I'm working on making my PC as quiet as possible, and I'm willing to invest a reasonable amount to achieve that. Currently, I have two Noctua 120mm fans as front intakes, one stock NZXT 120mm fan for the rear exhaust, and two Thermalright Peerless Assassin coolers with their stock fans. My CPU temps are idling in the high 60s to around 70°C, which seems a bit high to me—especially since I've adjusted the fan curve to reduce noise. Previously, the idle temps were in the mid to low 60s.
I'm considering upgrading to a CORSAIR 3500X Mid-Tower case and adding two Arctic P14 fans on the side for intake, one Arctic P14 on the bottom, and one Arctic P12 120mm for rear exhaust. I'm also debating whether I should add two more P14 fans for exhaust at the top, but I'm concerned they may increase noise levels. Would switching to an AIO cooler like the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III Pro help too?
3 Answers
It looks like keeping your current build is your preference, but don’t overlook fan placement! A well-structured fan setup can make a world of difference. Maybe share a pic of your case setup for better advice? Also, I'd suggest adjusting how the fans are tuned based on their strengths—make sure the exhaust fans are powerful enough to keep airflow balanced. Increasing the number of exhaust fans could help, but ensure they're not overly loud; sometimes less is more when it comes to fans.
Honestly, I'd look at the case design and your airflow setup. Based on what I've seen, maybe adjust your fan curve if you want to maintain low noise levels. Keeping the fan speeds below 80% generally works for a quieter experience. I recommend engaging your fans to ramp up at certain temperature intervals to catch heat before it's problematic—this method keeps everything running cooler and quieter.
Thanks for the tips! I’ll try to adjust my fan curve to see if it helps.
Those temps do seem kind of high for idle, which makes me think something might have gone wrong with your CPU cooler installation. Have you checked if it's seated properly? Also, have you considered running your fans at a higher RPM temporarily to see if that lowers the temps?
I think the high temps might be due to my messing with the fan speeds. When I let them run normally, they stay around low 60s, which seems better.
Here's a picture of my setup! [imgur link]. What do you think?