Member Avatar for Member #23858

I don't want a computer with a window side panel and I don't want some crazy looking design. I want a computer that will hold back as much noise as possible. What is the quietest one out there????

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by newtocustompc

Dani AI

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asked for a plain, near-silent case and several replies suggested small form factors, remote placement, passive designs, liquid cooling and DIY enclosures (, , , , ). The practical reality is that the case is one part of a system-level solution. The following concentrates on features and simple tuning steps that reliably cut audible noise while keeping temperatures safe.

Look for cases and upgrades that focus on isolation, airflow efficiency and low-RPM cooling:

  • Solid, stiff panels and internal bracing to avoid panel resonance; sound-dampening liners where they do not block vents.
  • A separated PSU chamber and rubber or silicone mounts for drives and fans to remove vibration transfer.
  • Replace mechanical drives or mount them on anti-vibration trays; SSDs eliminate drive noise entirely.
  • Prefer larger (120/140 mm) fans with fluid-dynamic or sleeve bearings; run them at lower RPM with PWM or a fan controller for quieter airflow.
  • Front intake baffles/filters and sealed bay covers reduce direct sound paths while still allowing efficient straight-through airflow.

A short, safe troubleshooting/tuning sequence to find and fix the loudest sources:

  1. Listen with the side panel off at idle and under load; a short cardboard or paper tube helps localize sound direction. Do not touch spinning parts.
  2. Lower fan speeds via BIOS/OS fan control and watch temps; any fan that becomes noticeably louder at a small RPM increase is a candidate for replacement with a larger, slower unit.
  3. Isolate mechanical noise by powering down, removing or remounting drives on rubber grommets, and testing PSU/GPU noise separately (coil whine vs airflow).
  4. After hardware changes, set gentle fan curves and monitor temps for a few days.

Near-silent operation is achieved by addressing vibration sources, using larger low-speed fans, and tuning fan curves—not just buying a case. For truly minimal acoustic signature, combine those steps with a quiet PSU and SSDs; remote placement or fully passive designs are alternate routes but bring thermal and cost trade-offs.

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All 7 Replies

Member Avatar for Zachery

Honestly? My mini has to be the quietest computer I've ever owned.. my main tower puts out alot of noise...

Try looking for small form factor cases, and remember, less noise means less airflow, which means more heat.

Member Avatar for Member #23858

I actually changed now and it is between the slk3800b and the sonataII. I can get the sonata II for 108 and the slk3800b for 80. The 3800 has a little smaller psu but not much. It has more size so easier to cool and one more 5.25 bay.

Member Avatar for kc0arf

Hello,

The quietest device I have seen is the Apple Mac Cube. No fans. The quietest device I have ever owned is my Palm.

Maybe you should look for a tower to put under your desk, or perhaps a computer to put in another room, and then use remote control utilities (winterm) to connect to it.

Christian

Member Avatar for Phaelax

my quietest would be the powerbook. My tower is pretty silent when its cool in the room. But when those fans kick in full blast, I can hear the hum downstairs. I'm so accustomed to the hum of a fan, I never cared much for making them silent.

less noise means less airflow, which means more heat.

Not neccessarily. I've seen cases that made no sound at all and kept the PC very cool. Used heat pipes and the whole case acted as a sort of heatsink for the whole system. The downside, the case costs about $1k

Member Avatar for Opopp

There's always a water-cooled rig option.

Kind of crazy if you ask me.
There's also some company that makes massive heatsinks for videocards that would otherwise use a fan.

Check out www.zalman.co.kr

Finally, if you're that keen on cutting out the noise at the cost of reduced performance, you can slow down your hard drive, and optical drive(s). You might need some acompanying software.

Member Avatar for Member #23858

I went with the antec p180. Dang near totally silent.

Member Avatar for newtocustompc

Well you could make the case your self, i have seen many good cases made from many strange objects just do a google search. Some things can make it quite e.g. making it from something with thick metal or something. E.g. Toaster :)

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