7 Tips for Choosing PC Parts for a Silent Custom-Built PC: Causes and Solutions Explained

For those who want to build a custom PC with high quietness and reduce noise as much as possible during computer work, this article explains the causes of PC noise and effective countermeasures.

In addition, it introduces how to choose PC parts that specialize in quiet operation.

To build a quiet custom PC, it is important to understand the causes of noise and how to address them.

If this is not known, there is a risk of choosing parts that become the source of noise.

The article also explains how to choose other parts from the perspective of basic knowledge, roles, performance, and compatibility, so please use it as a reference.

≫ Related article: PC Parts List and Explanation of Each PC Part [A Must-Read for Custom PC Beginners]

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What Is a Quiet Custom PC?

Before explaining quiet PC parts, it is important to first understand the causes of noise.

Noise Cause 1: Fan Rotation Noise

Fan rotation noise is one of the main causes that reduce the quietness of a computer.

In fact, most of the noise comes from this source.

The higher the fan speed, the faster the fan blades cut through the air, increasing air resistance and making the wind noise louder.

Also, at high speeds, the motor noise becomes louder, and the fan itself may vibrate, transmitting this vibration as noise.

There are various types of fans inside a computer, such as:

• CPU cooler fan
• Graphics card fan
• PC case fan
• Power supply fan

Fans are always spinning to lower the temperature inside the computer, but how much the fan speed can be reduced is the key to achieving high quietness.

Especially when using high-performance parts or doing heavy tasks, the heat output increases, causing the fan speed to rise and resulting in more noise.

Depending on the type of fan, the computer can automatically control the fan speed based on temperature sensors in various locations inside the PC.

For example, when doing heavy tasks like 3D gaming or video encoding, the CPU and GPU temperatures rise, the fan speed increases, and the noise becomes louder.

So, what specific countermeasures can be taken? Here are some examples:

• Choose large fans
• Choose quiet fans
• Choose fans with a function to stop at low load
• Choose PWM fans that can control fan speed
• Control fan speed with software

Choose Large Fans

Large fans can deliver the same airflow at lower speeds, reducing noise.

For this reason, 120mm is the standard size, but 140mm is recommended for even better quietness.

There are also even larger case fans such as 180mm and 200mm.

However, there are few PC cases that support these sizes, so consider the design, features, price, and how much you prioritize quietness when choosing.

Choose Quiet Fans

Some fans are designed specifically for quiet operation, and using these can improve quietness.

Compared to regular fans, quiet fans differ in the following ways:

• Type and quality of bearings
• Design of the fan blades
• Vibration suppression with rubber dampers
• Low-speed design
• High-quality motors designed to reduce noise

Not all quiet fans include all of these features, but by focusing on such design and quality, they achieve quieter operation than standard fans.

Choose Products with Semi-Fanless Function

Semi-fanless means a function that stops the fan at low load or below a certain temperature.

Recently, some power supplies and graphics cards come with this semi-fanless function.

On the other hand, it is rare to see this function in CPU cooler fans or PC case fans.

The semi-fanless function does not change quietness during high load, as the fan will still spin as usual.

However, during idle or light tasks, the fan stops completely, so there is no noise at all.

≫ Related article: What Is Semi-Fanless? Improving Quietness at Low Load

Choose PWM Fans That Can Control Fan Speed

PWM fans are fans that can finely adjust their speed, increasing only when necessary.

This allows the fan speed to be kept low during idle or light tasks, improving quietness.

Also, during high load, the fan speed can be increased to ensure proper airflow.

If a fan always spins at a fixed speed, it may not cool properly during high load, or it may spin unnecessarily fast during low load, reducing quietness.

≫ Related article: What Is a PWM Fan? High-Precision Fan Speed Control

Control Fan Speed with Software

When using PWM fans, fan speed can be automatically controlled based on CPU/GPU usage or temperature information.

Using the motherboard BIOS or software, it is possible to preset the fan speed for each usage or temperature.

For example, it is possible to set the fan speed to 50% when CPU usage is 50% or when the temperature is 50°C.

The default settings are usually sufficient, but by fine-tuning, quietness can be further improved.

However, if the fan speed is lowered too much, cooling performance may decrease and performance may drop, so it is necessary to monitor the load and temperature and adjust carefully.

Noise Cause 2: HDD Operating Noise

HDDs have moving parts such as internal disks spinning at high speed and heads moving during data read/write, so they generate operating noise.

The noise level varies by product, but compared to fan noise, it is smaller and usually not a big concern.

The easiest countermeasure is to switch to an SSD, which has no moving parts.

In fact, NVMe SSDs are now mainstream, and most PCs do not use HDDs, so there is little need to worry about this.

How to Choose PC Parts for Quietness and Noise Countermeasures

This section explains how to choose each PC part to improve quietness.

[Case Fan] Large Fans of 140mm or More

Case fans are parts attached to the PC case to ensure airflow throughout the inside of the computer.

