Does a Cooler System Mean A quieter System?

[jordanecmusic]

To start off I need to show my specs to make things easier.

-Intel Core i5-2500k @ Stock
-MSI P67A-C43
-Seagate Barracuda Green 1TB
-EVGA GeForce GTX 560 SC 2GB
-8GB (2x4GB) Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600MHz 1.5V
-Diablotek PSDA600
-Thermaltake V3 Black Edition

My question is, does a cooler system mean a quieter system? I had posted a thread recently stating some things I am going to buy in order to make my system cooler, but I am adding more things to that list. If anyone has some things to add (or subtract) then feel free to say. I need to calm my ocd.

-5 Silenx Effizio Fans (15dba, 74cfm, 1400rpm, fluid dynamic bearing)
-Cooler Master Hyper 212+
-SilenX HDD Cooling and Silencing Solution
-(contemplating) Ultra 750 watt PSU (SLI READY 135mm FAN)

My computer has only one thermaltake fan that is not really pushing any air. Using one fan to replace that one, one fan to replace the fan on the Cooler Master Hyper 212+, one fan on the top of the case, one fan on the bottom of the case, and one fan on the front. Thus making my rig more cool. My gtx560 reaches temperatures of 82 degrees celcius when playing crysis 2 at highest (except tesselation) and when playing battlefield bad company 2 maxed. Will all these fans help cool my gpu down?

I am not an over clocker, although I do like to keep my things lasting forever. You can call me one who conserves things. The Cooler Master Hyper 212+ seems as if it would be the best option for me at the moment to drop my cpu's temperatures when at full load. I was reading reviews which stated that the Hyper212+ managed to keep an AMD1090T under 35 degrees Celsius during full load. Like I said before, I will be replacing the fan on the cpu cooler with one of the SilenX Effizio fans because they run cooler and quieter.

My hard drive is quiet, lets keep it that way. The SilenX HDD Cooling and Silencing Solution has acoustic foam, anti vibration grommets, heat sinks on both sides of the hard drive, and with proper cooling it should make my hard drive last even longer. It fits in a 5.25" drive bay and allows fans to be added for further cooling. I have three drive bays remaining, one being taken up by an optical drive.

From various sources, I was told that replacing the Diablotek PSU that is inside my computer because of failure rates and unreliability. Would replacing a psu that has two 80mm fans with a psu that has one 140mm fan make my computer quieter and cooler? Also the Ultra 750watt psu has the power and connections I need for my 560sli idea whenever I need it.

Some other things I forgot to mention above were that I am purchasing some other accessories for comfort or other reasons. I need opinions on them.

-Razer Death Adder Gaming Mouse
-Battlefield 3
-Razer Goliathus Mouse Pad

I need a mouse bigger than the mouse I have. A mouse that is the size of the Microsoft Intellimouse. I did not want to get the Microsoft Comfort Mouse 6000 because people were saying that it had issues such as buttons easily breaking and the middle mouse button not working accurately. I want to pick the Razer Death Adder because it both sounds and looks promising. All the features of a gaming mouse are there and the blue lighting looks very pretty, matching the insides of my computer.

I did play the beta of Battlefield 3, although I think I may have judged it wrong. After studying how Dice used technology such as bullet trajectory and demolition 2.0 in Battlefield Bad Company 2, it made me want to purchase Battlefield 3. This time around Battlefield 3 is not a console port, although I heard they switched lead platform half way through. Can anyone give me a yes or no whether I should get this game?

My keyboard does not move and I want to keep it that way. Testing my keyboard's rubber surface on my current fellowes microban mouse pad, I would feel safe if I had one streteched across the bottom of my keyboard. The Razer Goliathus is a 36.2" x 11.6" gaming mouse pad that allows users to put their keyboard and mouse to better gaming use. The keyboard wont slide around and the mouse is perfectly placed a way from the keyboard. I like it. Does anyone know any alternatives to this though? I would really love the logo in blue or something with blue in it.

One more thing before I stop typing. I am contemplating on purchasing two 4 gig corsair vengeance sticks to match my current ones. That would place me at 16gigs of corsair vengeance using 4 sticks. Is there a true benefit between 8 gigs of ddr3 ram and 16 gigs of ddr3 ram? Also, would I benefit from a RAM FAN from all of the fans I am already adding to my system?

