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bluray · 2012-01-05, 04:15

xbmcjb Wrote:And what about putting your installation in a closet or in another room ? I think that HDMI + USB extender with a "noisy" build is cheaper than a true fanless build.
(DIY HDMI and USB Over Ethernet)
Did you consider this option ?

Most theater room don't have closet. Most of us paid a lot of money for a nice HTPC case, and we want it in the same same entertainment center as other component. It's easier to access BD-ROM, USB 2.0/3.0, Flash drive, etc! Smile

**Beer40oz** · 2012-01-05, 05:48

bluray Wrote:Most theater room don't have closet. Most of us paid a lot of money for a nice HTPC case, and we want it in the same same entertainment center as other component. It's easier to access BD-ROM, USB 2.0/3.0, Flash drive, etc!

Yes!

A nice case goes a long way!

bluray · 2012-01-05, 07:02

Beer40oz Wrote:Yes! A nice case goes a long way!

You and I agreed on the same Silverstone case. I want to build it with AMD Trinity. My little E350M1 is lack of horse power to compete with my wife Dell 2305. It is my reason to build a new HTPC! Smile

eskro · 2012-01-05, 07:09

Trinity's will rock!!

Orclas · 2012-01-05, 08:44

Seriously, aiming at a quiet HTPC build and contemplating a 100w TDP CPU doesn't make any sense to me Huh

Quiet computers start with minimizing heat (at the roughly needed performance level) and if my Atom D510 Ion2 13w max TDP build can handle full 1080 decoding, I don't quite see what could make it worth (or necessitate) an almost tenfold of the TDP if still desiring a quiet rig.

Anyhow, make sure that your MoBo of choice supports fan voltage control. Forget PWM and such, it's alright at times, but unless going fanless, the simplest way to achieve a quiet PC is heat efficient components + quality case with intelligent air flow + quality heat sinks + LARGE fan/s + undervolting the large fan. About 7 volts is usually good, since some fans needs a starting voltage around that. The reason for all above is that a quiet fan changing RPM is usually perceived as noisier than a fan with a slightly higher dB at constant speed.

One good starting place for silent components is Silent PC review, who do all their testing in an anechoic room and provides mp3 recordings of fan operation in order to provide the readers with the noise character of each fan.

eskro · 2012-01-05, 12:21

Silent PC review is indeed a great site that anyone should check out!

bluray · 2012-01-05, 16:05

Orclas Wrote:Seriously, aiming at a quiet HTPC build and contemplating a 100w TDP CPU doesn't make any sense to me

Money talk! You can build a silent PC with any CPU. If you have money, why not? Smile

Orclas · 2012-01-05, 18:17

bluray Wrote:Money talk! You can build a silent PC with any CPU. If you have money, why not?

With some full passive heatpiping, sure, but since coolers and fans are being mentioned, there are some physical limits which may not be possible to overcome (if at the same time wanting a small'ish case).

eskro · 2012-01-05, 23:50

bluray Wrote:Money talk! You can build a silent PC with any CPU. If you have money, why not?

i dont mind a silent fan or 2 specially since the price is more attractive

sparky0 · 2012-01-06, 14:06

Interesting discussion, but is the OP even still around? (Notice the post dates; there are six weeks between post#s 29 & 30.)

bluray · 2012-01-06, 15:52

sparky0 Wrote:Interesting discussion, but is the OP even still around? (Notice the post dates; there are six weeks between post#s 29 & 30.)

He's probably sitting in his theater room enjoying his A8-xxxx now! Laugh

jdwoods · 2012-01-07, 00:04

I, too, am interested in this A8 3850.
I notice the price difference between the 3800 and 3850 to be minimal (probably due to limited supply of the 3800s).
I was thinking, what if somebody simply under-clocked the processor. Would it have a noticeable effect on power consumption, heat, and fan noise?
Is this a viable option?

bluray · 2012-01-07, 00:12

jdwoods Wrote:I, too, am interested in this A8 3850.
I notice the price difference between the 3800 and 3850 to be minimal (probably due to limited supply of the 3800s).
I was thinking, what if somebody simply under-clocked the processor. Would it have a noticeable effect on power consumption, heat, and fan noise?
Is this a viable option?

It might, but the included CPU fan is not a silent one. It'll be silencer with the aftermarket Scythe CPU cooler.

saitrix · 2012-01-07, 12:47

jdwoods Wrote:I, too, am interested in this A8 3850.
I notice the price difference between the 3800 and 3850 to be minimal (probably due to limited supply of the 3800s).
I was thinking, what if somebody simply under-clocked the processor. Would it have a noticeable effect on power consumption, heat, and fan noise?
Is this a viable option?

Yeah, you will be able to no problems just underclock and undervolt it. That combined with an aftermarket cooler will give you a nice quiet solution. If I was you I would first just undervolt with an aftermarket cooler, if that gives you satisfactory noise levels then you still get the full 3850 power but without the power usage.