Fans come in various sizes, speeds, and features, but from the perspective of quietness, there are three main points to consider:

• Fan size of 120mm or 140mm or more (preferably 140mm)
• Fans designed for quiet operation
• PWM fans that allow speed adjustment

In general, the larger the fan size, the lower the speed needed to achieve the same airflow, so fan noise is also reduced.

There are also 180mm and 200mm fans, but there are few products for these sizes and compatible PC cases, so the choices are limited.

Therefore, consider the design, specifications, features, price, and how much quietness is desired when choosing.

[Storage] Install SSDs with No Moving Parts

HDDs generate noise from moving parts such as motors, but SSDs have no moving parts and are completely silent.

In the early 2010s, HDDs were still mainstream, but now NVMe SSDs are standard, so most people use SSDs regardless of whether they care about quietness.

Therefore, unless there is a need for a large storage capacity for saving or editing many videos, there is little reason to use an HDD.

If SSD capacity is sufficient, it is better to use SSDs not only for quietness but also for faster read/write speeds.

[PC Case] Sealed-Type Case (Mesh Type Not Recommended)

As shown in the images, mesh-type cases have a mesh structure on the front.

While the many small holes provide good ventilation, they also allow fan noise to escape easily, resulting in lower quietness.

On the other hand, sealed-type cases have fewer places for sound to leak, so they are quieter.

Even sealed-type cases are not completely airtight, as there are small air intakes to ensure airflow.

[PC Case] PC Cases with Sound-Absorbing or Soundproofing Materials

Some PC cases specialized for quietness are not only sealed-type but also have soundproofing or sound-absorbing materials to further improve quietness.

These are often attached to the side panels or top panels.

Here are some cases with soundproofing or sound-absorbing materials:

• Cooler Master Silencio S600
• ANTEC P101 Silent
• ANTEC P7
• Fractal Pop XL Silent Solid

[CPU Cooler] Aftermarket All-in-One Water-Cooled CPU Cooler

CPU coolers are parts that cool the CPU, and there are mainly three types:

• Manufacturer stock CPU cooler
• Aftermarket air CPU cooler
• Aftermarket water-cooled CPU cooler

Among these, choose an aftermarket water-cooled CPU cooler, or at least an aftermarket air CPU cooler.

Stock CPU coolers usually have small fans around 80mm, so at high load (CPU usage: 80% or more), the fan speed increases and they become quite noisy, so it is best to avoid them.

On the other hand, air and water-cooled CPU coolers have 120mm or 140mm fans, so just the difference in fan size makes them quieter.

Air coolers usually have 1 or 2 fans, while water-cooled coolers can have 1 to 3 fans. For quietness, a water-cooled cooler with 3 fans is recommended.

To reduce noise, the key is how much the fan speed can be lowered. By installing more fans, the speed of each fan can be reduced, improving quietness.

For example, assuming the same airflow, let’s compare the noise of two 30dBA fans and one fan at higher speed.

Without going into detailed calculations, two 30dBA fans result in 33dBA, while one high-speed fan results in 48dBA, so it is better to increase the number of fans and lower the speed of each.

[Power Supply] Quiet Fan and Semi-Fanless Function

To choose a quiet power supply, the following two points are important:

• Fan designed for quiet operation
• Semi-fanless function

Power supplies have one fan, but some products use fans designed for quietness.

If a power supply has a quiet fan, it should be listed in the specifications, so check when choosing parts.

Some power supplies also have a function (semi-fanless mode) that stops the fan at low load.

Using this, quietness can be further improved during idle or light tasks.

[Graphics Card] Dual/Triple Fan Models

Graphics cards have 1 to 3 fans, but for quietness, it is recommended to choose models with 2 or 3 fans.

Based on measurement data and experience from reviewing about 20 to 30 desktop PCs at Pasolog, models with one fan tend to be noisier than those with two or three fans.

There was not much difference between two and three fans, so either is fine.

Summary: For a Highly Quiet Custom PC, Pay Attention to Each Part!

To build a quiet custom PC, it is important to understand the causes of noise and choose parts that address them.

The main sources of noise are fan rotation noise and HDD operating noise.

However, HDDs are no longer mainstream, and even if used, their noise is not as significant as fan noise.

Therefore, since most noise comes from fan rotation, addressing the fans can greatly improve quietness.

Here is a summary of the key points:

Although this article introduced how to choose PC parts for quietness, it may not be possible to select all of them due to reasons such as performance, features, budget, or design, but it is hoped that this information will be helpful.

The article also explains how to choose other parts from the perspective of basic knowledge, roles, performance, and compatibility, so please use it as a reference.

≫ Related article: PC Parts List and Explanation of Each PC Part [A Must-Read for Custom PC Beginners]

あわせて読みたい

PC Parts Estimation & Compatibility Check Tool

Automatically checks each component you need when selecting parts for a custom-built PC—perfect for beginners.