Old man needs quiet computer: The o2 Whisper Build

Grump

I started this worklog on another forum that focuses on silent PCs, but I got almost no feedback. A modder mods as much for the feedback as they do for the sheer joy of using small power tools and sputtering paint cans. So, I moved it to another forum that does focus on modding. But alas, my mods are pretty boring to some of those extreme modders - add in the fact that I just can't mod like I used to because of my health (bad lungs), this project was not very inspiring or exciting to that forum. And without the feedback, it's not very inspiring to me either.

So, I heard you guys are dull and boring... uh, I mean are into even the dull and boring mods of a guy like me. I thought maybe I could do what very well could be my last modding project (hey, I'm a realist, not in denial, so don't you be either).

The mods will be very simple. My primary goal is to end up with a very quiet desktop PC that doesn't take up much room, looks nice and has all the power I need. I'm not a gamer, but I really enjoy building websites, running my own forum (floor covering), designing graphics and managing my photography (I'm just an amateur).

I chose the AeroCool M40 as the case. It's handsome, built strong and is a small form factor case that is a little bigger than a lot of other SFF cases.

Click any image to see full-size.


One of the methods of silencing a computer is to make the fans turn slower. Problem with this, especially with a lot of heat generating components in a small case, is over-heating. Reducing air flow obstructions can help increase the volume of air circulating around your case innards. Part of the noise you hear is the air getting tangled up - turbulence. I think removing some of the restrictive, case stamped venting will help increase air flow and reduce turbulence.




The removal of the stamped screen in front will allow the 120mm fan to suck in more air at slower speeds. This, I think, is the most important modification in this case because the actual area in the front of this case that can allow air to pass through is much smaller than the 120mm fan size. The power and reset buttons and the front panel I/O ports obstruct part of the fan.

The removal of sections of the upper deck will allow the power supply fan to pull in more unrestricted air and the CPU cooler to function better with more clearance above it. I did have to be careful of how much material I could remove and still maintain structural strength and rigidity.

The selection of components in any SFF case is limited. AeroCool actually suggests no power supply longer than 140mm and preferably a non-modular unit. Well, that kinda leaves out all the really good PSUs. Power supply fans are also notorious for being one of the noisiest components of a computer. I decided to shop for one that was powerful, had only 1 fan and that fan had to be quiet. I felt I had enough modding capability to get around the 140mm length issue.

My PSU choice is the Seasonic X-650 - plenty powerful, modular and currently one of the quietest PSU's on the market. It measures a full 160mm long. Leaving the hard drive cage in the stock position would prevent me from using this PSU unless I reversed the HDD in the cage and had the power/data cables facing the front of the case. But even though it works there, there isn't much air flow in that location and hard drives get hotter there.

I have no reason to get more than one optical drive, so this leaves me a 5½" drive bay open. I have a 3½"-5½" drive adapter, with rubber grommets to eliminate vibration.



Yesterday I did a little spray painting. I know for most of you this is nothing special, but it is to me. About 4 years ago I had to give up modding and my flooring business because of lung disease and painting is one of the most dangerous things I can do - or shouldn't do. But I guess you can consider me the literal "die-hard" modder. I realize I can't paint like I used to, and this case is plenty attractive to me as it is. But I hate an unfinished backplane. Cases don't always get shoved up against the wall and this one won't either.



I mounted some of the hardware so I could map out where I want to rout the wiring. I managed to rub off some of the paint on the I/O shield edge, but I do like the look of the back when it matches the rest of the case. I'll do the touch-up before I call it finished.

Wire management is also important to cut down on the air flow obstacles - and it just looks better. There's no reason good wire management can't also be functional wire management. This case has a split top half that hinges open, so I have to provide some slack in the cables while still hiding them away. I don't have all the components yet, but I have a good start on the wiring plan.




I chose Noctua case fans because they are very quiet and efficient. The front is a 120mm attached to a PMW header and the rear fan, which I mounted in the upper bay, will also bring air into the case to cool the optical and hard drives, as well as provide some circular air patterns (front fan is on the lower-right, rear fan on the upper-left). My assumption is the exhausted air will leave through the rear of the PSU and the case openings above the I/O shield on the back.


Click any image to see full-size.

Yes, I painted the bottom of the chassis too - there are openings you can see through in the front bezel and I don't like grey carcass showing through.

More components are on the way, but some of the more expensive parts will have to wait a bit. My income isn't what it used to be, so maybe I'll find some old lunch pails, furniture or a NeXT Cube case to sell. I will keep this worklog updated as I progress.

Looking forward to your feedback,

R'gards,

Grump

Cliff_Forster

Grump wrote:

I started this worklog on another forum that focuses on silent PCs, but I got almost no feedback. A modder mods as much for the feedback as they do for the sheer joy of using small power tools and sputtering paint cans. So, I moved it to another forum that does focus on modding. But alas, my mods are pretty boring to some of those extreme modders - add in the fact that I just can't mod like I used to because of my health (bad lungs), this project was not very inspiring or exciting to that forum. And without the feedback, it's not very inspiring to me either.

