Hardware Modding Geekery! (Computer silencing)

I recently did a few upgrades on my computer to make it run more quietly: this post is probably only useful for those of you who actually use a desktop machine on a regular basis. ("A desk-whaa?" "Oh, it's like a server, but slower." "Ohhh, ok.") But I'm hope that if this improves the computing quality of life for any of my friends, I've done a good thing.

As background, I visited my folks over the holidays, and my mom complained that her desktop computer sounds like a vacuum cleaner whenever it runs. I opened up the machine, and found that the CPU fan was ridiculously loud. When I was down there last month, I installed a replacement fan and power supply--a great improvement.


I bought the parts from EndPCNoise.com--they're a pretty good collection of quiet PC parts. They provide some good information: their basic primer/FAQ points out that the three big sources of noise are the CPU fan, the power supply fan, and the case fan.

When I came home, I realized that despite having an excellent case, power supply, and case fan (an Antec Sonata case), I was still running the stock CPU fan--and it was the single noisiest component. Off went another order for a CPU cooler (Nexus P4 Quiet CPU Fan PHT-3600). As a side note, if you are doing this on a P4, make sure you know what socket type (e.g., 478 or 775). Yeah, oops (one RMA later...).

Fortunately, I work at a company where I can just wander down to the equipment room to grab a decibel meter. Rock. Sound level with nothing on: around 30 dB. Turned on the machine: 40 dB.

Time to install the new CPU fan--check out the fin spacing. And the amount of dust stuck in the stock CPU fan.


Powered it up. 34 dB! All right!



Next, I installed case insulation (Nexus DampTek Noise Absorption Material)--it's basically mass-loaded vinyl adhered to a layer of foam. Fired up the machine again.



Huh. Not much difference. Either by ear, or by the dB meter (still around 35 dB). Ah well. Maybe it didn't have much of an effect because this is a case designed to be quiet (heavy steel walls), plus the fact that it is already filled with quiet components.

Anyway, yes, I know, there are more involved options to buy quieter machines--underclocking, making fans unnecessary with big heat sinks, media machines, etc. I'm just describing steps for working with the machine that I have--pretty cheap and easy solution, if you've up for it.