Fan-less silent PC

[bloodshoteyed]

... Asus PN51...

i got that as a HTPC and it's driving me nuts
whoever at Asus thought the main temp sensor needs to run off the nvme instead of the CPU deserves

(self-censored)...
plus, there's no space inside to put a hetasink on it becuase of the 2.5" carry on the lid

to top it off, Akasa's fanless cases for the PN50/51 seem to be off the market completely in the EU

 

[napfkuchen]

to top it off, Akasa's fanless cases for the PN50/51 seem to be off the market completely in the EU

Don't know where you are located exactly ... While the "newton a50" I have seems to be sold out (there is a shop willing to source it for 999 Euro though ) the compatible Turing A50 MKII is available for 135 Euro (shipping included).

 

[PristineSound]

Well, it most certainly wasn't me saying that. My comment about cost has always and we always be that pricing is based on perceived value to the buyer, and it's up to individuals to decide how much to spend. Market economy is based -among other things- on catering to different preferences.

Oh, it wasn't you for sure.

 

[Keith_W]

There are many of those utilitarian/cheapskates who lurks here, and sometimes they highjack the conversation.

I laughed at your observation until I realized you might be talking about me!

 

[dlaloum]

Just a reminder - for those of us that want the PC silent/fanless and integrated into a rack...

HDPLEX-The Best Fanless Passive Silent PC Case Manufacture

Want to build your own quiet and fanless PC? Check out HDPLEX, the leading provider of high quality fanless aluminum pc case which is completely silent, minimalism designed, support latest Intel Kaby Lake and AMD Ryzen CPU upto 95W TDP. HDPLEX also manufactures fanless,highly efficient, and...

hdplex.com

It's NOT a mini PC - but you can fit a standard format ATX, Micro-ATX, mini-ITX motherboard in there, with a standard GPU (substantial GPU limitations though, or you can use an AMD APU as I do)

The standard components, mean that future upgrades are easy, and you can choose a decently supported brand for the motherboard.

My occasional Gaming (mostly strategy games, very very rarely anything that requires FPS...) can noticeably heat up the heatsink - but I have not noted any throttling! (however I do underclock a little...)

Normal streaming does not noticeably warm the heatsink much beyond ambient.... Netflix, Prime and Stan (An Australian streaming company) all work fine - the AVR does all the decoding... and the PC happily feeds it a diet of TrueHD/Atmos, and HDR.

I would NOT choose this for a desktop (where a mini PC or laptop would be a better option) - but for the loungeroom, where it gets hours of use every day it is perfect... sitting unnoticed in the rack, with the AVR and power amps.

(PS: yes there is a faceplate with a slot for BlueRay drive available.... but I didn't need it)

Of course there is the much better known Streacom cases - very similar in concept, but I don't think they are as well made (personal opinion flag!).

I chose black rather than silver, as that best matches my other components, and I wanted it to "disappear"... but silver is nice too!

If the AVR's were available in silver, I would have gone all silver... but silver has not been substantive in the market for ages....

 

[PristineSound]

I laughed at your observation until I realized you might be talking about me!

I am not talking about people who are anti-snake oil. I am referring to people who can't stand the idea of spending extra money for extra or money on anything that is considered a luxury and they can't stand the sight of others who spends their own money on luxury neither. I call them the new generations of gatekeeper of HiFi audio and they can kiss my luxury spending behind.

I don't recall you making any posts that would qualify you for this.

 

[Mike123]

All my computers have low-noise fans. I can hear all my computers when they're off or on. I don't understand how you can't hear the noise of 120mm fans, even if it's a low-RPM fan running at minimum speed. That's why my music computer is a Raspberry Pi with a fanless power supply. And the server, with its very quiet fans, is in another room. It doesn't irritate anyone. But it's better to listen to music without it. Incidentally, the whirring of hard drives is more annoying than the noise of fans.

 

[Roland68]

All my computers have low-noise fans. I can hear all my computers when they're off or on. I don't understand how you can't hear the noise of 120mm fans, even if it's a low-RPM fan running at minimum speed. That's why my music computer is a Raspberry Pi with a fanless power supply. And the server, with its very quiet fans, is in another room. It doesn't irritate anyone. But it's better to listen to music without it. Incidentally, the whirring of hard drives is more annoying than the noise of fans.

This is simply due to the quality of the fans.
I'm extremely sensitive to all background noise, but I can't even hear the fans in my devices at night.
Fans generate noise due to airflow, bearings, imbalance, and control. High-quality manufacturers, such as Papst, reduce the first three noise levels significantly.

 

[respice finem]

Just a reminder - for those of us that want the PC silent/fanless and integrated into a rack...

