Low-noise options for HTPC

[kkalich]

I'm starting a new build for a living room HTPC.
This round, I want to get quieter than my first HTPC, since the case fan noise on my Antec MicroFusion Remote 350 is a minor annoyance in my bedroom at night if TV volume is low.

I'd like to hear what this forum has to say about ways to further quiet a system.
New build will be in a Silverstone GD05B case.

I'm fine with performance from my first HTPC, so build will be similar:
-AMD chipset, either 880G based or 890GX
-Integrated graphics, hoping to not add a vid card w/ more heat & fan noise
-Phenom II X4 or Athlon II X3/4, one of the lower speed 65-95W rated versions
-Scythe Big Shuriken on the CPU

No gaming. This HTPC will be used entirely for streaming web-based TV & music, and maybe an occasional Blu-Ray. Needs to be solid for playing 1080p w/ high def audio, but won't do much else.


Silverstone includes 3 x 120mm fans with the GD05.
Each is rated 1200 RPM, and 20 dBA.

If the mobo I pick has system fan speed control, that may help some. But only for 1-2 fans, depending on how many pin-outs the board has. Or... I've read advice here to splice power wires for 2 fans to the same pin-out, so that 2 fans can both be modulated by the same mobo speed controller. I haven't had much luck in the past with on-board fan speed controllers making much difference on case fan noise though.

I'm also thinking about replacing the included fans with adjustable speed ones.
The Noctua NF-12B fans seem like a great option to cut down on noise... but I'm having a hard time convincing myself that spending ~$80 on replacement fans makes sense. That's almost as much as the case itself, with its 3 mediocre fans.

Case only has 1 external drive bay which will be a Blu-Ray, so no option to add a front fan controller (plus I think those are ugly).


Has anyone else tinkered around with a GDO5 case, and noise reducing options?

Or is the noise already going to be much less than on my Antec case, since the GD05's 120mm fans spin slower than the 92mm's on the Antec?

Or... any other options I haven't thought of yet?

Suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[Proximon]

Decibels are NOT the only measure of noise. This is because the type or frequency of the noise produced is just as importance as loudness.

Personally, I recommend you simply replace the fans with simple Yate Loons:
http://www.jab-tech.com/YATE-LOON-120x120x20mm-Case-Fan-D12SL-12C-Low-Speed-pr-3825.html
They are quiet and have a very low pitch. I have 6 of them running a push-pull through a radiator and they are great. They will not last more than a few years, but then the price is right.
That is more than enough air flow for that case, and no gaming GPU.

Did you list a PSU? That's probably more important for noise. This would be ideal in a budget system
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151072
There may be a few that are quieter but they cost far more.

You can also buy rubber gaskets for the fans to help quiet them more.

 

[aznshinobi]

With the suggestions of Proximon.

You could also check out the build guide in my siggy. I've included the basics of an HTPC in the 300$ build. Also don't need a Phenom II X4 OR a Propus grade CPU for an HTPC. I don't know any HTPC user who does need to spend over 100$ on the CPU.

 

[rwpritchett]

I'm in the middle of a quiet bedroom HTPC build myself. Here's some more ideas to help you reach your goal:

If media playback is all you desire, then maybe consider the completely passive Asus E35M1-M Pro micro-ATX motherboard. You could pair it up with a 80-100W picoPSU or a very quiet Seasonic PSU.

Some more ideas: there are several models of fans available that have thermal sensors and run really slow and quiet when the HTPC is cool, but will speed up as temps rise. There's the Vantec TF series, the Gelid TX series, and the Silverstone Suscool series, just to name a few.

Also, you could try running your fans at 5V or 7V instead of full 12V speed. You'll just need to rewire a molex-to-3pin fan connector to do it. If you are wary doing the wiring yourself, you can purchase resistor cables like these. The rpm scales linearly with the volts you feed it. For example, a 1200rpm fan at 12V will run at 700rpm at 7V, and 500rpm at 5V.

And finally, maybe consider an SSD or 7200rpm laptop drive if you find silicon gaskets won't quiet your 3.5" HDD's down enough.

I don't know any HTPC user who does need to spend over 100$ on the CPU.

It depends on what your going to use the HTPC for. I transcode MPEG-2 to h264 with my HTPC and need the muscle of a ≥$100 CPU.

 

[aznshinobi]

^ Point taken.

 

[Proximon]

Very cool HTPC bundle there. Could you really handle that with, say, a 2TB drive and blu-ray drive with a 100W pico PSU though?