Bigger necessarily better???(fans that is)

I've got 2 options on my new setup. I've got a chevette core with dual shroud/fan capability. Here's my problem......would there be a large change in temperature if I switched from 2 120x38mm fans that put out 130 cfm a piece, to 2 120x25mm fans that put out 88cfm a piece???? The reason I ask is the 120x38s I have work great, but they are extremely loud and they dont work well with temperature controlled circuits(such as the LM317). I would probably have better luck with PWM, but I want to avoid that route for awhile.

So what do you guys think.........would there be a large temp difference between the 2 different types of fans?

from the setup in ur sig. i personally thing that 2 (130cfm) fans is way too much airflow. I don't think there will be a difference if u replace them with 88cfm fans. I have my my processor, gpu on my heater core with only one 120mm fan and the water temp barly goes over amb. temps.

You could also do what I did. I have 2 Mechatronics 120mm fans, yet I only use one of them. They are rather loud at full blast, but just go purchase a rheostat from Radio Shack (or other electronics parts megalosuperstore) and wire it up. Then just dial down until noise is barely audible, test temps, and, as John Madden would say, BOOM! TOUGH ACTIN' TINACTIN!... okay, that was pointless, I know. But, just try out a rheostat on those 130's... having more airflow and no noise is better than having less airflow and no noise... or something... I heard that somewhere.

Randall said:

You could also do what I did. I have 2 Mechatronics 120mm fans, yet I only use one of them. They are rather loud at full blast, but just go purchase a rheostat from Radio Shack (or other electronics parts megalosuperstore) and wire it up. Then just dial down until noise is barely audible, test temps, and, as John Madden would say, BOOM! TOUGH ACTIN' TINACTIN!... okay, that was pointless, I know. But, just try out a rheostat on those 130's... having more airflow and no noise is better than having less airflow and no noise... or something... I heard that somewhere.

Click to expand...

Already tried that with a couple circuits(including an LM317), these fans dont like anything below 8 volts. As I said before, PWM would be nice, but I really dont want to get into that for now...anyone else?

BOOM TOUGH ACTIN TINACTIN.... LOL ROFL LMAO KMOATSF (kicking my own *** that's so funny)

yeah, my rule of thumb is BIGGER IS ALWAYS BETTER.

but i also like quiet... go with the quieter ones, the performance differenct is hardly enough to make u endure the xtra noise.


bigger is better

go big, or go home.