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

[rseven]

www.silentPCreview.com

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

Good site. Some interesting reviews.
I figure someone should say something nice in this thread.

 

[Time4aMassiveOC]

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...

yeah id have to agree now that that comes to my attention.

is there a link where i could find that information so i can figure out a better way to compare?

 

[JudgeDredd]

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.

The model you listed for the Sanyo Denki, is that the same one that a guy had 10+ of in the classifieds a couple days ago? I saw that thread, wish I would've bought some. Although the 120x38 Panaflos Ultra Highs don't seem far off at 115CFM/45dBa, I hear the Sanyo Denkis create more static pressure, which would seem to indicate they'd be better for a radiator.

 

[deathstar13]

if you want the best look at panaflows,sanyo-denki's/san-ace and delta's

some can be loud with high rpms but 7v mods or a fan controller can fix that.
i use 3x120x38 sanyo-denkis and they can be as loud or as quiet as i want but none-the-less push alot of air.1 on cpu and 1-intake and 1-exhaust.

be aware that lowing voltage on high rpm fans can cause whinning at some speeds.if i keep mine just above the start up voltage they are rather quiet but still moving alot of air.

 

[Time4aMassiveOC]

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

which tree would that be Tex? the one where im telling you that i dont appreciate anyone coming into my thread and posting some negative rant

spewing nonsense that its not possible to find the best performing fan because companies lie about thier specs.

 

[larva]

The model you listed for the Sanyo Denki, is that the same one that a guy had 10+ of in the classifieds a couple days ago? I saw that thread, wish I would've bought some. Although the 120x38 Panaflos Ultra Highs don't seem far off at 115CFM/45dBa, I hear the Sanyo Denkis create more static pressure, which would seem to indicate they'd be better for a radiator.

I'm not sure which ad you are referring to, but I think it is the same fan. There have been many classified ads for them recently, including:

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=399401

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=389903

I bought my last two Sanyos from OCS911 and got a great deal, but I think his are all spoken for now.

 

[veryhumid]

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

hahaha, that sounds dirty. I run silenx (4 of them) cooling my cpu and as case fans. They have been spinning for maybe 6 months nearly non-stop with no noise and no problems... so far. The delta in my power supply makes weird noise occasionally, a dual ball bearing 3-blade.

 

[larva]

which tree would that be Tex? the one where im telling you that i dont appreciate anyone coming into my thread and posting some negative rant

I'll explain this once, and if you can't grasp what I'm saying, you will have three days to grapple with it.

I did not, nor did anyone else, flame you. We simply pointed out that the premise your thread was based upon was so groundless as to make it a pointless exercise. Now, on to the flaming part:

spewing nonsense that its not possible to find the best performing fan because companies lie about thier specs.

This is a flame, as was your response to JudgeDredd an jediman. No one ever said is was not possible to find the best performing fan, and even if they did, your response was a flame. What was said that it was impossible via the method you propose, and that is why the thread was pointless.

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

And guess why you didn't include me in this sterling statement? Because you knew it was a flame, and knew I would not stand for it. I will not stand for it where any other member is concerned, either. And I'm not going into the rest of the your tirade, as its content alone is damning enough.

You claim to be welcoming information, but throw a tantrum when it isn't exactly what you were wanting or expecting. That's the thing, you either get to ask the questions or answer them, not both. Every response in this thread not authored by you is in compliance with forum policy. And do check your private messages.

 

[Time4aMassiveOC]

sorry but i didnt include you since the entire 5th post was for you. i couldnt be less afraid of saying whatever i have to say to you regaurdless fo your power.

but furthermore i dont care who was right or wrong. all i know is we are 29 posts into the thread and the only information was paul dentons,

" 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...



there still is nobody who has posted any link to fans that are comparable to the fans ive listed

nor has anyone posted one article or review of this supposed lying by thermaltake and silenx.

this is all i care about.. facts..and progress.. you guys can do your thing... ill keep doing mine.

