silverado modes?

[Guest]

I noticed from the noise-control site that the Silverado has 3 modes, each of which has a different noise and cooling ability. I believe that these "modes" are switched by using resistors that are supplied by noise control, can anyone verify this?

My big question, however, pertains to Lord Kryo's review and which modes were used in it. The noise comparison clearly states that the noise was measured in "whisper" mode; the quietest and poorest cooling mode. The cooling comparison, however does not state what mode the Silverado was in. Was the Silverado also tested in "whisper" mode there -- in which case it is a truly awesome fan? Or was it tested in the louder "standard" or MUCH louder "turbo" mode -- calling into question the validity of the review?
Anybody know? Comments?

 

[Guest]

I found this info on their website.
http://www.noisecontrol.de/info/silverado/info.htm

turbo: 31C, 1.5Sn, 21CFM (36cubic meter per hour)
standard: 37C, 0.8Sn 12CFM (21cubic meter per hour)
whisper: 43C, 0.5Sn 8CFM (15cubic meter per hour)

so how much dB(A)?
Sone (Sn) is: (britannica.com)
"unit of loudness. Loudness is a subjective characteristic of a sound (as opposed to the sound-pressure level in decibels, which is objective and directly measurable). Consequently, the sone scale of loudness is based on data obtained from subjects who were asked to judge the loudness of pure tones and noise. One sone is arbitrarily set equal to the loudness of a 1,000-hertz tone at a sound level of 40 decibels above the standard reference level (i.e., the minimum audible threshold). A sound with a loudness of four sones is one that listeners perceive to be four times as loud as the reference sound."

I might be wrong but if 3 Sones is twice as loud as 2 Sone, and the test on this site was done in whisper mode, giving 38dB(A) and from their site 0.5Sn, standard will be twice as loud, 48dB(A). and turbo will be even more.

Hope this helps.



<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by shalomHanahag on 03/12/01 04:19 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Guest]

"Sone scales linear, double value means double loudness."
Translated from German, c´t mag 12/2000, taken from a HDD test.
(c´t) Sone is very close to the human hearing sense.
(noisecontrol.de) Values < 2 Sn are generally considered silent. Values < 1 Sn are getting close to the perception border.

May be this helps (c´t):
Maxtor 96147U8 DiamondMax 60,(60 GB, 5400rpm) idle 0.9 Sn / busy 1.3 Sn.

If I understand this Sone thing correctly, conversion Sn - dBA is impossible. In this HDD test 3 HDDs have a value of 1.7 Sn, but very different values in dBA.

Concerning dBA, I think I read somewere that dBA is nonlinear, with 10 dBA more indicating approximately twice the noise.

The modes are switches by cables with resistors. They are included.

Another review:
http://www.pc-reports.de/pc-reports/artikel/kuehlers/auswertung sockel/Sockel.htm

German, but worth a look. You can configure your own comparison chart, for example with several Alpha HSFs. Click on Silverado to get to the review. Even if you don´t understand the text, you can see some detailed pics.
According to this review there are *4* modes: 6V, 8V, 10V and 12V. 12V without adaptor.

 

[igottaknife]

From what I remember every increment of decibles equals double the sound. Say one speaker produces 30dB, then two producing the same sound equal 31dB, four would equal 32dB and so on. It has a similarity to the math involving resistors in series or parallel or suttin like that.

Leave a real<A HREF="http://forumz.tomshardware.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=faq" target="_new">link</A>

 

[Guest]

I took both results of the whisper mode (from here and from their website).
I read that 2 Sone is double the noise of 1 Sone, so 1 Sone is double the noise of 0.5 Sone. the whisper works in 0.5 Sone, and standard is 0.8 Sone - almost double. from the review, the whipser has 38 dB(A). 48dB(A) is double the noise - so the standard has about 48dB(A).

if you want to combine dB(A), go here: http://www.mcsquared.com/combindb.htm

 

[Tempus]

Lord Kyro indicated in his first cooling article that a difference in 10 decibals was the equivelant of twice as loud.

- I don't write Tom's Hardware Guide, I just preach it"

 

[ejsmith2]

I was thinking 3dB is twice the power, as far as electricity and sound are concerned. Twice the power=Twice as loud?
So a rise of 10dB would be 6.66 times as loud as reference.
And somewhere there is a conversion for Sone to Decibel, but it may not be a simple first-order linear equation.