Fan noise... How much is too much?

[e_storm]

Now, I know I have seen this question in old posts, but I can't find them.

As far as noise level of a fan goes, what dba number equates to what? I remember that over 40dba is pretty loud, but what about 30... or 20? What are silent fans rated at usually?

Also, if you go with, say 2-8cm fans instead of 1-12cm fan, does the dba ratings of the 2-8cms get combined (ie. 2-8cm fans @ 35dba each = 70dba noise total?)

Quiet system = ;D
Noisy sytem = ;p

thanks in advance.

 

[Ridenow]

To loud is when it bothers you or the people you live with.

Sound is kinda weird, it depends on the frequency and the distance between the sources and the reciever. Sometimes they do add up sometimes they cancel each other out. Most of the time 2 fans at 35 db each = 35 db total or real close.

 

[Blackearth]

one of my fans has a 40 something db rating. i can hear my comp running all the way downstairs. but i dont really care about noise.

 

[William]

Ridenow (May 09, 2001 10:49 a.m.):
To loud is when it bothers you or the people you live with.

Sound is kinda weird, it depends on the frequency and the distance between the sources and the reciever. Sometimes they do add up sometimes they cancel each other out. Most of the time 2 fans at 35 db each = 35 db total or real close.

Actually it will just be SLIGHTLY more, but hardly any. If you have say thirty fans going at 35db apiece, the total sound would be around 37-38. It is just the way db is equated. Also, remember that db are not linear, i forgot approximately how many db is twice as much as the other, but it graphs into some kinda curve, not a strait line.

 

[e_storm]

If that's the case, why doesn't everyone go with a whole bunch of small, low noise fans instead of a couple of big, high noise ones?

I guess maybe noise doesn't bother some people as much as me. I gotta live in the same room with it.

My system got so loud (to me anyway) that I put all 4 case fans on separate switches and mounted the switches on the outside of the box so when it got hot or if I overclocked it a lot, I could just switch them on one at a time until things got cool 8)

Anyone have a cool, but real quiet system? Water cooling excluded.