 

[lehtv]

If you're running just one graphics card and a 2500K at stock, do NOT waste money on five case fans. If you want a quieter setup, you should get a quiet case like Antec P280 or Fractal Design R3 to muffle the noise from components. With a total of 3-4 low RPM fans they will offer enough cooling for a setup like that while keeping it quiet. I know this from experimenting with my Fractal R3. Having more than 4 fans made very little difference to anything, certainly not paying for. Since I did buy more, I have five fans but might as well be using 3 or 4 and not be noticeably worse off.

If you want to make sure the CPU doesn't make much noise, buy a quiet CPU cooler. 212+ isn't loud, but coolers like Scythe Mugen 3, Thermalright HR-02 and most Noctua products will stomp all over 212+ in acoustics.

 

[Ketchup]

If you have the money, go water cooling. Heck, the way prices are right now, the money for a water kit isn't that much more than some good air cooling.

 

[Elcs]

Suggestions:

Cases are not my forte so I'll stay out of this one but will only say that the Corsair Carbide 400R and 500R are good cases and I've got my very quiet system in a 500R.

If quiet hard drives are your thing, Western Digital Green is the way to go in my personal opinion. The modern drives are very quiet, run cool and have very little vibration.

Not sure about your anti-vibration mount kits as I use elastic to suspend my three drives. Also hard drives do not need heatsinks and smothering them with acoustic dampening foam does not sound ideal. They require just a little airflow to keep them cool (Read: Stick a slow turning 120mm in front of them and you're fine).

RAM and CPU Heatsink: I'd go for something like the Thermalright Macho HR-02 and low profile memory. The low profile part is very important as the larger heatsinks won't fit and my Macho blocks one memory slot. If you do not need 16Gb of RAM (which afaik you don't when just gaming. I game fine with 8Gb ) then the Macho will be ideal and at stock i5 2500k speeds, I think you could run it fanless.

I'll jump in and suggest a Seasonic-made Power Supply. Had Seasonic for 6 years now and their models have been solid and very quiet. Might have to do some research to see which models are made by Seasonic as companies rebrand them (Corsair being one afaik).

 

[ElFenix]

1400 rpm is not a quiet 120 mm fan. it's certainly not 15 dba, unless it's in the other room. further, silenx doesn't have a very good reputation (no serious quiet fan is made of clear plastic, that stuff resonates badly). lastly, those fans are not pwm so you shouldn't replace the CPU fan with them as they won't be controlled by the board (thus, won't be running at lower rpms when ok).

that PSU is not 80+ certified and so it's going to contribute more heat than an 80+ certified supply would. further, ultra doesn't have a great reputation so i'm going to doubt that supply can a) provide 750 watts; b) actually be quiet despite the 140 mm fan (noisy fan due to cheapness).

for SLI needs there's the ever-popular xfx 650 watt
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207014

speaking of graphics cards, at load that's the loudest thing in your system. get a decent aftermarket fan for it and you'll probably be quite happy.

if you're not overclocking you should look at undervolting. producing less heat will mean less heat for the fans to blow around.

 

[jordanecmusic]

If you're running just one graphics card and a 2500K at stock, do NOT waste money on five case fans. If you want a quieter setup, you should get a quiet case like Antec P280 or Fractal Design R3 to muffle the noise from components. With a total of 3-4 low RPM fans they will offer enough cooling for a setup like that while keeping it quiet. I know this from experimenting with my Fractal R3. Having more than 4 fans made very little difference to anything, certainly not paying for. Since I did buy more, I have five fans but might as well be using 3 or 4 and not be noticeably worse off.

If you want to make sure the CPU doesn't make much noise, buy a quiet CPU cooler. 212+ isn't loud, but coolers like Scythe Mugen 3, Thermalright HR-02 and most Noctua products will stomp all over 212+ in acoustics.

I don't want to change my case. I just got it. On the box it says Intel® Thermally Advantaged Tested Chassis. My chasis was designed to have fans on the back, front, top, and bottom. There was even a cut out on the bottom for the psu to intake from. Plus the fan that came stock on it that runs 1300 rpm, 17 dBA, 50.0 CFM is actually ultra silent. I just want to match fans when I get them. I'm weird like that.

If you have the money, go water cooling. Heck, the way prices are right now, the money for a water kit isn't that much more than some good air cooling.

I'm not very fond of water cooling. Recently I had to move because the house I was renting sprung a leak in the plumbing and the house flooded. Thank god I had my tower on my desk. I would rather have fans.

