Hi Ken,
I went through the same thing this winter after reading a number of
articles on the Internet. Here's what I did (all shopping done on the web):
- replaced all those noisy case fans, power supply fans and CPU coolers with
parts from PC Power and Cooling. Make sure to get the ultra-quiet stuff.
- replaced the hard drive in my office computer with a Seagate Barracuda IV,
very quiet. Intel Application Accelerator let's you switch between maximum
performance and maximum quiet. I set them for maximum performance
and they're still darned quiet. They're so quiet, in fact, that I
installed two
with one dedicated just to backups. I got mine from GoogleGear.
- replaced the video card with a GeForce 4 MX440SE (I think that's the right
model). It's one of the entry-level GeForce 4 boards, but has a passive
heatsink,
not a fan-cooled GPU. You can get one from Tiger Direct right now for
$29.99.
- (optional) replace those flat IDE/floppy cables with rounded ones. The
quieter fans
generally have *less* airflow, so it's nice to improve the airflow in
other areas. I got
some from CompUSA (expensive) but recently got a set from Tiger Direct
for $0.00
after $20 mail-in rebate.
My office PC is really quiet now. I just need to tame the shack PC. You
can check latest prices on PriceWatch.com. You can also look at the stuff
on http://www.xpcgear.com/
73 - Jim AD1C
--
Jim Reisert AD1C, 7 Charlemont Court, North Chelmsford, MA 01863
USA +978-251-9933, <jjreisert@alum.mit.edu>, http://www.ad1c.com
PGP Fingerprint: D8E2 3D78 339F A7F1 8C13 1193 B5D1 4FB6 79D1 70DC
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