There are three major sources of the sound produced in a computer:
- The CPU-fan.
- The hard disk.
- The power supply.
- CD-rom drive.
- Floppy disk.
- Fast graphic card that needs extra cooling.
| Silent Computer | How to make your computer not to sound that very much. |
You probably have the same problem as I have (ie. had). Your computer just sound a lot. I have quite a lot of computers so it sounds a lot!
There are three major sources of the sound produced in a computer:
Others sources that can be annoying too:
- The CPU-fan.
- The hard disk.
- The power supply.
- CD-rom drive.
- Floppy disk.
- Fast graphic card that needs extra cooling.
The first thing I thought about, was to build a sound absorbing box. But it was a big problem - access to the monitor - that was just too hard to fix. So the solution was to moderate the sound level in the ordinary computer box. So I got to the sound store and asked for some sound absorbing carpet. The shop assistant asked: "What for?" and I told him that I wanted to moderate the sound level of my computer. Then he told me not to use that carpet, but to use some sound absorbing plates (bitumen) instead. They had two variants (one 1,5 mm and one 4 mm), but just one in store (1,5 mm). So I bought two packages of the 1,5 mm version (92:-/10 plates).
It was a bit tricky to get it to the right place. I do recommend to really cover all possible directions for best result. The trick is to prevent the sound to go directly out of the box. Some places are almost impossible to fix and that is: the power supply,
floppy and CD because they have to have access to the outside to work properly.
The result was quite good and the sound was now a lot easier to locate different sources. Previously the sound was just everywhere and now it was a lot easier to locate the main sound sources for each computer. For all but the server the problem was the power supply, and for one of the desktop computers the problem was the CPU-fan.
A obvious way to switch to a less noisy fan. Personally I had quite old ones and they did sound a lot. So to make this really good I searched for silent ones.
4.1 Power supply fan
In most PC:s you have a 80x80 mm fan in the power supply. That fan is probably quite old if you have an old computer. Most people do not open the power supply, but it is quite easy.
So I searched for a fan that was quiet, or almost anyway. What I found was a JF0825B1L (sorry but the page is in Swedish) that I bought from elfa.
This one just gives 23 dB (according to the manufacturer). I tried it in a (quite) quiet environment and it was hard to hear. But when attached to the power supply it sounds a bit hight, but still not much.
There is an alternative way if you do not want to fiddle with the power supply and that is to buy an extra quite one. To install the fan yourself is a lot cheeper. 95:- vs ~450:-.
You can also test to remove the protection plate that covers the fan. This reduces some of the swirling sound from the air. I have only tested this with my most noisy fan Talc (old lab computer) so I'm not sure if it gives any actual effect. WARNING! If you remove this you have to be very carful and not put in your fingers because the fan can hurt quite a lot. Do not use if you have children or animals in the house!
4.2 CPU fan
The CPU will probably get quite hot, so it need cooling. But of course that gives an extra noise source. For older computers you can probably remove the fan because it can actually operate anyway. I did that from the firewall (486-33) and the server (486dx2-66) and they both work well without it. For faster computers you have to have it. So you want a quiet one. I have actually not tried a really quiet one. I just switched to a not that worn one. On the remaining computer I actually had a quite new one because the old one broke down some time ago.
Dust is something that isolates well. And if you have a lot of dust in your computer that can rise the temprature. With higher temprature you have to have more fans that produces even more sound.
It is not just dust that produces more heat in your box. Cables and other things in the box are probably in the way for the air to flow. So try to bundle them so the air can pass flow easier.
You can also use lubricating oil to lubricate the fans. This is most effective on a fan with ball bearing.
The total result is quite amazing. From a sound, best described as a vacuum cleaner I got down to the level of a ordinary and quite quiet computer. Actually I do not have any good way to describe it. I tried to record the sound but it was not possible because I think the microphone discards that sound as noise and filtrates it... I'm very satisfied, but there are still possibilities to make it even more quiet (see next chapter).
6.1 Ruby - workstation
You can still hear a low frequency rumble from the power supply. I do not think I can recognize the hard disk, unless the computer tries to access it. The "ticking" sound from hard disk access is also very quiet.
The CD still sound a lot, and when used (and for some time after usage) it makes some extra noise due to vibrations. I have not noticed it before and now it is quite irritating. My luck that I do not use that CD much. The floppy sound as usual.
6.2 Chrystal - workstation
You can still hear a low frequency rumble from the power supply accompanied by some hard disk swirling of higher frequency. Hard disk access are no longer possible to notice. First time I thought that my update command was unsuccessful, until I saw the hard disk light flashing.
6.3 Carbon - firewall
I just switched the power supply fan and that did the trick. A very low rumble is now possible to hear.
6.4 Diamond - server
I have just put some sound absorbing plates for that one. It was quiet before. I actually used to sleep with that noise in the same room. Now that computer is the most noisy one that I have, so it should need some extra work.
Update! I have now done some extra work on it and put sound absorbing plats wherever I could. It has quite a lot of disks so it still sounds some.
What to do next? Well first of all the firewall and the server should be equipped with some noise reduction plates. The server have some at the front but that is not enough.
7.1 CPU-fan
To get extra good result I should buy some extra quiet CPU-fans. But they are quite expensive (around 200 SEK). Too expensive to me, now when the sound is ok.
An alternative way is to use water cooling. That should be less noisy but I have not tested.
7.2 Hard disk
I have actually not made a thing about the sound from the hard disk. There are hard disk cases that you can buy and maybe I'll test one if I become interested. Right now the sound from the hard disks are not distinct enough to motivate such an investment. Maybe for the server, where hard disk access are very distinct but I have had quite a lot of disk crashes on that computer due to heat so I do not think that is worth the risk.
At work I have set up our computers to run diskless so this might be a way to reduce the sound level too.
7.3 Power supply
There is still a rumbling noise from the power supplies. It might be possible to moderate that too with an extra noise reduction box.
Silence Box Erik Forsberg has built a box that absorbs the sound. A similar project from where I have got some idéas. Ljudia Here I bought the sound absorbing plates. ELFA And here I bought the not so noisy fans. Case Noise Reduction Larry Mingus have a nice page about his project. It is quite similar to mine. Water cooling Fredrik Hubinette are working on water cooling to lower the sound. It is not completed (when I write this anyway) but it sounds interesting. Cooling optimazation Here are some ways that you can optimize the cooling. Maybe it gives better result I have not tested (yet). Quiet PC Here you can buy some quiet pc stuff. Silent Box You can probably build something similar to this if you have the time. It was my first intention but I had not enough equipment. Vattenkylning Få din dator tyst med hjälp av vattenkylning? Skarbratt Ztefan Eheimp Someone have done a watercooling system with the Eheim silent pump. Make self How to make watercooling by hand. Water block An other design of a water block. Water devices This is probably what you will need. Plastic block An other approach on how to make a water block. Oil cooling Someone have made a fast and silent system based on oil cooling. He also noted that liquid expands if it is heated so I have to think about that too. Make block A good description on how to make your own waterblock. No more How it can look like if you do not clean the water cooling device.
Copyright © 2008 Ola Lundqvist |
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