Help me pick out case fans.

[Chan]

I currently have 2 80mm Suncon case fans and they're really annoying me. I was thinking about going Panaflow Super Quiet blah or that Vantec Stealth.

I was wondering what you guys think would be a good set for me.

My setup:

1.6a P4 @ 2.3ghz
256 PC2700 Samsung
Built by ATI Retail 8500
Abit BD7 RAID

[mrm1957]

Try this out this will save you a couple of bucks
http://www.nexfan.com/

[cmcquistion]

I've got a Vantec Stealth and a Panaflo L1A. The panaflo's are quieter and usually a little cheaper, too. I went on a fan buying spree a few months agao and bought about 15 different 80mm case fans. I tested all of them with my ears to see which was the quietest.

The very best of the best was the PC Power and Cooling Silencer. A close second was the Panaflo L1A, followed by a few generic fans that I've never seen for sale anywhere, then the Vantec Stealth.

The PC Power and Cooling Silencer is about $9 each. While they are the best, they ain't cheap. The Panaflo L1A's I was able to get for $2.50 each if I bought 100 from svcompucycle.com. I bought 100 and they were a great investment. I've already used 75 of them!

[Chan]

Okay guys I was looking at the Panaflow again and don't understand what this means:
Note: This fan comes with a 2 pin connector. Needs minor modification to fit on 3 pin connectors (by cutting the legs on the molex connector).

[lazerin]

The two pin connector means that the fan does not have rpm sensor on the plug. The two pins are the red (12v) cable and the black (ground) cable. By "minor modification" they probably mean you have to get yourself a three pin motherboard connector and solder that onto the original cable so that you now have three pins to plug into the motherboard fan connector.

From what I gather, the fans do not come with any connectors. It comes with no plug on the end of the two cables, so you can either choose to solder a 3 pin motherboard connector onto it, or solder a molex connector onto it (and plug it straight into the power supply).

[cmcquistion]

The one's I bought came with a motherboard plug. It has only two conductors, 12V and ground, no RPM. I didn't have to mod it or anything. I'm not sure what they are talking about. You may want to call them and talk to a technician.

[gooutside]

my case panels are always open, hehe.

[Granezrigz]

If I can do it anybody can!LOL! Just get a larger sized sewing needle-one that will fit snugly into the female connection of the Panaflo and push ever so slightly while you GENTLY pull on the accompanying wire. You'll find there’s a small connector soldered on to the end of the wire. As there's only two wires usually red and blue the blue will go to the outside left of the three pin and the red to the center. I don't want to do any soldering on my MB unless it's a pin trick. If you can't find 3 pin connectors just use the same process to remove the 3 pin from your old fan. Hope that helps.

[Intraveinous]

You can also do a search for "Panaflo fan tails" and find 3pin and 4 pin tails that just plug into the fan... If you look at the picture on nexfan, you can see the little plug with the red and blue wires coming out of it next to the fan hub. You just unplug the one that comes with it and plug in the new tail and viola, you're set without any soldering... I think I've seen the tails for 1.00 - 1.50 US dollars. So if you're willing to spend the little extra instead of soldering, then that's another possibility... As far as the fans go though, I can't recommend Panaflo enough. they are the best fans I've ever used. I have at least 30 of the 80mm L1A fans in various computers and several of the H1A 80 and 92mm in servers and they can't be beat. They have great performance for the noise they put out and run pretty much forever.
Peace
John

[Intraveinous]

Here's a link for those tails... $0.99 each
http://www.pcmods.com/list.asp?CtgID=24

[Granezrigz]

Iwas just thinking say you bought your Panalo's here http://bgm.bgmicro.com/prodinfo.asp?sid=648148148148148E-0417219056222&prodid=FAN1003&page=1&cri=Panaflo&stype=3
for $2.75, did the minor mod - which costs nothing you could get them a little cheaper than buying tails or paying 5-6 bucks a fan. Just a thought...

[emericanchaos]

how did you use 75 fans already?

[cmcquistion]

I'm a Computer Systems Adminstrator responsible for over 100 computers. I've built or rebuilt 30 or 40 computers in the last several months.

I ordered a SVC GC68 heatsink and a Panaflo L1A about six months ago. After I used the heatsink and heard the Panaflo, I decided to change every AMD heatsink in the building over to them. They cool better than heatsinks that I spent a lot more on. I even used the SVC GC68 with it's stock fan on a system that I had used an AX-7 on and I couldn't tell the difference. That sold me.

[Chan]

Hey thanks for the advice guys, I think I'm going to go with the Panaflow since it seems to be the best noise:performance wise.