DO NOT remove the CPU fan. The CPU will be permanently damaged due to overheating if you do so. Zalman heatsinks are already marginal at keeping the CPU within safe limits, so removing the fan will almost certainly put the CPU beyond its maximum operating temperature.
About the carpet padding, I meant to put it on the INSIDE. It won’t be visible, but will muffle sound a good bit.
I would advise against using TMD fans. They are so small that in order to provide airflow anywhere near the level of a normal center-motor fan, they have to produce a lot more noise. When YS Tech finally gets around to making decently sized TMD fans this will change, but at present they aren’t viable except for limited applications as CPU cooling fans.
heresiarch: All modern computers will have a minimum of four fans, more likely six. You have one on the CPU, one in the power supply, two case ventillation fans, and then one on the chipset and one on the videocard.