HDPLEX-The Best Fanless Passive Silent PC Case Manufacture

Want to build your own quiet and fanless PC? Check out HDPLEX, the leading provider of high quality fanless aluminum pc case which is completely silent, minimalism designed, support latest Intel Kaby Lake and AMD Ryzen CPU upto 95W TDP. HDPLEX also manufactures fanless,highly efficient, and...

hdplex.com

View attachment 476748


View attachment 476749

View attachment 476750


It's NOT a mini PC - but you can fit a standard format ATX, Micro-ATX, mini-ITX motherboard in there, with a standard GPU (substantial GPU limitations though, or you can use an AMD APU as I do)

The standard components, mean that future upgrades are easy, and you can choose a decently supported brand for the motherboard.

My occasional Gaming (mostly strategy games, very very rarely anything that requires FPS...) can noticeably heat up the heatsink - but I have not noted any throttling! (however I do underclock a little...)

Normal streaming does not noticeably warm the heatsink much beyond ambient.... Netflix, Prime and Stan (An Australian streaming company) all work fine - the AVR does all the decoding... and the PC happily feeds it a diet of TrueHD/Atmos, and HDR.

I would NOT choose this for a desktop (where a mini PC or laptop would be a better option) - but for the loungeroom, where it gets hours of use every day it is perfect... sitting unnoticed in the rack, with the AVR and power amps.

(PS: yes there is a faceplate with a slot for BlueRay drive available.... but I didn't need it)

Of course there is the much better known Streacom cases - very similar in concept, but I don't think they are as well made (personal opinion flag!).

View attachment 476753
View attachment 476754

I chose black rather than silver, as that best matches my other components, and I wanted it to "disappear"... but silver is nice too!

If the AVR's were available in silver, I would have gone all silver... but silver has not been substantive in the market for ages....

Sidenote: These cases have one small but important caveat: They are not compatible with many "fancy" mainboards with tall VRM radiators.
And, the height of these radiators is often not specified, so buyers should better choose a slightly less "opulent" board and CPU for fanless operation (or be ready to bend heatpipes).

There are also half-height versions, at least of the Streacom, which may be cumbersome to work with, so (based on my FC 10) I recommend the "standard" height as pictured in your post.

 

[Mike123]

Fans generate noise due to airflow, bearings, imbalance, and control. High-quality manufacturers, such as Papst, reduce the first three noise levels significantly.

I can't afford Pabst fans in my home computer because three fans cost more than the entire computer. However, Pabst fans running at 1500 RPM are rated at 26 dBA. That's the same as many another fans running at that speed. I'll say it again: high-quality fans produce a completely smooth and insignificant noise. It doesn't interfere with sleep or distract me. But that doesn't mean I can't hear three 120mm fans in a quiet room.

 

[Chr1]

Seems to me that building custom PCs is similar to building DIY speakers. Appears to be a lot of expense and work, often with little advantage over the those options available off the shelf. Guess like building speakers, the DIY aspect is half of the appeal.

 

[respice finem]

Seems to me that building custom PCs is similar to building DIY speakers. Appears to be a lot of expense and work, often with little advantage over the those options available off the shelf. Guess like building speakers, the DIY aspect is half of the appeal.

It's not untrue, certainly, but some advantages are evident IMHO. I can swap out any component, with standard modules, unlike with a NUC-like PC or a notebook, I can have my HTPC really inaudibly silent, and the ATX "radiator case" is expensive, but may survive many systems. So I think it's a matter of personal preference, gradual changes vs. "throw away and buy new".

 

[dlaloum]

Sidenote: These cases have one small but important caveat: They are not compatible with many "fancy" mainboards with tall VRM radiators.
And, the height of these radiators is often not specified, so buyers should better choose a slightly less "opulent" board and CPU for fanless operation (or be ready to bend heatpipes).

There are also half-height versions, at least of the Streacom, which may be cumbersome to work with, so (based on my FC 10) I recommend the "standard" height as pictured in your post.

Yes, in choosing all the hardware, you have to take into account the layout, heat pipe heights etc...

Avoid some of the taller RAM DIMMs with big heatsinks (especially if they are located near the heatpipes)

Depending on the motherboard and the options chosen - eg optical drive, you may or may not have more space for some things.... so yeah, you have to consider the constraints.

I also chose the fanless case integrated power supply... which uses the case as its heatsink too... and depending on what drives you chose, the internal layout might vary a bit.
GPU constraints exist too - with only certain GPU's having a matching set of heatpipes/mount - you have to check the mountings etc...

So yes, it is a more involved process, than purchasing a generic ATX case, and whacking the stuff into it. (but I enjoyed the process... so there is that!)

