Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Choose a quiet hard drive
Once you've addressed the major noise sources, hard drive noise may
become noticeable, particularly during seeks. The best way to reduce
hard drive noise is to choose a quiet hard drive in the first place. Seagate
Barracuda and Samsung Spinpoint models are the quietest mainstream
hard drives. If even those 7,200 RPM models are too noisy for your require-
ments, use a 5,400 or 5,900 RPM drive. If even those are too loud, install
an SSD.
Choose a video card with a passive heatsink
All video adapter chipsets produce significant heat, but some video
adapters use a passive heatsink rather than a fan-based cooler. If possible,
choose a video adapter with a passive heatsink.
Silent PC Review
Silent PC Review (
http://www.silent-
pcreview.com
) is an excellent source
of information about quiet PC issues.
The site includes numerous articles
about reducing PC noise, as well as
reviews of quiet PC components, a
forum, and other resources.
Choose a motherboard with a passive heatsink
The northbridge chip of modern chipsets dissipates significant heat. Most
motherboards cool this chip with a large passive heatsink, but some use
a fan-based cooler. Again, these coolers typically use small, fast fans that
produce significant noise. If possible, pick a motherboard with a passive
heatsink.
DesigningaSmallPC
At the beginning of the millennium, some forward-thinking PC builders
and manufacturers began to design and build PCs that were smaller and/or
more portable than traditional mini-tower systems. Small PCs have become
extremely popular, and it's no wonder. These systems are small, light, easily
portable, and fit just about anywhere. The two standards for small PCs, largest
first, are:
microATX PC
A microATX PC is basically a cut-down version of a standard ATX PC. The
microATX case and motherboard are smaller and provide less expandabil-
ity, but are otherwise comparable in features and functionality to a stan-
dard ATX system. microATX cases are available in three styles. Micro-tower
cases resemble shrunken versions of standard mini- and mid-tower cases.
Slimline cases are about the size and shape of a DVD player. “Cube” cases
are typically 8” tall and roughly a foot wide and deep. The relatively small
case capacity makes cooling more difficult and puts some restraints on
the number and type of hard drives, expansion cards, and other peripher-
als you can install, but it is possible to build a reliable, high-performance
PC in the microATX form factor.
Mini-ITX PC
The Mini-ITX form factor was pioneered by VIA Technologies and remained
a niche standard for several years. Over the last year or two, mainstream
motherboard and case manufacturers have introduced a wide range of
Mini-ITX products—enough that we now consider Mini-ITX a mainstream
technology.
