sabermetrics

There is a previous guide to silencing your computer here: http://www.overclock.net/faqs/117975...e-your-pc.html, though it was created in 2006, so I thought it might be a good idea to rewrite and add new ideas and parts recommendations for the year 2008 and on...

This guide will be sequenced in order of importance. Ranking from top to bottom, components are rated with a number to show the significance or ability to decrease noise or vibration levels. Obviously, components such as your hard drives will not emit as much noise in comparison to things such as fans. Therefore, it is advised that if you should follow this guide, that you start from the top, see what changes you can make. Some changes will require purchasing items, so if you cannot at the moment, try and accomplish the next tip to silencing your computer.

So, how do you measure noise output? Sound is measured in dBa, or “decibel” levels. The higher the dBa values, the louder the noise. Here is a chart to show the relation of dBa to known sounds:


An inaudible system will require a total dBa level for your system of no higher than around 15-20 dBa.

Disclaimer: do not expect your cooling performance to stay the same. In order to silence your computer, expect system temperatures to rise.

Now, how do you lower the dBa level of your computer? Just follow these steps:


Case fans are the largest source of noise in a system, whether it is air-cooled, or water-cooled.

In an air cooled case, usually, more than 2 120mm fans are used as an intake and exhaust, and being a community of overclockers, these fans usually have a high cfm (a measure of the flow of air) to high dBA output. So, more fans = more noise.

DO NOT DO THIS!



Similarly in a water-cooled system, fans mounted on a radiator require a decent amount of air pressure in order to push air through the grills. In the case of water-cooling, low cfm fans are not recommended, as it may not be sufficient in cooling the radiator enough to cool your CPU or your other components. Therefore, unless your radiator is suited for low cfm fans, water-cooling enthusiasts will have to wait, as your thermal performance will take a large hit in cooling performance.

To choose case fans, look for two things:

a) RPM (Rotations per minute)

The faster the blades of the fan rotate, more air pressure forms, causing the “whooshing” sound that you all know quite well. Therefore, choosing a low RPM fan is essential. A general guideline would be to make sure the RPM speeds are within 800-1800 RPM. Though the use of a fan controller to lower high speed fans such as the Scythe Ultra Kaze is possible, high RPM fans will usually emit a buzzing sound when undervolted because they are not made to rotate at slow speeds.

b) dBa:CFM Ratio

To know how loud the fan is, simply check the specified dBa of the fan. Quiet fans range from 15-25 dBa, and anything higher will be too loud. Also be sure that the fan has a decent CFM output. 50 CFM should be the minimum airflow output you should consider when buying a fan.


Also, many companies such as Silenx or Thermaltake highly over-estimate their dBa levels, so make sure you read some reviews on what fan you decide to purchase before making your final decision.

The general rule to case fans is, the more, the louder. But, know that having more at low RPM and low dBa levels will be quieter than a single 2000 RPM fan running at full tilt. What is suggested is that you should find out the number of fans required to keep your system cool while undervolted. In my case, I have 6 case fans in my case, though all of them are undervolted and are very quiet.


Using rubber fan mounts like these will also greatly dampen the vibrations caused by the rotations of the fan. Buying longer mounts such as the Nexus mounts shown above are preferred, as they are quite difficult to snap in if you have already plugged in all your system components.


The case is another major component to silencing your computer. Cases such as the Antec 1200 have large number of mesh areas, which will allow for a noise to escape. Cases such as the Antec P182 or the Coolermaster Cosmos 100 have very few sections in which noise can escape, and an additional benefit to both these two cases, they sport thick side panels and a front door which also help to decrease the noise level.

There has been a large debate whether a window will allow for more noise to escape your system. With cases such as the P182, cutting a window would reduce the number of layers of the panel from 3 to 1. In this scenario, it would not be wise to do so. With cases such as ones made my Lian Li, pre-installed windows or well-made custom windows are fine, as the noise difference between the single sheet of aluminium and a piece of acrylic aren’t noticeable.

Many also do not know the difference between aluminium and steel built case quality. Aluminium cases are usually higher quality, but when it comes to noise, aluminium actually picks up a lot of the small vibrations from fans and hard drives, and resonate/vibrate more in comparison to steel. More indepth analysis between the two can be seen here in a guide from SPCR.


Case modifications can also be done to improve your case’s noise output. Cutting out the fan grills:


will greatly reduce the flow restriction of fan, and decrease the sound of the “whooshing” from the fans.


Any stock heatsink fan will be quite loud. No questions asked. Why? Stock fans are usually low-end, minimal cooling solutions that do not take noise into account. I will be addressing each type of stock fan below:

CPU:
With either the Intel or AMD stock fan, they use proprietary sized fans, which are usually quite small, and emit quite a lot of sound. To fix this, buying a new which allows for an aftermarket case fan to be installed is a great choice. You could purchase something like the Xigmatek HDT-S1283, and add a low RPM or undervolted 120mm case fan. If you have a low wattage CPU it may be even possible to run it passively, which is the goal of complete silence.

Recommended:
Xigmatek HDT-S1283
Thermalright Ultra 120-Extreme (TRUE)
OCZ Vendetta 2
Noctua NH-U12P[/CENTER]

A small mod that you can make to decrease fan noise levels that are mounted on coolers, is to add a shroud. A shroud is a bracket which allows for a gap between the fan and another object, in this case, the heatsink. The reason why this is important is because having the fan so close to the heatsink produces a similar effect to having it close to a fan grill in a case. The fan builds up a large amount of air pressure due to the compact build of heatsink fins, and will actually require the fan to spin at a higher rate to produce the same rate of airflow. Adding something like a fan casing (a fan with the blades cut out) will allow for better airflow, and decreased noise, especially with lower CFM fans.

