The Best CFM/DBA Ratio Fans in 80mm - 120mm Sizes. Discussed Proven and Displayed.

[Time4aMassiveOC]

The Best CFM/DBA Ratio Fans in 80mm - 120mm Sizes. Discussed Proven and Displayed.

Hello all, i'm going to make an attempt to wring out the collective knowledge of OC forums in order to find the best performing fans for each of the populor sizes 80mm-120mm.

This way no matter how loud or quiet you are willing to go you'll be able to get the best performance (CFM) for that noise level possible.



in my experience with fans 30 Dba is about the loudest fan that could still be dubbed reasonably quiet. but frankly its still loud enough to know for sure when your computer is on or not when you are in the next room.

whereas a computer full of silenx 14 DBA fans is barely audiable even when sitting next to it.




in my fan studies these are the best performance per decible fans you can get ranked from first to last in CFM/DBA.

i know there has to be better fans out there. so everyone please contribute your high performance dream fan with a link to its CFM and DBA specs. and a place to buy it.

electron chaser your help would especially be appreciated.



120MM

1. Silenx 120mm 58 CFM 14 DBA fan = 58/14 = 4.14 CFM per DBA
Silenx 120mm Specs and place to buy.


2. Thermaltake 120mm 78 CFM 14 DBA = 78/21 = 3.71 CFM per DBA
ThermalTake 120mm Specs and place to buy.





92MM


1. Silenx 92MM, 36CFM, 14 DBA = 36/14 = 2.57 CFM per DBA
Silenx 92mm Specs and place to buy.


2. Silent Cat 90MM, 52CFM, 21 DBA = 52/21 = 2.48 CFM per DBA
Silent Cat 90mm Specs and place to buy.


80MM


COMING SOON

 

[larva]

Um, fan specs and lies are hard to differentiate at times. Everyone can read specs and do long division (I hope).

 

[zer0nix]

hmm, could someone provide more info on those 'hybrid' bearings and also what kind of bearings are on the silent cat?

 

[larva]

IIRC, the design is licensed from Panaflo. I suspect that would mean it's the hydro-wave (lube-impregnated sleeve) bearing.

 

[Time4aMassiveOC]

im not going to sit here and debate wether or not certain manufacturors lie about thier noise level or cfm level

im here to find the best fans for each size according to specs. so if you have a favorite that i havn't listed here. that you think is worth listing. feel free to say so.

also if you have any relevant informative links to share concerning the "validity or invalidty of a fans specs" these would also be appreciated.

that said, opinionated comments without informative links to back up thier words are thrown around quite frequently. these are frowned on by me as i feel that if you wish to add your "aquired knowledge" to the thread. you should provide the link or a link stating the information you "know".

 

[Time4aMassiveOC]

well, ive been looking for the better part of the last 2 hours. not to mention all the hours before this ive put in. i cant find anything that even touches thermaltake or silenx

i havnt bothered to list any of the panaflo, vantec stealth, enermax, or nexus because thier CFM per DBA is pathetic in comparison. but im sure just to show how bad it is i will eventually, however i want to focus on the true quality performing fans for now since there seem to be so few.

 

[JudgeDredd]

Like Larva said, you cannot trust most companies to be truthful about their fans specs. Besides, if it's not that, it's the different testing methods they may each use.

I'd trust the ratings on a Panaflo or Delta anyday over what a Thermaltake or SilenX claims, plus the fact that they are overall better fans. Most members here would agree.

 

[jediman]

i don't understand

i don't understand the point of this excercise.
i thought it was widely known that it is mostly useless to go by advertised fan specs. especially those given by thermaltake and i hear silenx isn't much better. If you are going to compile data, compile real data and not what marketing guys offer you.
i can give you the best specs ever on a fan
Hand Fan 9000 has an rpm of 120 but pushes 120 cfm at .1 db
best fan ever
comes in big pimpslap size only

 

[Time4aMassiveOC]

thanks judge dredd and jediman for giving two good examples of useless opinions without any links to anything. i loved the phrases


"i thought it was widely known that it is mostly useless"
and
"plus the fact that they are overall better fans. Most members here would agree."



lets stick to the information we are provided with shall we?

you guys can start another thread where you can rant and rave about your conpiracy theories all you like.

while we are here i would prefer it if the responses were kept on topic. and have i stressed links to back up what you say enough?

