Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Portables, case replacements, mods etc, all in here!
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Insomnia
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Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by Insomnia » Sun Nov 12, 2017 3:47 pm

Hi people, I just wanted to show a direct comparison between the stock fan and a mod I made. The new fan I installed, also made alot of noise (less then the stock fan though) so I used a low-noise adapter from noctua (with a resistor built in) and it's wayyy less audible.

Also, I haven't run into any overheating issues with this fan on, whatsoever. Further testing is required to see if any issues will really occur, @1 minute, 28 seconds: you can see me start that cube without anything in it and you hear almost nothing. After that, I start the cube with a game in it and the noise you hear comes from the dvd-drive. I think the dvd drive needs a replacement soon (but that's something else), you just know where that buzz-like noise comes from now. I still feel air flow, though it's less then I am used too.

The fan I am using is a noiseblocker xs1, which normally runs at 3000 rpm @16dba (16,3 to be exactly)! It should have an airflow of 11,5 m3/h ( = around 6.76 CFM) when running at the rated settings. I don't know how fast it runs with the low-noise-adapter mod between the cable and how much airflow it provides when modded.

Here is the datasheet for the fan: http://www.blacknoise.com/datas/downloa ... _de_en.pdf. They also have a xs-2 fan, which runs at 4000 rpm @ 21 dba (21,1 to be exactly) and provides 15,1 m3/h (= around 8.88 CFM) of airflow! The original fan is supposed to be (from what I read online) the NIDEC D05U-12TS1. I couldn't find specs on it, but I also didn't really look for it so :p!

Here is the video, enjoy my cameraman qualities :P https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYRVsDt1HWU

The youtube button in the posting options, is it broken or something XD?
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boredomca
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by boredomca » Sun Nov 12, 2017 6:26 pm

The mod did seam to lessen the noise in the video
. To increase airflow and eliminate sound even more I personally would get another fan exactly like the one used, install it on the opposite side facing the same way and have them both running from the same power without resistor. They would run half speed reducing sound and compensate for air loss inside the case itself. To help cooling even more you could cover the vents in the rear to prevent substantial air loss making it more of a blow through.
Hope any of this helps and good job so far.
novenary
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by novenary » Sun Nov 12, 2017 8:49 pm

Even better, remove the drive and install a fat-ass heatsink with heatpipes. No need for a fan. You do need to mod the top shell though.
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boredomca
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by boredomca » Sun Nov 12, 2017 9:24 pm

Passive cooling, Sweet idea! Only without destroying the Shell and drive. The only problem is implementation as I can't think of anything that would fit. Possibly keep the original heatsink, drill it, run copper tubing "possibly hollow tubing with oil" like passive coolers for PC's. How would you go about marrying the copper pipe to the aluminum heatsink?
novenary
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by novenary » Sun Nov 12, 2017 11:05 pm

You should be able to use any aftermarket CPU heatsink with heatpipes, the problem is placing a heat spreader between the heatsink and the CPU and GPU. You can get away with tiny heatsinks on the RAM. I think something made for threadripper might give you the most chances of success, something like this probably.
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boredomca
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by boredomca » Sun Nov 12, 2017 11:21 pm

Looks completely plausible. 100 points to you
Insomnia
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by Insomnia » Sun Nov 12, 2017 11:38 pm

boredomca wrote:The mod did seam to lessen the noise in the video
. To increase airflow and eliminate sound even more I personally would get another fan exactly like the one used, install it on the opposite side facing the same way and have them both running from the same power without resistor. They would run half speed reducing sound and compensate for air loss inside the case itself. To help cooling even more you could cover the vents in the rear to prevent substantial air loss making it more of a blow through.
Hope any of this helps and good job so far.
Thank you, that's a good idea also. The only I worry about is, perhaps when the dust builds op overtime (ofcourse we need to clean the cube from time to time) whether it will actually be too heavy, thus the fan doesn't spin so well anymore (it already has a substantial loss in power compared to before, but it's really really silent). I could do 2 other things also, get another fan (the more powerfull version) and put the same resistor on it, or a less powerful resistor and use it on the current one (or version 2) whatever gives a good performance but also a good noise reduction. I mean, whenever I game now, I don't hear the gamecube at all, while previously it was something I could hear from quite a distance.
Last edited by Insomnia on Sun Nov 12, 2017 11:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Insomnia
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by Insomnia » Sun Nov 12, 2017 11:40 pm

Streetwalker wrote:You should be able to use any aftermarket CPU heatsink with heatpipes, the problem is placing a heat spreader between the heatsink and the CPU and GPU. You can get away with tiny heatsinks on the RAM. I think something made for threadripper might give you the most chances of success, something like this probably.
That would stick out nicely I guess XD?
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by novenary » Sun Nov 12, 2017 11:49 pm

That's why I said mod the top shell. :P There might be lower profile heatsinks like the ones for ITX rigs, but there's none with a wide enough cold plate like this one afaik.
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boredomca
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by boredomca » Mon Nov 13, 2017 1:00 am

I still think dual fan would be the cheapest and safest way without cutting up the Shell
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Sierron
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by Sierron » Mon Nov 13, 2017 8:53 pm

Streetwalker wrote:You should be able to use any aftermarket CPU heatsink with heatpipes, the problem is placing a heat spreader between the heatsink and the CPU and GPU. You can get away with tiny heatsinks on the RAM. I think something made for threadripper might give you the most chances of success, something like this probably.
Talking about overkill :lol:
boredomca wrote:I still think dual fan would be the cheapest and safest way without cutting up the Shell
I thought about the same some while ago. But if you put a fan on the side without one you'll have a fan blowing only a third of its area into the cube itself. Most of the air would be blown against the drive and probably making more noise.

