Making computer quieter

[richbosworth]

Hello,

I have a Cosmos S case from 2009 (the system was prebuilt for me by PC Specialist), and it is pretty damn loud, with multiple fans making a lot of noise. I've upgraded various components, and now I really want to focus on getting the noise down so it's not so distracting when I watch films/play games on it!

My current specs:

CPU: i7 920 @2.6GHz (used to be overclocked, but recently has started failing so I reduced it back to stock). It's cooled by a pretty big aftermarket heatsink that some chap from PC World installed for me 2 years ago.
GPU: GTX Titan (bloody amazing btw!)
Motherboard: Asus P6T Deluxe V2
RAM: 16GB @1600 (that's all I know)
Hard drives:

■ Kingston HyperX 120GB SSD
■ WD Velociraptor 300GB

Apart from the Titan and the SSD, I've kept everything as-it-was when I received the product. It's always been very loud, even when doing word processing.

I would like to know if there's a way I can make the system run quieter with the current case, especially under reduced loads but also under full load with games.

Is there anything you guys can recommend that would apply to my case/system specs?

Thanks in advance,
Richard

 

[envy14tpe]

I would identify what fan is causing the noise. If it came with the PC throw it out. Buy a fan that fits, 80m or 120mm, and plug it into your mobo (not PSU cuz you can't control speed then) so you can control the fan speed.

Let me give you an example. In my build I have 5 fans (inlcuding CPU cooler). 2 of those fans run quiet at full rpm so they are plugged into the PSU. The other 3 fans are plugged into the mobo. If I play games or do any demanding tasks then I will manually adjust fan speeds (in ASRock software) to a speed to keep my temps cool. So, the manual fans will move from 800rpm to 1800rpm which causes way more noise but it keeps everything cool.

So, look in your case and identify a noisy fan and take it out. Some fans come with noise dampeners. It could be a rubber screw or pads that separate the fan from the case. These help dampen vibrations.

Hope that helps.

 

[Jonathan Sifleet]

Some PSU's can be quite loud. For example on an older build of mine, I had a zoostorm PSU which I was pulling apart for pieces, and the PSU's fan was 70 dB.

 

[richbosworth]

Hey guys, thanks for your help. I didn't really think about putting my ear close to the computer to see exactly where the noise was coming from. You guys prompted me to do this, and it turns out the that slightly cheap CPU cooler (Antec - bloody huge) that I got the guy in PC World to get/install is causing 90% of the noise at minimal loads (its running full blast even when browsing Facebook etc).

Can you recommend a CPU cooler that has good cooling capabilities for none/minimal noise?

Also, I'm pretty inexperienced at dealing with building/maintaining systems and usually had other people sort it out for me. I've only recently started to do it myself because (a) it's bloody interesting and (b) it's cheaper. I installed the Titan in place of my GTX 295, but I guess any kid who can fit the right shape in the right hole can replace a PCIe device. How difficult is it to replace the CPU cooler? I'm worried that I'll ah heck up either the CPU or the mobo by messing with it!

 

[dangrousperson]

It is not very difficult to replace the CPU cooler. There are plenty of easy to follow tutorials all over the net. Like this one: http://youtu.be/9VSDkB-3st4
Another thing you can do if you don't want to go thru the (minimal) hassle of replacing the entire cooler, is just replace its fans. I am using two noctua fans on my Corsair H80i and they are basically inaudible at anything bellow 50%. http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=which_fan_is_right_for_me&lng=en

When gaming though, your Titan will probably be the loudest part of your rig. There isn't anything you could do against that, accept installing an aftermarket cooler or water cooler, which in most cases will void your warrenty.

Hope I helped.

Hey guys, thanks for your help. I didn't really think about putting my ear close to the computer to see exactly where the noise was coming from. You guys prompted me to do this, and it turns out the that slightly cheap CPU cooler (Antec - bloody huge) that I got the guy in PC World to get/install is causing 90% of the noise at minimal loads (its running full blast even when browsing Facebook etc).

Can you recommend a CPU cooler that has good cooling capabilities for none/minimal noise?

Also, I'm pretty inexperienced at dealing with building/maintaining systems and usually had other people sort it out for me. I've only recently started to do it myself because (a) it's bloody interesting and (b) it's cheaper. I installed the Titan in place of my GTX 295, but I guess any kid who can fit the right shape in the right hole can replace a PCIe device. How difficult is it to replace the CPU cooler? I'm worried that I'll ah heck up either the CPU or the mobo by messing with it!

 

[richbosworth]

Well, something that didn't initially come to mind was using SpeedFan to control the speed. I installed it and changed some of the settings, and it seems to be working. I guess most of the noise came from the fact the CPU Cooler was running at 100% all the time. The computer is "quieter" now, but that's being generous (I can clearly hear a noise from the PSU fan - it's rather loud now).

I think I will look into the information you guys gave me regarding replacing the case fans with quieter ones, and perhaps looking into a quieter PSU fan as well.

I don't expect it to be completely silent, but I would like to get it as close to silent as possible (at least when the computer is under very light loads) without compromising cooling.

Thanks guys!

 

[envy14tpe]

Sounds like your half way there. I'd just sell off the PSU and get a new one by Antec, XFX, or Seasonic.

If you want to do some mild overclocking and keep things quiet. Cooler Master 212 Evo is a great choice. It comes with a Blade Master fan which is strong but pretty quiet for the performance.

If you spend a little more you can get the Xigmatek Dark Knight II.

CM Evo and Xigmatek DK II both fit on 1156 mobos.