Reccomendations on a very silent P4 fan/Power supply

[eastbayarb]

I am gonna be putting my P4 in my arcade cabinet, but I need it to be extremely silent. It has a socket 775 CPU, and it's currently in a bookshelf PC case.

Any reccomendations?

[MikeDeuce]

I use one of these in my near-silent watercooled PC: http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=24500

You can also check out SPCR's PSU section:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/section10.html

I have a Seasonic in my htpc, with a slightly low RPM 120mm fan, it's pretty quiet as well.

[krick]

If you want something quiet, you need to go with a large fan.  Small fans = noisy.

Both Zalman and Thermalright make some of the best coolers on the market...

http://www.thermalright.com/
http://www.zalmanusa.com/

I personally have a Zalman 7000AlCu and two Thermalright XP-120 coolers.

Many of the Zalman models come with a fan controller module that allows you to adjust the fan speed so that you can balance noise vs cooling power.

The Thermalright coolers take standard fans so you can do some research and purchase the quietest fans you can find.

Silent PC Review has a lot of good info about quiet PC components including fans and heatsinks as well as other components...

http://www.silentpcreview.com/section5.html

The biggest problem you will likely encounter is height restrictions with your bookshelf case.  I have a really small micro-atx case and the Zalman 7000 just barely fits.  There's no way in hell the XP-120 would fit due to the height of the fan.


If your case uses a micro-atx sized power supply, check out the Seasonic SS-300SFD...
http://www.seasonicusa.com/sfx.htm

I put one in my case and the difference was unbelievable.  The stock power supply was so loud, I couldn't hear anything else.  After I got the Seasonic, I could hear my hard drive, and video card fan.  I replaced my hd with one of the ones recommended by Silent PC review and I swapped out my Geforce4 for a fanless Geforce 6200.

[torez]

As you gonna be installing your mobo in arcade cabinet, then there is no need for the old bookshelf case.  In that case there should be not much restriction on space.  Have a look at Antec Phantom either 350W or 500W (but 350W should be enough in your case).  It's a "fanless" design, so there is no noise whatsoever.  Actually there is a fan, but it turns on if the psu gets too hot.  You can adjust temperature with a selector when the fan goes on.

Have a look at  http://scythe-usa.com/

I would recommend a cooling solution with heat pipes (more efficient, therefore less noise).  You pay bit more, but it's worth it.  I would recommend Ninja Plus ($54), but check out the new model Infinity with 5 heat pipes, also.  Both are compatible with major socket models.  Direct the fan towards the exhaust fan of your box or you could even build a little exhaust duct, so all the hot air goes directly out.  Don't forget to get some good thermal compound, as the one bundled with the cpu coolers may not be the best.  Extra $5-9 for the compound may mean less noise in the long run.  Arctic cooling comes to mind here.