By far the loudest component in most PC's is the CPU fan. With higher and higher clock speeds comes the need for larger coolers, and fans that move more and more air.

The main problem with most OEM CPU coolers is this: They are designed with two things in mind: size and performance. This means that they have to be small, so they can be accommodated in the majority of users' PC cases. They also have to perform well at the same time.

The only real solution for this is to use a small fan, usually no more than 60 or 70mm in diameter. Unfortunately, the smaller a fan is, the faster it has to spin to move enough air. The faster it spins the louder it gets.

That's the problem, so what's the solution? There are a few options available, depending on your needs and goals in building a silent PC. We'll cover them separately.

Silent CPU Coolers

The quietest option is to use an entirely fanless CPU Cooler. If you're going for a completely noiseless PC, this is the best route for you.

How does this work? Well, as I said above, OEM designers have to design with size in mind. They don't have to consider those of use who want quiet PC's, and will do what it takes to build a quiet PC. Therefore, Silent PC users have to forego the size consideration, and go with a HUGE cooler, with no fan at all. Something like this:

The solution for ALL CPU's

In the last update, I recommended the CNPS7000B-Cu. Well since then, Zalman has introduced a new line of CPU coolers. The biggest baddest one of them all is the CNPS7700-Cu. This thing is a MONSTER, weighing almost 1 kg! It sports a 120mm fan, spinning as low as 1000 RPM, and up to 2000 RPM. That's right - this is easily the quietest fan/heatsink I've ever witnessed.

And best of all - it installs over absolutely every CPU out there today. Socket 775, 468, 939, 754. Socket A is also supported. If you have a CPU and want to cool it quietly, this is THE cooler to do it. Even the hottest, fastest dual core CPUs from Intel and AMD will be handled easily by the 7700.

Keep in mind though that there is one major caveat - due to the size, the 7700 will not fit in all cases and motherboards. Be sure to look at Zalman's list of supported motherboards for socket 775, 478, and the AMD sockets. You'll have better luck with bigger cases, of course.

Got a tighter budget? Worried about weight?

If you have a tight budget, you could look at the aluminum version of the CNPS7700. You'll save a bit of money, but more importantly if you move your case around (to LAN parties, etc), you'll save some weight. The CNPS7700-AlCu saves almost 50% of the weight of the copper version, bringing it to just 600g. It's still big though, so make sure it fits your application first. This version should handle all but the hottest Prescott and dual core CPUs with no problem on silent mode.

This is going to be a short section, since nobody else really focuses on silent CPU coolers anymore as seriously as Zalman. As you'll discover after reading this site for a while, Zalman is a pioneer in many areas when it comes to Silent PC cooling, and I'll be talking about them a lot.

Slightly Smaller

If you are tight for space, and can't fit one of the above coolers, you should look at the CNPS7000-Cu. It's big, but small enough that it should fit in the vast majority of applications. It weighs 755g, and the smaller fan spins at 1350-2600 RPM. It's not as quiet as the other solutions on this page, but makes up for it in size and compatibility.

I wouldn't recommend strapping one of these to a smoking hot Prescott or dual core chip though. Also, it does not officially support Socket 775 CPUs.

If 755g is too heavy for your liking, the AlCu version weighs just 438g, and sells for as little as $28 right now.

Silent Watercooling

Another option for a VERY silent system is to use a FANLESS WATER COOLER. That's right... Leave it up to Zalman to come up with something so drastic, yet works so well!

This IS the REAL DEAL, and it's the cooler I now PERSONALLY USE in my silent system. It is compatible with ALL CPU's across the board.

If you are worried about creating a lot of heat in a cramped system with the big CPU coolers I covered above, this is for you! Now it uses a coolant (water) to pull the heat OUT of your system, and dissipate it using the HUGE tower heatsink. Brilliant!

On top of that, you can grab a ZM-GWB1 VGA water block, for a total watercooling solution. Find the lowest price on that here! You can also pick up a second CPU water block, if you have a dual CPU system.

Now that we have the CPU taken care of, let's cover the video card. Believe it or not, these can be among the loudest components of all in your PC, after your CPU!

Next Page: Silent Video Card Coolers