Which Q6600 Cooler for Sound over Performance!

[wzix]

So basically It's been a couple of years since I built this PC, and the one thing that annoys me is a whining fan!

I'm looking for a cooler for my Q6600 (socket 775?) to make it practically silent, I really don't mind about the temperature for overclocking, for now just the sound!

Any suggestions?

Also whilst I'm here, whats the best 120fan for quietness as the one of the side of my 690 is really annoying too

[jim]

Buy a cooler without a fan, and then stick a quiet fan on it. Thermalright do quite a few, but they certainly aren't the only ones. Or alternatively buy a Noctua one, all the parts are included but they're quite expensive.

Check SPCR for information about what the quietest fans are, but generally speaking what you need to do is run it slowly. Any decent make under 1200rpm will probably do the job (unless it's got a squeaky motor or bearing problem - check SPCR), it depends how much you want to spend.

You'll have to accept high temps, it's always a trade-off.

Something like this would be a good bet.

[CK_1985]

If you're really not fussed about temps and can fit it in your case, you could always just get a passive cooler:

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Coole...-AM2-AM2plus-9

Definitely wouldn't have a sound issue then!

[[GSV]Trig]

Do you have fan control switched on in the BIOS?
The fan on mine is quieter than the one on my 4870 and thats tweaked to run at 20%...

[Pob255]

If you're still using the original cm690 fans you'll find that the one on the side panel is exactly the same as the rear fan, yet it's louder.
This is not an issue with the fan but the vent in the side panel.

If you use washers or similar to lift the fan off the side panel (ie add about a 3-5mm gap between the fan and side panel) then most of the noise will go away.

Although if you've not added and extra fans to the case then I'd remove the fan from the side panel and put it into rear of the two top fan places instead, as an extraction fan.
That would be of far greater benefit than as a single side panel input fan. (unless you've done some major mod work to the cm690)

[wzix]

As for temperatures I don't mind, meaning I don't really intend on overclocking. But I wouldn't want to install an aftermarket cooler if the temperatures would be higher than that of the stock cooler. Would the passive one do this?

And thanks for the tips about the 690

[jim]

Passive cooler isn't going make a difference if you're still using case fans really. It will be pretty high temperatures though, that's always going to be the case.

A very slow rpm fan won't make any noise and will help keep the temps down, don't think there's a convincing reason to go passive in this case.

[nimbu]

Thermalright, been buying them for years. I used to buy Papst fans but last one fan i bought was one of those sharkoon golf ball ones. Runs cool and silent (At least for my ears)

http://www.scan.co.uk/product.aspx?ProductId=28529

Nims

[wzix]

If you're still using the original cm690 fans you'll find that the one on the side panel is exactly the same as the rear fan, yet it's louder.
This is not an issue with the fan but the vent in the side panel.

If you use washers or similar to lift the fan off the side panel (ie add about a 3-5mm gap between the fan and side panel) then most of the noise will go away.

Although if you've not added and extra fans to the case then I'd remove the fan from the side panel and put it into rear of the two top fan places instead, as an extraction fan.
That would be of far greater benefit than as a single side panel input fan. (unless you've done some major mod work to the cm690)

Do you know where I can buy the washers for the fan?

[lodore]

If you want your computer to be quiet you should be able to get the parts you want from quietpc