A PC Case with External Power Supply? 138
aralin asks: "I am building a new home server (web server, email, source code repository, ...) and don't really need that much performance, but would like to make it ultra quiet. I have found some quiet, one platter harddrives and can get a lower-end graphics card without a fan. I underclock the CPU so it never really needs cooling, besides the load on the computer will be quite low, most of the time. What I cannot get around easily is the power supply. They are quite noisy and the quiet ones are really expensive. I'm just not going to put half of my budget on a power supply. Do you know any company that manufactures PC cases with external power supply or do you know any other cheap solution to a quiet PC?"
"So, I recently looked at the Mac Mini and it got me thinking, why couldn't PCs have an external power supply, like the Mac Mini or notebooks. Would it be so hard to make a case like that? It could be even smaller than the typical Mini-ITX cases, and with all the bricks from routers and external harddrives and other devices, I wouldn't mind one more lying around in exchange for the bliss of absolutely quiet PC in my bedroom."
won't be that much cheaper (Score:2)
I don't think you'll be saving money though... What *IS* your power supply budget there are quiet, or quieter power supplies that are good and quiet (or with a little ingenuity and bravery can be made quieter -- especially if the draw is low ) that aren't *that* much... Yes the totally passive/fanless ones are pricey.
I did a review of a casetronics c137 case [byopvr.com] with a via epia m10k mobo and it had a brick pow
look at the mini-itx power supplies (Score:3, Informative)
What is your budget? (Score:2)
The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:5, Insightful)
Your idea would require a LOT of wire running from the PS on the floor for the different voltages, and the PS would still have to be well ventilated and thus off the carpet. There isn't much of a market for your idea at a $40 price. The near-silent Zalmans and the fan-less supplies already have the higher price points covered.
Finally, some people do put their systems in a closet or adjacent room and drill holes for the cables. Not much point in only separating the PS if the hard drive will still make a miniscule amount of noise. People who care that much just move the whole system instead.
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:2)
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:3, Interesting)
No, it just means that there are people who are more sensitive than you are. There's nothing wrong with that. For instance, some people (like me) can hear the whine of a CRT, while others (like my wife) think that said people are nuts. Some people use their computers for noise-sensitive recordings, in which case 30dB is far too loud. My computer is virtually silent within 4 ft (Seasonic S12-38
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:2)
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:1)
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:1)
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:2)
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:2)
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:2)
My wife would be able to hear it, but due to hearing damage from being a professional musician, thats not gonna happen.
My issue is, I'm building a new computer too (LONG overdue) and I'm faced with the same decisions. I've basically decided that its going to annoy me no matter what. I've also decided that since its going
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:3, Insightful)
This is assuming that you can't make use of the new components in some other way before you have them all.
On the quietness front, I bought an Antec Sonata case (has a big, variable speed case fan, nice rubber mountings for the hard drives and generally good build quality) and was pl
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:2)
1 - APO address. Its really a pain to get stuff shipped to me because half the idiots on the web selling things tend to think these are PO boxes or someone trying to get an international shipment for free. In fact, I saw a seller on eBay (in Ohio) that jacked APO shipping prices up $39.95 on top of his $25 fee - all that for a power supply. I'm sorry, but $25 is enough to cover your packaging and the 3 minutes it takes to fill out a customs form.
2
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:2)
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:2)
1 - APO address. Its really a pain to get stuff shipped to me because half the idiots on the web selling things tend to think these are PO boxes or someone trying to get an international shipment for free. In fact, I saw a seller on eBay (in Ohio) that jacked APO shipping prices up $39.95 on top of his $25 fee - all that for a power supply. I'm sorry, but $25 is enough to cover your packaging and the 3 minutes it takes to fill out a customs form.
Huh? Isn't that all the more reason to order everythi
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:2)
2 FreeBSD boxes
1 Win 2k Adv Server
1 Laptop
2 Cisco Routers (CCNA Study)
1 Cisco Switch (CCNA Study)
With all of the above hardware running, I don't need to turn the heat on in that room and you can hear the hum from a block away. Now the new computer is coming and she's getting upset - nevermind the fact that I've chosen a lot of the components specifically due to how quiet they are. (Low noise HD's, case has rubber mounts for everything plus 2 fans that I
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:2)
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:1)
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:2)
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:2)
Damn, you can hear blood running through your ears? Either you have super-hearing, or some bizarre anatomy going on there.
