In an effort to keep noise down I've replace the stock AMD CPU
cooler with a Scythe Mugen IV which seems barely audible. The only other fan in
the case is in the PSU (Corsair CX600M) and on
the graphics card (MSI GeForce GTX 650 N650-1GD5/OCV1), both of which were
chosen as they were described as low noise. However, there is still a
noticeable "hum" coming from the case which can be heard when nothing
is playing. This is not a problem when media is outputting sound but it can be
heard during silent parts of films which is distracting, and is certainly
distracting when TV is off (PC is left running 24/7).I'll be investigating what the culprits and attempting to decrease noise either by looking at replacement fans, or by replacing the component itself.
According to Kitguru's review of the Corsair CX600M it is barely audible until being
pushed hard, which mine shouldn't be as I have the motherboard (MSI
990FXA-GD65) set to run in ECO mode, and I estimate the total power draw should
be less than 50% of the PSU's capacity.
To be continued...
After sticking an ear dangerously close to system fans, I've eliminated the Corsair PSU and the MSI GTX650 graphics card, meaning the culprit is either the really old hard drives (hopefully) and not the fan on the Scythe Mugen IV.
ReplyDeleteI'll know more when I replace the old HDDs with an SSD next month.