Noise - the main problem which overclockers face, as they say, sit behind powerful computer- sit at a noisy computer. But this is not true at all. After all, you and I have brains, and this is a huge plus on the way to reducing noise. In this article I will give ten different ways reduce PC noise.
Method One
What makes the loudest noise in a computer? Of course, the processor cooler (fan), that’s what you need to deal with first, but how? Now this is a more serious question, there are many ways to reduce the noise of a cooler, for example, lowering the voltage on it, or installing a special device that regulates the speed of the cooler with a special slider. But this doesn’t make much sense, because when the cooler rotation speed decreases, performance is correspondingly lost, and with poor cooling, the processor temperature rises, and the higher the processor temperature, the lower the stability and lifespan of the processor; an increase of every 10 degrees leads to a decrease in lifespan processor service life for 10(!) years, this is completely unacceptable, so you need to look for another way out. I'll tell you, you can simply replace the standard 60mm cooler with an 80mm one.
It's easier to understand these numbers if we compare them to our other sounds. Sound of the city through open window heard in sound 40-45 dB. Thus, noise constantly accompanies us. In Lithuania, there is a hygienic standard that sets the maximum permissible level of acoustic noise in premises. In accordance with this, the noise level in a residential premises cannot exceed 45 dB per day, 40 dB at night and 35 dB at night. More noise causes irritation and ultimately imbalance in the nervous system. A person adapts to constant noise and does not feel this way, but the negative effect of the noise does not decrease.
What will it give:
Firstly, greater productivity!
Secondly, less noise, which is what we wanted!
So let's get down to business, but how can this be done, because the sizes are different, and an 80mm cooler simply will not fit on a standard mount. I propose this solution: we measure the radiator and, based on the dimensions, we make a cardboard adapter; if everything is measured and made correctly, then the 80mm cooler will hold without additional fastening. So you and I have taken the first step on the path to silence.
On the contrary, continuous noise disrupts the central nervous system and causes stress. Long-term loud noise primarily affects the immune, nervous, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems, and then hearing loss. According to Raimondas Vaidgan, head of the Public Health Center at the Vilnius Public Health Centre, hearing loss appears after 10-20 years of daily noise. How quickly your hearing loss occurs will depend on many things. Permanent damage is less harmful than impulse damage because the ears do not adapt to it and hearing is more vulnerable.
Method two
What else does it publish? extraneous sounds? Of course the cooler is in the power supply. You can overcome this noise by regularly lubricating the cooler in the power supply, but this will not give the desired result. You can look for a quiet 80mm cooler, it is much quieter than usual. Of course, you noticed that the cooler is soldered into the power supply. No problem, we unsolder this one, expose the wires in the new one, and solder it, and that’s it, the noise in the power supply went away.
Constant noise is harmful because it causes headaches, coughing in the ears and insomnia, memory, attention and orientation deteriorate. Natural natural noise - the scratching of the wind, sea fog, most often - does not interfere, on the contrary, it works soothingly. However, when it rains heavily, depending on the roof you choose, it can end up feeling like you're inside a drum in your own home. We conducted a simple experiment to find out which coat is more common when it rains in a rain storm - iron sheets or metal sheets.
Method three
What else could be making noise? Of course, the body, now we will torture him. But anything moving, like coolers in the case, is nothing. The housing makes noise by vibration against the surface on which it stands. How to eliminate it? - Easy and simple, you need to go to the nearest market and buy a rubber gasket about a centimeter thick there, and put it under the body. Before doing this, it won’t hurt to remove the legs from the body; they will only get in the way.
When simulating heavy rain, we recorded sound emission rates: cement fiber sheets vibrated up to 60 dB, and a metal roofing sheet trembled 70 dB. According to scientists, a difference of 10 dB in a person is heard twice as loud, so this difference is not a sixth, but twice as high.