I have had mild tinnitus for as long as I can remember, and in a quiet to near quiet environment the ringing can be very annoying. For that reason I like to have a fan noise in the background, but computer fans and drives aren't quite the right sound.
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:2)
Re:The ZM300B-APS is NOT loud or expensive (Score:2)
Your idea would require a LOT of wire running from the PS on the floor for the different voltages
Why? Notebook power supplies only provide one voltage to the notebook; regulation down to 12V/5V/3V/etc. is done in the notebook, not the PSU. Why couldn't it be the same for PCs?
If it's a server - hide it in a wardrobe (Score:2)
Re:If it's a server - hide it in a wardrobe (Score:1)
Servers are made to hold stuff. Holding stuff need space. Space means lots of big HDDs. Big HDD means it will generaly be loud. Unless you are living in a one room apartment, put it in another room. If you share your place with someone who you don't want touching your computer, get a locking case and make it headless and just remote in from your main computer for touching up.
And if it must be in your bedroom for some reasion, put it in a closet or maybe under
Re:If it's a server - hide it in a wardrobe (Score:2)
put it in a closet
Duh! That was exactly what I suggested (a wardrobe is a type of closet). And not all wardrobes are in the bedroom even though it's the most commom (of course, some other closet is even better, I give you that)...
maybe under the bed
Been there, done that. Won't work. If possible, worse, as the computer is a lot closer to you with its sound.
Remember Ohm's Law (Score:4, Interesting)
You'd need a gang of 4+ 12ga or 10ga wires to keep the drop reasonable over a 15' distance. Now you're starting to see why power is distributed across the country at hundreds of thousands of volts, and newer cars are going to 24V or 48V systems.
Muuuch easier to get a supply with only one fan (no need for a 550wa monster for a small system!) and if necessary replace it with a quiet fan. I got some panaflos and replaced several of mine and they were silent.
Re:Remember Ohm's Law (Score:1)
And generally if the poster doesn't know about basic wiring electronics [e.g. ohms law] he/she shouldn't be wiring up a power supply outside of the "plug it into the mobo" routine.
Tom
Re:Remember Ohm's Law (Score:2)
Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:3, Informative)
Antec SLK1650B case w/350W supply: $100 at CDW
Intel BOXD915GAGLK motherboard: $145 at CDW
Intel Celeron 2.53
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:2)
Rumor has it this'll be solved by Apple at Macworld in early January.
I have my credit card ready.
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:2)
Aopen have one. [linuxdevices.com]
This "MiniPC" will also be quite a bit faster than the Mac Mini, even without taking OS X's sluggishness into account.
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:2)
Except for the fact that the AOpen Mini PC doesn't actually seem to be available, although Engadget has reviewed one on 22 December 2005 that costs 700 quid...the Register's review of the same unit is a bit more extensive, but they rate it somewhere below the Mac mini.
The Linux Devices article, published 1 November 2005, claims the unit will be available throught Tiger Direct "this month", but a search of the Tiger Direct web site turns up no mention of this product.
I still wish Apple would take an iM
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:2)
Sounds like they might be hard to find in the US...
Here in Australia, you can pick one up for ~$1100 (~$800 US) with a Pentium M 740, 512M RAM, 40G hard disk and DVDRW (although that's from a seller who isn't know for being cheap, they're probably available for a couple of hundred less elsewhere).
I still
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:2)
If you can reliably and for free fix a computer within the usual 2 to 3 day time that Apple can fix one, then it might be worth weighing that as an option.
Otherwise, being that your comfortable with Macs already and they support windows and linux filesharing and remote access, for the form factor, quietness, and price, I don't see how you could do any better.
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:2)
Usual 2 to 3 day time? I know a lot of mac users, used to be one myself, and the usual story of AppleCare service is either an instant turnaround in the store, or a litany of tears. I also cannot count the number of slashdot comments I've seen (from different people, even) that detail an encounter with AppleCare that led to several weeks without a l
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:2)
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:3, Insightful)
But simply google for 'linux mac mini'. First hit is Installing Debian GNU/Linux on the Mac Mini [sowerbutts.com], an easy to follow guide on how to set up Debian.