I think giving the cube a new good quality fan which is having roughly the same air throughput, but a lower noise level would be enough of an upgrade to get your cube more silent. There are also fans with rubber padding. Fitting those fans into a cube is another thing ...
Own a couple PAL and JPN cubes. And three BBAs. Homeland and PSO I/II.
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boredomca
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by boredomca » Mon Nov 13, 2017 9:07 pm

Just a straight fan would indeed blow on the drive but what if it was shrouded like the stock fan. Could sacrifice one, it would even screw on. Using a old rewards card would do the trick in terms of routing the air away from the drive and onto the Mobo, needing only a card and scissors.
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by novenary » Tue Nov 14, 2017 12:40 am

Sierron wrote:
Streetwalker wrote:You should be able to use any aftermarket CPU heatsink with heatpipes, the problem is placing a heat spreader between the heatsink and the CPU and GPU. You can get away with tiny heatsinks on the RAM. I think something made for threadripper might give you the most chances of success, something like this probably.
Talking about overkill :lol:
That was mostly meant as a joke though replacing the heatsink might be something to consider if you want to improve the noise level. A bigger, more dense heatsink that spreads heat better would let you run a larger fan at a very low speed. This is the only commercially available solution I can think of right now. A full copper heatsink with thin, spaced out fins might work though.
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boredomca
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by boredomca » Tue Nov 14, 2017 1:00 am

I rather enjoyed the idea. 100 points for originality.
Although at work today I thought about using passive laptop coolers like in netbooks and some Acer's. One for GPU, one for CPU and the ram if you see fit. Couple that with solid state media and you will have a completely silent GameCube that isn't an eye sore.
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by novenary » Tue Nov 14, 2017 9:27 am

boredomca wrote:completely silent
Don't forget the whine sounds it makes under some conditions. They can get pretty loud and annoying.
Insomnia
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by Insomnia » Tue Nov 14, 2017 10:48 am

Streetwalker wrote:
boredomca wrote:completely silent
Don't forget the whine sounds it makes under some conditions. They can get pretty loud and annoying.
Exactly that! That was also somewhat of a problem with the new fan even though it was less noisy, it had that awkward kind of coil whine where you would definitely hear it, hence my usage of the resistor. I think the resistor I used was rated @150 ohms, I have another one which is rated @ 50 ohms. I think of buying another fan, and use 1 with 50 ohms, and perhaps that gives a better performance/noise ratio?
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Sierron
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by Sierron » Tue Nov 14, 2017 11:20 am

boredomca wrote:Couple that with solid state media and you will have a completely silent GameCube that isn't an eye sore.
You mean an "ear sore"?
Insomnia wrote:Exactly that! That was also somewhat of a problem with the new fan even though it was less noisy, it had that awkward kind of coil whine where you would definitely hear it, hence my usage of the resistor. I think the resistor I used was rated @150 ohms, I have another one which is rated @ 50 ohms. I think of buying another fan, and use 1 with 50 ohms, and perhaps that gives a better performance/noise ratio?
Better check for quality fans. If you pick random fans of ebay you won't get good quality - which ends up in whiney fans. Pick well known brands which have fans with low sona/db values.
Own a couple PAL and JPN cubes. And three BBAs. Homeland and PSO I/II.
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by novenary » Tue Nov 14, 2017 11:28 am

I didn't mean the fan but the GC itself. No one has ever tried to identify where the sound comes from but there are some workloads that make it buzz and whine like crazy.
Insomnia
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by Insomnia » Tue Nov 14, 2017 12:14 pm

Sierron wrote:
boredomca wrote:Couple that with solid state media and you will have a completely silent GameCube that isn't an eye sore.
You mean an "ear sore"?
Insomnia wrote:Exactly that! That was also somewhat of a problem with the new fan even though it was less noisy, it had that awkward kind of coil whine where you would definitely hear it, hence my usage of the resistor. I think the resistor I used was rated @150 ohms, I have another one which is rated @ 50 ohms. I think of buying another fan, and use 1 with 50 ohms, and perhaps that gives a better performance/noise ratio?
Better check for quality fans. If you pick random fans of ebay you won't get good quality - which ends up in whiney fans. Pick well known brands which have fans with low sona/db values.
There aren't many 50mm quality fans, and I believe the Noiseblocker I bought is actually from a reputable brand. I may have had a bad fan, that's also possible.
Insomnia
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by Insomnia » Tue Nov 14, 2017 12:16 pm

Streetwalker wrote:I didn't mean the fan but the GC itself. No one has ever tried to identify where the sound comes from but there are some workloads that make it buzz and whine like crazy.
Yes, I know what u mean. I kept my ear (while the GC was powered on) near the gc and tried to identify where it came from. I think it comes from the power supply underneath the motherboard, that's where it's buzzing the most (HOWEVER, I MIGHT BE WRONG). I also installed rubber (anti-vibration) pads between the fan and the plastic, that also reduced alot of noise. It did require some work with a dremmel.
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boredomca
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Re: Gamecube, silent fan mod!

Post by boredomca » Tue Nov 14, 2017 3:41 pm

I've never heard this sound but my main cube sounds like a jet taking off. Moves a ton of air though because of the external fan I installed due to space limitations of where I have it.
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