Obviously, noise cannot be completely avoided, but how can it be reduced? External noise can be reduced by home construction or renovation with energy efficient, thermal insulation and sound insulation systems for home windows, walls and roofing. In this way, we will reduce the impact of noise on our body and save energy.
Method Four
To further reduce the sound, you can cover the inside of the case with noise-absorbing materials that are sold on any market, and cover the entire case with them, without exception, inside, of course. After that, it’s worth buying a couple of 80mm coolers. Using pliers, bite off the iron protections (where the 80mm coolers will stand) to improve air circulation and insert the coolers. One is for blowing air, and the other is for blowing air. To improve air circulation inside the case, it wouldn’t hurt to round the cables. What does it mean? - And this means cutting them into strips of 6-7 veins and gluing them with tape or tape.
When preparing a project, it is necessary to take into account the reduction of noise inside the house, and it is advisable to take into account the functions of the premises in advance so that the sound of household appliances does not disturb the population. When purchasing a device, you must choose a quieter, higher class and ensure good internal sound insulation.
We invite you to watch the footage of the experiment. When designing and constructing new houses and renovating old ones, much attention is paid to building design, thermal insulation and the efficiency of engineering systems, but there are no soundproofing solutions. In buildings, people have different sources of sound.
Method Five
As a result of all this work, a lot of coolers appeared in our case, what if they full power not needed at all at some moments? How to temporarily reduce their power? -There is a special device, I think you can buy one because it doesn’t cost a lot of money, this device regulates the speed of the coolers, I already mentioned it above. All coolers in the system are connected to this device and the sliders on it regulate the voltage supply, and as a result the number of revolutions of the cooler, I believe that with such a device you can reduce the noise quite well.
An orchestra is an airy sound, such as language, music, Appliances or shocks from cars that go out of bounds, etc. Sound exposure is caused by the dynamic effects of solid bodies on building structures, such as walking, jumping, sliding furniture, etc. these sounds are transmitted directly to adjacent premises through structures or bypass roads.
It is this sound that we recognize as noise. Because it helps prevent sound-absorbing materials. When installing a metal structure profile on a soundproofing wall, remember that it cannot contact the wall directly. This is necessary to lay an elastic intermediate connection, which allows sound vibration waves from the wall to “jump” into the metal profile. In addition, it is better suited for special acoustic drywall.
As you noticed, it is possible to make a computer almost silent. And it’s not very difficult, if you want and have time, you can do it in one day, but then for the rest of your life you will be glad that you have a silent computer!
Afterword
I am not responsible for the integrity of your hardware if you have crooked hands. Resoldering a cooler to a power supply may result in loss of warranty.
The biggest conductors of noise. Before installing insulation, carefully inspect the walls and floors for any cracks or cracks. It is in such places that acoustic bridges are created and sound insulation is reduced. Any cracks should be sealed and putty. With an electrical outlet it's a little more complicated. If, as is typical in the construction of Soviet houses, the outlet passes through the wall into the next room, try to fill the voids with the best stone wool.
Radiators are also an excellent conductor of sound. They sneeze Cauchy, get angry, play music and watch TV. If it is not possible to cut them and throw away the heat in the styling, it should at least reduce the possibility of their sound vibration wave spreading. Where the pipe passes through a wall or ceiling, they must be insulated with an elastic foam fitting.
There are now completely silent desktop computers that have liquid cooling and an electromagnetic pump (no moving parts). But, if you are reading this article, then you most likely have a noisy budget computer.
This article is about how to assemble a relatively quiet computer from the cheapest components or quiet an existing one.
The ability of a radiator to directly resonate depends on their weights - the quietest iron and steel and aluminum tend to "make noise" much more. Water, gas, waste water and ventilation pipes in walls or ceilings of intersections must also be carefully insulated. It's even better to hide them in closed niches or shafts. As sound waves flow through pipes, it depends on their composition. New construction buildings are installed with copper, galvanized steel and plastic pipes.
