The Quiet Fan List

[Time4aMassiveOC]

gotta love trying to get reliable info eh guys? but oh well we must move forward.


a sum up of what ive learned in the last 3 posts i started

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=427979&page=1

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=399512

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=407634




-there is no enforced standardized testing, and nobody has done a Roundup comparison of populor fans.


-there is large difference between DBA and dB

-DBA is not linear, an increase of 3 dBA is barely noticable to the human ear while an increase of 10 dBA is perceived to be twice as loud.
(60dba is 2 times as loud as 50dba, not 1/5th louder)

-A 10 dB increase gives a 10X increase in sound power, not 2x. Roughly a 3dB increase is a doubling in sound power (W/m^3).



-here is a list of what are populorly known (meaning nobody knows which is better due to lack of testing) as the top contendors for good quality 120mm quiet fans


yate loon D12SL-12 28 DBAmodel

http://tekgems.com/Products/tg-et-13713-fan-d12sl-12.htm?frg

http://www.case-mod.com/store/120mm-case-fan-yate-loon-d12sl12-orange-quiet-fan-p-1709.html

http://www.jab-tech.com/product.php?productid=3009


nexus D12SL-12 22.7DBA model this is the most silent fan (at full speed molex ) according to the silent fan community

http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/nexus_120mm_bw.html?id=hWJSPJhi

http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/nexus120mm.html?id=hWJSPJhi


papst 4412 F/2GLLL 14DBA model

http://www.pcsilent.de/enpd_papst_f...t4412f2glll.asp?p1=gruppe&p2=quiet_fans_119mm


COOLER MASTER SAF-S12-E1 120X25MM 11.27CFM 13DBA

http://svc.com/saf-s12-e1-19.html



-i'd recommend silenx since its the quietest fan ive owned thusfar but i havnt owned any of the above fans, so i cant say its in the same class. but i can absolutly say the ones ive had are very quiet. though i heard silenx changed the fan they take and rebrand (upgrade slightly and slap on sticker) so. dunno if i got the new or old. but i only bought them like 6 months ago.


i have 5 papst fans on the way so we'll see how they measure up


if anyone else has some quiet fans they know a place to buy or a model number so i can look up the place to buy. please drop a link.

i didnt list the saiyo denki's 24dba model as i havnt found a link to where to buy one yet, though i will.

 

[azu]

Bleh feels a bit pricey.
Ive always though connecting 120mmz to a fan controller is more flexible as it gives you a choice of noise over CFM or vice versa. I don't hear much that way anyhow. and its convenient to turn everything up when youre gaming.
Still think its more cost effective two.
Thermaltake controller - 15
generic 120mm - 5-10

I guess its personal choice though.

 

[Time4aMassiveOC]

agree'd definatly personal choice, for me i want to be able to build computers that will always be the same noise level.

if told my mom that all she needed to do was turn up the fan speed whenever she was doing something intensive like playing her game. she would look at me and say yeah, right. just make it work im not going to deal with all that. its too complicated

 

[Ven0m]

Cooler Master fan is a joke - with 11CFM it can't do anything.
PAPST - they're usually good fans, but expensive. Sometimes you can buy faster ones and undervolt.
Nexus - really good.
Yate Loon - I haven't tried them but they have good opinion
GlacialTech 120mm - really good fans, but sometimes you can buy bad sample
Delta 3-blade low speed, 38mm thick - great airflow to noise ratio, good undervlting properties
Arctic Cooling fan 3 TC - awesome 80mm exhaust-only fan. No clicking noise, great airflow to noise ratio, moddable to higher RPM (cut off sensor, short wires). I run 3 of them around 1000RPM.
Noiseblocker - good fans, but sick price

I haven't tried new Arctic Cooling fans but some of them look promising ( http://www.arctic-cooling.com/fans1.php ).

My computer is folding 24/7 (so it's full load all the time), but I also have it in my room, where I sleep and I don't tolerate noise. I don't like changing fans speed depending on what you do - it's better to use Speedfan / RivaTuner for this purpose.
When building quiet computers, don't forget about PSU and HDDs.

 

[Vulcan]

-i'd recommend silenx since its the quietest fan ive owned thusfar but i havnt owned any of the above fans, so i cant say its in the same class. but i can absolutly say the ones ive had are very quiet. though i heard silenx changed the fan they take and rebrand (upgrade slightly and slap on sticker) so. dunno if i got the new or old. but i only bought them like 6 months ago.

Thats not terribly good advice for anyone thats looking for a quiet fan. Silen-X fans are generaly regarded as junk in the quiet computing community. Just because its the quietest you've used does nto mean it is anywhere near quiet.

If your looking for a quiet 120mm fan a low speed sleeve bearing yate loon is the way to go. (D12SL-12) Just so happens that they are very cheap as well. I've seen them for as little as 5.00 each.

 

[Time4aMassiveOC]

Thats not terribly good advice for anyone thats looking for a quiet fan. Silen-X fans are generaly regarded as junk in the quiet computing community. Just because its the quietest you've used does nto mean it is anywhere near quiet.

If your looking for a quiet 120mm fan a low speed sleeve bearing yate loon is the way to go. (D12SL-12) Just so happens that they are very cheap as well. I've seen them for as little as 5.00 each.

i dunno, i see it as sound advise, as its the only fan i can say is very incredibly quiet. what everyone thinks about the company doesnt change that.

i plan on getting the fans on my list. but the populon yate loon fan you listed is "rated" 28dba vs papst 14dba although like i said in my first post standardized testing isnt enforced so the ratings mean didly. but if they are to be belived. 28 dba is nearly 3 times louder than 14dba.

 

[Time4aMassiveOC]

Cooler Master fan is a joke - with 11CFM it can't do anything.
PAPST - they're usually good fans, but expensive. Sometimes you can buy faster ones and undervolt.
Nexus - really good.
Yate Loon - I haven't tried them but they have good opinion
GlacialTech 120mm - really good fans, but sometimes you can buy bad sample
Delta 3-blade low speed, 38mm thick - great airflow to noise ratio, good undervlting properties
Arctic Cooling fan 3 TC - awesome 80mm exhaust-only fan. No clicking noise, great airflow to noise ratio, moddable to higher RPM (cut off sensor, short wires). I run 3 of them around 1000RPM.
Noiseblocker - good fans, but sick price

I haven't tried new Arctic Cooling fans but some of them look promising ( http://www.arctic-cooling.com/fans1.php ).

My computer is folding 24/7 (so it's full load all the time), but I also have it in my room, where I sleep and I don't tolerate noise. I don't like changing fans speed depending on what you do - it's better to use Speedfan / RivaTuner for this purpose.
When building quiet computers, don't forget about PSU and HDDs.

thanks man!

 

[Voodoo Rufus]

Hey, what a *great* idea - repost a thread that a moderator locked! Next time you do this don't be surprised if you earn yourself (another) vacation.