Number 258 - November 2004

Quiet Please
by Vinny La Bash, vlabash@home.com Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc. ,Sept 2004
Does that $#@&* computer have to make so much darn noise? If this has a familiar ring to it, you're probably interested in finding ways to eliminate or at least reduce the racket from your computer. Computer reviews focus on performance, disk drive capacity, speed, and graphics resolution. Very few mention noise levels. Fewer offer any solutions in how to deal with them.    Before tackling various ways to quiet your machine, you need to know the source of most computer generated noise. Computer noises come from several different sources, and some may surprise you.    You don't normally think of your computer's case as a noise source, but poorly constructed ones will amplify rather than suppress sound. Cases made from lightweight aluminum are big offenders.    Hard drives generate sound in three different ways. The internal metal platters, spinning at thousands of times a minute, create some noise and that's compounded by the constant flicking of the drive heads that read and record your data. Fans aimed at cooling your drives add to the overall din.    Optical drives can spin at rates of 10,000 rpm and higher. That's much faster than most hard drives or high performance boat engines. Burning CDs on high performance optical drives can sound like a jet fighter going into afterburner. The higher priced models include cooling fans that produce more noise.    In the days of the 486 chip, CPU speed topped out around 100MHz. Heat was not an issue. Modern CPUs are capable of warming a room. Heat is a problem because a heat sink can't cool the CPU by itself anymore. Most manufacturers provide fans for additional cooling, and that means additional noise.    Chipsets on the motherboard are asked to perform a multitude of jobs today. Your chipset determines much more than the number and kind of expansion slots, and how much memory you can install. Additional duties include USB, Firewire, 3D graphics, and LAN controls. Modern motherboards can include a fan with the northbridge chipset, and that means more heat and more noise.    Oh for the days when you could simply install a video card, hook up your monitor, and be done with it. ATI and nVidia both seem to be in a contest to see who can produce a graphics card that can turn out the most heat and sound.    Power supplies have grown larger over the years to handle the ever increasing loads we ask them to bear. 400 watt power supplies are no longer oddities. All this power generates heat and the easiest solution for manufacturers is to install fans for cooling. This cools the power supply, but contributes to the noise level.    The internal components of your machine radiate enough heat to turn your system into a molten slag heap unless properly cooled. The cheapest way to move this heat is with fans. Most systems have one or two strategically placed cooling fans. Higher priced systems can have as many as seven fans, all of which add to the noise.    Now that you know what causes the noise from your system, what can you do about it?	There are three ways to reduce or eliminate noise from your system. As you might suspect, each has its rewards and drawbacks. Examine the options, and you will probably determine that the ideal strategy for you is some combination of these methods.    1. Soundproofing: There are several different kinds of insulation or sound deadening material that you can apply to the inside of your case. The idea is that these materials will absorb internal sound generated by your system. You have to be careful how you place the material because, if you do it wrong, you can increase internal temperatures to dangerous levels. You can get help online from the following sources:    www.dynamat.com, www.frozencpu.com, and www.quietpc.com.    You can purchase noise and vibration absorbing pads along with instructions for proper installation. Another reason to use these materials is they reduce the resonance of your system's case. This lowers the noise level of any internal fans.    Advantages: This method is reasonably effective and relatively inexpensive.    Disadvantages: Incorrect installation can raise internal temperatures to a level that can damage components.    2. Component Replacement: The most effective way to resolve a problem is to attack it at its source. Replacing a noisy component with a quiet one does that quite nicely. A number of companies now design and build quiet fans, power supplies, video cards, and hard drives. You may have to do some research if you decide to take this route, but the results can be worth the trouble.    Advantages: Very effective because it cuts off noise at the source.    Disadvantages: You could be sacrificing performance, and replacing more than one or two devices can get expensive.    3. Water Cooling: Consider this only if your system is driving you or someone you care about crazy. Many consider water cooling to be an extreme solution for eliminating PC noise, and it is. However it's the most effective solution known. It works in a manner similar to the way the water cooling system in your automobile works. Water circulates through your system's case, drawing heat away from components. A pump moves the heated water to a radiator where it is cooled, and the liquid begins its journey again. The water pumps are designed to be extra quiet.    Advantages: Extremely effective and very quiet.    Disadvantages: The best water cooling kits can be very expensive. If a hose breaks or leaks, your system can be damaged beyond repair.    Since water cooling is a drastic act, most people will probably replace the noisiest component of a system or install some sound deadening material. Analyze your system and make the best choice.
Number 258 - November 2004