If you tried the economic measures I described in the previous part of this article and still aren’t satisfied, here’s a list of parts that will surely quiet your PC. The list is sorted according to the estimated cost from the cheapest to the most expensive.

• Case fan: Most manufacturers use cheap noisy fans to exhaust heat from your case. These fans continuously spin at maximum speed whether the case is hot or not. You can replace these fans with thermostatically controlled fans. Unlike normal fans, these are designed to keep noise to a minimum. Temperature sensors control the fan’s speed as the internal temperature of your case varies.
• Hard drive enclosure (isolation chamber): This encloses your PC’s hard drive in a soundproof box. Note that you must have a free 5.25-inch drive bay for installation.
• CPU cooler: Install a specially designed CPU cooler that’s compatible with your CPU. Try to find a fan with quiet rotary blades and a large heat sink.
• Acoustic insulation: This is a sound-absorbing foam that can be easily inserted into the case and although this is very effective, it can cause your case to get hotter.
• Quiet case: If you’re building your own PC, you could use a special case that has a quiet power supply, silent fans, and lots of ventilation.
• Quiet power supply: If your PC is very noisy, one of the most likely culprits is the power supply and this is why replacing it with a quiet power supply can yield great results. Just make sure the power supply you buy has enough wattage to cope with your PC’s components.

Do you have any suggestions/comments? Then let me know by sending an e-mail to my new address. You can also find more of my writing at my new Web site. [Mohammad Yousef]