Need a quiet WC setup for current air cooled CPU

[Samfisher]

So, I have a CM Storm Scout 2, CPU cooled by the CM V8.  Big hefty chunk of metal.  Pretty quiet, and I've got a Corsair SP120 PWM cable tied to 1 side to aid in cooling (don't ask).  I recently got a AT-2020 mic, and that bastard is sensitive as hell, but after some fiddling I managed to get it to reasonable levels.  However, in the background if I listen carefully, there is a low hum that I know comes from my case's built in exhaust fan at the back.

 

I've turned the room fan off, A/C off, turned all other case fans off (my other fans made almost no noise at all when CPU at idle) and the only fan I cannot control is the rear exhaust fan.  Should I just switch that fan for something quieter or just go WC and hope the inherent better performance leaves me being able to turn the radiator fan down?  I was thinking H80i's.

 

i5-3570K @ 4.4GHz

[runit3]

So, I have a CM Storm Scout 2, CPU cooled by the CM V8.  Big hefty chunk of metal.  Pretty quiet, and I've got a Corsair SP120 PWM cable tied to 1 side to aid in cooling (don't ask).  I recently got a AT-2020 mic, and that bastard is sensitive as hell, but after some fiddling I managed to get it to reasonable levels.  However, in the background if I listen carefully, there is a low hum that I know comes from my case's built in exhaust fan at the back.

 

I've turned the room fan off, A/C off, turned all other case fans off (my other fans made almost no noise at all when CPU at idle) and the only fan I cannot control is the rear exhaust fan.  Should I just switch that fan for something quieter or just go WC and hope the inherent better performance leaves me being able to turn the radiator fan down?  I was thinking H80i's.

 

i5-3570K @ 4.4GHz

Where is the noisy fan plugged in? If it's PWM you should be able to lower the speed through the BIOS or software. If it's running in DC the simplest option would be to replace it with another PWM fan, and if you're out of fan headers on the board connect it with another and a PWM fan splitter (check the max Amp/wattage for your boards fan headers prior to doing this).

[Samfisher]

Where is the noisy fan plugged in? If it's PWM you should be able to lower the speed through the BIOS or software. If it's running in DC the simplest option would be to replace it with another PWM fan, and if you're out of fan headers on the board connect it with another and a PWM fan splitter (check the max Amp/wattage for your boards fan headers prior to doing this).

 

It's plugged in to the motherboard header, but it's still a bit noisy even when at low RPM.  Somehow Asus Fan XPert isn't able to control that fan, although I did manage to previously.  Would a H80i or x41 lower the noise floor of my room?  That fan isn't LOUD, but it's the loudest part of my pc at idle.

[runit3]

It's plugged in to the motherboard header, but it's still a bit noisy even when at low RPM.  Somehow Asus Fan XPert isn't able to control that fan, although I did manage to previously.  Would a H80i or x41 lower the noise floor of my room?  That fan isn't LOUD, but it's the loudest part of my pc at idle.

The build is only ever going to be as queit as the loudest component. If the noiseist thing in there is that one fan putting a rad in an entirely different location with different fans isn't going to change that.

If you want the computer to be undetectable toss/replace the loud fan and pick up a handful of NF-F12's with the low noise adapter and undervolt them. If the NF-F12's aren't enough to cool your CPU in place of whatever is in there then yes, a queit AIO would be the way to go, although then you have to deal with pump noise.

[Samfisher]

The build is only ever going to be as queit as the loudest component. If the noiseist thing in there is that one fan putting a rad in an entirely different location with different fans isn't going to change that.

If you want the computer to be undetectable toss/replace the loud fan and pick up a handful of NF-F12's with the low noise adapter and undervolt them. If the NF-F12's aren't enough to cool your CPU in place of whatever is in there then yes, a queit AIO would be the way to go, although then you have to deal with pump noise.

 

I was thinking of removing that rear exhaust fan and installing a 120mm AIO in its place, but have no idea if it will actually be quieter ):