1400 rpm is not a quiet 120 mm fan. it's certainly not 15 dba, unless it's in the other room. further, silenx doesn't have a very good reputation (no serious quiet fan is made of clear plastic, that stuff resonates badly). lastly, those fans are not pwm so you shouldn't replace the CPU fan with them as they won't be controlled by the board (thus, won't be running at lower rpms when ok).

1400 rpm is a quiet fan, says the fan already inside my chassis. I looked up reviews for the Silenx fans I am getting and there is a lot of good reviews on it.

that PSU is not 80+ certified and so it's going to contribute more heat than an 80+ certified supply would. further, ultra doesn't have a great reputation so i'm going to doubt that supply can a) provide 750 watts; b) actually be quiet despite the 140 mm fan (noisy fan due to cheapness).

for SLI needs there's the ever-popular xfx 650 watt
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207014

speaking of graphics cards, at load that's the loudest thing in your system. get a decent aftermarket fan for it and you'll probably be quite happy.

if you're not overclocking you should look at undervolting. producing less heat will mean less heat for the fans to blow around.

I don't want to undervolt either. I want to keep everything stock. Also I have decided I am not going to get the extra 8 gigs of ram because I really don't need it just yet. I am also not getting a new psu just yet either. The one inside is quite alright for now until i decide to do the 560SLI upgrade (another gtx560 sc 2gb, msi sli mobo, and some sli psu). Thank you for the xfx psu reference. I will keep that in mind.

Also about the graphics card already in my system. If the inside of the case was cooler, that would make the graphics card cooler right?

and if the graphics card was cooler, the graphics card's fan wouldn't spin so loud right? (with some trial and error I could do that using EVGA presicion if needed)

 

[jordanecmusic]

If you're running just one graphics card and a 2500K at stock, do NOT waste money on five case fans. If you want a quieter setup, you should get a quiet case like Antec P280 or Fractal Design R3 to muffle the noise from components.

Wait. So instead of spending 55$ on 5 fans, spend 120$ on a case?

I forget to mention that I use headphones when I game.
I use Sony MDR-ZX700 Studio Monitoring Headphones. Can't hear a thing outside them when they're on.
I don't need the pc whisper quiet, just a little more silent that's all.
Cooling is more of a priority than it being mute.

 

[Elcs]

Oh on a side note, the Goliathus is a nice mousemat. I've had one for about 3 months now and it's very nice.

I got my hands on the Control Fragged Edition for reference.

 

[ElFenix]

I don't want to undervolt either.

undervolting cannot harm your system or reduce the life of it. and it's easily the most effective thing you can do to keep it cool.

I want to keep everything stock. Also I have decided I am not going to get the extra 8 gigs of ram because I really don't need it just yet. I am also not getting a new psu just yet either. The one inside is quite alright for now until i decide to do the 560SLI upgrade (another gtx560 sc 2gb, msi sli mobo, and some sli psu). Thank you for the xfx psu reference. I will keep that in mind.

Also about the graphics card already in my system. If the inside of the case was cooler, that would make the graphics card cooler right?

and if the graphics card was cooler, the graphics card's fan wouldn't spin so loud right? (with some trial and error I could do that using EVGA presicion if needed)

to an extent, yes, but the reason your graphics card is hot is because the processor is the size of a stamp and is burning through a ton of electricity. it is its own heat source. so, yes, if the air in your case were a couple degrees cooler then maybe your card would also be a couple degrees cooler. whether that's enough to keep it from stepping up that last time to be more quiet isn't something i can answer. i can tell you that a good aftermarket cooler for the graphics card will be more quiet than whatever evga has put on there.

 

[fuzzymath10]

undervolting is safe and effective. if you're not overclocking then undervolting is a wise option that can save a lot of heat and noise. it isn't dangerous to the cpu either. set to 1.1v and work down from there.

also try to identify your loudest fans by connecting one at a time. you don't want more than about 800rpm per fan. theres a good chance your psu might be unnecessarily loud. seasonics are notoriously high quality and quiet.

 

[jordanecmusic]

undervolting is safe and effective. if you're not overclocking then undervolting is a wise option that can save a lot of heat and noise. it isn't dangerous to the cpu either. set to 1.1v and work down from there.

also try to identify your loudest fans by connecting one at a time. you don't want more than about 800rpm per fan. theres a good chance your psu might be unnecessarily loud. seasonics are notoriously high quality and quiet.

