Need to make my build quieter!

[highlanderfil]

I had a Dell XPS 8500 with a failing motherboard. Rather than just swap out the motherboard, I decided to go for something a little bit more spacious and got a Thermaltake Soprano VO9000, which was advertised as extremely quiet. After I transferred all the internals, hooked everything up and got everything up and running, I've got to say that "quiet" was a very optimistic statement as it's anything but. The bulk of the noise seems like it's coming from the fan on the stock LGA 1155 cooler - any ideas on which one to get to replace it without frying the CPU or breaking the bank?

 

[SViscusi]

You may want to poke around the BIOS first and see if there is any fan speed settings, the fan should be a PWM and shouldn't be too loud unless it's going bad. After that make sure case airflow is decent and that hot air is getting exhausted.

If that doesn't help Newegg has a Zalman CNPS10X for 22 after rebate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=3938566&SID=

There are a bunch of other CPU coolers in the $20-30 range that would be upgrades over stock. A CM 212 EVO is 30 after rebate, a Xigmatek Prime is right around there as well. There are even some Artic ones that have 92mm fans and are <20.

You should have no problem finding one to fit your needs at PCPARTPICKER

https://pcpartpicker.com/parts/cpu-cooler/#sort=a6&c=24,14&w=0

 

[Charlie98]

The standard: CoolerMaster 212 EVO. Looks like it should fit in that case.

 

[highlanderfil]

Thanks, guys. Will look into both those options.

 

[RainStryke]

Personally i'd look into a closed loop water cooler for the CPU. Like a Corsair H series CPU cooler. The ones with the 140mm fans are going to run quieter than the 120mm ones IMO.

Also, for case fans... Cougar has some really nice quiet fans that actually push a decent amount of air:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...=-1&amp;isNodeId=1

They use the same kind of tech that Noctua uses with their fans... changing the tone of the fan to something that is a lot more tolerable. Accept cougar is like half the price as Noctua and they are not that ugly brown color Noctua has on all of their fans.

 

[SViscusi]

Personally i'd look into a closed loop water cooler for the CPU. Like a Corsair H series CPU cooler. The ones with the 140mm fans are going to run quieter than the 120mm ones IMO.

Also, for case fans... Cougar has some really nice quiet fans that actually push a decent amount of air:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...=-1&amp;isNodeId=1

They use the same kind of tech that Noctua uses with their fans... changing the tone of the fan to something that is a lot more tolerable. Accept cougar is like half the price as Noctua and they are not that ugly brown color Noctua has on all of their fans.

It's a nice solution but it's probably overkill for his uses. He's not overclocking, he's not even concerned about temps, just noise. I like CLC's but mostly because of their ability to scale with heat better, at the lower end the tower coolers are a great value and you never have to worry about a pump failing or a joint leaking.

Not a bad suggestion for someone if there was a good deal and they wanted something that they could use for a few builds.

 

[Ketchup]

Kept on a silent profile (assiming your MB has one) the 212 evo should do nicely.

Even on a standard profile I don't think it gets a loud as the Intel stock unit.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Kept on a silent profile (assiming your MB has one) the 212 evo should fo nicely.

Even on a standard profile I don't think it gets a loud as the Intel stock unit.

I've had two of those CM 212's and still have a spare new in the box. They're the perfect all-around replacement for the Intel cooler. If this is all about replacing a failing OEM system while salvaging its good parts, I'd say it's the best option for the OP.

And just as good for a new build that doesn't require AiO or custom-H2O.

 

[highlanderfil]

Yeah, if I can't force my existing one to run quieter, I'll look at the 212. What are the normal operating temps of the i7-3770?

 

[Charlie98]

Yeah, if I can't force my existing one to run quieter, I'll look at the 212. What are the normal operating temps of the i7-3770?

If you want an even quieter option, get a 2nd fan and rig a push/pull fan setup on the 212 (the hardware to mount a 2nd fan is included with the cooler.) Using an adjusted fan profile in the BIOS or even a manual fan controller (it's what I do for my case fans) will allow you to keep the RPM down, and the twin fan setup will carry off the heat better.

 

[RainStryke]

Yeah, if I can't force my existing one to run quieter, I'll look at the 212. What are the normal operating temps of the i7-3770?

That depends on the cooler and thermal paste. I'm currently using a closed loop Intel cooler on my i7 3770K and I see temps around 72C under load. But my temps could be a hell of a lot better with coollabratory liquid metal pro or ultra. The only problem I have with that stuff is when you use it on your processor, you can't recognize what kind of processor it is anymore once you clean it off the heatsink. Happened to my i7 4790K. My temps on that processor were awesome though... It wouldn't break 50C under load with a Corsair H105.