Oh, and BTW, a driver for the Broadcom chipset used by Airport Extreme is indeed available now!
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:2, Funny)
You probably need a blessed official Apple keyboard or something.
Basically once I got yaboot [improperly] installed my Gentoo setup wouldn't boot and I couldn't boot off the MacOSX Installer CD [hitting 'c' or not]. It could be just my Mac is broken but it booted OSX just fine and worked correctly while up. I thi
PEBCAK (Score:2)
Take ten seconds (and I'm giving you way more time than any user with a clue should need) and think about what OpenFirmware is.
Yes, it's just another form of BIOS with a fancy name. (In fact, it happens to be more advanced than most typical PC BIOSes...)
Re:PEBCAK (Score:2)
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:4, Informative)
OTOH I may have found a solution to your problem: before you reboot to boot from the non-MacOS X install medium (i.e. Debian, *BSD, whatever), open a shell in OS X and type:
% nvram auto-boot?="false"
This will automatically drop you into the OF console after power-up or reboot. (See excerpt of dW article below.)
BS, OpenFirmware IS a BIOS, it just has another name! And you can use OF just fine! In fact, it's quite advanced when comaper to a PC-style BIOS.From An embedded view of the Mac Mini, Part 1 [ibm.com]:
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:1, Troll)
Fortunately I bought it at a slave-wage best-buy and I got a full refund. Woohoo!
Tom
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:2)
Look at it this way - While there are many reasons that Windows sucks, would you laugh at a person who flamed it because it is heavily dependent on right-clicking for much functionality and they coul
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:2)
I've been using a Logitech keyboard with my mac for over a year.
The only thing I had to do was re-map the MEDIA key to act as an Eject. And even that wasn't necessary, it was just a convenience. Logitech even marks the keys with Apple symbols.
Mice can be a bit of an issue, but both my Logitech and Microsoft mice work fine on my Mac.
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:2)
I definately have used PC mice with Macs - the only difference is that until recently, Mac mice had fewer buttons.
Still, the guy I was replying to was bashing the Mac because of problems using hardware that wasn't designed for use with the Mac.
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:3, Informative)
% nvram auto-boot?="false"
This disables auto-booting and will drop you into the OF console after power-up or reboot.
HTH
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:2)
Oh, and BTW, PowerPC cpus can do multitasking just fine, which only proves that you have no clue about what you are talking.
Re:Then why not the Mac Mini? (Score:3, Interesting)
12V, 5V (Score:1, Redundant)
It would certainly cut down on the number of wall-warts hogging outlets, besides fixing issues like these.
Re:12V, 5V (Score:2)
Re:12V, 5V (Score:1, Flamebait)
For the record not everything runs off 5V or can tolerate a max of 500mA
The device I had in mind would have both 5V and 12V and allow at least a sink of 1Ah per port. A standard PSU can support this and when the PC is off the PSU wouldn't need a fan to supply 5W or 12W to a something like a cell phone c
Re:12V, 5V (Score:2)
You do realize that the USB charging/sync cables available for many devices (cell phones, iPod, etc) do not require a PC to operate, and simply need +5V and ground to be provided to a standard USB female connector in order to work? As a result, you can have one cable that charges from a PC, or with a single "universal" adapter, from automotive power or AC. (An example
Re:12V, 5V (Score:2)
I'm now on an Orange SPV C550 which is designed to charge via US, but unlike previous smartphones, this seems to do some USB neogitation before it starts to charge. My PC needs to be booted, and my 12V car-lighter:USB adaptor wont charge it.
Sam
Re:12V, 5V (Score:2)
in other words they actually followed the USB spec
C500s or HTC Tornado (Score:2)
Re:C500s or HTC Tornado (Score:2)
I should have guessed that the supplied mains charger DIDN'T do any USB negotiation so that it should be possible also to spoof it on my car/usb adaptor.
I'll check modaco, thanks.
