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"Reliable ways to make PC quieter"

Currently the noise output of my computer is 34 decibels without the case panel. This is "simply unacceptable", to quoteth my mother. So, I need to make it quieter.

That 34dcb is coming solely from the heatsink fan. I'm planning to replace the 34dcb HSF with a 29dcb fan, although I can run it at a lower speed because it gives significantly more airflow. I also want one 19dcb 80mm fan blowing air in, and hopefully one 12dcb exhaust, but that depends on getting clearance for a 80mm > 60mm fan adapter, because my exhaust appears to be 60mm. I may also want a 80mm 12dcb exhaust at the top aswell/instead, but I have to move my sub for that to work. Replace the panel and that should stop my CPU from cooking. I'm also going to link them all up to a (bay|glow|touch)bus so I can reduce the fan noise a night time.

I know decibels aren't cumulative, but it still sounds like it's going to be noisy.

Anyway, what I want to know is, are there any reliable ways to reduce noise that anyone knows of? I have to get this noise problem sorted or Mum'll make me move the computer upstairs, which would be a disaster.

Cheers
-Rob

Cover pc case in socks.

Thick socks though, has to be.

I had this problem, so i decided to silent my computer, so i went a water cooled my cpu this was extremely quiet, also there is a way to virtually silent your computer, a company called ZALMAN make heatsink without fans on, they are big but basically silent if you put one of those on your cpu and one on you northbridge chip and maybe a couple of slow 80mm fans just to make sure then your pc will be close to silent and relativly cool

Review of zalmon flower
http://www.digital-explosion.co.uk /public_html/ Review_Zalman.html

without the gaps

Where to buy
www.overclockers.co.uk
www.kustompc.co.uk
www.theoverclockingstore.co.uk
www.tekheads.co.uk

c.b.

My Maxx PC used to be very loud. The heat sink had a 60mm fan which, due to it's speed would cause the whole thing to vibrate and be very noisy. I also needed a couple of 92mm case fans (1 in 1 out) to keep the whole thing cool, but it was annoying when watching DVDs cos you could hardly hear the film!!

To quieten it down a lot I got a lil speed comtroler thing for both the 92mm fans, and then slow them down to a suitable level. To stop all teh vibrations, which was the main source of nosie I got a Zalman Flower heatsink, which uses a 92mm fan mounted on a bracket. It was about 30quid from Kustom but it really does make a diference, and was about 7 or 8 degrees cooler on average than the original fan / heatsink.

Plus I can hear myself think now :o)

Dampening strips?? padding?? surely that would just make it hotter? help insulate the case... + the fans (except hs) are on the outside and covering them up would be pointless. I doubt you'd need all of the fans, why not just have the exhaust + heatsink instead of an exhaust + extra fan + heatsink?
or declock the cpu and just keep the heatsink fan. 1.7Ghz not enough?

OK, I'd say it's about 50/50 between the PSU and the HSF. would covering it in dampening strips help the PSU at all? I could have a go at the fan, but I don't really want to...

That's what I thought at first, it will sooner or later. I guarentee you your cpu fan is not the only thing in your case making any noise..

But the higher the temperature the less fans I can run at 7v. Besides, I like the Baybusses, especially the ones with touch-sensitive buttons ;-)

Also, my HDD doesn't make any noise, so I'm not really looking to dampen it.

Fair call on the PSU, but I would recommend looking at dampening the hdd noise..and I know a rheobus uses pots, but we're looking at how to reduce noise here, not temps..

Oh, and a heoBus won't help :) It uses pots, which output much heat, which is really counterproductive. The baybusses use the opposing current technique to lower the voltage, and no extra heat is produced.

You could just buy yourself some earplugs