Silent, But Deadly: Build Your Own Gaming-Ready 0 dB PC

[FormatC]

Nice idea, but you need a special case for this and a lot of heatpipes. This is nothing for a DIY project. I've tried it with a Streacom case (http://www.tomshardware.de/Streacom-FC5-Test-Review,testberichte-240959.html) and it works. In some cases

 

[eklipz330]

"According to SilverStone, this helps maximize surface area."

Well, isn't that a load of crap? It clearly DOESN'T maximize surface area. more fins maximizes surface area.

 

[FormatC]

Translation... The cause of these 4 "growths" on a regular tower cooler (to get this cross) are helpful to increase the surface area without the result of a big and unusual square peg (like some other coolers). Not more...

 

[CaedenV]

What a fun article!
I HATE noise coming from my box. Part of it is because I do a bit of audio editing on the side, and the other part is because I feel like that constant humm (no matter how quiet) is just going to drive me batty one of these days. Sadly, for my setup silence is not an option because my rig is 1 part AV editing rig, 1 part game rig, and 1 part home file server, which means big parts and HDDs which invariably make noise. So for me it has been a combination of using large aftermarket coolers, low RPM fans, adding noise dampening material to the sides of the computer case, putting that case inside a noise dampened server rack, and then putting the rack some 15' away. Thankfully the server rack was free (a company I work with was going to scrap it) so the whole project wasn't terribly expensive (all told ~$200 for all coolers, fans, material and looong cables), but now I have a nearly silent computer, but with no performance compromises, and I couldn't be happier.

I think the equipment we are going to see in ~2 generations (2-4 years) will finally have low enough power requirements that there will finally be some very nice passively cooled options on the market, or (like the article pointed out) systems that have a single fan that only powers up when you are gaming or are having a particularly hot day.

 

[azraa]

[citation][nom]JonnyDough[/nom]One more thing. I like bottom mounted power supplies because I like a low center of gravity on my builds. However, I prefer the top mounted PCI slots. The video cards not only look better with their coolers on top, but the heat rises off the video card and into the video card cooler making it more effective, especially in a build without air movement.[/citation]

Disagree on the graphics card statement.
I like my fans blowing cold air from the bottom towards the part that is needed. Intaking already warm air to use for my gpu makes no effing sense.

 

[CaedenV]

[citation][nom]ojas[/nom]What about liquid cooling? Use a large fan-less radiator, or that 750 RPM fan on that radiator, which could either be external or mounted on an exhaust vent.[/citation]
There are 2 problems with liquid cooling that are quite problematic.
1) The pumps on most liquid coolers (while quiet) have a particularly harsh/grating/annoying tone to them.
2) To get good enough of a cooler to do a typical CPU+GPU is going to cost you a fair amount of money, and is still going to use fans to help the process along. To get a liquid cooling setup that does not use a fan, and has a particularly quiet pump then you are talking about serious cash for a custom setup with monstrous rads and high quality pumps. Not saying the cost is too much for what you are getting, but for most people (myself included) this is far too much effort/money.

But then again, if you want something silent (or very quiet) that has performance then this is the only way to go.

 

[smeezekitty]

LOL I thought I was the only one that insulated their backplane with electric tape.

 

[ismaeljrp]

a really nice way to promote Silverstone...didn't think we'd notice ?

 

[FormatC]

Give me another case with an equal construction (PSU on top and "outblowing") in this form factor, a better cooler in this size, the guarantee that I can buy both in Europe and North America and I will "promote" another manufacturer. This was coincidence because I can use only what I get. The PSU lay for months around here, so what?

Pure conspiracy theory

 

[internetlad]

"Today we're looking at building a passively cooled gaming machine, here's a 4 page advertisement for the case including one full page of photographs from various angles."

 

[blazorthon]

[citation][nom]article[/nom] SilverStone's Nightjar 400W Zero dBA is fairly heavy as a result of its completely passive design. Thermally, this power supply should work really well in the Temjin TJ08-E because of how it's built. The Nightjar’s current street price of $160 is high, but within reason. We won’t need the PSU's 400 W output by a long shot. Of course, we know that wasting power by buying too large of a power supply (and consequently not optimizing for efficiency) is a problem). But we're getting as close as possible with SilverStone's Nightjar 400W Zero dBA. It’s getting hard to find a PSU under 400 W these days, after all. [/citation]

I don't think that it's getting hard to find a PSU under 400W. It's just getting hard to find a decent PSU under 400W that's not Seasonic

 

[maxinexus]

Good project. However the need for silent PC is very limited. First off you must have hearing like a bat to notice it. Second when you game your sound system it cranked up or you use headsets so anyway there is no way you can be annoyed by spinning fans. Third why would I want to play games on such a limited system?

 

[g-unit1111]

Wow, that heat sink almost completely dwarfs that motherboard! :lol:

 

[SmaugTD]

Six Delta fans.

 

[FormatC]

However the need for silent PC is very limited.

No. I'm using this in my bedroom. ;D

 

[twelve25]

Cheapest way to do a silent PC is to just run your KVM cables into the next room/closet.

 

[blazorthon]

Cheapest way to do a silent PC is to just run your KVM cables into the next room/closet.

Not always an option, let alone always a good idea.

 

[jtd871]

Igor:

I knew that passively cooled GPUs would show up in the article from the article you authored on the German site. Will that article ever make it to the US site?

The build should have gone Intel CPU for low power/better performance (since the APUs are not mainstream-gaming capable), passive GPU(s) on micro-ATX mobo (hopefully with built-in fan control), smaller CPU sink (the Heligon likely actually stifles airflow inside the case), acoustic foam and quiet, well-placed low-RPM fans.

The TJ08E was a good choice due to the dust filters and heatsink support. The PS07 is basically the same case, but with 120mm fans if I recall correctly, and a different (plastic) front which can help muffle the internal fan noise.

Like most here, I'd rather trade very quiet (

 

[FormatC]

@twelve25:
Haha, I have here 0.72 and 1.00 m thick walls. And no, it's not a bunker. Have fun with your drill

@jtd871:
The PS07 is also a good choice, but only for active or semi-passive systems. The other question: sorry, but we can't translate all stuff because we have no place and ressources enough to rotate all articles. The passive cards were published only in German.

 

[twelve25]

Cheapest way to do a silent PC is to just run your KVM cables into the next room/closet.

Not always an option, let alone always a good idea.

Thanks for setting me straight.

 

[FormatC]

The building is from 1908, 6 floors. The house has survived two world wars

 

[gaborbarla]

My first look was immediately how can you get a 680 or similar to be silent. I see you cheated and put a 650 in which is hardly a gaming ready for me.

 

[bgunner]

Interesting build. I like the Idea of being able to have a fan turn on and off completely with temps.

 

[FormatC]

@gaborbarla:
The word "gaming" is relative. Half life 2 is also gaming and in the most cases better than some so-called AAA-blockbuster from 2008 to 2013

This build is able to run the most games in more or less usual settings.

BTW:
I'm just testing a passive 7790 (undervolted and with the cooler from an older passive Powercolor 6850) in a 5 hrs torture. It works.

 

[TheGuy92]

A guy on YouTube made his own silent PC for less than this (he made a custom case out of wood!)

Do a search for "My silent wooden PC", it's the first one there. He does some awesome builds actually... he definitely deserves more exposure, lol.