[maestro]

I'm trying to quiet my PC down as well. I got the SpeedFan program a couple weeks ago, and its really great. Unfortunately, when the cpu gets warm, the fan on the cpu is very loud.

I have a Pentium 4 2.4Ghz, since you all seem very knowledgable in the area, can you recommend a replacement fan/heatsink for me? I don't need the best, as I don't want to spend a ton, but some recommendations would be very helpful and appreciated. Thanks.

 

[akwok]

Thermalright XP-90
Thermalright XP-120 (if your motherboard fits)
Thermalright XP-90C (copper version)

Any one of those (you can't really go wrong), with a Nexus fan (92mm, 120mm)

Zalman's CNPS7000 / CNPS7700 are way too loud for my liking.

You can find Nexus fans and Thermalright heatsinks at www.ncix.com.

(Or if you're American, www.newegg.com might carry the fans, the Thermalrights for sure!)

 

[SptsNaz]

Do they have Nexus fans for the cpu? I only found case fans on that site, but my case fans aren't very loud compared to my cpu fan. If not, what fan works best for the cpu (athlon XP)?

 

[perplex]

if you use xp-120 cpu heatsink you can mount a nexus 120mm ontop, but i think you need to mod the fan a bit like remove something - not sure! :/

just spend hours on www.silentpcreview.com/ forums

 

[mightyacorn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by maestro I have a Pentium 4 2.4Ghz, since you all seem very knowledgable in the area, can you recommend a replacement fan/heatsink for me? I don't need the best, as I don't want to spend a ton...

I'd look into the Zalman CNPS7700-AlCu or CNPS7000B-AlCu. Make sure your motherboard is supported and you have room for these fans.

You should also look at your whole computer in terms of cooling and not just the cpu.

 

[akwok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SptsNaz Do they have Nexus fans for the cpu? I only found case fans on that site, but my case fans aren't very loud compared to my cpu fan. If not, what fan works best for the cpu (athlon XP)?

Okay..

If you want to use the XP-120 with a Nexus 120mm fan, you need to cut a flange off.

If you want to use the XP-190 with a Nexus 92mm fan, you do not need to modify anything.

Case fans and CPU fans (fans on top of the heatsink) are the same thing.

That being said, if :
XP-120 : Choose Coolermaster UV version or LED version 120mm fan, SLEEVE bearing! (SLEEVE). $8 Canadian at www.ncix.com, I think the fan model (off the top of my head) is something like SLF-S12-EB.
XP-90 : Nexus 92mm fan.

I would stay away from Zalman CNPS7000/7700. I had bought three CNPS7000s over the span of one year, and I loved it back then; it was quieter than what I was using previously. However, once I dove headfirst into silencing I found the CNPS7000 to be noisy even at 5V.

Besides, a Nexus 92mm + XP-90 at 12v will outperform a CNPS7000 at 5v, while being a tad quieter. Both relatively the same price.

 

[akwok]

If anyone needs 1 on 1 help, I can be reached through MSN at adriankwok@hotmail.com !

 

[CSMR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by number1sixerfan I have a lian li black pc65. There are 6 fans in the computer including the stock heatsink and fan of my p4. I just turned off five of them not including the cpu fan. After doing this, I could listen to my headphones at a lower volume with pleasure, where as before I had to listen loudly to counter the noise. It is now obvious that I need a new p4 heatsink and fan. I'm no overclocker and I just wan't silence. Also what are the quietest 80mm fans? Thanks.

Zalman has good heatsinks. It's best to go with a 120mm fan. I would say it is easier to replace your computer than silence it. You may end up replacing half of it - PSU, fans, hard drive. Plus if it's a new Pentium it is likely very hard to run quietly.

 

[akwok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CSMR Zalman has good heatsinks. It's best to go with a 120mm fan. I would say it is easier to replace your computer than silence it. You may end up replacing half of it - PSU, fans, hard drive. Plus if it's a new Pentium it is likely very hard to run quietly.

Nope.

Few things; replacing a new computer will not change quietness, in the end you still have to invest in specific silent components!

Onto the 'new Pentiums'..

I have one of the hottest chips on the market in my main rig, a 3.2E C0 core, and it's completely dead silent. The general misconception is that the Prescotts are too hot to be cooled silently without the use of watercooling; an XP-120 with a Nexus or Coolermaster Sleeve will retain the temperatures in the 50C level, Nexus case fans (80mm or 120mm regardless), heatpiped ZM80D X800Pro. And this is in one of the CRAPPIEST airflow cases too, the Coolermaster Wavemaster! With the spanking new Antec P180 or the Lian Li V1000 it should be MUCH easier to keep quiet.

Basically, you need to replace four things :
CPU HSF : $60 USD, with a XP-120 w/ Coolermaster SLF-S12
Video card HSF : Zalman VF700 is only $30 CAD here, ZM80D is $80 CAD!
PSU : Seasonic S12-430 is about $100 CAD
Hard drive enclosure : SilenX Luxurae is around $60 CAD.

Which is around ~$250 USD, which is NOT a lot considering the amount of cash you guys pay for audio equipment

 

[morphie]

For about 200USD or so I'd say you can get decent watercooling. There is nothing quieter. Add a decent quiet case to it and you won't even hear it hum.

 

[akwok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by morphie For about 200USD or so I'd say you can get decent watercooling. There is nothing quieter. Add a decent quiet case to it and you won't even hear it hum.

Ugh.

I have tried two of the supposed quietest pumps on the market : The C-Systems and the DDC. Both are annoyingly loud (to me!)! I would've gotten the Reserator, if there weren't reports of clatter after 2-3 months of use. I used to be an overclocker and a bencher, back when noise wasn't really an issue.

But that wasn't what made me quit watercooling. MANTAINENCE! Sooo annoying, every quarter to half a year you have to drain the whole system and clean out the tubes (I have had a setup where the kit was running for a year and a half, with a little bit of Water Wetter and Anti Algae, yet the water was dark/yellow!)

And working with components in a w/c rig is annoying as hell. Ugh.

I am going to go full air for the next few years until they figure something out that makes maintanence a breeze and have super quiet pumps.. the DDC is something I wouldn't touch with a 10 ft pole. Ain't cheap, either! Blew over $500 on watercooling stuff, have played with Aqua Computer stuffs too.

And don't get me started about Koolance..

 

[CSMR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by akwok Nope. Few things; replacing a new computer will not change quietness, in the end you still have to invest in specific silent components! Onto the 'new Pentiums'..

Of course not any new computer, but one with carefully chosen components.
If you have power-hungry stuff in your computer you will need to have the fans running faster to keep it at the same temperature. What's hard and what's silent is subjective; I'm sure that for you your computer was easy to make/inexpensive and is silent.

 

[MD1032]

I use a Panaflo H1A and it's reasonably quiet and cools my whole Dell case. Panaflo fans are of excellent quality.

 

[Soundbuff]

Depending on how old your computer is, it may be better and cheaper to buy a new one and start from scratch using components that are all designed with silence in mind.

I did that a few months ago and now my old, noisy computer is only a backup for my new, virtually silent one. You can also order good pre-built systems from endpcnoise.com or ARM systems.

I ordered a DIY quiet case kit from ARM systems and a hard drive enclosure from endpcnoise.com, and had my local computer shop build the rest of the system using other quiet components.

Six fans is way too many.