I would rather keep everything stock other than the adjustments I am making. Doesn't undervolting break warrantys?

 

[fuzzymath10]

it will not void your warranty. if you reduce voltage you risk instability but you will need to go much lower than 1.1v for that to be an issue. unlike overvolting it will not potentially damage the cpu. my i5 runs around 1.05v and my q8200 is below 1v.

 

[lehtv]

Wait. So instead of spending 55$ on 5 fans, spend 120$ on a case?

I made two separate points -

1. that it's not a good idea to pay for 5 more case fans, they just won't benefit you enough to be worth the money

2. that if you really want a quiet system, buy a quiet case

To expand on point 1: more case cooling means the case itself will make more noise but the components inside will make less noise as the automatically controlled fans on the CPU and GPU won't need to spin as fast. Now, obviously you can balance these two. With a certain number of fans at a quiet RPM, you can achieve a very quiet case without too much noise or heat from components. Any less fans and you will get problems with components making too much noise or being too hot; any more fans won't make a noticeable difference. Based on my own testing with Fractal R3 and a moderately overclocked single GPU setup, 4-5 fans at 500-700 RPM will be extremely quiet and provide enough airflow. More fans provide no noticeable benefit, less fans and temperatures are less than optimal.

Therefore, don't spend money on 5 more case fans. Thermaltake V3 has one fan, you need only 3 more for balanced airflow/noise for your 2500K and GTX 560.

Cooling is more of a priority than it being mute.

In that case I would not worry about downvolting the fans to 500-700 rpm. Just buy a couple of ~800-1000 rpm fans and run them at stock. E.g. http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185057 or http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835426016

 

[jordanecmusic]

I made two separate points -

1. that it's not a good idea to pay for 5 more case fans, they just won't benefit you enough to be worth the money

2. that if you really want a quiet system, buy a quiet case

To expand on point 1: more case cooling means the case itself will make more noise but the components inside will make less noise as the automatically controlled fans on the CPU and GPU won't need to spin as fast. Now, obviously you can balance these two. With a certain number of fans at a quiet RPM, you can achieve a very quiet case without too much noise or heat from components. Any less fans and you will get problems with components making too much noise or being too hot; any more fans won't make a noticeable difference. Based on my own testing with Fractal R3 and a moderately overclocked single GPU setup, 4-5 fans at 500-700 RPM will be extremely quiet and provide enough airflow. More fans provide no noticeable benefit, less fans and temperatures are less than optimal.

Therefore, don't spend money on 5 more case fans. Thermaltake V3 has one fan, you need only 3 more for balanced airflow/noise for your 2500K and GTX 560.

In that case I would not worry about downvolting the fans to 500-700 rpm. Just buy a couple of ~800-1000 rpm fans and run them at stock. E.g. http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185057 or http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835426016

I love the blue led case fans. I would pay 10$ for a blue led case fan. They're beautiful. I explained why I was getting 5 already. 3 for the spots that dont have fans. 1 to replace the one on the cooler master hyper212+, and 1 to replace the one thats already inside the case. May attach it to the cooler master if it fits.

Wait a minute...you said you wouldn't pay 5$ for a case fan, but you posted a link for a 11$ one that has 10$ shipping added to it.

 

[jordanecmusic]

it will not void your warranty. if you reduce voltage you risk instability but you will need to go much lower than 1.1v for that to be an issue. unlike overvolting it will not potentially damage the cpu. my i5 runs around 1.05v and my q8200 is below 1v.

Would undervolting lower the performance of my computer?

 

[lehtv]

I love the blue led case fans. I would pay 10$ for a blue led case fan. They're beautiful. I explained why I was getting 5 already. 3 for the spots that dont have fans. 1 to replace the one on the cooler master hyper212+, and 1 to replace the one thats already inside the case. May attach it to the cooler master if it fits.

It doesn't make sense to replace the fans you've already got. Those fans work fine, you will see next to no benefit from replacing them. Unless the idea is to just have LED fans for aesthetic purposes, which you failed to mention in the OP. On the contrary, you wrote you are considering the SilenX fans because they are quieter and cool better, but I strongly doubt you will see any difference to the fans you've already got.

