The quietest/coolest fan configuration

[TknD]

All right, after two days of upgrades, I'm still not satisfied:

List of upgrades:
duron 650Mhz -> thunderbird 1Ghz (266FSB)
300 watt power supply (noisy) -> 300 watt (less noisy)
ThermalTake gold orb -> Volcano II -> Swiftech MC270

My main concern is obviously cooling and noise. While I'm still in the "souping up" mode on my computer, I'd like to get my cpu temp lowest possible as well as noise lowest possible using only fans (don't have the setup time to be using a water cooler or whatever). I do not plan on overclocking, just keeping my computer cool to extend the lifetime of the parts.

Current cpu temp ratings (with swiftech):
-Case off + external personal mini 8" fan blowing directly on cpu heatsink: 44C
-Case off: 49C
-Case on: 54C

Throughout all cases, the motherboard temp stays at 38C and the ambient air temp is around 27C.

That is all in semi-idle mode (I was browsing the internet).

While I do like the temps on the swiftech, I don't like the hum from the fan (I also worry about my sound system and I don't like the humming of my computer to interfere when there's dead silence).

So I figure if I replace the swiftech fan with a quieter less powerful fan but add case fan for better air circulation with the case on, then the noise level will go down as well as the temps since a personal fan and case off knocked off 10C.

What does everyone out there think?



TknD

 

[Stick_e_Mouse]

Since you won't be overclocking, your temps and set-up is FINE. You don't need to worry about you CPU's longevity because it would easily reach age 2 or more with that set-up. By then, a 1 ghz would cost only $50 (or probably less).

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[Guest]

2 years ago I bought a celeron 333. Upgraded last year to a 600. Right now I can't buy either one of these CPU's. So my point is you will probably upgrade inside of 2 years anyway and your CPU should be good for at least 5 to 7 years if you don't overclock. So don't worry about temps and as far as noise goes you can probably just slap on a lower cfm fan on that swiftech and still get descent cooling. But I would keep the one that is on there right now.

If you start putting case fan's beleave me if you want to avoid noise that is not the way. I have a 120mm intake in the front, a 92mm and 80mm outake on top of my case. a 92mm sucking of the heatsink on my vidcard, a 80mm intake on the bottom blowing up and an 92mm outake on the back. When all fan's are full speed it is pretty loud. Thank god for my fanbus so I can quiet them down.

Mama always said "There's no such thing as a stupid question if you don't know the answer"

 

[TknD]

All right, I know my temps are fine and currently I'm not overclocking. But the fact is that my case does get hot, and I don't like it getting hot due to hot air flowing around my case. My case isn't one of those super cheap ones either, it is an InWin case mid-tower (3 5 1/2 drive bays) and actually costed a bit of money. Besides, I'm getting hyped up about this air cooling thing and maybe someday when my 1Ghz gets too slow, overclocking will probably be a good option.

But as I was going home one day from work, I had the greatest idea. I could test some fan configurations using my extra cpu heatsink fans that I'm currently not using.

One fan I took off an old regular pentium heatsink so it was pretty cheesy and another I took off a coolermaster cheapo heatsink the computer store gave me. Since I didn't want to be drilling my case while I tested some stuff, I openned up some slots in the back and used the coolermaster fan as an intake fan and stuck the cheesy pentium fan on top (because it fits better) as exhaust blowing out of some small holes in the back of my case. Now obviously this isn't the best configuration, but the results are 53C on idle with the case on and additional intake/exhaust fans installed and 56C on a full load. What really impressed me was the full load (previously, full load went up to around 59C to 60C) and that meant that the exhaust fan was helping.

When my cheesy additional fan config wasn't being used and the case was on, the top of the case directly above where the cpu heatsink was would get really hot which was probably due to the hot air accumulating in that area.

MY THEORY
If I cut out a nice hole on the top of my case directly above the cpu heatsink, then my case will naturally get cooler without even using fans. If I add a fan to the hole (exhaust), then that would get my cooling situation closer to the optimal possible. But the main goal is simple: get the hot air out as fast as possible, and the cooler air in. And the easiest way to do that is to help the hot air go where it wants to go which is up. That means less fans and fewer fans means less noise and that makes me happy.

MY PLANS
Before I go out and start cutting up my case, first I'm going to hunt for the quietest fans to replace my current heatsink as well as the quietest fans to use as exhaust/airflow and then maybe I'll test my little theory. Of course having a hole on the top of a case makes it less useful as a foot stool. But hey, for those really cold days, it would be a good foot warmer!




TknD

 

[Guest]

Just one little thing; From what I heard you got to try to get as much air coming in as you do going out. Meening you can't have just an outake fan on top and that it because you would probablty cause a vacuum affect that would mean dead air in your case. So you would also need an intake fan.
(Actually maybe have a little bit more air going out than in.)
It also goes the other way as for you cannot have more air goin in than goin out cause all your doin is circulating hot air inside your case.

Mama always said "There's no such thing as a stupid question if you don't know the answer"

 

[peach]

<font color=blue>Ok man - Chill out on the case you got... InWin's nice and all - but it ain't no Lian-LI.

Anyway - blowholes in the top of the case is not a new idea and sometimes it doesn't help. If you are going to cut a whole in the case - put one over the proc. Getting the hot air out is not the number one goal. Getting the Cold air in the best place is the goal - and that is over the processor. You put the air in - it will find a way out. If the rest of the case was sealed up - which it isn't - then you would need find places to open it up; but it isn't.

Mute point if your not overclocking. Take out all the fans and use'm in the stock case's locations (down low in front, etc.)

Truly - just oc the damn proc. Live a little.

<i><font color=blue>on company time....</i>