Quiet computing

2005-04-02
, , , , , , ,
It's about the fans..
It's about the fans..

Computers >

(on Wikipedia)

I grew sick and tired of how loud computers had been getting, ever since CDROMs and CPU fans, faster HDDs and fan-requiring Graphics Acceleration.

See also:



Table of Contents [hide]

Solutions in software ∞

HDD acoustic management ∞

\hdparm  -M128  /dev/x

(this is probably already set by default)

MPlayer can reduce DVD player spin speed to reduce noise while maintaining perfect playback performance.

Limiting optical drive speeds (to reduce noise) ∞

Using hdparm ∞

(hdparm)

Untested.

CDROM-only! =(

hdparm -E 1 /dev/cdrom

Using MPlayer ∞

(MPlayer)

Tested, but doesn't seem to do anything.

mplayer -dvd-speed <factor or speed in KB/s> (DVD only)

Try to limit DVD speed (default: 0, no change). DVD base speed is about 1350KB/s, so a 8x drive can read at speeds up to 10800KB/s. Slower speeds make the drive more quiet, for watching DVDs 2700KB/s should be quiet and fast enough. MPlayer resets the speed to the drive default value on close. Values less than 100 mean multiples of 1350KB/s, i.e. −dvd−speed 8 selects 10800KB/s.

NOTE: You need write access to the DVD device to change the speed.

2017-08-23 ∞

Requirements:

  • Can run Linux
  • Has USB 3

  • Fanless

Niceties:

  • Wireless

  • Bluetooth

Notes:

  • Atom x5 CPU can do offline 4k video

As a misc box ∞

  • v = VGA
  • h = HDMI
  • e = Ethernet
  • w = WiFi

  • b = Bluetooth

☆ Cost Ram cmp 635 CPU v h e w b Notes
4☆ 140 2 2☆ x5-Z8350 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
4☆ 141 2 2☆ x5-Z8350 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ comes with a bluetooth keyboard+touchpad
4☆ 190 4 2☆ x5-Z8350 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
4☆ 140 2 2☆ x5-Z8350 ✓ ✓ Windows 10
Tiny stickǃ
4☆ 230 4 2☆ x5-Z8350 ✓ ✓ bluetooth 2.4
Tiny stickǃ
4☆ 244+ 4 4☆ N3160 ✓ ✓ ✓ DisplayPort, Windows 10 Home
3☆ 270 2 4☆ J1900 ✓x4
3☆ 260 2 3☆ J1800 ✓ ✓ ✓x2
3☆ 240 4 2☆ x5-Z8300 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Mini DisplayPort, bluetooth 4.2
licensed Windows 10
3☆ 205 2 3☆ N2808 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
2☆ 290 4 2☆ N3150 ✓x2 ✓x2
1☆ 275 2 2☆ 3215U ✓x2 ✓x2
☆ Cost Ram cmp 635 CPU v h e w b Notes

Other notables, to be integrated above:

2☆
x5-Z8350

As a desktop ∞

Requirements:

  • Can run Windows
  • Can run Linux
  • Has USB 3
  • Fanless
  • 8 GB RAM
  • Ethernet

  • Reasonably comparable to an AMD Athlon II X4 635

☆ Cost Ram cmp 635 CPU Notes
4☆ 350 8 4☆ J1900 4x ethernet, wifi
4☆ 350 8 4☆ J1900 4x ethernet, 16 GB SSD
2☆ 370 8 2☆ N3450 VGA, HDMI, wifi
1☆ 330 8 2☆ 3215U

Notes ∞

Currently unavailable:

--

Stores and stuff ∞

Ancient notes ∞

  • Undervoltaging to underclock and reduce the multiplier
  • Sound insulation

  • There are/were silent drive enclosures

    • e.g. Molex SilentDrive Acoustic Enclosure
      -- rated at 55C - hard drives which dissipate up to around 6.8 watts of heat (1" drives only)
      -- They have quiet heatsink fanss, although many new ones have fans which change speeds to try to remain quiet.

  • Use a notebook HDD

    • Or an SSD, obviously.
  • A CPU with a low Thermal Design Power (TDP)

  • A CPU which is fanless could have a duct made, which runs to the PSU to leverage that as an exhaust.

    • A PSU which is positioned at the top of the case might be just as effective.
  • The Sony 4x CDROM drive is quiet.

  • The Kenwood 72x CDROM drive is supposedly quiet, but was expensive as of 2001-08.

Misc things I've owned ∞

Quick Tips ∞

https://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?t=1033342

  • Have stronger fans blowing in than out, that way any air leaks are blowing air out not pulling air in. This way, your filtered air from your intake fans are filtering all the air going in, and only filtered air is going out.. no contamination.
  • Add an air filter to the front

  • Suspend your fans so they don't vibrate.

    • Most fans have good attachments, but they can be replaced with rubber ones.

  • Heat pumps (liquid cooling) are quieter

A quiet power supply ∞

  • Removing the stamp grill off your case/PSU and replacing it with a wire grille might help a lot.

    • Be careful!
  • Open up the intake slots (bend them or cut some of them out... or maybe even cut a big hole and install some window screen).

  • Install a low-power fan (like a Panaflo L1A). This isn't recommended if your power supply fan doubles as a case exhaust fan.

(This must have been mangled when it was ported from the old setup)

Create a muffler around the end of the fan output to muffle the sound:

(crossection)

#      = sound damping
arrows = air direction for exhaust  

.--------
|########
|#     -->
|# ^  ------------
|# |  ############
|#                 <--- fan
|#
|# |  ############
|# v  ------------
|#     -->
|########
'--------

Quiet fans ∞

  • Replace small, high speed fans with larger, lower speed fans.
  • Reduce voltage to the fans using various methods (potentiometers, thermistors, 7 volt trick, etc).

  • Mount the fans using machine bolts instead of those plastic shroud things.

Last updated 2022-06-05 at 18:45:57

Footnotes

  1. was https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/95442/intel-core-i3-7100u-processor-3m-cache-2-40-ghz.html [ ↩ ]
  2. It appears to have been taken over by spammers before being decommissioned. [ ↩ ]
2 comments

2 comments on “Quiet computing”

  2. Migrated software notes into this topic, linking to this topic from those other various places. I'll maintain information structure trend going forward.

    Reply

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