ST61G4 - Advice Please

[Ultra]

Hey all,

I'm about to take my first steps in some minor modding to my very much loved shuttle and would like some advice before the dremmel starts to spin......

The plan is just to reduce some noise by cutting away the rear grill and replacing the stock fan with a Noiseblocker S4. The parts are already here but I have some questions.

Is the fan going to be a straight swap or are there any issues that I should be aware of ?

One thing that bothers me is that the fan is currently controlled by SmartFan, after the installation of the new NB S4, will it still be controlled by SmartFan. Will the NB S4 even fit without any further mods ?

The replacement NB S4 is the full retail 80mm kit and has a pre-wired 3 pin connector, molex adaptor and potentiometer kit.

Thanks for your help......

[DJWillis]

Cutting the grill on these G4's is a great idea. The hex mesh blocks loads of airflow.

Just take the time to do it properly (don't make the mistake I have seen too many people make of cutting the holes for the ICE mounting out by mistake) and make DAMM SURE you remove the board and lag the case/grill area well, you do not want metal shards and the metal dust from the filing falling inside the case (you will file the edges smooth and put some thin foam/tape over the edges wont you ).

As for the noise blocker fans, not used them but you mentioned they have a 3 Pin header, if that is fully wired then you could just dump the fan on the header used by the existing fan and the BIOS and any software that managed the fans should continue to work . If it’s just a speed readout (i.e. one lead connected to the 3 pin lead) then all the software/BIOS will be able to do is tell you the speed of the fan.

The noise blocker should fit in the ICE as a straight swap provided it’s an 80mm fan and the width of the fan is the same (a quick eyeball of the ICE and fan will tell you that).

All the above jobs are very easy if you take time and be careful, don’t wrench the ICE about as the radiator bends far too easily )

[Ultra]

Thanks for the reply, the lack of response was just starting to make me wonder if this was a good idea !!

I do intend to remove everthing including the MB before work on the grill. Then its a case of a good clean before replacing everything again. Hopefully that will be enough to keep the metal shards away.

This may be a stupid question, but I'm not sure what you mean by putting foam/tape over the new opening edges. What would that do exactly ?

[DJWillis]

This may be a stupid question, but I'm not sure what you mean by putting foam/tape over the new opening edges. What would that do exactly ?

Maybe it’s just me who does the very thin foam covering then .

What I do is take very thin craft foam (no more then say 1.5mm think) and cut it into strips the length of the newly cut edges then fold and score so it’s an even half to full centimetre over the edges of the wider hole.

Hard to explain and the shuttles are at home so no pics but you end up with the 4 holes for the ICE forming 4 notches in the corners of an otherwise clean square and foam folded over the longer edges. I then glue that foam onto the case using good craft glue and let it dry for 20 mins or so.

What this gives you is a neat cover of the sharp edges so no cuts when putting fans etc. in AND a thin foam layer squeezed between the ICE shroud and the back of the case stopping metal to metal ‘grinding’. I have found this to be VERY effective at further deadening sound caused by the ICE and shroud vibrating against the case. It also makes the job look loads neater .

[Ultra]

That a very good idea, think I might just do that. Thanks again for the advice.

[DJWillis]

That a very good idea, think I might just do that. Thanks again for the advice.

How did it go, happy with the result?

[Ultra]

Its all done, all up and running without any problems. Heat reduced just by removing the grill.

The NB S4 did reduce the noise a little but it produces a whinning noise which is very annoying. I'm looking at alternative fans at the moment and have read some reviews of the SilentX fans. Any experience with those or could you suggest an alternative ?

[DJWillis]

SilentX FAN's are apparently quite good.

Use low noise Pabst FAN's myself in my boxes if I feel the need to change FAN's.

[Tifosi]

Noiseblocker S3 or S2
Sharkoon SL1