Question I have a medical problem with noise. Shoud I change to silent fans or change the case?

Oct 20, 2019
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I am running 2080 Gigabyte
i5 8500
750W Corsair
16 GB Ram

I use mainly for gaming

I have Zalman R1 Case which has some design flaws but I put in 3 intake fans (2 Zalman standards and 1 Noctua) and 1 Zalman outtake fan

My temps are good and I just ran BF5 on all ultra with 165% Super Sampling at 1440p and my frames were 75 Fps.

My question is-I have a health issue where noise can cause tinnitus and I thought putting the computer in the closet with long HDMI and keyboard/mouse usb's would solve the problem. The problem is that during some AAA games the computer gets too hot as the air is not really getting out. Some games were ok like GTA, which I ran at even 8x MSAA 1440p and MFAA. but during BF5 it got hot!!!!!

Should I change all my fans to silent fans/ and good quality or should I change the case? If so, what fans/case would you recommend?

Thanks
 

rubix_1011

Contributing Writer
Moderator
Putting the PC in the closet is just isolating a heat-producing machine in an insulated environment where temperatures will not allow it to cool properly, hence the ramping up of fans.

PCs need constant fresh air to cycle and cool them. A closed environment like a closet would be like putting on a winter coat, hat, gloves and boots while you are inside a heated apartment.

Can you define what noise level in decibels are required for you to not be disturbed? There might be other methods.
 
Oct 20, 2019
68
1
35
Putting the PC in the closet is just isolating a heat-producing machine in an insulated environment where temperatures will not allow it to cool properly, hence the ramping up of fans.

PCs need constant fresh air to cycle and cool them. A closed environment like a closet would be like putting on a winter coat, hat, gloves and boots while you are inside a heated apartment.

Can you define what noise level in decibels are required for you to not be disturbed? There might be other methods.

With my condition people have various triggers. Mine was the fans. I remember when I played The Division for long and had the noise so close to mine I would get nausea ever day from my tinnitus . Any prolonged noise can trigger my ringing in ears. Since I put away the computer I am feeling so much better.

Its not actually the noise, it is how long I am exposed to it. My previous i5 7500 CPU had a stock fan that would drill my head so badly that at night I would have ringing in ears like crazy!!!!

My options are

1) Put the computer in another room with long cables. I have 10m HDMI and can even get a 15M One. I also have usb extensions for keyboard and mouse

2)Getting quality silent fans

3)Replacing the case and getting some good soundproof case. If that exists.
 
I assume the GPU is the noisiest component?
Turning off upscaling and undervolting your GPU can save a lot of heat/ noise. So can re-applying thermal paste.

GPUs these days are pushed to their max from the factory to eke out every last ounce of performance. That also means they're running far above their optimal voltage efficiency. Oftentimes a small % sacrifice of frequency can equate to big power savings.

I repasted RX480 and it went from 85C @ 2400rpm fans (very audible) to 73C @ 1200rpm (essentially idle). Now my PC is as quiet while gaming as it is at idle (barely audible). AMD also has some slick power saving features (AMD Chill, and fully manual voltage control instead of offsets) but I won't get into that since it's not an option for you.
 

rubix_1011

Contributing Writer
Moderator
You could replace fans on the case and coolers, be quiet! Silent Wings and Noctua both make very effective and silent running fans, especially if you need 120mm or 140mm sizes.

What CPU cooler do you have? If you can get a large heatsink tower with 140mm fans, they nearly always run very, very silently.

GPU fans would be the last item and could be resolved a few ways - one being MSI Afterburner setting the fan curves differently, or replacing the factory GPU cooler with a larger, more efficient heatpipe cooler.

Your case doesn't look very idea for good airflow, but I could be mistaken. Leaving the side panel off can help with internal thermal build up if a new case isn't possible.

There are a few options, with new case and new GPU and/or CPU cooler being good candidates. Case fans would be tertiary once you've identified the other issues.