What 120mm case fan has the lowest db with decent CFM

The Antec 120mm Tricool fan that came with my case is 'ok', but I'd like to move a bit more air than 39 CFM and get something quieter than the 25db.

I cannot find any ratings that look at db and CFM in evaluating these fans. It would make more sense to me if raters used a air volume/sound ratio. For example, my current fan CFM/db ratio is 1.58 (39CFM/25db). In other words, for every decibel of sound there is 1.58 CFM of air being pushed.

So, wouldn't it be better to benchmark fans on this basis, at least for those of us who want a quiet yet cool box? I think maybe it should assume that someone buying an aftermarket fan wants something that can be speed adjusted, so when rating on this basis it may be useful to determine whether at different speeds the same ratio is maintained - a 'stability' measure of some sort.

Thoughts?

(& any recommendations on this basis to replace my Tricool fan for my Antec Sonata III case?)

Many thanks,
Louis

I just put in a silverstone model ??123 (possibly fb-123) and love it.
It maxs at 106 cfm at like 35 db but comes with a adjustment knob that fits in a expansion slot cover. Other models can fit in floppy opening.
It is ball bearing with 9 blades so it moves alot of air even when turned down to the point I dont even know its on.
I think it was $16 on new egg.

A ratio like this does not work because db is not linear. Also the listed specs are not measured the same way for all brands.

See silentpcreview.com for tests and recommendations.

+1 for what theAnimal said.

The decibels increase exponentially!

Noise level is subjective. One person's quiet case fan is another person's jet engine.

Yes, the formula can be changed but it would only be a rough approximation. It would also vary for different types of fan and blade designs.

There is another problem though. The "fan noise" that humans hear is not just the noise caused air moving through the fan. It also includes the movement of air through, over, and around other pc components. Three years ago there was a thread here that eventually led me to a web site where aeronautical engineers who work with large wind tunnels got involved. One of the examples I remember is the distance between perforated mesh on the front panel or bezel of a pc case and a fan mounted on the front panel. The closer the fan is to the perforated mesh the louder the noise caused by air moving through the perforated mesh. That's just one of many examples.

Well, the Zalman VGA cooler lowered my card temps by close to 10c, from 54-55 to 44-45 with moderate use. I have not stretched it yet, but I assume similar improvements for gaming or the like.

The Thermaltake A2018 does push more air, but it is not as quiet as I had hoped, even at the lowest setting. I am open to some ideas for a truly silent case fan, maybe the Scythe?

I've had zero problems with Arctic Cooling, 37/20 according to the egg, Arctic cooling's site is down when I wrote this.

Thermaltake's specs are wishful thinking.

The thermaltake controller does not let me reduce the fan speed as low as I want, and it is of course too loud even at eh lowest speed. I would rather mod the controller if that is possible. I heard about reducing the fan voltage to 7V, but it's supposedly bad for the PSU.

Looks like I'll just have to find a fan that you can control the entire speed range from the mobo.