Oh No, i assembled a noisy device with antec's p182

[bramdo]

Hello guys,

You've read it right, I only have 2 square meters of office space in our rather small house. Because i helped a friend with some serious, and urgent, pc problems I had the opportunity to buy an Antec p182 and the quattro 850 w power supply.

In the case there're three fans but i removed the one near the power supply because that one is already sucking some air. So two fans (on slow), a silent CPU Cooler (Scythe Ninja) and still it's like i am working inside a windtunnel. Especially the power supply is doing overtime so my question is:
- is this normal
- can i do something about it
- do i have to replace the cooler in the compartment below

Please help because i have to work a lot and this isn't funny
Bram

 

[Bluefront]

No...excessive noise is not normal. Your noisy PSU is the first thing to change. Seasonic makes a bunch of quiet models. The new Enermax models are now the top-rated quiet PSUs on SPCR (SilentPC Review).

 

[BlueAcolyte]

Maybe it's loud because it's overheating? I dunno, add the 3rd fan back, the P182 is supposed to have a fan in the bottom.

 

[aigomorla]

my guess is right now its the 8800GTS

 

[DarkRogue]

The Antec Tri-Cool fans are terrible.

I had them on my P182 as well, but on the LOWEST setting they still spin at 1200rpm, which is the speed of the Scythe Ninja's stock fan at maximum, and they're much louder. Remove them and/or replace them with quieter fans and/or undervolt them.

 

[bramdo]

Hi guys, thanks for the replies.

- Concerning the geforce, it's perfectly since i have used it in the p180 case and from the moment windows starts it's hardly noticable.

- The third fan below, Personally i have the feeling that the oversized psu is drawing enough air for that compartiment?

- The antec's tri-cool, that's something i will start with.

- Are there silent yet powerfull psu's?

Thanks
Bram

 

[Bluefront]

Rather than just guessing.....find out what really is making the most noise. Then replace it. It's easy enough.....start up your computer with a straw or something stopping a fan from starting to spin. After a few seconds, pull out the straw. You can isolate a particular fan and find the guilty one.

There are plenty of quiet PSUs that are powerful...... like this Enermax. Look for a PSU that is rated "80 Plus"......... NewEgg lists 90 different models. This is the new spec. for power supplies, and usually assures that they'll be quieter than older models.

 

[WoodButcher]

Your psu is probably the culprit, removing the fan from the back makes it worse. Replace all your fans including the one in the psu rather than buying a new one. Yate Loons are a good choice, the med speed most likely more than enough. Cut out the fan grill in the back, this impedes airflow, increasing temps, causing your fans that are thermally controlled like your psu to ramp up and also causes noise. Use rubber screws to decouple your fans from the case.

 

[chronox]

If you have the top vent fan installed, then you might notice a low, resonating hum due to the fan being hard-mounted to the top of the case. In mine, I actually took the fan and put it at the bottom in front of the PSU. I run all 3 stock fans at low-speed and generate very little noise.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: DarkRogue
The Antec Tri-Cool fans are terrible.

I agree. They're the noisiest part of my HTPC (Antec NSK2480 with two TriCools on low). Also, I have a Quattro 850W and that's one noisy SOB. Nice and quiet on a power up test, but in real use, pretty noisy with even a moderate system (8800GT, E6750, 2x HDD). Start with the PSU first since I'd say it creates the most noise.

 

[DarkRogue]

I simply removed the top fan and replaced it with a block of foam to reduce noise as well as block off the vent so that the rear fan pulls air through the front intake rather than the shortcut there.

Equip low-noise fans with silicone de-coupling fan mounts, one in the rear, one in the HD bay only if you have more than 2 HD's down there and undervolt them. Equip a low-noise fan on a heatsink like the Ninja that does well with low airflow and undervolt or run passively. Undervolt VGA fan if you can afford to. Run a quiet PSU and use its built-in fan to draw air to cool 1 or 2 HDs in the lower bay area. Do the front intake grill mod. Those are the general tips I catch on SPCR about quieting a P182. If you want to go the extra mile, seal up the rest of the vents to control airflow achieved via negative pressure, and use sound dampening/absorbing material inside the case to reduce noise even more.

Most of that is overkill for me, but that's strictly my opinion, I can tolerate more noise than the SPCR people. At most, I did the intake vent mod and undervolted a couple fans and it's very quiet.

 

[bramdo]

Dear all,

thanks for the stimulating ideas and the feedback.

Now, indeed the elimination exercise revealed the tpq 850 psu as the noisiest part in the setup. I mailed Antec and they convinced me (supported by tons of reviews) that the psu normally doesn't make that much noise and that i should rma it.

However I tend to believe ZAP that the psu is in real life (not on a short review magzines' test) is a noisy device. I regret this since it costs me 150 ? (almost 190 usd) and i picked it because this is the brand my shop had in stock and based on some reviews

Now i will,
- replace the tricools and the scyth ninja fans
- rma the psu and hoping that it's more quiet
- last but not least i've bought be quiet! damping panels but is it safe to use these (temperature rising?)

Thanks for your expertise, always great to know there's an objective source of information,
Bram

 

[Bluefront]

I'll just bet the new RMA PSU will sound exactly the same as the one you have now. Here's what I'd do...... when you get the new PSU immediately E-Bay the thing, and then buy a different brand that is really quiet. If you want the quietest possible, post the question on SPCR. They'll probably convince you that a 500W model is all you need, and suggest the quieter models.

PSUs are often the noisiest thing in a computer. If the PSU was not brand new, I suggest a fan change also.....but kiss your warranty good-by then.

I've been using fan-less Fortron 300w PSUs for several years.....no problems, no noise.