I've recently completed building my first PC. I selected a Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H WiFi motherboard which is housed in a Corsair Obsidian 650D case. Everything has gone very well so far, including the successful installation of Windows 8.
I'm seeking suggestions on how to quiet the 650D case fans. The rear 120 mm and top 200 mm fans are not an issue as any noise they emit is largely directed away from my ears. The front panel 200 mm fan though is more noisy than I would like (it is controlled by a 3-speed fan controller switch which I have set to the lowest setting). I believe it is a thin profile type fan. Btw, I did also plug the front panel fan into the motherboard header but it seemed to run faster than with the low fan controller setting. I also tried QuickTune 6 but didn't find any options for adjusting the speed.
When I unplug the front fan from power and just run on the top and back panel fans, the overall case fan noise is fine. My questions are these:
1) Will it be safe to run my system without the front 200 mm fan energized? (Note: - I'm not a gamer and rarely stress my system, running mostly Quickbooks and browsing the web).
2) Can anyone recommend a replacement fan that would be quieter?
3) Would a small fan controller be an option?
Thank you for any advise.
Dave
