Sunday, November 14, 2004

Enjoy the Silence

I just recently got done with a round of upgrades to my computer.  I didn't increase the amount of RAM or get a new processor.  No, I got new fans.  The difference is amazing.  When I built the computer I has gone with a high-quality motherboard, case, fast processor, good RAM, etc. but I'd skimped when it came to the power supply and cooling system.  The machine made a lot of noise.  I have now replaced the power supply with an Antec SmartPower 350, the stock AMD cpu fan with a CollerMaster XDream II, and the north bridge fan with a Zalman heat sink.  Total cost:  about $45.  These are not top-of-the-line parts but they are also not the cheapest you can buy.  This is now probably one of the quietest machines I've owned since the introduction of fans into the PC.  If your machine is loud, think about following my lead.  Upgrade your fans.  There is a lot of difference to be heard.

3 comments:

  1. Got a new PC too. Was very loud. The cause was the non-controlled fan of the graphic card. I removed the graphic card and use the on-board graphic card of the motherboard.


    Not that speedy for 3D games, but it is a development machine anyway, so really no need for 3D graphic at all :-)

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  2. Steve do you have some good links by chance to some sites that would specialize in fans, Last night while going to bed and hearing my PC that is in the living room in my bedroom, I was thinking that I really need to do something. I know I have 6 fans in that beast from CPU region 1 and 2, the cpu directly and then power supply and Graphics card fans as well. The thing is just plain loud and I know one of them has vibration issues but which i haven't figured out yet.

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  3. The best link I found for the science of silence in the PC is http://www.silentpcreview.com. There are several others but this is the one I used the most.

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