The sewer system can be used to suppress pipe noise. They are made from mineralized plastic - usually polypropylene mixed with minerals. Passing through ordinary pipelines, water emitted up to 30 dB of sound. It is recommended to select brackets with a rubber gasket, which acts as an additional noise insulator.
It is necessary to immediately make a reservation that it will most likely not be possible to assemble a quiet and at the same time very productive computer based on a budget case. Yes, and there is little point in saving 100 - 120 dollars on the total cost system unit- 1000 - 1500 dollars.
It is assumed that it is necessary to reduce the noise of the system unit, which consumes 80 - 160 watts.
The entire pipe - like water and waste water and heating - the best elastic gasket brackets. Ventilation ducts are wrapped with soundproofing insulation, which is either insulated or factory-fitted with insulation. Nevertheless, maximum sound, emitted air supply from the ventilation system and exhaust gases from the device's engines, therefore the use of special sound suppressors that are installed in the ducts.
Noise from outside usually enters through leaky windows or doors. The more cameras have a plastic window frame, the better the noise isolation will be. New plastic windows are quite thick, the frame has 5 or even 6 chambers, and the total depth can be up to 80 mm, sometimes even more, it provides optimal thermal and acoustic insulation. Two or three-chamber glass packages protect against external noise better than single-chamber sound insulation. In addition, there are even special acoustic double-glazed windows.
Further we will talk only about the budget case, which, together with the power supply, costs 20 - 30 dollars. There are many varieties of these cases, but in terms of cooling they differ only in the ability to install a front fan.
Sources of noise.
U desktop computer there are only two constant sources of noise, these are fans and hard disks(HDD). The resonator of this speaker system serves as a thin-walled metal casing.
If the gap between the window frame and the brickwork is sealed properly, although there is still a small air gap, the sound insulation in that area will be weak, no matter how good the window is. External noise significantly reduces the external insulation of a building. Lithuanian hygiene standards permissible levels noise.
If in any case you communicate with other people in the house and farm items there was indeed any time to hear the words "thatched house". In the past few years, there has been more and more talk about them, thatched houses are often included, at least in the family to think about how to build a house should be. Although a breakthrough in the construction market cannot yet be called, such houses are growing every year. Is it worth building a house for you?
The most in a simple way To reduce fan noise is to reduce the speed of the propellers. Decrease HDD noise will require a major change in the hull design.
Case.
To minimize fan noise, it is advisable to consider the cooling system before purchasing a case, unless of course you have already purchased one.
The arrows in the photo show the directions of air flows, which are easy to create inside the system unit cases.
The World Health Organization estimates that 1 to 1.6 million people in Europe are affected by noise-related health problems each year, some of them irreversibly. For short-term noise starts headaches, difficulty falling asleep or worse memory, and constant noise can lead to cardiovascular disease, even high blood pressure, coronary heart disease seems more likely. Although controlling noise levels, with a person in the workplace, on the street or in transport, is usually not possible, experts note that in order to avoid constant noise, health problems can be protected, at least in their own houses.
Air flows in system units.
1 - power supply fan,
2 - processor fan,
3 — HDD fan
1 - power supply fan,
2 - processor fan,
3 - video card fan,
Sound solutions that can be implemented in your home can be divided into two groups. The first is acoustics, the second is sound insulation. Generally speaking, if you have one or another problem with the sound coming into the room, take care of the acoustics, and if you suffer from noise from neighboring apartments, your solutions will be related to sound insulation. Despite what it sounds like, the following areas have different methods and materials. Using acoustics for soundproofing materials to solve problems, you can be left with thinner money and unnecessary material on the walls, and the problem will still be just as bad.
4 — front HDD fan.
Which case to choose for the system unit?
It is best if you can choose a case with the ability to install a front fan. This case allows you to easily reduce the HDD temperature by 10-15 degrees without a significant increase in noise. It should be borne in mind that reducing the temperature of the HDD by 10 degrees approximately doubles its resource.
