I want a quiet computer...(Case+Fans) question

[shocking]

I will be building a new computer soon and I want to make it silently quiet

The one I have now is deafeningly loud and I hate it...

So I was planning on getting the Thermaltake Armor VA8000BWS. User reviews have quoted it as very quiet which is nice. I'm thinking though, that I really don't need that many drive bays, so I may go for the junior.


I believe the standard case fans should be sufficient but I think I'll be wanting to get a custom fan for my quad-core extreme (whatever one i can get cheap off of eBay )

Anyone have any recommendations for fans or a better case? (I do enjoy pretty lights )

 

[Tmagic650]

This is easy... A good quality case. One that doesn't vibrate like a tin can. Use only 2 ball-bearing quiet 120mm fans. 1 for intake air in the front of the case and 1 at the rear for exhaust.

The most important fan is the CPU HSF (heat-sink fan). Make sure you can properly cool the CPU, but pay attention to the db (decibel) sound rating. The lower the better

 

[Samstoned]

make sure if you go fan they are PWM and can be speed controlled this will reduce some noise or go water cooled only noise is the pump

 

[Row1]

quiet psu also-

seasonics has great quality, low noise power supplies.
the power supply generates heat, and this is dissapated in three ways: heat sinks (quiet), heat 'radiator' fins (quiet), and a fan (noisy). a better design and better materials can reduce some of the heat by the non-noisy methods. a better, quieter fan can also reduce heat but with less noise than some plain old generic power supply. a variable speed fan can also keep the noise level low most of the time.

so, a lot of the quieter power supplies do those things to reduce the need for fan noise.

Also, look for high efficiency, like 80%. the power supply does not provide the total power to the computer needs; it provides some portion lower. that is the efficiency. it is like a lawn sprinkler that won't make all the water fall on your lawn - some will get on the sidewalk.

seasonics is good here. if your comp needs lets say (hypoethetically) 250 watts to run at full gaming, then a 330 watt power supply at 80% efficiency will provide 330 x 80% = 264 watts; sufficient.

for a typica power supply at a more typical efficiency, like 70%, you would need 380 watt x 70% = 266 watts to be sufficient.

thus, to run the same system, for one scenario you need to get rid of the heat from a 330 watt power supply, and in the other you need to get rid of the heat from a 380 watt power supply.

fifteen percent difference. can translate to less noise from fan.

finally, to calculate the watts needed by your planned computer, spend time and evaluate EACH component. the ballpark estimates, and the calculators hosted by the people trying to sell power supplies all overestimate a great deal. the drives will draw a small amt of power, but you need to really look at ram, mb, vid card, cpu, sound card.

plus add whatever safety margin you want.

this will help you get the right size power supply, and keep the need for fan cooling as low as possible.

silentpcreview has a gret deal of this info. good luck!

 

[shocking]

how can I tell how much wattage my computer needs total?