Silent build: Key component?

radiospan

I'd like for my new build to be as silent as possible, I can't really sleep when my current PC is on because of the fan noise.

For building a quiet PC, what should I be looking for? A quiet PSU? A quiet CPU fan? (Which makes the most noise?)

Or will I need some kind of sound-insulated chassis?

thegame

a good case is essential.i have the antec p182 case.and a corsair hx620 psu.and its very quite.im well impressed with it.

check out the case here and the video
http://www.antec.com/uk/productDetails.php?ProdID=09182

Anti

If you want a really sillent pc you will need a pc which has as little vents as possible. You need a silent cpu hsf, quiet hdds, and quiet case fans. And a quiet psu is a must.

http://www.quietpc.com/ie-en-eur/home

This is a great website you can buy from, their whole aim is to have the pc as quiet as possible.

L31mr0d

there is no one component that is more noisy than another, as the human ear is fairly sensitive, it will just train on the next noisiest component.

Basically get a case that has all the holes and vents at the back, facing the wall. Put the case under a desk. Put it as far away from you as possible.

Also, something a lot of people don't consider, is the sone level of the components, all to often people get bogged down in the dB level rather than what type of noise it is (i.e. a higher dB whoosing noise would be more bearable than a lower dB erratically clicking noise)

For this i'd use only Scythe Sflex fans, buy the lower rpm ones if heat isn't an issue. Of all the fans i've used these are the ones that are the least annoying to my ear.

Also, buy a HDD that has been reviewed as being silent. Also, look for one with AAM, as it will allow you to further silence the drive should you need to.

astrofool

Remember to get larger fans which spin slow rather than small fast ones, 120mm and above minimum.

Also ensure that the motherboard is heatpipe/passively cooled (asus are usually good for this), that small northbridge fan can end up drowning out the rest of the computer.

L31mr0d

astrofool wrote:

Also ensure that the motherboard is heatpipe/passively cooled (asus are usually good for this), that small northbridge fan can end up drowning out the rest of the computer.

QFT, those small chipset fans where designed by the devil himself, not only are they loud but they most irritating noise, like a mosquito fighting a wasp

radiospan

I've picked out this motherboard: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=335661 for the heatsink on the northbridge. I'll use this GFX card maybe: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=334545

Looking at that Quietpc site, would a heatsink really be enough to cool a Quad Core Intel?

http://www.quietpc.com/ie-en-eur/products/intelcooling/tr-ifx-14

(unless that thing is way way taller than I'm imagining...)

nibble

plazzTT wrote:

I've picked out this motherboard: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=335661 for the heatsink on the northbridge. I'll use this GFX card maybe: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=334545

Looking at that Quietpc site, would a heatsink really be enough to cool a Quad Core Intel?

http://www.quietpc.com/ie-en-eur/products/intelcooling/tr-ifx-14

(unless that thing is way way taller than I'm imagining...)

That cooler is pretty big don't worry, If you could get a 140mm yate loon or similiar it would be great.

Anti

plazzTT wrote:

I've picked out this motherboard: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=335661 for the heatsink on the northbridge. I'll use this GFX card maybe: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=334545

Looking at that Quietpc site, would a heatsink really be enough to cool a Quad Core Intel?

http://www.quietpc.com/ie-en-eur/products/intelcooling/tr-ifx-14

(unless that thing is way way taller than I'm imagining...)

A thermalrite ultra 120 extreme with no fan will cool a stock voltage/frequency quad with no problems, providing you have decent airflow.