<div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Aug 20, 2011 at 8:00 PM, Mike Perkins <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:mikep@randomtraveller.org.uk">mikep@randomtraveller.org.uk</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<div class="im">On 20/08/11 08:10, Epinephrine Junky wrote:<br>
><br>
> For a variety of reasons my backend sits behind my TV and bugs the crap<br>
> out of me because I can't get it to be silent. It seems that no matter how<br>
> many times I change the fan configuration in hopes of a cheap/easy fix<br>
> there's just too much heat with my Core E6600 CPU and GeForce GT220. I<br>
> measure 85W for the whole system with my kill-a-watt. That's better than<br>
> the 130W I started with 2yrs ago (got better 80+ PSU and traded 3.5" drives<br>
> for 2.5") but it's not enough to get a silent BE/FE.<br>
><br>
> Here's what I've<br>
> found that makes me think it may be possible.<br>
><br>
> JETWAY JNC9B-HM67 SOCKET G2<br>
> (RPGA 988B) INTEL HM67 HDMI SATA 6GB/S USB 3.0 MINI ITX INTEL MOTHERBOARD -<br>
</div><div class="im">> 0 ON Newegg<br>
><br>
> That plus a 25W mobile Sandy Bridge CPU cuts system power to<br>
> pretty low levels. Something like 30W at TDP and considerably less at<br>
> typical and idle. Next the GPU, it looks like the NVIDIA GT 520 (using Asus<br>
> silent model) can handle the VDPAU playback with another 29W TDP and less<br>
> for typical operation.<br>
><br>
> So far I'm looking at a system with one x16 slot<br>
> for a GPU and one mini PCIE slot. To add my TV tuner (hauppage hvr-2250) I<br>
> need:<br>
><br>
> PCI Express Mini to PCI E X1 adapter with flexible cable and extra<br>
</div>> PE-X1 straddle - 2 @<br>
<div><div></div><div class="h5">> <a href="HTTP://WWW.ORBITMICRO.COM/GLOBAL/PEMINI2X1-S-F--BASE-P-8247.HTML?REF=BASE" target="_blank">HTTP://WWW.ORBITMICRO.COM/GLOBAL/PEMINI2X1-S-F--BASE-P-8247.HTML?REF=BASE</a><br>
><br>
> I<br>
> use 4 drives in my system: 1 for the OS, 1 for the media, and 2 in Raid 1<br>
> as my NAS. 3 of my drives are 2.5" to save space and cut power while my<br>
> media sits on the 3.5" for lowest cost/GB. I'm willing to give up the<br>
> optical drive I almost never use but the JetWay has 5 SATA ports so I'm<br>
> covered either way. This system seems ideal for a 130W Pico PSU sold by<br>
> ELECTRODACUS on ebay (no fans).<br>
><br>
> I've cut my PSU fan and GPU fan and I'm<br>
> hoping to rig a passive cooler for the CPU and have one big (120mm?) quiet<br>
> fan to cool the whole system.<br>
><br>
> So I have two remaining problems:<br>
><br>
> 1) I<br>
> can't find any CPU coolers for the G2 socket mobile Sandy Bridge so I may<br>
> have to McGyver something. At 25W I'm not too worried but would prefer to<br>
> reserve my glue and duct tape for other projects.<br>
><br>
> 2) I need a case that<br>
> can take three 2.5" drives, one 3.5" drive (prefer soft mounted to mute<br>
> vibrations) and possibly an optical drive along with the aforementioned<br>
> mini ITX motherboard and the biggest fan I can cram in there.<br>
><br>
> Any<br>
> suggestions on a case or CPU cooler? Am I spending too much time and money<br>
> on this? (hint the answer is yes)<br>
> Anything I might have<br>
> overlooked?<br>
><br>
> thanks, as always, to the devs who enable my obsessive<br>
> tendencies, and anyone else who's read this far without thinking I'm a<br>
> total nut job. :)<br>
><br>
</div></div>My main server is now a JNC92-330-LF, similar to your board. It has a single<br>
320Gb SATA disk and runs at a total 42W, of which 8 is the 40mm fan keeping the<br>
box cool, and some must be the 200W flex-atx PSU itself, but there's no way I<br>
can deduce that.<br>
<br>
(i) Fans can consume significant watts at those overall power levels. Try<br>
swapping your fans around and you may be surprised.<br>
<br>
(ii) Don't ignore the consumption of the PSU itself. I swapped out the 250<br>
flex-atx PSU that came with my kit and saved 20W.<br>
<br>
(iii) Your pico-PSU may sound a good idea but remember you'll get losses in the<br>
power brick as well, say 7 to 10W.<br>
<br>
(iv) I'd say you would be mad to try and run this without anything but a case<br>
fan. It can be done, but the internal temperatures may be higher than optimal<br>
and shorten component life. My box described above has CPU core temps of ~30C.<br>
As delivered, with the original fan, it ran 36C-38C (and pulled ~70W).<br></blockquote><div><br></div><div>To be honest, I think the OP is on the wrong track - trying to equate "low power" and "silent".</div>
<div><br></div><div>They're certainly related, but not at all the same thing - for instance, the power brick you mention - yes, it burns real power, but it's not making the system any louder!</div><div><br></div>
<div>My advice - either go bigger (silence is easier to achieve with 140mm fans, since they can be run a lot slower than small ones, and you can use massive CPU coolers like the Noctua NH-D14) or move the backend to somewhere you can't hear it.</div>
<div><br></div><div>- Chris</div></div>