Police Interceptor PC Mod (1 Viewer)

[Anthony Martino]

Still haven't gotten the opportunity to build the dedicated system with the police interceptor theme. But our existing computer which usually has a purple theme to it I messed around with this morning and put together a quick video with it flashing like a police car.

The fan on the radiator to the water cooler is unplugged for this shot because it lights up purple. And the video really doesn't do the colors justice on the blues and reds which look much better in person. Still was fun to slap together, can't wait until I can finally build my dream machine

Listen with sound

 

[Poker Zombie]

I have been considering a water-cooled computer lately. My computer lives in the living room (streaming movies) but the current "quiet" fan still gets pretty noisy, which can be distracting when watching a movie where people are either quiet or whispering - worse when the fan suddenly kicks into high gear! Would you say the liquid-cooled systems are much quieter? Moreover is the quiet to extra cost ratio worthwhile? I'm haven't overclocked anything in 20 years, so I'm not concerned with the improved cooling abilities, just noise pollution.

 

[Anthony Martino]

This is actually the first time I've ever water-cooled a computer. When you water cool there are still fans, anywhere from 1-3 fans, attached to the radiator for the water cooling setup. So in some instances you might actually increase the noise levels.

Are you sure it's the fan attached to your CPU causing the noise and not a case fan? Sometimes the case fans cause the most noise as they will cause vibrations.

My AIO liquid cooler was around $80, they usually range from $80-120 in price. But compared with other case fans they aren't a good value for noise reduction imo.

Here is a thread on quiet fans that might help: https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/2yd2si/build_help_quietest_case_fans/

And this is a sales site but has some information on things like case insulation to reduce noise: https://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/buildaquietpc.html



EDIT: You also mentioned when the fan kicks into high gear. Do you have a dedicated graphics card inside your computer? Those are generally the most likely fans that will throttle their speed (and thus noise) levels. I usually don't see case fans or the fan on the CPU adjusting it's speed or noise level, they are generally at a constant, non-varying level

 

[Poker Zombie]

I may have to crawl down in there again to figure out which fan(s) is(are) the culprit(s), but it is fan noise, not case vibration (it does not become muffled when holding the case).

I do have a dedicated graphics card (I'd have to be home to remember which card it is, but it does have it's own dedicated fan. It could also be the power supply, though I don't know if those have variable speeds...

 

[Anthony Martino]

I remember some of my past graphics cards when the fan was running at 100% sounding like a leaf blower. I don't think I've ever had a case or cpu fan that produced a significant level of noise that was bothersome, so that may be your culprit.

 

[Anthony Martino]

Ever figure out the culprit?

 

[DJ Mack]

I may have to crawl down in there again to figure out which fan(s) is(are) the culprit(s), but it is fan noise, not case vibration (it does not become muffled when holding the case).

I do have a dedicated graphics card (I'd have to be home to remember which card it is, but it does have it's own dedicated fan. It could also be the power supply, though I don't know if those have variable speeds...

If you have to crawl down to get to the computer it's probably pretty close to the floor, meaning the fans suck all sorts of goodness in over and above what's floating in the air. Double, triple if you have pets or smoke. Some compressed air and a vacuum should be part of your regular maintenance routine if they're not already. In a healthy computer dust won't make things more noisy per se, however once it starts accumulating it acts like a blanket and allows temperatures to rise. This means that any temperature-controlled fans are going to run at higher speeds more often. Likewise if you've got it boxed up in an attempt to muffle the noise.

If you let a computer get dirty long enough eventually the fan noise you'll hear is going to be the fan bearings starting to go. If you pull the cover off and can see the individual fan blades spinning, especially if they're jerky you know that fan is on its way out.

One other tip, maybe it's just my hearing but I find my computer's fan noise to be fairly directional. Try rotating the box 15, 30, 45 degrees without compromising ventilation. You might find that the sound decreases (or increases) based on position.

 

[Poker Zombie]

I have not investigated yet - unseasonably nice weather had me out of the house, and of course today I'm back at work.

It is on the floor, and I do vacuum the box as part of regular housekeeping, but only once have I opened it up to clean out the inside (which needed it). Unfortunately, where it's at, rotating the case is not an option without compromising ventilation and messing with CD and ports accessibility.

 

[DJ Mack]

It is on the floor, and I do vacuum the box as part of regular housekeeping, but only once have I opened it up to clean out the inside (which needed it).

Definitely check the on-board fans then. Those suckers are small and collect dust like nobody's business. On my old PC I had a Radeon video card I loved but had to replace the fan at least three times. When the fan was new it was whisper quiet but it could make a hell of a racket after dust started gumming up the works.

 

[Poker Zombie]

Definitely check the on-board fans then. Those suckers are small and collect dust like nobody's business. On my old PC I had a Radeon video card I loved but had to replace the fan at least three times. When the fan was new it was whisper quiet but it could make a hell of a racket after dust started gumming up the works.

This one was the same way (it's now pushing 6 years old now). I was considering a liquid-cooled system when I upgrade because fewer fans = fewer moving parts to become stymied by dust. However the added cost may not be worth the effort of just improving my dust control. Plus my initial concern as to whether or not liquid cooling actually reduces the noise levels.

 

[Anthony Martino]

Make sure you have positive pressure inside your case (i.e. more incoming air than outgoing air). This will help reduce your dust. Of course, keeping the PC off the floor would help also

 

[Poker Zombie]

I'm considering raising it up (based on the advice given here) now. Obviously higher is better (especially because it is currently on a carpeted floor), but more than 4-5" would be a issue. Any ideas if 4-5" is worth the effort?

 

[Anthony Martino]

Certainly. I have our computer on top of a desk, it still gets dust, but nothing like it would accumulate when it's on the floor where all the dust collects.

 

[Craig D]

Your power supply is trying to suck air from underneath the case

2 or 3 inches more ground clearance could decrease temperatures a lot

Have Fun

 

[tommythecat]

I'm considering raising it up (based on the advice given here) now. Obviously higher is better (especially because it is currently on a carpeted floor), but more than 4-5" would be a issue. Any ideas if 4-5" is worth the effort?

Something like this might be a good option for you...

https://www.amazon.com/IOCrest-Adju...85231659&sr=8-1&keywords=computer+tower+caddy

 

[Poker Zombie]

Something like this might be a good option for you...

https://www.amazon.com/IOCrest-Adju...85231659&sr=8-1&keywords=computer+tower+caddy

Love it! I can build it, but since my system is due to be updated, getting something adjustable is a sweet idea (and outside of my building skill set). just dropped 2 into my amazon cart (2 desktop boxes running, because that's how we roll)

 

[tommythecat]

Love it! I can build it, but since my system is due to be updated, getting something adjustable is a sweet idea (and outside of my building skill set). just dropped 2 into my amazon cart (2 desktop boxes running, because that's how we roll)

We use them here at work...never even thought of using something like that until seeing them here several years ago. The casters leave a little bit to be desired on medium to taller carpets but if you aren't moving it around its not a big deal.