SNIP...

I love the stack design on that case. Looking good, I dig it.

UPSLynx

What a fantastic mod!

The build is looking great so far. Has a very sleek look to it. Color consistency is something often overlooked. Cable management looks excellent so far as well, though in a smaller FF build like this, that is generally an advantage to be had.

That unshielded Noctua fan is going to look sweet when it is powered on.

Have you tried to power it on yet to get a feel for the quietness of the setup yet?

Please continue to update with pictures as you build, I'm looking forward to seeing this one finished!

Bandrik

From what I'm reading so far, the case looks like it's coming along great. You certainly know what to look for -- you covered everything I personally would be concerned with. And a greatly appreciate all the nice crisp photos you supplied as well.

The case interior looks roomy and has plenty of ability to move air through it. Your cable management looks spot on, and I'm liking the paint job you applied (also major props for braving the particulates considering your lung condition).

Only thing that may make it "quieter" is perhaps liquid cooling, but I think the choice of going with large fans that turn at low RPMs is plenty sufficient.

Grump, I don't consider this a "boring" case mod at all. In fact, I tend to scoff at over-the-top glowing case mods. I'd rather have function over form, and this is looking nice while being incredibly useful - a good workstation computer that won't be noisy or distracting. And to compliment the "no distraction" bit, it doesn't look loaded all the glowey or blinky bits either.

Well done, sir. I look forward to future updates and photos.

Leonardo

You will need to be a magician with respect to cable management. I hope I'm wrong. Looking forward to your continued documentation of this build! Thanks for posting.

Grump

UPSLynx wrote:

That unshielded Noctua fan is going to look sweet when it is powered on.

You mean the front case fan? That's gonna be covered by the front bezels. No lights, no strobes, nothin' fancy. Just cool, clean o2 washing quietly over motherboard components. No fan on the video card either:



I haven't plugged it in yet, so I don't know what it sounds like so far. I hadn't planned on powering anything until the last component was on. It might take a wile. My budget is already shot this month and next - Winter is over and I need to buy 2 new tires for my ride to stay legal, need a new pair of glasses and... I HATE bein' poor. I used to own my own business and did pretty well before I got sick. But I took better care of employee needs than I did my own - no insurance, savings depleted and now on a military pension. I guess it was okay to volunteer to get shot at in the late 60s.

I thought there was a for sale or trade forum here. ??? I got some old NeXT Cube cases that might help me. Point me in the right direction someone?

Anyway, while I'm waiting to fund this project, I am getting ready to spend some quality time on the patio. I have the best landlord who lets me do anything I want.

Bleh:


Gettin' better:


This kinda paint (only primer so far) I can handle. The saw dust is a pain, but it's gonna be really nice - almost as nice as a new custom computer.

oops

Grump

Grump

Bandrik wrote:

... And a greatly appreciate all the nice crisp photos you supplied as well.

Thanks. I always think pictures make a discussion much more interesting and personal. And I like to shoot pictures.

... and I'm liking the paint job you applied (also major props for braving the particulates considering your lung condition).

Paying for it today too, but I'm using the excuse that it's clouding over, gettin' ready for the (last, I hope) snowfall. But I do wear a filter mask. It's really hard to breathe with a respirator and I have an oxygen hose in my nose all the time that makes it hard to use. But the little bit I had to do wasn't bad - I did it all outside yesterday while I was putting primer on my new arbor and fence.

Grump, I don't consider this a "boring" case mod at all. In fact, I tend to scoff at over-the-top glowing case mods. I'd rather have function over form, and this is looking nice while being incredibly useful - a good workstation computer that won't be noisy or distracting. And to compliment the "no distraction" bit, it doesn't look loaded all the glowey or blinky bits either.

Oh jeez, you'da hated my last mod. I was sponsored by Cooler Master and some other companies and took this thing on a LAN Party tour late summer 2004:



And talk about bling...


That was my first major mod and got featured in CPU magazine Oct. 2003. I think if I could handle it, this current project would have some more elaborate mods. But the lights and stuff is an irritant, especially when it's just a foot or two away.

Maybe it's old age.

Thanks to everyone for the great comments.

Grump

Leonardo

I thought there was a for sale or trade forum here.

HERE

Grump

My CPU cooler came in today. I worried that it would be too tall, but I shoulda worried it would be too wide. All I could think about was the great reviews the Zipang2 got. The stated height had me worried because I didn't know how hight the mounting surface was off the case floor - I ordered the cooler before I had a motherboard (they're all pretty close to the same anyway, but I still didn't know the dimension).



This means there's no room for a video card in the PCI Express 16 slot running at PCIEX16. I could put it in the PCI Express slot running at PCIEX8, but that doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

I think even a 120mm would be too wide. I didn't know this would be a problem in a mATX board, but it is. I'm wondering if the Nexus FLC-3000 cooler might be a better choice. It's a little tall, but it's slanted so only a small portion of it might poke through the hole I cut in the second level floor.



