Heatsink review noise level question

[Len]

I have a question about the heatsink reviews here, specifically
fan noise levels. I own a Glaciator cooling an XP1800+. At the time I purchased it the Glaciator was considered a good balance of noise and performance. It was often recommended to people looking for a 'quiet' heatsink that would also allow for reasonable overclocking.

In addition to the Glaciator I'll reference the more recent reviews of the Thermalright SL800 and Vantec Aeroflow with TMD fan. If I understand this correctly it seems that the Glaciator is now easily the loudest of the three. At max fan rpm the Glaciator is 62 dBA while the Vantec is 59 dBA and the SLK800 only 55 dBA. Based on this it seem the SLK800 makes the least noise yet in the review it's noise level is described as ranging "from the sublime to the ridiculous". Yet at 59 dBA the Vantec is described is "tolerably quiet".

I'm looking for an upgrade to my Glaciator to quiet my PC further while also increasing cooling performance if possible but I'm somewhat puzzled by the apparent contradictions in these reviews. My intent is not to criticize the reviews but rather to clarify my understanding of the noise measurements so I can make an informed decision on the purchase of a new heatsink. If
indeed the SLK800 is THE top "air" performer AND much quieter than my Glaciator then the decision is a no brainer.

I've enclosed some quotes from the three reviews to illustrate my point. I'd appreciate any feedback. Thanks!


Millennium Glaciator II (0.34)
------------------------------
http://www.overclockers.com/articles491/

"Fan noise was moderate - I measured it at 62 dBA 8" from the fan intake with a Radio Shack sound meter - about the same as a 26 cfm YS Tech."


Vantec Aeroflow With TMD Fan (0.30)
-----------------------------------
http://www.overclockers.com/articles635/

"I found it to be tolerably quiet - I measured its noise at 59 dBA with a Radio Shack sound meter 8" from the fan's intake, substantially less than a Delta 38 (about 69 dBA)."


Thermalright SLK800 (0.23)
--------------------------
http://www.overclockers.com/articles600/

"I measured noise using a Radio Shack sound meter placed 8" from the fan's intake and recorded noise at a number of rpms - these should not be far off the mark far other 80mm fans at similar rpms."

Chart summary: 55 dBA @ 5520 rpm down to 43 dBA @ 2967 rpm

"Thermalright's SLK800 is a fine choice for Socket A cooling. Depending on how aggressive your cooling requirements are, noise can range from the sublime to the ridiculous."

[kaltag]

i have one suggestion...watercooling!!! but really if you want to use air the AX-7 is supposed to be one of the best performers and you could use a much quieter fan. :)

[maxima88]

The ax-7 and sk-7 heatsinks both take 80mm fans so you can get more CFM at lower noise levels compared to the 60mm and 70mm fans.

[1Time]

You want decent air cooling that's not going to be "too loud"? Get the best HS (the SLK800?) and adapt a 90mm or 120mm fan to it pushing at least 55CFM. Or better, duct fresh air directly to the HS with such a fan. I prefer a low speed 120mm Panaflo.

[Jkasmann]

thats a good question....rest assured the "55dba @ 5520rpm" (a full speed tornado) will be a lot louder than the "59dba" TMD fan, the TMDs are just not that loud (and dont push nearly as much air).

I think the difference is that in the slk-800 review he is using the RATED noise (vantec rates the tornado at 55dba) but in the aeroflow review (and most others) he uses MEASURED noise. The rated dba for the aeroflow is 38, much less than the tornado as expected.

So, the glaciator and the aeroflow are measured to be about the same noise levels (although the glaciator will be high pitched, since its a 60mm) and the tornado if measured would be much higher (probably in the 70s by his scale).

Hope this helps!

[Ugmore Baggage]

E-mailing the author(s) of those articles would get the best answers to your question.

The way sound is measured can change the numbers, and what is considered acceptable can change according to fashion.

[Len]

My impression is that all three articles used the same technique to measure the noise of the fans. Note the quoted text in my original post. All say that noise was measured 8 inches from the fan using a Radio Shack sound meter.

I did email the author but got no reply. He is probably just too busy running the site.

What I'm really trying to figure out is if those other fans are actually quieter than my Glaciator. Based on the articles I would say that they are but I wanted to get other opinions.