Sam
Re:12V, 5V (Score:2)
There are several reasons I haven't done it yet. The toughest is I'd need a supplier to deliver the dozens of shapes of coaxial connectors that all these gadgets use. I don't really want to strip the cables from the bricks as that makes most of t
Re:12V, 5V (Score:2)
I have a quick & ugly Solar [nether.net] page with links to the build-it-yourself charge coltroller ($55) and places that have generally reasonable prices on the batteries & panels. Then you can take the voltage and step it to what you need, either up or down. Then you also have a built-in UPS sy
Re:12V, 5V (Score:2)
If you check out my weather station's history, [comcast.net] you'll find at the bottom is a chart with the amount of solar radiation landing on my house. The last three days have brought me peaks of 120 W/m^2, 80 W/m^2 and 16 W/m^2 (granted, there's probably snow sitting on the sensor today, but there's snow sitting on the wea
Regarding the iGo "tips" (Score:2)
The way most switching power controller ICs work is that they continuously try to keep a voltage input equal to an internal reference voltage which is usually around 1.2 volts. To get higher voltages, a resistive voltage divider is used to sense the output voltage. For example, if one connected a 200k resistor between the output and the sense line, and a 100k resistor from the sense line t
Re:Regarding the iGo "tips" (Score:2)
Of course that means I can't use a setup like that unless I want to wire up a power controlling IC for each jack in addition to all the rest of the work. :-( Of course, it would be a cookie-cutter circuit, once it's done it's just a matter of copying it lots... hmm...
Multiple functions (Score:2)
Antec P180 (Score:3, Informative)
Here's a photo tour [silentpcreview.com]. A small review [silentpcreview.com]. A larger review [silentpcreview.com].
You also might want to ask on the forums at Silent PC review [silentpcreview.com]. There are people there who have a lot of experience building silent PCs and will be able to let you know if there is an external power supply that would fit your requirements.
Re:Antec P180 (Score:2)
Antec Sonata 2, $100-$120 (Score:4, Informative)
The Sonata 2 ships with one 120mm fan, I advise you to add a second (plenty of sockets on the case). Big fans turn slowly, which is less noisy.
This is what I have at home, and if you unplug the blue leds there is no way to tell if the power is on unless you put your hand behind the psu fan.
This being said, I advise you to always put the psu at the top of your list when you buy a pc. Good, reliable power will give your hd a longer life.
Simple (Score:2)
2. 80mm Vantec Stealth fan to replace original one. Maybe zalman has a standalone standard 80mm fan, which, if they do, probbably comes with a nifty little rheostat to control the RPM.
Problem solved. On a budget.
Re:Simple (Score:2)
Google? (Score:2, Funny)
http://www.google.com/search?q=quiet+psu [google.com]
I seemed to find a pretty quiet PSU pretty easy, dunno about you:
http://www.endpcnoise.com [endpcnoise.com]
Because while an external PSU might be cool, you're really only trying to solve the noise problem.
The Mac Mini is a Personal Computer (PC) (Score:2, Informative)
If you're a gameboy and need a superfast_quiet_windows_pc_that_mom_wont_hear_lat
[ Please insert another coin to continue... ]
Re:The Mac Mini is a Personal Computer (PC) (Score:1)
You're more constrained with Windows than a Freenix (i.e. NetBSD or one of the Linux-based OS) but you're even MORE constrained with a Mac.
Get a fanless Xterminal and put your main CPU in a separate room.
Re:The Mac Mini is a Personal Computer (PC) (Score:2)
The experts (Score:1)
Probably the best PSU for your use is a Seasonic S12-330W. About $50, and coupled with a Antec 3000B or similar less than $80. If you want more powerful, I'd look at the Antec P150 with included NeoPower 430.
Power supplies aren't noisy... (Score:2)
An external supply might still need a fan, plus the cabling will be a pain in the posterior.
Something you're also overlooking, the internal power supply's fan is part of the overall cooling system for the case and its contents. You'll still need a fan inside the case.
Back in the PC/XT days there was a case that needed some of the holes in the front covered up in order to increase the velocity of the air being pulled through the case by the internal power
We make exactly this type of case.. (Score:4, Informative)
You can see one of our cases reviewed on EPIAcenter.com [epiacenter.com] right now.. I think it's pretty close to what you want, and if it isn't, a few minutes on the phone can have it customized any way you want.
Boot off flash and NFS mount a partition to a server in another room and you have your perfectly silent PC.
