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You've made your PC go faster and installed bigger and more powerful fans in order to keep all that stressed hardware run cool enough to be stable. But, what everyone fails to point out is that the more fans you add, the noisier your PC becomes.

You finally realize this after adding a 120mm side blow-hole and the awesome 60mm black-labeled Delta CPU fan. Upon starting the computer up, you think to yourself "Boy is that is LOUD!" Sitting next to it for more than half-an-hour became really annoying. Blasting your way through a Quake III or UT frag-fest isn't so bad because of the game sound is usually turned up a bit, but doing general work really was too loud.

There's a product out called DYNAMAT, an acoustic audio sound-dampening self-adhesive material used in car audio installations. I searched the web and found a supplier for Dynamat.

What you do is measure and cut the Dynamat to cover the slide-on side panel of your full-tower case. Allow roughly 1 inch all around for the cover to actually slide on otherwise you'll never get it back on again. Heat the matting with a hair-dryer to allow easier fitting and better adhesion. Stick the Dynamat on and either use a large flat piece of wood or a wide roller to flatten it down, ensuring there are no air bubbles.

With the matting stuck in place, trim any sides that look rough for a nice square finish. Once DYNAMAT is stuck, the adhesive holds it very securely. You can apply this stuff to anywhere that it fits, use it on both side panels and the inside top panel of the case.

It is very easy to install and work with, so most people shouldn't have any problems with Dynamat. All you need is a stanley knife or any suitably sharp implement and a hair-dryer for making the matting more pliable and stickier. A lot of vibration from spinning fans is cut out too, an additional benefit.

Before anyone asks about heat retention, don't. The matting causes no extra heat to be retained within the case. The coldness of the steel panels is actually transferred onto the matting which makes it cool to touch at all times.

After installing the Dynamat there is a definite reduction in noise. The case sounds and feels more solid too. The matting adds some weight to your case, but nothing worth worrying about. It is worthwhile to try if your case fans are bothering you.


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by FastEddie See Profile
last modified: 2001-11-23 19:28:04