Need recommended 120mm Semi-Silent PC Fan

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Crassa

Crassa

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Jul 27, 2013
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I need a silent 120mm PC fan. It doesn't have to be dead silent but silent enough that I won't be annoyed by it when the PC is on and I decided to take a nap. I'm looking to buy 4 of them to install them on my soon-to-buy CM N200.

Case Spec:
Front: 120mm black fan x 2 (one XtraFlo is pre-installed)
Rear:120mm black fan x 1 (XtraFlo pre-installed)
Side: 120mm fan x 1 (optional)
Top: 120mm x 15mm fan x 1 (optional)

The best I could find is the Nexus 120mm PWM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835610003
It has good balance between airflow and noise level. Not to mention, quite cheap. It supports up to 2000RPM but people says not to get it over 900, should this be something I should be aware of? Since 900/2000 is pretty far.

Also this one sounds great, even though it's slightly more expensive:
COUGAR CF-V12HP
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835553002

I'm fairly new to the PC world and so one question I'd like to ask is, what should I look for when buying fans?
Would you recommend installing this 4 same type of fan for a semi-silent gaming PC on a N200?
 
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The SP fans are best when you need air to pass through several barriers and objects. For example, radiator mounted fans should be optimized for static pressure. Front intake, side intake, and rear exhaust are places you want to use AF fans, because they don't have to pull it through as much resistance.

You don't need the performance fans. Seriously; you don't have an unlocked processor, which suggests you won't be doing a lot of overclocking. Quality fans optimized for quiet operation will work perfectly fine.

A Cooler Master 212 Evo would be a good pick for your build. Not too pricey, but provides more than satisfactory performance. I have a bias against the stock cooler so long as money can be put down on an aftermarket...
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Dragonzeanse

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Mar 1, 2013
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You want to max out your case's cooling capabilities? Use Corsair AF120s.

You can get them a little cheaper in packs of two. There's a performance edition, too, but I linked the quiet variant.

But if silence is what you're going for, rule of thumb: your computer is only as quiet as the loudest fan in the system. Even if you use the case fans I linked (which run very quietly and come with consistent recommendations), the fans from your GPU's and/or CPU's cooler(s) could run louder.

When looking for case fans, check to see if they have rubberized grommets and corners, and look for broad blades. Some fans come with rubber mounts, which are very good for reducing vibrations passed to the case.

CFM dictates the air flow. Fans optimized for air flow will - naturally - bring in more air, but static pressure fans will allow that air to pass through more materials easier. If you mount fans to a radiator on a liquid cooling system, for example, you'll want static pressure fans.

I mentioned broad blades earlier because they can pull in more air, cooling your system better, and don't have to run as fast. The same case applies to larger fans like 140mm. If you buy a case that can support 140mm fans in place of 120mm ones, pick the 140mm fans; they will run quieter because they can run at a reduced speed in order to cool the system.
 
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Crassa

Crassa

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Jul 27, 2013
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10,530


This is the set up that makes sense so far:
Front: Corsair AF120 Quiet x2 (IN)
Rear: Corsair AF120 Quiet x1 (OUT)
Side: Corsair SP120 PWM High Performance (IN) x1
Top: Corsair AF120 Quiet x1 (OUT)
Total Cost = 82$ (Most expensive)

The SP120 seems to cool heat sinks better and since the side case is right beside the CPU and GPU I feel it is the probably the best in it's part rather than getting another AF version. Note it has 35dB which I think is pretty loud, but I don't really know. I have 6(consisting of five 80mm and one 120mm) stock fans currently running on my cheap mid tower and I can't hear my system's cooler over the noisy stock fans.. What do you think about the setup? Is it quiet 'enough'?. Would you recommend the use of SP120 Performance fan?
I won't be using any water cooling since I move my PC quite often.

Also for future reference what CPU fan would you recommend that is quiet but delivers its job as well on my i5-3470?
 
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Dragonzeanse

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Mar 1, 2013
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The SP fans are best when you need air to pass through several barriers and objects. For example, radiator mounted fans should be optimized for static pressure. Front intake, side intake, and rear exhaust are places you want to use AF fans, because they don't have to pull it through as much resistance.

You don't need the performance fans. Seriously; you don't have an unlocked processor, which suggests you won't be doing a lot of overclocking. Quality fans optimized for quiet operation will work perfectly fine.

A Cooler Master 212 Evo would be a good pick for your build. Not too pricey, but provides more than satisfactory performance. I have a bias against the stock cooler so long as money can be put down on an aftermarket solution. For non-overclockers, it tends to do the job fine, but I find that buying a different CPU cooler altogether is a good investment. There are many options for different budgets. People like to suggest Noctua coolers, as they are easily the best, but their price premium makes them unacceptable for a lot of users.

In short, you won't need SP fans at all. You'll benefit more from the quieter operation and greater airflow of AF120 fans. I find static pressure is important to consider, but since you have no plans to liquid cool and you're going to use a Cooler Master N200, I can assure you that there is no need for such a thing. Since that SP fan you planned to mount on your side will be near your graphics cards, placed on a perforated mount, it's unnecessary

Here's the pricing, should you decide to opt for my suggestions:

Front: Corsair AF120 Quiet, Twin Pack - $28.99
Rear and Side: Corsair AF120 Quiet, Twin Pack - $28.99
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master 212 Evo - $34.99
Total: $92.97 (+ taxes if applicable)

This is just Newegg, too. You might be able to find better deals on Amazon, NCIX, TigerDirect, SuperBiiz, etc.

EDIT: I did a bit of browsing around to find some other fans I could suggest besides Corsair AF120s, if you prefer the aesthetics/performance/prices of other fans. Here are some:

  • ■Nexus Real Silent
    ■Scythe Gentle Typhoon
    ■Antec TrueQuiet
    ■Noctua NF-P12 (seriously, Noctua is amazing)
 
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