Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (
More info?)
whatever wrote:
> Hi all,
>
>
> Which is better: two 80 mm fans or one 120 mm fan?
>
> I'm considering getting a bigger pc case. One comes with one 120mm fan
> on the rear and the other one with 2 80mm fans. Which config is better
> in terms of cooling and noise?
>
> Any advice on how to pick cooling fans (case fan) will be appreciated.
>
> Thanks in advance.
You need to check the cfm that the fan moves and the noise level. I use
Antec fans because I have no trouble installing them in my Antec cases,
which are my favorites, and they're reliable. Check out their chart on the
air they move and thee dB of the sound they produce.
http://www.antec.com/pdf/Fan_Comparison_table.pdf
According to this chart, an 80mm LED fan moves 34 cfm or air @ 30 dB of
noise. It spins at 2600 rpm. Now, the 120mm LED fan moves 56 cfm of air @
28 dB and spins at 1600 rpm. Now, someone pointed out in another post that
you'll get an increase of about 3 dB for doubling the fans. Now, that would
mean a noise level of 33 dB for about 68 cfm of airflow. I say about,
because in real world situations, I don't think the airflow will be quite
so good as to be doubled. In contrast, you have 28 dB of noise and acheive
a 56 cfm of airflow. Now, this is where you need to make a decision: Is
cooling effectiveness more important, or the quietness of the PC?
Understand. I use only one brand to base this comparison on. If you use a
different brand, you need to check their specs and decide for yourself.
Personally, I like my system running as cool as possible. I run 5 80mm Antec
fans in one of my systems, and it's not annoying at all. Some people would
disagree.
--
Registered Linux user #378193
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