[mythtv-users] Adventures in upgrading my MythTV hardware

[Allen Edwards]

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 1:41 PM Will Dormann <wdormann at gmail.com> wrote:

> On 10/17/18 2:56 PM, Will Dormann wrote:
> >
> > In case anybody's feeling crafty and wanting to slow (quiet) down one of
> > their system fans, I've added a brief description and pictures of what I
> > did at the end of my case review here:
> > https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3RST3X7YWW59Z
>
>
> One more update in my quest for a really quiet MythTV system, in case it
> helps others:
>
> The zener diode trick worked quite well.  But I still noticed a bit of
> fan rattle.   That, combined with my lack of confidence in the PSU
> quality (it's suspiciously lightweight and empty-looking), I ended up
> purchasing a high-efficiency PSU that is truly fanless.
>
> Here's the thing about anybody aiming for a silent combined FE/BE
> system:   Once you get rid of the most-noticeable noise, that'll leave
> you noticing the second-most-noticeable noise.   In my case, I still
> have a CPU fan and a case fan.    It's definitely better than before.
> But not silent.
>
> On the upside, the new PSU (80+ Platinum rated) results in not only a
> quieter system, but one that draws less power.  My original numbers:
>
> > As for power usage, it's more than the ION system, but I think it's a
> > reasonable trade-off for a system that is so much more functional.
> > Plugged in, but powered off: 6W (Wait, what?)
> > Idle: 44W
> > Watching TV: 49-55W
> > Max CPU load: 59W
>
>
> My new numbers:
>
> Plugged in, but powered off: 1-2W
> Idle: 31W
> Watching TV: 35W
> Max CPU Load while watching live TV: 58W
>
>
> Which is an improvement.  But if you run some numbers, you'll realize
> that it'll take over 10 years to recoup the cost of the new PSU.
>
> In the end, the system is nicer than it was before the PSU swap.  And
> I'm much more confident that the new PSU will last much longer than the
> old one would have.  But I somewhat question whether it was worth the
> money/effort to make the switch.
>
> Lessons:
>  - Beware of going down the path of pursuing a silent combined MythTV
> system.  Sure, you can swap out parts for more quiet ones.  But I
> suspect that until your system has *zero* moving parts, you may end up
> going down a path of replacing more parts and spending more money than
> you expected.  Even with zero moving parts, you may end up with a slight
> buzz if you put your ear close (e.g. 60Hz in the US)
>  - Parts that draw little current are nice for the power bill.  But
> before replacing any parts just for the concept of using less
> electricity, be sure to run the numbers to see exactly how much money
> you may be saving per year.  In my case, I didn't swap out the PSU for
> the power efficiency.  Just the noise level.  But the increased
> efficiency was just an added (not-cost-effective) bonus.
>

There is a feature on my old Mythbuntu 8 system that I have not implemented
on the new Mythbuntu 16 just because I am tired of messing with it but it
would turn the fan down when the temperature allowed it. It made a huge
difference in fan noise. You do need fans that allow that and the MB needs
to be able to support it as well. Perhaps that is standard stuff these days
but I thought it might be of interest if it is not.

Allen
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