Although there are studies on the effects of secondhand smoke on our pets, unfortunately, this is still not the case. So it's not surprising that we don't usually think about how our actions affect nearby animals. Cork flooring is a lesser known type of wood flooring. Like any other wooden floor, this coating has its advantages and disadvantages. So is it worth trying in your home? Here are the pros and cons of cork flooring.
Cooling fans inside a computer are extremely important. They reduce the temperature of the processor and other computer components that tend to overheat and ensure that the computer maintains the correct operating temperature. However, the constant rotation of a fan can sound like a growing rocket, especially if multiple fans are running at the same time. Did you know that there is a way that will allow you to enjoy peace and serenity without the risk of damaging your computer?
Video card (Video).
How to choose a video card based on ease of cooling?
As an example, I will give cooling options for an inexpensive Radeon 2600Pro video card.
Most video cards are available in several versions, with active and passive cooling. Passively cooled video cards are a little more expensive, but do not contain a high-speed, small-sized fan, which not only generates noise, but also requires more frequent maintenance than larger fans.
The main thing when choosing a video card is to pay attention to the position of the radiator. The fact is that video cards with passive cooling and, accordingly, radiators installed on them come in two types: some are designed for vertical installation, others for horizontal installation.
The photos show the same video card with different cooling options.
1 - with active cooling,
2 - for vertical installation,
3 - suitable for horizontal installation, but in most cases, the heatsink will block the nearby PCI(E) connector,
4 - Best suited for horizontal installation.
The most suitable video card with a passive cooling system for installation in a vertical case is number 4.
Fans (Fans).
How to choose fans?
Fans vary in efficiency, noise level and the bearings they use.
But, if you can pay a little extra for the first two indicators, then with bearings the situation is different.
There are two types of bearings - ball bearings and plain bearings.
The fact is that ball bearings are more expensive, but they can also turn out to be quite noisy after a year - another job. In addition, during wear, the noise of ball bearings increases more than that of plain bearings.
Sliding bearings, with periodic lubrication, can last for many years, and their noise level will not change much.
Fortunately, buying a fan with ball bearings does not threaten us, since they are not used in budget fans, even if the seller swears to you that this is the case.
Also, you may be offered case fans with so-called hydro bearings. You shouldn’t overpay for this either, since these are the same sliding bearings, the bushings of which have grooves that improve oil access to the rubbing surfaces. The only problem is that usually bearings begin to wear out not because the oil is not delivered to the friction points, but because of insufficient precision in the manufacture of bearings, rotor eccentricity, due to the lack (drying) of lubricant or a change in its properties during the process. operation.
Another “improvement” that increases fan prices is the so-called electromagnetic clutch. It is believed that this thick metal washer, using a magnetic field, holds the shaft and thus reduces bearing wear. Everything would be fine, but this washer significantly shortens the length of the bearing, which cannot affect its service life. And you shouldn’t overpay for this either.
And one last thing. If you move the impeller by the edges with your fingers, you can easily determine the presence of play in the bearing. The amount of play is inversely proportional to the bearing life.
A cross-sectional drawing of a fan on a plain bearing can be viewed here
The initial choice of a fan can also be made based on appearance.
Quieter fans tend to have more aerodynamic impeller blades and lower current consumption.
For identical models, current consumption can serve as a proxy for performance and noise. Typically, the current consumption of inexpensive 80 mm low-noise fans is in the range of 0.1 - 0.15 Ampere, and 120 mm - 0.15 - 0.25 Ampere.
Here are some labels from budget fans. For all fans, the supply voltage is 12 Volts, but the current consumption is different for different models.
The following picture shows two 80 mm fans purchased at the same price. On the right is a quieter one, but less efficient.
We buy a fan.
Case fans can range in price from 2 to 10 dollars and more, but among inexpensive models you can choose not very noisy ones.
All fans indicate current consumption. Noise level data is provided for some models.
However, in any case, it is better to hear and feel once than to see many times.
In order to evaluate the performance, noise and vibration of a particular fan, it is enough to take a pre-assembled circuit with a connector at the end to the store. Comparing different models and even instances, you can choose fairly quiet fans.
