I don't know where else to ask this question. I apologize if this is the wrong place.

I need help.

I am in the process of building a small form factor pc for my bedroom.
I will most likely be running Ubuntu 64 or Gentoo 2005.1 64.

The specs are:
Shuttle XPC SN85G4
AMD Athlon 64 3400 Clawhammer OEM
1 GB Geil Ram
250 gb WD Caviar SATA
Nec 3550 DVD burner
MSI 6600gt AGP
Viewsonic VA1912wb

This pc is slated to go in my bedroom. I would like to use it to view Asterisk, Misterhouse, and security cams. Plus, it would nice to play media on. I would like this PC on 24/7.

I need this PC to be as quiet as I can get it. I do not think my wife will put up with the humming of a pc while she is trying to sleep.

The cpu has an iceblock on it that disappates the heat via a rear facing fan that is really quiet.

The video card is a problem. The fan is not horribly loud. It is just loud enough to be bothersome. I looked at replacement fans like the Zalmans (7000-cu)one, but I can not install it due to limited space in case.(it wouldn't clear a support beam.)

Is there anything I can do to make the pc more quiet? (comptemplating water cooling, but not sure about space for the water blocks and hoses.) Seems like an extreme measure.

During sleep hours could I set the PC to wake on LAN or a wake on event?(like if an x10 motion detector senses movement in the night)
All the PCs I have now are turned on when needed and off when not. But, when Verizon finally gets broadband to my neck of the woods I would like a couple of the pcs always on.

I hope I am not wasting anyones time with this. I have gotten a lot of really solid advice here and did not know where else to turn with this.

Regards,
Blair

You could get an Ati Radeon thats a fanless and still decent card. But chances are you can simply remove the fan and still be safe unless you are stressing it. I did the same for an Nvidia Geoforce 3 and it still seems to be working fine. In fact the funny thing was that the graphics card fan was louder than the cpu fan.

Its nice you got that iceblock idea of yours working. I have'n t heard of many people trying this idea. Ice melts and humidity is'nt particularly good for the pc, but you're using dry ice, I imagine?

If you have a good motherboard, you should be to control the fan speeds. My suggestion is underclock your cpu/gpu by changing the clock multiplier, then reduce the rpm. If the bios does'nt work for you, you can always use a variable resistor.

dry ice ..lol..
I have not had much success with ATI and linux in the past.
I thought of removing the fan all together before....worried I'd toast the gpu.
Underclocking would probably defeat the purpose of getting a GT card.

I was looking at other replacement fans, but the chip sits so high up on the 6600gt board I can't imagine one fitting.

IF this was a normal or mini case I would just water cool. But I think the tubes might cause airflow problems of their own. Plus I am not too crazy running H20 that close to electric.

Might just see how it goes. Have the pc hibernate at set time and wake it self at at a set time, and wake on lan in between.

The vid card fan makes the pc sound like a model train everything else is quiet.





Regards,
Blair

Try this.

http://www.laptops4me.com/product_in...oducts_id/9908

Cheap, quiet, effective.

Or if you can't live without your existing video card

http://www.iocombo.com/product/showp...productid=0CKI

Or you can always tell your wife to get earplugs.

I actually looked at the asus n6600 but it was $180.00 and that was more than I was willing to spend. The msi card I got was supposed to be quiet.

You tell her about the earplugs.

I had a evga geforce 6800 in my workstation. I swapped it for the 6600gt and it is a step above silent. (good enough)

I will stick with that and just have it hibernate or whatever when not in use.

Thanks,
Blair