Key components of the silent computer. New quiet cases, power supplies and CPU coolers in 2009

Today is another article in a series of mini-reviews. This time we will talk about ergonomics and its important component, such as minimizing noise emitted by a computer.

As you know, in addition to hard drives, noise sources inside the case are all kinds of fans. So far, the assembly of a powerful system unit, completely devoid of moving parts, rarely succeeded outside the walls of test laboratories. More precisely, it is possible to assemble something, but to ensure long-term stable work is not so simple. And if so, then at least try to pick up the components that produce the minimum noise.

It is gratifying that the manufacturers finally began to pay close attention to the level of noise, so the choice of the right components gradually becomes easier. For myself, I have solved this problem long ago and successfully , but progress does not stand still, and collecting a silent system today, you can choose more advanced solutions. Therefore, I will talk about what has been found interesting in this area in the last 3-4 months.
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Let's start with the cases (inside 1.5 MB images).

At the end of March, Antec pleased us with updated models of the legendary Performance One series: P183 and P193. Stated improving the cooling system and noise reduction.



Fans of silence on silenpcreview.com have already tested the model P183 and were very pleased with it. The article, by the way, shows the differences from the previous model P182. I highly recommend those who are looking after the quiet building to pay close attention to the P183.

All the same silenpcreview.com tells about the experience of assembling a system unit with a single moving part - a large and very slow case fan. They even came up with the term - SMMPC (Single Moving Part PC).



The assembly process is described in detail and fascinating. Yes, they use a small SSD as a system disk, and a capacious hard disk for information is the NAS QNAP 109 Pro, to which all the computers in the office are connected. In my opinion a good decision.

At the F-Center, I found a review of the Mini Antec P180 and NSK6580B packages, which was published at the beginning of the year.





I once regretted that I bought a big P182, but now I see that I was not mistaken. The miniature Mini P180 supports the installation of micro-ATX boards only. Otherwise, apparently, this is an excellent body, inheriting all the advantages of the older model and in some ways, perhaps, it surpassed it. The second model, NSK6580B, also showed itself from a good side and may well be suitable for assembling a low-noise budget system.

Zalman introduced the engineering model of the new MS1000 building.



Besides the fact that it should be traditionally quiet, it has another interesting feature - the design provides the ability to hot-swap disks. Look at the reviews when it comes into mass production.

The new Corsair Obsidian 800D looks quite impressive.



Judging by the configuration (and the price of $ 299), it should be comfortable and functional. But since I haven’t met any articles about him yet, I just mark them for the future.

An interesting review of Hiper aluminum cases was published in May at the F-Center.





Good functionality and excellent cooling quality, especially hard drives. It seems that Lian-Li has a worthy competitor.

Now a few words about specialized cases.

It seemed interesting HTPC-chassis Lian-Li PC-C39.



Aluminum looks traditionally beautiful. Alarmingly, however, the presence of two small fans, which are quite likely, will not be noiseless. But without tests, this is just a guess. The price of $ 120 does not seem high for Lian-Li.

Just yesterday, silenpcreview.com published a review of another HTPC model - Moneual MonCaso 301.



They admire its performance and noise level. True, to ensure silence it is necessary to choose the right stuffing, but it is argued that the system as a result is not audible at all. The price of the case “there” is $ 190.

And the last case for today is for Mini-ITX boards. This is the Spire PowerCube.



Compact it can not be called (345x135x220), but it allows you to install a full-size power supply, optical drive and hard drive. Again, when choosing the right stuffing, you can make an almost silent media center or just a compact home computer.

Next on our list are power supplies.

The Enhance ENP-3650 block with a semi-passive cooling circuit seemed interesting .



The fan (loud) turns on when the temperature of the radiator rises to 78 degrees. However, judging by the results of the test, after an hour of work with a consumption of 115 W, the radiator heated to 47 degrees. So much is certainly not the most powerful system consumed, but at a price of $ 115 the power supply can be considered as a good solution for an average HTPC or home server. The main thing is to choose the right components, and then the fan will not turn on.

His power supply unexpectedly showed Scythe, traditionally specializing in cooling systems.



The name sounds funny in Russian - Kamariki 4. It is completed with a 100-mm fan, small by today's standards, with a declared noise level of 20.7 - 25.6 dBA, depending on the model (differing in power). But this is only a statement, we must wait for the test results.

On iXBT , an Antec Neo 430 power supply has recently appeared .



With a load of up to 190 watts, the noise level does not exceed 24 dBA, which is a good indicator. However, the fan of 80 mm is alarming. I do not have a very good experience with the Antec Sonata III case, which, according to the statements, also works very quietly, but in practice it is noticeably audible even with small loads. It also has an 80mm fan. Therefore, I would not buy this model for an uncompromisingly silent system.

But this Antec EarthWatts block is likely to be noiseless.



It costs, however, more expensive than the previous model.

Just for fun, I ’ll add to the review a new SilverStone power unit with a power of 1.5 kilowatts.



After this article, I can hardly imagine why such a device can be useful. Is that connect the pieces of the five system units?

Not so long ago released a new power supply Zalman.



This is a model of the Z-Machine 660 XT. Yes, it is expensive, but it justifies the price. It has, according to the review, ultra-low noise level, even at high power.

And finally, Enermax, whom I love so much, has released the BP of the now-green ECO80 + green series.



I almost have no doubts about the quality of the voltages being given out. And judging by the size of the fan 120 mm and the minimum rotation speed of 450 rpm, the noise level should be no worse than my Modu82 +. I am glad that a 350 watt model costs only $ 50, which will allow responsible administrators to put it into office PCs.

And the last topic for today is processor coolers.

Zalman has released a completely new model CNPS10X Extreme with adjustable revolutions.



The noise level at the minimum speed of 20 dBA. At silenpcreview.com already appeared review . It received a very good noise rating, but it was not as good in terms of cooling quality at minimum speed. And the price is impressive: giving $ 80 for a processor cooler is somehow too much.

Very effective looking cooler XILENCE XilentBlade XL.



The declared noise level is not higher than 18 dBA. I don’t know how true this is, but if they don’t lie, I would love to set myself that way, even just because of their appearance.

Promising cooler released Scythe.



Ultra low-profile model with a large fan should be great for compact cases. The minimum rotational speed of 650 rpm, which virtually eliminates any sound. I think that many will stop at it their choice when building a miniature system unit for, say, the medical center.

Scythe also offers some very thin 120-mm fans that can operate at 800 revs.



It can be useful if you need to quietly cool a component in an inaccessible place.

And finally, at the F-Center, there is just an excellent overview of 25 fan models - a comparison in terms of noise level and efficiency. It will help save a lot of time for those who are going to change the loud regular fans to the most quiet. The testing methodology is very interesting and, I would say, unique. I strongly recommend at least to see the conclusions.

This time I’ve got a big review, but I hope someone will find it useful.