When testing, you need to hold the fan in your hand, then you can evaluate the amount of vibration of the case.
Assignment of contacts (pinout) of connectors for different fans. The beginning of the numbering is marked with a unit, both on the fan connector and next to the connector installed on the motherboard.
Two-wire:
1 — “-” power supply
2 - “+” power supply
Three-wire:
1 — “-” power supply
2 - “+” power supply
3 - speed sensor
Four-wire
1 — “-” power supply
2 - “+” power supply
3 - speed sensor
4 - speed control
If the motherboard has four-pin connectors for connecting fans, this means that the motherboard can change the speed of the propellers depending on the temperature. Typically, this requires installing the appropriate utility or enabling the desired function in the BIOS.
Changing the rotation speed of the fan blades.
The supply voltage for all fans is 12 Volts. The easiest way to reduce the noise generated by fans is to reduce the speed of the propellers. To do this, just connect the ballast resistor in series with the fan. To select the required resistance and power of the resistor, it is enough to assemble the following circuit.
Having selected a suitable variable resistor value, you can calculate the required power for it.
The resistor power will be equal to:
W- required resistor power in Watts,
A- current flowing through the resistor in Amperes,
U— voltage across the resistor in Volts.
Although, you can do it easier. Simply measure the resistance of the variable resistor R1 and replace it with a constant one of the same resistance.
The power of the constant resistor can be selected in accordance with the current indicated on the fan label:
0.05 - 0.1A - 0.5 Watt,
0.1 - 0.2A - 1Watt
0.2 - 0.3A - 2 Watts
At the same time, it is not recommended to reduce the voltage on the fan below 6 volts, since a budget fan may not start at lower supply voltages.
In addition, if the voltage drops significantly, the fan lubrication should be inspected, especially if there is any suspicion. For example, if the fan makes strange sounds or starts hesitantly when the supply voltage is low.
To preserve the original connectors on the motherboard and fan, you can make adapters of a similar design. Adapters are also convenient because they allow you to change ballast resistors without removing fans, which can be useful when setting up a cooling system.
You can use any suitable connectors, the main thing is not to confuse the polarity. Connectors from old Soviet televisions and cassette recorders are suitable.
Several examples of installing ballast resistors.
1). Installing a ballast resistor in the power supply without using a connector (many budget units do not have this connector).
2). Installing a ballast resistor on a video card with alteration of the original connector.
3). Installing a ballast resistor using an adapter while fully maintaining the original connectors.
Power supply unit (PSU).
To reduce the speed of the propeller of the power supply, you will have to disassemble the power supply. At the same time, you can install a power filter, which most likely will not be in your budget unit. If the power supply fan remains too noisy even after reducing the supply voltage or its performance becomes insufficient to maintain the temperature in a reasonable range, then a quieter model should be installed in its place.
To reduce air flow resistance, you should bend the partitions in the stamped windows of the power supply housing.
Hull modification.
First, let's talk about what it's for.
Somehow checking the quality of reading hard drive Using a program that showed the reading process in real time, I decided to tap with a pencil on the body of the system unit, to which the hard drive was screwed, as it should be based on the design of the case.
It turned out that each such blow is accompanied by an increase in the time it takes to read blocks. Impacts, even the most insignificant ones, on the hard drive itself led to a whole fan of poorly readable blocks. But many computer desks are designed in such a way that the system unit is in mechanical contact with the table, which sometimes requires you to hit it with your fist.
In the case of installing two hard drives, interference noise caused by the beating of the spindle frequencies of these hard drives is also added.
These beats are in the region of low and infra-low frequencies. And if low frequencies in the region of 20 - 50 Hertz can simply be annoying, while infra-low frequencies can depress the nervous system and have a detrimental effect on a person’s internal organs.
So, by using an elastic suspension for hard drives, we kill two birds with one stone: firstly, we reduce unpleasant noise, and secondly, we protect the hard drives from external mechanical influences.
