From Slashdot, “How to quiet Athlon XP or P4 without fancy case”
- Remove noisy cpu and case fans.
- Get Swiftech MCX462 heatsink (CAD$85) plus Vantec Stealth fan 80 mm (CAD$20, 21 dBA) to cool it. Use Artic Silver 3 thermal compound (CAD$13/tube).
- Replace case fans and possibly power supply fan with Vantec Stealth fans.
- Avoid slot loading DVD drives (i.e. like car cd players, no tray) because noise gets out of the slot.
- Make sure your box is sitting on carpet and not wood/concrete.
- If worried about airflow, remove those bulky IDE and floppy cables and get rounded cables. (About CAD$15-20 each.)
Cool, I'll have to keep those tips in mind when I assemble my next PC (which may be around the time that Hammer comes out). [Credit: Thanks Jucius Maximus!]
Wow, you quoted me … thank you!
Just a small update:
The Swiftech MCX462 heatsink is very good, but I bought myself an Alpha 8045 HeatSink which is a bit better performing and also cheaper. I think this is a better choice for athlons if you can find one. (Mine was from http://www.bigfootcomputers.com.)
Also, you would not get the Swiftech MCX462 for pentium 4s because it does not support that chip – there is aother very similar Swiftech that does that job.
Finally, I have since learned that rounded cables are not really that useful for improving airflow. They are useful for cabling in tight spots where there is little room, plus they look good. But improved airflow is not one of their benefits.