 is so freakin quiet that i just keep it on high all the time

also look into the scythe ninja HSF, i have mine pushing cool air up across the heatsink into my top fan. this gives me great cooling and the stock fan is very quiet

just my 2 cents
I couldn't agree more! These Tri-Cools are pretty silent and the 200mm is way too :banana::banana::banana::banana:ing silent to be a real fan, must be a fake! Seriously, fan selection depends on your preference... :shrug:

[mad_skills]

i found the TriCool to loud, even on medium settings..
replaced them with cooler master silent red led ones, i kept only the BigBoy 200mm one..

[Ethelred]

i found the TriCool to loud, even on medium settings..
replaced them with cooler master silent red led ones, i kept only the BigBoy 200mm one..

I too find them to be that way. I had them in my case before I got my Yates and they were far louder. IMO.

[Yukon Trooper]

Take a look at the Antec line of cases. In particular look at the Antec Solo. It has noise deadening panels with which really helps with the noise. It can be mounted with two 92mm fans for intake and has a dust filter which clips on and off of the fan rack for easy cleaning. I would suggest two 92mm SilenX fans. Of all cases I have ever used it has impressed me the most.

[2k7zero]

Good choice on things. Here are some recommendations:

PSU: Get the Seasonic S12 Energy+; Probably the best silent psu out there and has Sheffield ratings about 80%

GPU: Thermalright seems the best for this part but if you want a cheaper solution go for this: Arctic Cooling S1 with it's Turbo Module.

Fan: I recommend you only choose from one of these brands for pure silence: Noctua, Scythe, or the old favorite Yate Loons.

Case: If you are looking into mid-towers. I strongly suggest the Lian-li pc7.

[girth_maul]

Tri-cools are much louder than yates + i've had 2 of them fail recently in my p180 and they not even that old!

[rogard]

sliverstone fn121 @ 7v..have a look at vapors fan review they came out pretty well

[mad_skills]

Tri-cools are much louder than yates + i've had 2 of them fail recently in my p180 and they not even that old!

then you can imagine what they do in dBa after 6 months :D

[goatboy]

You guys are aware that noctua just released an entirely new lineup of case fans right? Check the news section for my post.


Thanks for that Spawne. I had missed that post by you. Great fans.