Quiet 120mm fan

[Mercutio]

Anyone have a recommendation for a good, *quiet* 120mm fan?
I'd like to replace a couple case fans and also get something better than the fan component for a "silent yet somehow very, very loud" heat sink setup I have.

 

[Buck]

Anyone have a recommendation for a good, *quiet* 120mm fan?
I'd like to replace a couple case fans and also get something better than the fan component for a "silent yet somehow very, very loud" heat sink setup I have.

I like using the Vantec Stealth fans.

 

[Bozo]

I use the temperature controlled fans from Antec

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835129033


Bozo :joker:

 

[Mercutio]

The CPU fan I'm looking to replace right now is a 120mm Silverstone variable speed model. It purports to have, at its lowest speed, a 22dB acoustic rating. It is by far the loudest thing in my bedroom, and even though the computer I'm trying to use it with is under my bed and therefore theoretically insulated, it is driving me completely insane with its loudness and annoyingness and then with additional loudness. It needs to be killed.

My case fan needs are not quite as important, since I do not sleep in the room where they operate.

 

[P5-133XL]

Anandtech has been testing its CPU cooloers with SilenX IXTREMA 120. Very impressive specs at 72cfm at 14db. It is almost double the CFM of most 120mm fans and still very quiet.

 

[ddrueding]

I use the Scythe S-Flex fans exclusively. I used to use the really expensive orange ones, but the two slower speeds of the S-FLEX are fantastic. Get the 800-rpm model if you have lots of fans to make up for the airflow, get the 1200-rpm version if you need to overcome some resistance or are using a fan controller of some kind.

 

[mubs]

Nexus is good. Believe they're made by Yate-Loon, which are also available.

 

[ddrueding]

Nexus are the really expensive orange ones.

 

[Clocker]

I use the 900RPM version of the one made by Aerocool. Been pretty happy with it except for the blue led.

 

[CougTek]

WTF? So many replies and so one so far mentioning SilentPC Review? AMATEURS!

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article695-page1.html

Best models are supposed to be from Noctua. If quiet is paramount, the 800rpm NF-S12 is the one to get. Ddrueding's S-Flex isn't a bad choice either, especially the SFF21F (1600rpm@12V) operating at 7V.

I still can't believe I'm the first to link SPCR.

 

[mubs]

I was going to, Coug, but was too lazy. Everybody here knows about it already. But thanks for making it easy!

 

[ddrueding]

I was going to look, but I stopped being a regular there after silent computing became easy. With the S-FLEX @ 7v, and suspended HDDs in a damped enclosure; noise simply isn't an issue anymore.

 

[Sol]

I've had good experiences with SilenX fans, their specs just look like BS compared to everything else, really high flow with really low noise, but they do seem to be that quiet and move that much air. Not cheap but well worth it in my opinion...

 

[Stereodude]

I have 2 of the Noctua 120mm fans that were highly rated by Silent PC review. Pricey, but quiet.

Any fan can be made quiet you just have to spin it slowly.

 

[Mercutio]

I ordered one each of the SilenX, Noctua and Scythe fans.
We shall see which one is least noisy.

 

[Buck]

I still can't believe I'm the first to link SPCR.

I recommended what I use, not what is supposed to be good. I'll check a review, and buy the product if necesary, then make a recommendation.

 

[Mercutio]

Normally silent computing isn't a high priority on my part. I'm happy that most of the systems I build nowadays are pretty quiet, but I'm not all fetishy about it.
I'm dimly aware of SPCR but I've only been there a time or two.

 

[Santilli]

Ditto the Vantec Stealth fans. David used one of those, and, a rheostat type controller for my 3200. Used it with a Scythe
cooler. Think maybe the Vantect Stealth fans and a Swifttech cooler might be as quiet, but smaller.

Have to give his new recommendation a try.

Till I do, I'm with Eric. I've replaced every fan in my originally jet engine loud Yao server boxed dual machine, and, now, it's not silent, but easily liveable.

My cat is considerably noiser...

Greg

 

[ddrueding]

The Vantec fans are fine. Considering they cost significantly less than my new love; which are in turn cheaper than the Nexus I used before.

 

[time]

GlacialTech

950rpm, 18dB but modest airflow at 35cfm (fine for non-CPU cooler applications), 70,000 hr MTBF for the hydrodynamic bearing version.

Probably not a patch on the super-exotics performance-wise, but silent enough and more affordable.

I find HDD noise has been my biggest problem in the last couple of years.

 

[time]

BTW, I would have guessed that a 120mm fan would fail to be competitive with a good 92mm fan in a CPU-cooler. Does anyone have evidence to the contrary?

 

[ddrueding]

Time:

What is your thought on a 92mm being better than a 120mm in any application? A 120mm is larger, and therefore able to move more air at a slower speed. A 200mm fan would be even more effective, if the heatsink were designed to use all the moving air...

 

[sechs]

With a properly designed heatsink, you can sometimes do away with the fan altogether.

 

[ddrueding]

With a properly designed heatsink, you can sometimes do away with the fan altogether.

The P180 and tower-style heatsinks work great for this. I usually use the Scythe SCNJ-1000, but I have a Zalman with the fan removed and it's working fine as well.

 

[MaxBurn]

The P180 and tower-style heatsinks work great for this. I usually use the Scythe SCNJ-1000, but I have a Zalman with the fan removed and it's working fine as well.

That really piques my interest as I just got a P180B. I was looking at a Tuniq Tower 120 as well, but that scythe looks really promising.

 

[ddrueding]

That really piques my interest as I just got a P180B. I was looking at a Tuniq Tower 120 as well, but that scythe looks really promising.

