Fractal Design Define r4 - pretty loud?

[Tazman192]

Hey.

 

I'm starting to use my pc without headphones alot more when studying etc, and I've realised my pc can be loud.

 

I'm using a fractal design r4 case

Be quiet dark rock pro 3 cpu cooler

Be quiet shadow wings 2 140mm exhaust pwm - rear

Be quiet shadow wings 2 120mm intake pwm - bottom

Stock fractal design fans as front intake hooked onto the fan controller set at 5v. (2 fans)

MSI twin frozr gtx 770 graphics card.

EVGA g2 750w psu (on eco mode so the fan is always off unless needed anyway - this fan is pretty loud, but its not the culprit here).

 

 

The noise is quite audible especially in a supposedly silent case, I've unhooked the bottom be quiet fan and thats made no difference, the front intakes have always been at 5v.

 

Does anybody own the twin frozr graphics cards? If so, are they generally loud for you? Any way I can quieten them?

 

I don't know whether it's my graphics card, my cooler, or the front fans. Reviews say the front fans SHOULD be quiet at 5v. 

 

 

My motherboard is an asus maximus vii ranger, and I've set the cooling profiles to all my be quiet fans (cpu cooler included) to Silent performance. Temperatures are fine and in no means high, but the noise is bothering me, especially when I bought this case for silent performance.

 

 

Hoping anyone with similar components to mine can help me and tell me what their experience is like with noise. I suspect it's the graphics card but can't be entirely sure. Even with over ear headphones I can hear the fans (no sound playing).

[helping]

Putting noisy things in a silent case won't make it silent.

 

One of your fans are going ham, at 5v and 25% fan speed on my card and cooler my PC is barely audible, thats with stock fans.

[Tazman192]

Putting noisy things in a silent case won't make it silent.

 

One of your fans are going ham, at 5v and 25% fan speed on my card and cooler my PC is barely audible, thats with stock fans.

 

Thats my point - I can't work out whats making the noise, whether it's the stock fans, my cooler, or my graphics card. My rear and bottom fans seem to be fine.

 

My Graphics card is spinning at 34% and I can't make it spin any quieter even using MSI afterburner - not sure if anybody can help me with this?

 

Edit: Do you own the same case?

[helping]

Thats my point - I can't work out whats making the noise, whether it's the stock fans, my cooler, or my graphics card. My rear and bottom fans seem to be fine.

 

My Graphics card is spinning at 34% and I can't make it spin any quieter even using MSI afterburner - not sure if anybody can help me with this?

 

Edit: Do you own the same case?

Yes, and how is your CPU fan being controlled and where do you have your exhaust fan connected to?

[MourningSouls]

GPU and PSU should be the loudest components assuming perfect conditions. But a silence optimized case is perfect conditions, too much airflow obstruction. That creates a lot of extra wind noise.

 

I'd expect 25-30dB for your build, not quiet, but tolerable for most people.

 

 

What headphones do you have? If they're open they won't do anything to suppress sound.

[Tazman192]

Yes, and how is your CPU fan being controlled and where do you have your exhaust fan connected to?

 

CPU fan is plugged into the cpu fan header just controlled by the motherboard, same as exhaust fan. Both 4 pins. CPU cooler has 2 fans, plugged into a supplied y connector.

 

 

GPU and PSU should be the loudest components assuming perfect conditions. But a silence optimized case is perfect conditions, too much airflow obstruction. That creates a lot of extra wind noise.

 

I'd expect 25-30dB for your build, not quiet, but tolerable for most people.

 

 

What headphones do you have? If they're open they won't do anything to suppress sound.

 

I have the superlux hd681 evo's.

[Joonikko]

How many HDD's do you have? I have a Define R4, MSI GTX 770 TF, some extra case fans which I also run at 5V and the loudest part of the system was couple old hard drives.

[helping]

CPU fan is plugged into the cpu fan header just controlled by the motherboard, same as exhaust fan. Both 4 pins. CPU cooler has 2 fans, plugged into a supplied y connector.

 

 

 

I have the superlux hd681 evo's.

And you have everything set to PWM control on your MB and you're using the BIOS software for fan control, right?

 

 

I mean the quickest way you can do this is to unplug one or two fans at a time to figure out who it is.

[Tazman192]

How many HDD's do you have? I have a Define R4, MSI GTX 770 TF, some extra case which I also run at 5V and the loudest part of the system was couple old hard drives.

 

Just the one HDD - Seagate Baraccuda 2tb. What RPM does your gfx card run at on idle? If you could check using HWMonitor or something would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

And you have everything set to PWM control on your MB and you're using the BIOS software for fan control, right?

 

 

I mean the quickest way you can do this is to unplug one or two fans at a time to figure out who it is.

 

Yeah, thats correct. I think that's what I'll do. It won't harm my computer if I have no exhaust fan or intake fans in for 5 mins would it?

[Joonikko]

Just the one HDD - Seagate Baraccuda 2tb. What RPM does your gfx card run at on idle? If you could check using HWMonitor or something would be greatly appreciated.

The 770 idles at ~33°C with fans running between 1080 to 1170 RPM.

[helping]

Just the one HDD - Seagate Baraccuda 2tb. What RPM does your gfx card run at on idle? If you could check using HWMonitor or something would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

Yeah, thats correct. I think that's what I'll do. It won't harm my computer if I have no exhaust fan or intake fans in for 5 mins would it?

nope

[Tazman192]

The 770 idles at ~33°C with fans running between 1080 to 1170 RPM.

 

About the same as me, thanks man.

 

nope

 

Okay, thanks for the help.

[WoodenMarker]

Just the one HDD - Seagate Baraccuda 2tb

Provided all the fans are running at the lowest speeds and the graphics card fans are on a nice fan curve, the barracuda would definitely be the loudest component. I have my hdds suspended in open cell foam--they're quieter than a 2TB Barracuda by quite a bit and are still the loudest part of my system.

[Tazman192]

Provided all the fans are running at the lowest speeds and the graphics card fans are on a nice fan curve, the barracuda would definitely be the loudest component. I have my hdds suspended in open cell foam--they're quieter than a 2TB Barracuda by quite a bit and are still the loudest part of my system.

 

How could I go about making it quieter? Any noise isolation caddy that exists or anything of the sort? Or is it just something I'll need to put up with?

[WoodenMarker]

How could I go about making it quieter? Any noise isolation caddy that exists or anything of the sort? Or is it just something I'll need to put up with?

You could use suspension cables or suspend the drives in foam like me which are generally quieter than caddies you can buy. 

[Tazman192]

You could use suspension cables or suspend the drives in foam like me which are generally quieter than caddies you can buy. 

 

 

Are either of them easy to do? Is there a guide or anything I could follow?

[WoodenMarker]

Are either of them easy to do? Is there a guide or anything I could follow?

It's pretty simple but can depend on your case and where you're mounting the drives. The second picture is from my system where they are sitting on foam molds I carved out and put in the 5.25" drive bays. 

What isolating the drive from the case does is prevent vibrations from being amplified by the case. Everyone has their own method--get creative. As long as the drives are secure and won't go anywhere, you can do whatever you'd like.

[Tazman192]

It's pretty simple but can depend on your case and where you're mounting the drives. The second picture is from my system where they are sitting on foam molds I carved out and put in the 5.25" drive bays. 

What isolating the drive from the case does is prevent vibrations from being amplified by the case. Everyone has their own method--get creative. As long as the drives are secure and won't go anywhere, you can do whatever you'd like.

 

 

Okay, thanks for this. I'll browse around online and see if I can come up with some ideas suited for my case.

 

Thanks again