Silent computer case.

[Devtron]

I want to build a new system, and I want it to be as silent as posible.

I plan on building the folowing into my system

Intel Core Quad, 9x series chip.
Mushkin Performance XP 2 x 2 GB (4 GB) / DUAL RAM / DDR II SDRAM / PC2-6400CL4 / 800 MHz /
Intel Chipset motherbord, with support for ddr2 and ddr3 memory
Leadtek Geforce 8800 GTS 640mb

now i plan on water cooling, as that is that is the most quite i think i can get the system.

i have been looking at the "Antec Performance One P182", it has sound insulation,

If anyone can recomend a better case please do, i would like to build as silent a system as posible

 

[Mohonri]

Typically, if you want a silent/very quiet PC, you start off by eliminating the sources of noise. Water cooling is one way to do it, but has high costs, maintenance issues, and definite risks associated with it. Soft-mount your hard drive(s), get larger, slower-spinning fans (temperature control is a big plus), and get big heatsinks. The case will only lower the sound level, not eliminate it entirely. If you have a quiet/silent setup to begin with, the choice of case becomes sorta irrelevant.

 

[Devtron]

Typically, if you want a silent/very quiet PC, you start off by eliminating the sources of noise. Water cooling is one way to do it, but has high costs, maintenance issues, and definite risks associated with it. Soft-mount your hard drive(s), get larger, slower-spinning fans (temperature control is a big plus), and get big heatsinks. The case will only lower the sound level, not eliminate it entirely. If you have a quiet/silent setup to begin with, the choice of case becomes sorta irrelevant.

done all that, i want a computer that you have to try hard to hear that its on.

 

[thedintedcan]

Aside from watercooling, you might be a little hard pressed to silence a system with those specs.

Things that will help in addition to those mentioned before me,
buy silicone fan mounts, and try acoustic dampening foam/mats inside of the case.

 

[Dangman]

You might want to hit up the General Gallery subforum over at silentpcreview.com. I think those guys know a thing or two about silencing a system:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=14&sid=fe846cc9d44cf96ae9c429e527e1e854

Also, do you already buy that 8800GTS 640MB? If not, don't buy it. The $250 8800GT outperforms the 8800GTS 640MB and is much cheaper.

 

[jonneymendoza]

try the cosmos if you want slience but bare in mind the case has poor cooling stock level

 

[Eagle156]

Aside from watercooling, you might be a little hard pressed to silence a system with those specs.

Not really. Get an HR03 for the card and a Scythe Ninja for the cpu. You should be able to run them passively in a good case. Buy quiet replacement case fans because stock fans are universally crappy, and good, quiet PSU.

And keep in mind that everyone's idea of "silence" is different. There's lots of people who would tell you that a 70CFM 120mm fan is "quiet".

 

[boomhower]

I wouldn't try to cool a quad with a passive ninja 45nm or not.

 

[Arcygenical]

With my system in sig (01) I range around 25dba from 3 feet. It's VERY quiet. I can't hear it over the box fan that I keep in my room, down the hall!

Watercooling is definitely the way to go. Get a triple radiator + another single 120mm radiator, and put on 4 yate loons at 5v. Keep the fans internal (if possible) and you're golden.

 

[Devtron]

You might want to hit up the General Gallery subforum over at silentpcreview.com. I think those guys know a thing or two about silencing a system:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=14&sid=fe846cc9d44cf96ae9c429e527e1e854

Also, do you already buy that 8800GTS 640MB? If not, don't buy it. The $250 8800GT outperforms the 8800GTS 640MB and is much cheaper.

already have the Geforce 8800 GTS 640MB,


I will give you a clue about how silent a system i want, I want it to be so silent that if the power light was not working, you would not know it was on.

I miss the days of my Commodore 64 and Amiga, where a computer was dead silent.

 

[skudmunky]

hit up silentpcreview.com for more advice, and DEFINITELY 5v all your fans. That was the biggest improvement in my computer. Went from a wooshy box to a state where I cannot hear the difference between all 6 fans off and all 6 fans at 5 volts from 3 feet away.

 

[jonneymendoza]

i have made my pc near silent from about 3 feet away when i turn all my 4 80mm fans on low using a fan controler. my pc is now alot quieter then my xbox 360

 

[chrispycrunch]

My Antec Sonata 3 is very silent. The only thing you can hear is the intel hsf if rev at 100%. The 8800Gt has the stock/original HS so it's almost inaudible @ idle but noise goes up with fan speed.

I think that the 8800GTS is a quieter solution. It might not be cost effective BUT if you get the GT you'll have to replace it with an accelero s1 for complete silence. I believe the GTS is a dual slot fan solution so noise will not be relevant.

The P182 is a monster with all those fans. Does it make noise? That case is about the same price as the sonata 3.

 

[Diablo2K]

Zalman makes the quietest case you can get Zalman TNN-500A and a TNN-300, it uses heatpipes to channel the heat from the components the the actual case which is actually a huge heatsink itself. you can eliminate every fan with this case, only thing that will make noise is the drives themselves. Only problem is is that the case costs $700 to $1000!

Short of this, you are not going to get a truely silent PC, modern PCs generate alot of heat, and that heat must be dealt with. Passive Video Card coolers and CPU coolers still require good case airflow. There are some passive radiators out there for watercooling, but you will still hear the pump running and there really large externally mounted units. and even if you do watercooling with a passive radiator you will still need airflow in your case to cool things like the PWM chips and the hundreds of other smaller components on the MB and expansion cards.