Building the Perfect PC

Final Words

We actually built several permutations of the SFF PC to see how various configurations affected noise level and heat production. We used the Intel D865GRH and D865GLC motherboards with Northwood-core Pentium 4 processors running at 1.8, 2.6, and 3.2 GHz. We tried various CPU coolers, using either the embedded fan or a separate 80mm or 92mm low-speed fan with the supplemental fan bracket supplied with the Aria. We used the embedded video, and also tried installing low-end (ATi RADEON 9200), midrange RADEON 9600), and high-end (RADEON 9800XT) video adapters. We even briefly installed an old microATX Pentium III motherboard just to say we’d done it.

We learned that the Antec Aria case is sufficiently flexible to use for anything from a “silent” PC to a fire-breathing gaming system. As you might expect, the system was noisier and ran hotter with faster processors and video adapters.

In a minimal configuration—using a Pentium 4/1.8, a very quiet 80mm CPU fan in the optional bracket, and embedded video—the system was inaudible from a few feet away even in a very quiet room. Such a configuration could serve as a Home Theater PC or in another application where low noise was an important consideration. With the slower processor, the CPU and case temperatures remained at low levels, only a degree or two warmer than we would expect in a standard mini-tower case. At an ambient temperature of 22°C, the CPU idled at 29°C and reached 43°C under load.

In a midrange configuration—a Pentium ...