Whata ya think? If any of you have any suggestions, let me know. I can prob'ly return this cooler to Performance PCs in exchange for the FLC-3000. But if that's not a good idea, I can exchange it for the CPU (it's only about 10 bucks higher there than Amazon) and then get a CPU cooler elsewhere.

Let me know what you think.

Grump

Cliff_Forster

Can you turn the cooler having the heat-pipes oriented in a different direction?

Grump

Yes, I did discover that the mounting points are square and the cooler can be turned to all 4 sides. But it still covers the PCIe x16 slot at some point. The cooler is also a little crooked:



A corner of the cooler is always in the way. But even if it wasn't, it would be a too-close fit. I don't have the video card to confirm it, but it's very likely the fins would be touching the back of the video card. That wouldn't bee good.

Grump

mirage

Have you considered modding that case for a Corsair H50 or Coolit ECO.

Grump

No, I'm not going to consider any liquid cooling options. This case has room for only one 120mm fan - at the front. The Coolit ECO looks real sharp, but not enough for me to want to make it fit somehow.

Thanks,

Grump

BuddyJ

This should work better. It's narrower.
http://www.heatsinkfactory.com/cogage-mst-140-cpu-cooler-socket-lga-775-1366.html

The MST-140 has a standard Thermalright base so any of their mount kits will work if you're not using a 775 or 1366 chip. I put a TRUE Spirit on an AM3 chip that way. Works great.

Grump

Thanks, Buddy, but anything over 100mm will be too wide. I think I'm going for the new Cooler Master Vortex Plus.



Grump

Grump

Grump wrote:

...No fan on the video card either:

I think I spoke too soon. I've been so anxious about this new build. It's been a long time since my last one and this one has taken a painfully long time because I just don't have the money to get everything at once. So, I finally get the video card that was so highly recommended, the PowerColor SCS3 HD 5750 1GB GDDR5 - a silent wonder of video power.

I kept it in the box until I got my CPU in the mail. I took it out to marvel, but the motherboard wasn't mounted, so I just put it away to wait. I almost waited too long.

Click images for full-size.


This video card is about ¾" too tall. A few more days and I wouldn't have been able to return it to Amazon.

So, I liked the power of this card and silence is a real concern because the case (an AeroCool M40) will be sitting on the desk right next to my trackball. None of the other 5750 fanless coolers will fit, as far as I can tell. This one may be taller than all the rest, but all of them seem to have heat pipes or something else sitting high on the PCB.

I am not a gamer, but I do a lot of graphics work and editing my own pictures with high end photo and graphics programs. I also have up to 6 or 7 programs open at the same time doing tasks, usually involving website graphics and coding. My guess is that some of the specs below are going to be what I should be looking for, but some of you may know better. I'm hoping you can help me find something quiet, if I can't have completely silent.

1GB memory
probably GDDR5
128bit should work, but would 256 be better?
under $200.00

I'm not interested in cheap, but I do have a limited budget, so I haven't bothered looking at some of the no-name brands (or unproven brands). The above card was $164.00, so I'd like to stay in that range if I can.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Grump

NullenVoyd

Great work on this! Custom projects always have something or other come up with them, but I think that's half the fun.

Part of me thinks that if you're going to be having 3 fans going in this thing anyways, adding one with a vid card might not make any difference, esp if you find one with a larger fan on it. Then again, part of me might just have lobbed off the offending material on the vga cooler with a rotary tool, or taken it off and heated the pipes to bend the thing sideways at an angle till it fits (which I'd have tried with the original hue-jazz cpu cooler as well).

This looked like it was possibly just shorter enough to work, but it still might be a gamble on fit. (Linking to newegg mostly just for example)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125328

If my thinking is right, something cooled like this should be noticeably more quiet then one of the closed-in cards which instead force air through a tunnel made out of the heat sink which exits via the slots.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102898

Otherwise, you can get some very useable vid cards if you don't need high specs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102876

Good luck and keep posting - it is excellent to see your progress!

jedihobbit

As a lover of small, really like the way this is going!!

Cliff_Forster

I have a 5750 with the standard fan and heatsink and honestly, its quiet, it just does not run hot at all. Now, thats in a mATX case with decent airflow, but still, I should think you will get near silent operation with the standard fan and heat-sink.

Now, that being said, if your not a gamer, I think you might be just as well served with this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161342&cm_re=5570-_-14-161-342-_-Product

Its going to get you something thats better than board video, with some acceleration for your editing and conversion projects, and a good enough card for playing some older DX9 titles if you like that flexibility from time to time. Passive heatsink, low profile, and well inside your budget, it might be the right compromise to make on this one?

Mnpctech

Any new updates Grump?

Waves @ Cliff and jedihobbit

custompcmax referred me!