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Unread 07-11-2005, 11:33 AM   #16
Brians256
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Klamath Falls, OR
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Marci is giving you some good advice on system config.

PUMP:
D5 is one of the better pumps on the high performance end of "quietness". For a quieter pump, the Laing DDC (available in DangerDen or Swiftech stores) will work quite well and still allow you to overclock. It would probably depend upon your chip and system setup as to whether the DDC vs D5 would make any difference in overclock.

WATERBLOCK:
For maximum quietness, it's still hard to beat the MCW6002 because it doesn't require a large pump to work well. So, you can get a quieter pump. The Storm will give you better temps, though. In the middle range, the Dangerden waterblocks work just fine but probably won't give you as good of temps as the Storm.

RADIATOR:
The PA160 is going to be the quietest options you have unless you want to fabricate your own solution. There just aren't many thin radiators out there that are low restriction. Thinness buys you the ability to use a quieter fan. I'm glad that Marci (he's the vendor that made the PA160) made this radiator, but I'm sad that others haven't followed in his footsteps. In the mean time, you can't hardly beat Marci's design without using multiple radiators (in parallel air flow and series waterflow) to decrease the fan backpressure. Series waterflow, btw, looks to be better than parallel waterflow because of the boundary layer issues with radiator heat dissipation (as far as I know).

FAN:
For a really quiet system, use Nexus 120mm fans on the PA160 rad. For better temps, try a Panaflow L1A or the 25mm Papst. If you want better temps, go with more noise. There is no free lunch. If you want maximum performance and minimum noise, trade off space and buy one large or several small passive radiators.

Will your setups work? Yes. Will they be optimum? I don't think so, and I've described what the forum's current consensus seems to be. A rad box seems to be a good idea because the PC's case isn't designed well for having radiators in it. The large area sides are not done well for having a radiator stuck there, and the front/back/top/bottom sides just aren't very wide, which is what you need for an easy quiet and high performing setup. The 3-fan thermochill or the PA160 are pretty good compromises, really.
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