 

[pauldenton]

hmm..... no-one seems to have pointed out yet that while CFM is linear (so 40 CubicFeetperMinute is double 20 CFM) dBA is a logarithmic scale (40 dBA is 100 times 20 dBA!)

so calculating CFM per dBA is somewhat misleading...

 

[mdameron]

Wow this guy attempts to help out and gets flamed...

 

[larva]

thanks judge dredd and jediman for giving two good examples of useless opinions without any links to anything. i loved the phrases


"i thought it was widely known that it is mostly useless"
and
"plus the fact that they are overall better fans. Most members here would agree."

Easy there, Tex. I'll make this (mostly useless) thread go away if you continue to bark up this particular tree.

lets stick to the information we are provided with shall we?

you guys can start another thread where you can rant and rave about your conpiracy theories all you like.

It's no theory. Fan specs are largely useless, and you picked the most grievous examples with SilenX and TT. Both publish obvious lies. If you wish to call this information, fine, but don't get all bent when people point out the truth of the matter.

while we are here i would prefer it if the responses were kept on topic. and have i stressed links to back up what you say enough?

There is no link (or group of links) I can give you that will produce a knowledge of aerodynamics, mechanical engineering, and physics sufficient enough to prove to you that you can't achieve the performance levels that the SilenX and TT specs indicate. You call for information, and I am giving it. Trust me or don't, it's your call, but find a way to express yourself without flaming people.

 

[larva]

hmm..... no-one seems to have pointed out yet that while CFM is linear (so 40 CubicFeetperMinute is double 20 CFM) dBA is a logarithmic scale (40 dBA is 100 times 20 dBA!)

so calculating CFM per dBA is somewhat misleading...

That's a pretty darn good point. Even if the specs were accurate and comparable a ratio of these two quantities is not particularly valid.

 

[Bad ConNecTioN]

Sorry to burst your bubble there, but the ratings on Silenx fans are a bunch of bull****.

www.silentPCreview.com

I recommend you go there is you are trully interested in finding a "quiet" fan.


Oh, and one more thing. I suggest you find out the testing procedures used to rate those fans in your list. Because, as you may know if each fan isn't put under the same test in the same conditions then trying to compare a group of fans from their rated specs is completely useless.

 

[mcoleg]

not sure about silentx but i used silent cat 92mm and it's pretty darn quiet, better than a low panaflow 92 that i have. i think this fan is largely overlooked 'cause our general distrust of thermaltake.

 

[AlabamaCajun]

The silent cats are quiet when you feed them less than 11 volts, above that they purr a little louder (noticable buzz but still not over 21DB). Above 11.5 they might exceed the 21DB rating but on the average fan controller you won't exceed 11.5V anyway.

 

[larva]

I think you are underestimating just how quiet 21dBA is.

 

[veryhumid]

hmm..... no-one seems to have pointed out yet that while CFM is linear (so 40 CubicFeetperMinute is double 20 CFM) dBA is a logarithmic scale (40 dBA is 100 times 20 dBA!)

so calculating CFM per dBA is somewhat misleading...

thank you!!! it is more than somewhat misleading, it's not useful at all.

fans are cheap, buy a bunch and try them My vote is for the evercool 120mm, maybe the yate loon that nexus uses.

 

[Moto7451]

TT lies about their fan ratings. They have their good products & their bad products & their fans kind of sit in the middle. Theres nothing wrong with them per se but thats not to say that you're getting what they advertise.

 

[larva]

fans are cheap, buy a bunch and try them My vote is for the evercool 120mm, maybe the yate loon that nexus uses.

That's sound advice (no pun intended). Fans are a somewhat complex device, and you are involving sound--which is an extremely complex phenomena perceived differently by different ears. Experience is the great teacher.

As far as 120mm fans (which I strongly prefer when noise/airflow is the goal), I like the 55cfm Mechatronics G1225S12B for applications where I need to run the fan at 12V, and the Sanyo 109R1212H101 for applications where lesser voltages are possible. The Sanyo on a competent temperature-dependant fan speed controller is by my standards the best of all worlds, and can deliver over 100cfm when necessary.