Wait a minute...you said you wouldn't pay 5$ for a case fan

No I didn't.

but you posted a link for a 11$ one that has 10$ shipping added to it.

Oops, didn't notice the shipping cost. Disregard that.

 

[jordanecmusic]

that it's not a good idea to pay for 5 more case fans, they just won't benefit you enough to be worth the money

In that case I would not worry about downvolting the fans to 500-700 rpm. Just buy a couple of ~800-1000 rpm fans and run them at stock. E.g. http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16835185057 or http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16835426016 __________________

Lawl.

It doesn't make sense to replace the fans you've already got. Those fans work fine, you will see next to no benefit from replacing them. Unless the idea is to just have LED fans for aesthetic purposes, which you failed to mention in the OP. On the contrary, you wrote you are considering the SilenX fans because they are quieter and cool better, but I strongly doubt you will see any difference to the fans you've already got.

Case automatically came with a blue led fan. Note that you can attach 2 fans to the cooler master hyper212+. I may use the stock blue led fan on the hyper212+ so I can have 2 on it.

 

[aigomorla]

cooler system = quiter is like saying a faster car uses less gas milage.

meaning the only way is if u jump to another type of medium of cooling outside the norm...

like going Gas -> electrical.

Or in your case... Air -> water

 

[jordanecmusic]

cooler system = quiter is like saying a faster car uses less gas milage.

meaning the only way is if u jump to another type of medium of cooling outside the norm...

like going Gas -> electrical.

Or in your case... Air -> water

lol bugati veyron

what I mean't was, cooling the entire system so the gpu fan doesn't have to work so hard. Does that work?

 

[Ketchup]

lol bugati veyron

what I mean't was, cooling the entire system so the gpu fan doesn't have to work so hard. Does that work?

I really think you should read Zap's post here http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2225721

 

[Ketchup]

lol bugati veyron

what I mean't was, cooling the entire system so the gpu fan doesn't have to work so hard. Does that work?

The best thing I did for my gpu fan and system noise when gaming was to remove the GPU heat sink and re-install it with artic silver 5.

 

[Fallengod]

Some people get way too caught up with cooling their computers and fail to look at the reality of it. Every enthusiast builder has been there at one time or another. I have gone through a few cases and now own an Antec P182. I remember when I used to have like every fan going in the computer to ensure efficient cooling. After you get a little experienced, you begin to realize how pointless and unnecessary it is to have a plethora of fans cooling a case.

It is only necessary to cool a computer to the point where its within threshold and not overheating. Dont go insane with trying to cool your computer with a plethora of fans. You dont need a $200 case with 10 case fans running to ensure you are cooling your computer effectively....

I realized a while back that I value silence over crazy cooling. I now run my Antec P182 with ONE single case fan pushing air out the back, and my Cooler Master Hyper 212+ fan at 700rpm most of the time(unless it gets past a certain point). That is all I need.

I think my PSU fan is the loudest thing in the system. So that is like 4 fans total counting the video card fan and it is plenty.

 

[jordanecmusic]

I really think you should read Zap's post here http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2225721

Thank you for showing me this. Now if there is one for cooling, hand the link over. Nao.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I have gone through a few cases and now own an Antec P182. I remember when I used to have like every fan going in the computer to ensure efficient cooling. After you get a little experienced, you begin to realize how pointless and unnecessary it is to have a plethora of fans cooling a case.

It is only necessary to cool a computer to the point where its within threshold and not overheating.

I've gone in the opposite direction. I used to have a pair of CoolerMaster Elite 330 cases, with top-mounted PSUs, and a single 120mm exhaust fan.

It wasn't nearly enough cooling for my overclocked Core2Quad CPU and overclocked GTX460, along with the top-mounted PSU. All the hot air would rise from the GPU, into the CPU cooling fan, and into the PSU. It was very close to being too hot to hold the top of my case with my hand.

So now I've gone with a pair of Rosewill Blackhawk cases. I would have gone with Antec 300 cases, if I had to (already have a few of those too), but the Blackhawk had some nice features that seemed advantageous.

 

[lehtv]

Lawl.

What's funny...? I'm confused

Case automatically came with a blue led fan. Note that you can attach 2 fans to the cooler master hyper212+. I may use the stock blue led fan on the hyper212+ so I can have 2 on it.

Not worth it. Rather than paying for Hyper 212+ and an extra fan for push-pull, it'd be a better idea to buy a better heatsink in the first place.