 

[Roland68]

I can't afford Pabst fans in my home computer because three fans cost more than the entire computer. However, Pabst fans running at 1500 RPM are rated at 26 dBA. That's the same as many another fans running at that speed. I'll say it again: high-quality fans produce a completely smooth and insignificant noise. It doesn't interfere with sleep or distract me. But that doesn't mean I can't hear three 120mm fans in a quiet room.

I think you simply lack experience.
I have many years of professional experience in this area, and you can't hear a good 80 or 120mm fan with low speed even at night, unless you put your ear very close to it.
26dB applies to full speed; at 100-300 rpm, it's only a fraction of that.
If a so-called silent PC requires a higher speed, the concept is flawed.

Many people have told me that they can always hear whether the PC is on or off, even with slow-running fans. So far, all of them have failed.

Many people are unaware that the control system can also be very loud, especially at low speeds, as can the bearings. That's the advantage of Papst and other high-quality fans.

A simple test for everyone. Place the fan upright on the table, with the airflow directed away from you, at a distance the length of your outstretched arms. If the fan is more than a barely audible hiss at 100-300 rpm, it's not suitable for that purpose.
Any noise like rattling or knocking indicates a problem with the control system, bearings, or imbalance.
I've also tried many inexpensive quiet fans, but sometimes that's a matter of luck.

 

[Raitsa]

Sometimes it amazes me what people waste their time on.

 

[Roland68]

Sometimes it amazes me what people waste their time on.

This may apply to you, but it doesn't have to be the case for others.
Such noises annoy me when I'm working, especially at night when it's very quiet. It would be just as annoying with quiet music or when I want to relax.
Investing a few hours to then have years of peace (in the truest sense of the word) is a good investment for me.

Fortunately, this isn't necessary with my Macs.

 

[respice finem]

A hobby is, more or less, the Art of pleasantly wasting time.

 

[Mike123]

I think you simply lack experience.

Perhaps. I don't claim to be an infallible guru. I'm sharing my experience. So far, I haven't been able to get fans to produce noise I can't hear at all. Although I've tried very hard .

26dB applies to full speed; at 100-300 rpm, it's only a fraction of that.

I'm comparing two fans rated at 26 dBA under identical conditions. I run these fans at minimum speed. There are three in the case: the intake, exhaust, and the CPU fan. I can hear them. Perhaps the issue is with the case and the CPU heatsink, and I'm hearing air noise from the surrounding environment rather than the fans. In this case, it doesn't matter. I haven't been able to made a computer whose 120 mm 1500 RPM fans are inaudible at minimum speed.

 

[Roland68]

Perhaps. I don't claim to be an infallible guru. I'm sharing my experience. So far, I haven't been able to get fans to produce noise I can't hear at all. Although I've tried very hard .

I'm comparing two fans rated at 26 dBA under identical conditions. I run these fans at minimum speed. There are three in the case: the intake, exhaust, and the CPU fan. I can hear them. Perhaps the issue is with the case and the CPU heatsink, and I'm hearing air noise from the surrounding environment rather than the fans. In this case, it doesn't matter. I haven't been able to made a computer whose 120 mm 1500 RPM fans are inaudible at minimum speed.

We've built a few hundred such silent PCs and workstations in the past, as well as over 30 concept developments for customers and companies. These included silent servers and silent server cabinets for office environments, which, while not inaudible, were whisper-quiet.
I can tell you from experience that a concept with three fans isn't effective. Typically, such a concept only has one fan, 120-140mm, that draws air very slowly through the device. This assumes optimal placement of appropriate passive heat sinks.
If you take advantage of the stack effect, fans can be dispensed with altogether, despite the relatively high heat dissipation.
Depending on the performance, we also installed an emergency fan for the CPU, which, however, started up depending on the temperature and was also temperature-controlled.

A low speed doesn't say much about the speed. There are inexpensive independent controllers, including DIY ones, that can throttle the fans to 30 rpm or lower.
It's important to know what's causing the noise. Besides the factors listed above, airflow noise from metal sheets, casings, fan mounts and suspensions, heatsinks, grilles, intakes and exhausts, etc., is often much louder than the actual fans.
It all comes down to a lot of little things.

 

[Mike123]

I can tell you from experience that a concept with three fans isn't effective. Typically, such a concept only has one fan, 120-140mm, that draws air very slowly through the device. This assumes optimal placement of appropriate passive heat sinks.

You're talking about a custom-designed computer case. I'm talking about a standard case and a standard cooling system. Perhaps using special fans and a custom-designed case would reduce the noise level. But I'd rather move the server to another room than spend a not small money on more silence.