 

[deathstar13]

this is all i care about.. facts..and progress.. you guys can do your thing... ill keep doing mine.

thing is i dont think you will be doing "your thing" here much longer.

but anyhow its very hard to get the facts you want.from what ive seen,there are no technical fan reviews to be found.

you can find high quality fans here:http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/120mmfans.html
or do a search on the fans i mentioned above.

as far as thermaltakes specs and figures go i can say for a fact they are lies.i owned one and it in no way produced the cmf it stated nor the low db's stated. fan in question is this one.http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835106061

if you dont trust user opinions then you shouldnt ask for them.

 

[JudgeDredd]

I'm not sure which ad you are referring to, but I think it is the same fan. There have been many classified ads for them recently, including:

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=399401

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=389903

I bought my last two Sanyos from OCS911 and got a great deal, but I think his are all spoken for now.

The second link you posted was the thread I was refering to, but I am currently trying to snag 4 of em from the thread on your first link.

 

[Bad ConNecTioN]

www.silentpcreview.com

www.silentpcreview.com

www.silentpcreview.com

www.silentpcreview.com


And just in case you missed it the first time WWW.SILENTPCREVIEW.COM


All you have asked is right there just click the link. Everything you could possibly want to know about quiet PC fans is all on the website and the forums. Also, I suggest you pop by the forums over there and ask about SilenX fans...the replies you get will be very surprising.

Oh, and one more thing. Look up Nexus fans; the 120 mm is arguably the quietest around.


That is if you can still read this...I wouldn't mess with Larva, he will not tolerate crap.

 

[deathstar13]

Rank: Banned
http://www.ocforums.com/member.php?userid=16718

 

[Bad ConNecTioN]

Lol, you linked to judgedredd.

I think it’s only a temporary, as Larva eluded to a three day hiatus

 

[deathstar13]

Lol, you linked to judgedredd.

I think it’s only a temporary, as Larva eluded to a three day hiatus

good thing i aint a mod huh? id be banning the wrong people and probley not even spell baned write

lol its late........

 

[Encore2097]

The complexities of noise measurements and the importance of noise as a fundamental health, productivity and lifestyle issue leads us to the question of noise emission declaration standards. That is to say, how PC and PC component noise should be measured, and how that noise information should be reported.

Except for hard drive makers, noise emission reporting practices in the industry are spotty and inconsistent.
Fan makers generally provide only 1-meter (no load) SPL measurements.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article121-page4.html

 

[JudgeDredd]

good thing i aint a mod huh? id be banning the wrong people and probley not even spell baned write


lol its late........

Yes, tis a good thing.

 

[Xylo]

People have made recommendations for other general plain black fans...

Anyone got any good recommendations for UV sensitive or LED fans?

 

[Bad ConNecTioN]

Well, I currently have one of these http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811999061

While I can't vouch for the dba rating, I can say the fan is quiet. Also, its cheap....real cheap depending on where you buy it. It moves a decent amount of air at twelve volts, but not much when under volted. Also, when screwing it to your case take care to use some rubber mounts because like any clear fan it will resonate...and if it does it will drive you nuts.

There are UV and LED versions of this fan available from several vendors, try Jab-Tech, svc, etc...

Overall I was satisfied...if not for anything but the price. Its a good value

 

[Deathknight]

Thing that most people fail to grasp when speaking in terms on dba ratings is the lack of any standardized way of testing that would allow this value to be compared in a meaningful fashion. What range is the dba rating measured at? Are we measuring a cpu fan with the case door closed? I could measure the dba rating of a fan in a vacum and get some fairly nice #s too

Other issue with fans is when you undervolt them. Its fairly common for fans to develop some annoying noises when fed less than 12v(the exact sound varies from fan to fan, as does exactly how distracting the noise is). Some fans may really put out a low dba value undervolted, but the ticking sound that develops while undervolted may be more distracting than the steady whirring noise it makes at 12v.

In the end fans are about as subjective as they come. Someone already posted a link to www.silentpcreview.com. This is a nice sitefor this type of information. There are countless posts debating the merrits of 1 fan vs another. Its a good starting place but if you care very strongly about having the best fan for yourself you will probably have to try a few of the more highly recommended ones and decide for yourself.