I love them; they are the most effective heatsinks I've ever used. The only reason I have a Zalman now is because they didn't have an AM2 version when I got the new motherboard. The Tuniq isn't going to do nearly as well without a fan attached as it's fins are too close together. When the fins are that close, you need a lot of air pressure to push the air through. The Scythe fins are so far apart it is ideal for low-pressure (passive) cooling. The other advantage over the other tower coolers is that it isn't directional; you can use both the top and rear fans for the P180, and neither will go against the flow of the Scythe.

 

[Stereodude]

That really piques my interest as I just got a P180B. I was looking at a Tuniq Tower 120 as well, but that scythe looks really promising.

I'm using a P180B and a Scythe Ninja. I do not have a fan on the HSF. I have 1 Noctua 120mm case fan mounted behind it on the rear opening of the P180B, and that is it for moving air across the HSF.

 

[MaxBurn]

Well cool, I am now glad they were out of stock on the Tuniq. I was planning on using the stock HSF that comes with the E6600 for a while till it was in but after some searching around there are quite a few people happy with the P180B and Scythe Ninja combination. I even figure if I need a little more cooling on the CPU I could do just a little ductwork to direct the top and rear case fans suction across the Scythe.

Anyway to un-hijack the thread the only fan I have used that is mentioned here is the Vantec Stealth in 92 and 120mm. They move some decent air and aren't to loud at all. An undervolt and they disappear. About two or three years of use 24x7 and they haven't died either.

One bad experience I had once was to use an Antec 80mm automatically variable speed fan on a CPU cooler. I guess because it was designed as a case fan and being in close proximity to the heat of the CPU it always ran on top speed and was decidedly un-silent.

 

[Stereodude]

Make sure the Ninja can fit on your motherboard. It is very large. I have the top vent open with no fan and no ducting and it runs much cooler than when I had the top vent blocked.

 

[MaxBurn]

Make sure the Ninja can fit on your motherboard. It is very large. I have the top vent open with no fan and no ducting and it runs much cooler than when I had the top vent blocked.

They list that it fits the GA-965P-DS4 and the GA-965G-DS3. The first of those has heatpipes like the GA-965P-DQ6 that I ordered. From the pictures that I have looked at it appears it will work but be close. Googled and there are a couple people out there that claim to be using that combo.

 

[Sol]

The only problem your likely to have with the DQ6 is that you'll probably have to replace the backplate to mount the ninja and the backplate on the DQ6 has a heat pipe which connects to the top of the board. Apparently it's not overly difficult to get it off though.

Keep in mind that that board is passively cooled so without a fan on the heatsink you might need to consider your airflow pretty carefully.

 

[Mercutio]

The "winner" in my fan contest for CPU cooling is the SilenX. The Noctua has a low-pitched noise I can hear even with the case on. The Scythe 800rpm fan is inaudible (as is the SilenX) with my case closed but it does not move as much air.
None of the three is unpleasant to hear. They're all very nice fans.

 

[ddrueding]

Where did you get the SilenX from?

 

[Mercutio]

Bought everything from FrozenCPU.com.

 

[Mercutio]

Hilariously, I have found a drawback to the SilenX.

It smells funny.

When it's operating, it has a very strong "plastic" smell. I really hope that smell goes away soon. I would not mention it except that I can't recall experiencing that with any other computer-type fan I have ever purchased.

On the other hand, I overclocked the E4300 that it's blowing over to a modest degree (300MHz FSB instead of 200) and encoded some DVDs into .MP4s and could not get my CPU temp to go over 36C (it idles at about 31C), so the fan is doing it's job.

 

[MaxBurn]

That probably will go away, might take a while though.

I think it is interesting that a lot of recent rubber items have a vanilla smell now like watch bands and even car tires.

 

[Bozo]

What concerns me is the weight of the Ninja. Looking at the pictures, it looks like it uses the stock Intel fan mounting hole (socket 775). If the motherboard is mounted vertically, won't it put a lot of strain on the mounting holes and motherboard?

Bozo :joker:

 

[MaxBurn]

What concerns me is the weight of the Ninja. Looking at the pictures, it looks like it uses the stock Intel fan mounting hole (socket 775). If the motherboard is mounted vertically, won't it put a lot of strain on the mounting holes and motherboard?

Bozo :joker:

Indeed that is on my mind. Additionally it appears that it uses the standard plastic clips and no motherboard backing plate, newegg has some decent pictures. Good for me as I don't have to remove my motherboards rear heat sink but doesn't look like a sound structure. It does look like most of the mass is close to the socket, those big fins shouldn't count for two much weight. Will report tomorrow night when I get mine.


http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16835185038

 

[Bozo]

The SilenX has sleeve bearings?

About the smell, from a FrozenCPU review:
"Got this to replace the stock 120 in my TT Kandolf. The SilenX has way better airflow @ less than half the noise. It did seem to spritz some oil arround the I/O and mossfets. When you get it plug it in and spin it up outside your case for a few minutes. Other reviews state a "smell" I believe that is the oil cooking off on the warm areas of the Mobo and CPU. It did not cause me any problems and does not appear to be conductive. All in all a great fan though. Highly reccomended and worth the $$$."

Do you have to give it an oil change every 1000 hours?? ;-)

Bozo :joker:

 

[Mercutio]

The Ninja is indeed very heavy and not entirely sufficient for cooling an overclocked C2D. I found that on my gaming rig (E4300 @ 3.7GHz) I couldn't keep temps low enough for my comfort with a Ninja and a low-speed fan. I dropped the OC to something more reasonable, and it's... OK, but eventually I want to address that with a more optimized cooling system as well.
The Ninja weighs more than double the weight limit (500g) for a socket 775 CPU.