To make a shroud, simply follow Ducky's guide on How to: make a HSF shroud

The end result should look like this (thanks ericeod for the pics!):





GPU:
GPU stock heatsinks have small fans which require high RPM speeds just to output a decent amount of air. Hence, they are quite loud, especially at 100%. There is no other way of lowering the GPU heatsink’s noise output other than to change the heatsink itself:


Chipset (NB or SB):
Small, 50-60mm fans such as the ones on Nvidia based motherboards are extremely loud, and emit a high pitched “whirring” due to the high RPM. There isn’t truly a fix for this, other than allowing your chipset to run passively, or to undervolt your chipset fan (guide at the bottom).



Many people forget that optical drives do emit noise. Choosing a drive that outputs low noise is quite difficult, and is often a hit or miss when purchasing. Be sure to look around, and ask for advice when it comes to selecting an optical drive.

5) Power supply

Most stock fans on all power supplies use 2-pin fans which regulate themselves by increasing or decreasing its RPM when your PSU gets hotter or colder. In a quiet system, the PSU fan is quite audible, and many noise enthusiasts replace the fan with a case fan. Remember that taking apart your power supply will void your warranty. Also, power supplies retain their charge even long after they are powered off, so take utmost precaution in doing so. This is the result of my power supply‘s 135mm fan replaced with a 120mm fan stuck on with double sided tape:


Hard drives on average now have a rotation speed of 7,200 RPM to 10,000 RPM’s. Because of this, a screw-mounted hard drive in a regular case will cause the entire case to vibrate, and rattle, and cause a low humming noise. Many mods have been done to eliminate this.

i) Hardware purchase
Items such as the Scythe HDD Stabilizers decrease the vibrations caused by the hard drive. If this isn’t accessible, rubber grommets placed in between the screw and the hard drive would also have similar effect.


ii) Elastic Band mod
Suspending the hard drive with elastic bands will also greatly reduce the vibrations caused by the hard drive. In the long run, elastic bands may become brittle under sustained heat, so remember to often take a look to check if it needs replacing. Personally, I use bungee cord, so I don't have to worry about the cord melting, and it only costs around $4 for 2 feet at my local hardware store.


7) Acoustic Foam/Sound Isolation Foam

This foam should only be used when your computer is almost completely silent, but lacks the final couple dBa decrease. This foam will only decrease the noise output by a couple dBa, so do not buy this foam unless you are sure it will help. Also, application of the foam is quite difficult, and will require patience.



To sum this extremely long “essay”, be sure to make adjustments to the more significant areas before moving on to the smaller problems. Decreasing hard drive vibrations while you have your fans at 100% will not help, as you will not be able to hear any change.

Also, be sure to know the setbacks of silencing your computer. CPU and GPU overclocking will be limited. Be sure to watch your temperatures, your system may crash if it overheats.



Follow this guide to undervolt your fan: How to: Silence My Fans By Undervolting?

Any comments, suggestions, or constructive criticism is welcome! I’m sure I’m missing quite a bit, so please fill me in on what I need to add in!

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How to: Silence your Computer

hophead2

I like the "silencing your PC" article. However, I think you should mention the need to replace rubberbands once in a while.

In theory, a very warm HDD would dry out the rubberbands. If there was considerable airflow on the HDD (like some front intake towers) the rubberbands would dry out even faster. Even without considerable airflow this might be a problem.

A dry rubberband might crack and eventually break due to the vibration, who knows? I think it would be worth experimenting for someone with time and an extra cheapo HDD.

I got lucky in that my case included the rubber grommet things, they sure are nifty.

Edit: Also, I wonder if different case materials naturally dampen vibrations more effectively than others? A sturdy steel case seems quieter than a flimsy aluminum one.

I forgot to mention how hard I laughed when I first started reading, and saw the pic with all the fans.

sabermetrics

Thanks, the rubberband mod definitely would not be for the long term. Personally, I use bungee cord, but rubber bands are something that can be found around the house, and you don't need to buy anything extra...

As for steel vs aluminium, aluminium will actually vibrate more compared to steel. Though its due to the density of the aluminimum, as explained here:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article75-page2.html

I guess I should add that in

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How to: Silence your Computer

Diabolical999

Mine's about as loud as a small air conditioner set to medium/high.

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sabermetrics

Would anyone else happen to have any suggestions to add? I'm sure I'm missing quite a bit...

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How to: Silence your Computer

roningai

nothing beats turning off ur comp for silence though

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Ice Dingo

Great guide. My computer's almost completely silent when all my fans are on minimum. My case's HDD bay has a no tool installation thingy so my case doesn't need screws. So what would be an easy way (like the rubber grommets) to silence the HDD noise?

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sabermetrics

if you have a case which have holes such as the ones pictured above for the hard drives, you could suspend the hard drive with multiple elastic bands or something similar... that would be th easiest way... just make sure that it doesn't directly contact the surface of the case...

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How to: Silence your Computer

*_*

great guide

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Audio Rig: Cowon D2 8GB + Fiio E3 + Technics RP-DJ1200 = Happy Ears (welllll for now anyways )

99.9999999% of the world listens to everything else. put this into your sig if you still listen to trance

grunion

Nice work

These things work wonders

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