|
The Quest for Quiet Computing with Air Cooling
Date: Thursday, January 8, 2004
Author: Rbreb13
Provided By: None
Page: 3 of 5
|
Test 1:
Stock configuration tests were with the one 120mm fan that was supplied with the case attached to the "Fan Only" molex from the PSU. It has no identifying numbers or anything else on it. It appears to be similar to a Vantec Stealth fan. So I'm guessing that it's approximately a 50-55 cfm, 1500-2000 rpm and 25-30 dBA.
Compared to my original Chieftec setup the Sonata is very quiet in its stock configuration. I actually had to physically look to make sure it was on the first time I fired it up. I was so used to the loud fans I couldn't believe it was on. Now that I've been running it for a while I can hear it. It is barely discernable over the normal background noises of my house. "Whisper Quiet" would be a good description.
As for the temperatures they're not too bad. Actually a little better than I expected. Basically the case change caused the temperatures to rise about 5-7°c.
Ambient Temperature: 23°c
 |
 |
| Idle |
Load |
Overall the temperatures are pretty respectable for an overclocked system. Some anomalies worth mentioning is the case temperature being higher than the CPU temperature at idle. It may be a sensor glitch or not. Other monitoring programs came up with the same results. Also the +12volt rail is being reported low. Other monitoring programs show it at 11.88-11.97. So this appears to be a MBM glitch. Update: Motherboard Monitor was using the wrong sensor. I have corrected this oversight.
Test 2:
For this test I installed a Vantec Stealth 120mmx25mm fan (1500 rpm, 28 dBA, and 53 cfm).The only place to mount it is on the side of the hard drive cage. This placement allows the fan to draw air from the front across the hard drives. I also left the stock fan in place. Both fans were connected to the "Fan Only" PSU connectors. The noise level did not increase appreciably. The system is still "Whisper Quiet". I can just barely hear it running if I really try. A point I have to stress is that my workstation sits on a cabinet directly next to my workspace and is not on the floor or tucked away in a cubby hole. I need it accessible. As I was expecting, the temperatures improved somewhat. This combined with no real increase in noise made me very happy. I'm really beginning to love the design of the Antec Sonata case. The solid steel construction, rubber mounting, and big rubber feet are a definite plus to reducing noise. Couple this with the use of 120mm fans makes for a pleasant work environment.
Ambient Temperature: 23°c
 |
 |
| Idle |
Load |
Surprising results? Not really. When comparing these results to the first set of tests. We can see that the temperatures have dropped some. This was to be expected with additional cooling. At idle the case temperature difference was only 2°c, while at load it was 3°c. The CPU temperature was similar with a difference of 3°c. The fans did seem to speed up some as temperatures increased but with no noticeable increase in noise. At load the difference for the case temperature was quite a bit at 3°c, but the CPU temperature difference was only 1°c. Hardly worth mentioning but I'll take any decrease I can get when it comes to operating temperatures.
|
|
|