The power supply is a hybrid; get a DC/DC converter from a company like mini-box.com, then get one of their external notebook-style power adapters.
Re:We make exactly this type of case.. (Score:2)
Did you even read the post? At all? You know, it starts with "I am building a new home server
He wants a silent *server*, not a silent workstation. And the server he speaks of is evidently going to be in is bedroom (likely because Mom doesn't want it in the living room).
obviously I have a commercial interest
Obviously. That's why you ignored what the original poster asked for and offered a solut
Re:We make exactly this type of case.. (Score:2)
Happy 06, and not from the marketting department.
p/s can be modified to reduce noise (Score:2)
Disassemble the power supply. Unbolt the fan from the side. Reinstall it using longer bolts and a few rubber washers to hold the fan away from the side of the p/s case. Use foam tape to fill the gap between the fan and the case. Your power supply should now be significantly quieter.
Re:p/s can be modified to reduce noise (Score:2)
Re:p/s can be modified to reduce noise (Score:2)
You used the key words yourself (Score:3, Informative)
Try a Shuttle Zen (Score:3, Informative)
Review at Silent PC Review [silentpcreview.com]
Shuttle Product Page [shuttle.com]
$215 at Newegg [newegg.com]
Re:Try a Shuttle Zen (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article274-page1.ht
or you could get a 150W PSU and DC-DC Converter Kit to make your own power brick setup from http://www.mini-itx.com/store/?c=10#dcdc [mini-itx.com]
Just unplug the fan mon! (Score:2)
I've powered PC motherboards using batteries before (not the harddisks)... they dont use much power. If the CPU power is low too, and you can make do with bootable USB key instead of harddisk, you might be able to just use two po
Re:Just unplug the fan mon! (Score:2)
Old notebook, no fans (Score:2)
SilenX (Score:4, Informative)
I've only owned SilenX's fans, but I'm EXTREMELY pleased with them. A 92mm 14dba fan and 120mm 14dba fan (~17dba combined) quieted my system considerably while actually lowering temps. I haven't tried their PSUs, but I'm expecting one any day now and have read plenty of great reviews of them.
Re:SilenX (Score:2, Informative)
How about this... (Score:2)
Did a little looking around, since I know the Dell GX620 in it's ultra small form factor. I didn't read the manual, but it claims to be able to run most P4 boards up to 3Ghz.
Seasonic S12 series (Score:3, Informative)
The S12 comes in a 330W version that should be fine for your PC. It runs around $55-$65 on the 'Egg or other online stores.
Pair it with a nice case (Antec 3000SLK or perhaps P180), a decent CPU heatsink (Scythe Ninja, Zalman, or a number of others), and a decent mobo/GPU (no fan), and a nice drive (Samsung is the best, Maxtor/Seagate/WD FDB drives can be pretty quiet as well), and you have a nice quiet system.
Check out http://silentpcreview.com/ [silentpcreview.com]
Wires (Score:2)
Morex (Score:4, Informative)
The main limitation with these PSUs is the number of drives you can use. This Morex has only one connector for desktop optical and hard drives (and a couple of smaller connectors for floppy and mobile drives), but I've managed to use a HD and a DVDRW drive with a dual adapter. On the other hand, if you need more power, I think Morex makes these for up to 200 W.
Used to see them in Akihabara all the time (Score:2)
I am not an EE, and all that, but I think the main problem with having long low voltage wires is loss
Dumpster Diving (Score:2, Informative)
I use an old desktop PC to do this job. I salvaged it from an office. Hardware is:
This runs my email, internal web server, internal DNS and DHCP, file server, print spooler, version control, and so on. It never even notices the load fr
Just Use Quiet Fans & Good HW (Score:2)
I have a case fan that I bought that runs at under 10dB - which less literally than a whisper. Keep the HDD and the CD/DVD drives quiet.
Best solution (Score:2)
Seriously, Deskpros are wonderful machines, especially if you like silence.
Go Via EPIA. (Score:2)
You might as well go Mini-ITX, with the Via EPIA platform. They make small motherboards that fit anywhere (with on-board video and Ethernet) and direct-to-mobo 60W and 70W power supplies that only need a 12V external power supply brick. I have a EPIA V10000 that's runni
I have one (Score:2)