Too many fan choices!

[flametank]

I need two 80mm fans and a 120mm fan. I want them to be quiet. (I just installed a fanless heatsink) My case is much quieter, but it could use some quieter fans other than stock.

I was looking into SilenX, read that they arent worth the money, looked into these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811999199
then found out they don't last that long/vibrate like hell. argh..

Anyone have any good suggestions? What's a good DB rating that's considered "quiet"? Should I invest the couple $$ for vibration dampening rubber screws and pads?

 

[GreenJelly]

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/2465/fan-160/Cooler_Master_80mm_Silent_Case_Fan_Value_Pack_-_6_Fans_SAF-S83-E1.html?tl=g36c15s58

Check out the pack... super quet... Sleave Design (Lower Lifespan & Quiet)...

You wont here these... you will hear your powersupply but not these...

I use them in another machine... They are also great for a quick replace... The price is nuts... FrozenCPU has every fan you could want... You want to look at the CFM (amount of Air that Flows --- Higher the better) dBa (Sound level --- lower the better --- anything bellow 25 dba will probably be quiter then your powersupply) and Bearing Type: Sleeve or Ball.

Usually as CFM increases so does dBa... DAMN YOU PHYSICS!

If you dont live with Airconditioning/Climate Control... then I would get a fan controller.

Mike

 

[wun911]

you pay for what you get generally

also more air flow = more noize

 

[GreenJelly]

Thoose CoolerMasters are great...

 

[jaguarskx]

Regarding 120mm fans, I recommend Yate Loon which is pretty inexpensive at $6 + shipping.

Others are as follows:

Antec TriCool
GlobalWin
Nexus - These are cherry picked Yate Loons, but costs 2.5X more.
Scythe

All these fan can be found at:

http://www.svc.com/stfa120.html

 

[flametank]

Thanks for the recommendations. A few follow up questions:

Is this fan any good, sounds really good on paper: http://www.svc.com/a2368.html

To achieve low noise with any fan, would I have to get a fan controller?

Lastly, is there a certain level of CFM I need to make sure I'm not going to harm my cpu/mobo (both are fanless) or my hard drive(s)? Thanks again.

 

[Onus]

I got one of these Arctic Cooling 80mm:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835186112
for my side fan. It has three speeds, set by a switch. You won't hear it on low, it is barely audible on medium, and still unobtrusive on high.

I got one of these Thermaltake 120mm:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811999145
for the front of my case. Turned down, it is quiet, but if you crank it you may think your case is preparing for takeoff.

I'm generally satisfied with both of them, although the TT is a little loud when turned up.

 

[Doughbuy]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811999612

Quietest fan in the world... you'll barely hear it... over the roar of a jet engine maybe...

But I would suggest getting a fan with decent CFM and decent noise, and a fan controller... when you game, turn up the speed, when you want to watch movies or sleep, you can always turn it down... wouldn't you pay more for versatility?

 

[Hawkeye22]

Check out the Scythe S-flex 120mm fans on Newegg. They're ultra quiet.

 

[jaguarskx]

Thanks for the recommendations. A few follow up questions:

Is this fan any good, sounds really good on paper: http://www.svc.com/a2368.html

To achieve low noise with any fan, would I have to get a fan controller?

Lastly, is there a certain level of CFM I need to make sure I'm not going to harm my cpu/mobo (both are fanless) or my hard drive(s)? Thanks again.

I haven't read any reviews of the Thermaltake fan you linked to, but I'm sure it is louder than the stated 21dBA when it is pushing 78 CFM. But I can say that the 120mm Yate Loon are pretty quiet even at full speed. I use it in my Cooler Master Centurion 532 case and the noise it not really noticeable from 2 feet away taking into account the ambient noise level in my apartment. I have a FanMate II controller for the Yate Loon, but I haven't installed it yet and I don't think I need to.

I have to say that the fan on my Radeon X1900XT "drowns out" most of the noise coming from my PC. The X1900XT is pretty quiet when it is not stressed. But after a while the X1900XT fan does emit a quiet but somewhat high pitch sound. While playing games the X1900XT does become noticably louder, but it's not annoying loud.

A fan controller will definitely reduce the noise of the fan, but also reduce CFM as well. As to how much CFM you need, well that really depends on how hot your case/CPU gets. The Yate Loon is rated at 47 CFM. That is good enough to keep my system cool. The following are my specs:

Core 2 Duo E6600 @ 3.0GHz (stock voltage)
Scythe Ninja CPU HSF (Scythe Fan is a full speed and pretty quiet as well)
Radeon X1900XT (Stock Speed)
MSI 975X Platinum Motherboard
2GB of Corsiar DDR2 675 XMS2 RAM
Cooler Master Centurion 532 Case
Seasonic S12 500 PSU
SB Audigy 2
NEC 3550A Burner
Sony DVD ROM Drive
3 160GB Hard Drives

According to the Core Temp utility program my CPU idles at 39C and is 56C under load.

 

[jaguarskx]

Check out the Scythe S-flex 120mm fans on Newegg. They're ultra quiet.

Yeah, my Scythe 120mm fan on my Scythe Ninja heatsink is amazingly quiet at full speed. With a closed case you shouldn't be able to hear it.

 

[flametank]

I have the fan that came with the Scythe Infinity heatsink I bought. It's model "AD1212DS-A73GL(6TCL3)". Is this the same as the 120mm fans they sell for cases? Could I just use it as a quiet solution for the 1 120mm intake fan I need?

 

[jaguarskx]

I have the fan that came with the Scythe Infinity heatsink I bought. It's model "AD1212DS-A73GL(6TCL3)". Is this the same as the 120mm fans they sell for cases? Could I just use it as a quiet solution for the 1 120mm intake fan I need?

Scythe sells a few 120mm fans so I'm sure you can buy it. However, Scythe does not list the actual fan model number. Instead they list their own model numbers such as "SFF21D" or "SFF21F".

If you are not using it to cool the CPU, then you might as well use it as a case fan.