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How To Get Your Gaming PC Running Quietly?

Posted by simoniker on from the so-you-can-blare-loud-sfx dept.

Thanks to Penny Arcade for its 'Hook Up' column discussing ways to build your gaming PC to run as quietly as possible. The author indicates: "I was able to reduce my Tiny God's noise level by over 30dB (!) measured with my RadioShack SPL meter", and goes on to list ways to silence components such as power supplies ("...the power hungry components that an elite gamer uses... can be extremely noisy") and fans of various kinds ("it's often a toss-up between your CPU fan and your PSU cooler in regards to which one is the loudest"), before pointing out: "You might have 1,000 watts of power driving your speakers, but sometimes nothing beats the sound of silence."

3 of 62 comments (clear)

  1. The Hook Up by yupchagi · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Good article. He points out that Dynamat isn't very good for sound absorbtion since it isn't designed for higher frequencies (white noise from fans). It also insulates heat too well, and would make your PC case dangerously hot. It's interesting that Dynamat has repackaged their product to make a "Computer Dynamat Pack" or whatever. What a bunch of corporate whores. His previous column on iPods was intriguing as well. Anyone read that?

  2. But I LIKE the noise! by FeetOfStinky · · Score: 4, Insightful
    My home office is my sanctuary, in no small part due to the white noise generated by my computer. It's where I go to escape barking dogs, revving engines, and dumbasses who think I want to hear the bass from their car inside my house.

    If anything, I should probably install more fans in my CPU case, and not because it needs the extra cooling.

  3. My solution by fluor2 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You need
    1 x USB extension coord
    1 x VGA-cable extension coord
    1 x sound extension coord
    1 x PS/2 keyboard extension coord
    1 x nearby room with a door

    Basically, I just moved the PC in behind a nearby door. Making the PC make it's noise in another room. You can of course also use a closet or similar.

    PRO
    This makes the PC go almost 100% quiet, and you do not have to invest into an expensive fan or similar stuff.

    CON
    I seem not to use the cd-rom any more, but some of you that DO use cd-rom (or other hardware devices) may be prepared to walk some steps each time one has to change the cd or similar (i use nocd-cracks or daemon tools anyways).