[rowdybeans]

Hello,

I just need a bit of advice. I have a Silverstone LC11s case at the moment, which runs my HTPC running Windows 7 media center, an OS drive and one hard drive with all my media on it. I built the system about 5 years ago and am looking to upgrade it to run XBMC as it now has more options for live tv with a freeview card. I want to keep the case as it looks nice in the lounge. I will be taking the drive with the media on out and putting that in a NAS, so the box will just run XBMC and stream movies/tv from the NAS.

I want to know if its possible to change the motherboard and processor and have it passively cooled? I've done a bit of research and think that I would need a new case to be able to do this? Any input would be great.

Thanks

[bChris]

Hey,

You may struggle to make it truly passive as you said because the case is missing heat sink radiators. You could make the box really really quiet though.

I have just built a system with the silverstone gd04, I used a fanless seasonic psu, and the amd a4-5300 processor -- I was going to upgrade the stock cooler but that is pretty quiet with the amd cool and quiet stuff turned on. I also have 3 scythe 120 mm s-flex's running through a fan-mate on the lowest settings. The system runs really cool and most importantly quiet. You'll probably get a better air flow in the lc11 too as the gd04 is very (and I mean very) tight inside.

if you want to go completly passive then you'd have to go with the streacom cases, which look awesome (but are quite pricey)

Hope this helps.

[GortWillSaveUs]

Don't fooled into thinking that you can't have a cool-n-quite HTPC by only going with passive cooling.
There are many of us here that can attest to the fact that a good CPU Cooler can provide basically silent and cool operation.

Consider one of these CPU Coolers: Scythe BIG SHURIKEN 2 Rev B. 5-Heatpipe Universal Low Profile CPU Cooler, or the
Cooler Master GeminII M4 - CPU Cooler with 4 Direct Contact Heat Pipes

I use both coolers and you can not hear a thing, and my temps are very low,..even running an A10 in one of them.
In fact,..my A6 has no other fans (well okay the PSU has a fan), but the system is silent.

See my link below to both systems.

[rowdybeans]

I have tried to silence it a bit with new quiet case fans. I will have a look at the fanless PSUs and one of the CPU coolers, depending on the processor I go for.

Thanks

[ZetBv]

Check also Hdplex H5 or H10 fanless chassis. I have a H3 - see my signature.

[bluray]

You can find a lot of very nice passive cases in this site- passive.....

[rowdybeans]

Check also Hdplex H5 or H10 fanless chassis. I have a H3 - see my signature.

I can see this getting expensive! Was only going to upgrade the innards, but that case does look nice.