To make room for elastic hangers and prevent the hard drive from touching the walls, you will have to rearrange the two load-bearing walls of the case to which the hard drives are attached.
To do this, we first remove from the center of the rivets the remains of the pins (I don’t know what these things are called correctly), with the help of which they were flared.
Then we cut off the flared part and knock out what is left.
We mark and drill holes so that the distance between the walls increases by 20 - 30 mm. We select the diameter of the holes depending on the available fasteners.
We attach the walls to the body. In the photo the fastener is M2.5mm.
Now we install the front fan. If the front wall of the system unit is not removable, and this is what usually happens in budget units, then you can secure the fan with an elastic band. The ends of the rubber band must be inserted into the gap at the bottom between the case and the front panel, and then threaded through the holes in the case and the corresponding holes in the fan.
Then, you should pull the elastic band over the remaining loop and secure it at the bottom of the block. The design is not very aesthetic, but it makes it easy to remove and install the fan when you need to replace the lubricant in it.
Number one in the figure indicates the front fan, and number two indicates sections of vinyl chloride tube that prevent damage to the elastic suspensions, which will be discussed below.
To attach the hard drives, you will need to cut hangers from porous rubber or other sufficiently elastic material.
The photo shows that the pendants have two rows of holes for attaching to the system unit case. This is due to the fact that the holes in the hard drive case are located asymmetrically with respect to their center of gravity. Different lengths of the hangers compensate for this asymmetry so that the hard drives are located parallel to the bottom of the system unit. If a front fan is used, then it is advisable to adjust the length of the hangers so that the hard drives are located symmetrically with respect to the fan, for more uniform cooling.
We fasten the hard drives to the walls, having previously placed pieces of vinyl chloride tube on the legs protruding from the walls.
Temperature measurement.
To objectively assess the quality of the cooling system, you will need an electronic thermometer. Some computer components, such as the central processor, video card processor, HDD, have built-in temperature sensors. However, you should not limit yourself to just this data.
For example, if the processor's heatsink temperature is only 35 degrees, then it is hardly worth blowing it harder, regardless of the temperature of the crystal.
And vice versa, if the sensor shows a temperature of 60 degrees, and you measured the same temperature on the radiator, then you should think about blowing it.
Budget power supplies do not have a temperature sensor at all, or I don’t know how to take readings from it.
Samsung hard drives show a low temperature, and the error varies depending on the temperature value.
By touching the probe of an electronic thermometer to the cooling radiators, you can measure the temperature of the latter.
In order to measure the temperature of the power supply heatsink, you need to insert the thermometer probe through the rear grille.
Adjusting the cooling system.
First, turn off all the fans and turn on the computer, you need to monitor the temperature increase. For example, some configurations based on Pentium and Celeron third models could work with passive cooling. However, the design of a budget power supply is not suitable for operation in the absence of forced cooling. Therefore, in any case, we will need at least one case fan.
If the only fan is the power supply fan, then all the intake air must pass through the front openings of the system unit and exit through the outlet openings of the power supply outside the case.
And vice versa, if this fan is a front fan, then the case of the system unit must be sealed, and all the air pumped by the fan must exit through the outlet of the power supply unit. But you should remember that then, when you remove the cover from the system unit, the power supply may overheat.
An example of sealing a system unit using celluloid.
By reducing air flow, in conditions maximum load and the maximum temperature in the room, you need to measure the temperature of the radiators.
Do not raise the temperature higher for:
CPU, VGA, PSU - 50C (meaning the temperature of the radiators)
The crystal temperature may be higher.
Silicon crystals semiconductor devices They normally tolerate temperatures of 80 and even 100 degrees, but the reliability of the elements around them drops sharply. Therefore, what is important is not the temperature of the crystal, which we measure with a “thermometer” built into the crystal, but the temperature of the radiator, from which the surrounding parts are heated. Of course, if there is thermal conductive paste between the processors and radiators.
