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More => Old Versions => Media Jukebox => Topic started by: zevele10 on November 13, 2002, 11:15:30 am

Title: OT -noisy computer
Post by: zevele10 on November 13, 2002, 11:15:30 am

I have a tower with a million fans .
They make the noise,computer in himself is not noisy .
Any solution ?
I am thinking about to put insulate [?] material on the inside of the tower.
What you use for home ,like a wall paper in white stuff-in french it is polysterene-

Crazy thing to do ?
Good idea?
Do the heat would stay inside and higger because of it ?

Part of the year i am not sure that inside computer is warmer than the room...

Title: Re: OT -noisy computer
Post by: Matt on November 13, 2002, 11:21:00 am

There's a world of difference between cheap fans and good fans.  Same with hard drives and power supplies.

I recently ordered a fancy heatsink and fan for my home computer and it went from sounding like a Shop-Vac to being hardly audible.

This sight has some good info:

http://www.silentpcreview.com

Title: Re: OT -noisy computer
Post by: sub-24 on November 13, 2002, 01:08:24 pm

What you have to do is have your main music PC in a different room to your Hi-Fi.

Run a S/Pdif digital cable to you r Hi_fi and use the Web Remote/Netremote to control it.

Brilliant.

Title: Re: OT -noisy computer
Post by: Chris Shaw on November 13, 2002, 01:46:14 pm

If you have a machine like mine with lots of case fans on one circuit, you can get a lot less noise by reducing the voltage they run at from 12V to 7V. The same trick works for your CPU fan as well. Have a look here on how to make an adapter:

\http://www.overclockers.com/tips766

or you can buy them quite cheaply. Obviously you should keep a close eye on the CPU and case temperature and not overclock.

Title: Re: OT -noisy computer
Post by: zevele10 on November 13, 2002, 01:55:39 pm

I broke all inside this flat.
I have only a small kitchen ,a bedroom and bathroom in around 100 meters square,so my living room is big.
My computer is plug to my stereo.
Stereo and computer are at the same place ,speakers are around 3,4 meters from me when at my computer.
When i play music ,you can run a thousand computers... with sound at 8 ,no room for the fan noise.
But if i do not play music ,the fans are really noisy.
To the point to hear them at night when in the bedroom.
Door open ,yes ,but in hot countrys you do not cloe doors ,you need air.
Will have a look at the links -Thank you
I saw that in Japan there is a new laptop with water to cool the computer

Title: Re: OT -noisy computer
Post by: Kurt Young on November 13, 2002, 02:50:06 pm

I also have a tower with a lot of fans, and it was very loud.  I cut a lot of the noise down by eliminating fan-to-case vibration.

1.  If any of your fans are in big plastic enclosures that snap to the inner wall of the case, take them out and discard the big plastic enclosures.  These enclosures do very little -- mostly they only restrict airflow and cause case-to-wall vibration.

2.  Install small rubber O-rings between your fans and your case.  That is, put the O-rings between the fan and the case wall.  Thusly:

(http://pimpin-seattle.d2g.com/images/mj9/oring.jpg)
(Drawing not to scale)

This has the effect of separating your vibrating van from the case wall.  When they're touching, the vibration noise is greatly amplified by contact with the case wall.  When separated, there is no noticable loss of air flow, if the case wall is properly ventilated.

Also, rather than use metal bolts or screws to fasten your fans to the wall of your case, go get some plastic cable ties (http://www.rogerssystems.com/store/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=792&CFID=91704&CFTOKEN=60719320) (the ones that "zip" tight and can't be loosened) and use them instead -- they provide a snug hold on the fan and don't transfer as much vibration to the case wall as a metal bolt does.

Title: Re: OT -noisy computer
Post by: Scronch on November 13, 2002, 07:22:07 pm

Zev -

Ignore all this hooey.  The problem is the ambient temperature (which you may want to measure in degC, but you know would be better measured in degF).

You must move.  Alaska would work well.  Siberia may be closer for you.

Please drop us a line with your new email address.

Scronch

Title: Re: OT -noisy computer
Post by: khaos100 on November 13, 2002, 08:41:35 pm

I use Stealth fans. You can still hear them, but the degree of volume the sound went down when I replaced all my fans with Stealth ones was enough to warrant the change.  However, if Overclocking is important, set your self up a watercooled rig.  If it isn't, why all the fans?

Adding any sound dampening material will work, but it also increase the case temp.

Aluminum is a great heat dissaptor.  The case may be more expensive, but it will allow for not having to have so many fans.

Title: Re: OT -noisy computer
Post by: Marty3d on November 13, 2002, 10:35:04 pm

Zev, I know the feeling...the noise that the computer produces drives me kind of mad :)
I'm also in the progress towards a more silent can. So far I replaced to of my IBM HD:s with a Seagate Barracuda V 120gb. It made some difference, at least I got rid of the whining sound from the HDs :)

Title: Re: OT -noisy computer
Post by: Scronch on November 13, 2002, 10:51:15 pm

Computer noise is VERY bad for you.  I saw some studies on it when I worked at IBM R&D.  But, of course, I ignored it after I left and set up my own consulting shop.  First I ran an RS/6000 with two external HD's and a tape drive, and later two HP workstations with a few external HD's and CD and DAT drives.  Many times, I had to work 12-16 hours straight, and all those fans and the heat drove me crazy--I'd go to bed with a splitting headache.  Now, I run all that engineering software on a laptop.  The fans only come on during the simulation solution phase, which only runs minutes instead of hours or days like it used to.  All I hear is the disk drive seeking, which reassures me that the system is working.

Now I'm going to turn off one old relic--a laser printer that I love.  It is across the room, and makes a lot of noise.  I feel a slight headache starting.

<click>

That's better.  I can even hear my young son in his room down the hall, breathing in his sleep.

Technology is good.

Zev, do something to get rid of that fan noise!

Scronch