140mm case fans: Noctua NF-A14 vs Phanteks PH-F140SP vs Fractal Design HF-14?

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Limp Gawd
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Noctua NF-A14 PWM 115.5 - 140.2 m3/h | 19.2 - 24.6 dBA

Phanteks PH-F140SP 82.1 CFM | 19 dBA

Fractal Design Venturi HF-14 118.2 CFM | 26.5 dBA

I plan on getting a Corsair Air 540, and need to get some fans to go with it. Either two fans to supplement the Corsair AF140's that come with it, or if I really decide it's worth it, three additional ones to replace those as well.

Trying to find something that (hopefully) balances budget but pushes a lot of air (still, none of the ones I'm looking at are particularly all that cheap). It doesn't have to be super obsessed with being quiet, but nothing super loud. I was thinking at least under 30 dB, maybe even 25. I've never been too bothered by a bit of noise as long as it's nothing out of the ordinary like squeaking, coil whine, etc.

The Phanteks and Fractal Design peaked my interest because of their manufacturer's (supposed) ratings, and Noctua because of their reputation. Is there anything else I should be looking at? Anything else besides the Venturi in the $15 and under range if I decide to go with 5 fans? Some of these manufacturers have so many models of 140mm fans that it's difficult to look at and compare them all.

Thanks!
 
Usually top tier fans are pretty close in terms of noise/cfm at the same rpm. I'm using 120mm ek vardar fans and am very happy with them - if the 140mm version is the same, they may be worth a look. I'm also using 140mm bitfenix spectre pro fans on a radiator - they seem to be doing a good job as well. Basically, get something from a reputable manufacturer and, if it's important to you, what looks good. Fan tech these days is pretty much as good as it gets, usually paying 2x the price for 10% better performance is not worth it (like the corsair ML fans...). Try looking up fan roundups for 120mm versions - it may be representative of what you might get, comparatively, from 140mm.
 
I'm also looking for 140mm fans. The ones that came with my Corsair 750D and my Corsair H110i are slowly dying.

I was looking at the "nicer" ones from Corsair (the fans with the colored rings) or the new "ML" fans.
 
I've always been Noctua fan "fan" for a long time now.

They are durable and quiet, but they usually cost a little more.

You can always spend a few more bucks for the black "higher" level ones I guess if you are worried about looks.

I have many of the tan ones around in builds myself in different versions depending on what they are doing.
 
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I have been using two of the Noctua fans for about 4 months and they are really top quality. I thought the Corsair fans that came with my 760T were quiet, but there is no comparison once you do not hear the Noctua ones.
 
I like the Noctuas. Got a couple 140mm case fans, and I just picked up a couple 120mm ones to replace the rad fans on my H100i.
 
I'm not concerned with looks as of right now. I will be when I plan my next build. Is there a "static pressure" Noctua? I need two for my radiator.
 
Noctua has a lot of mindshare, as evidenced by the responses in this thread. It's well earned, but they're not the only game in town.

The Phanteks fans are just as good, IMO, and usually a couple of dollars cheaper. Like most Phanteks items, they fly under the radar but are among the best in their class. If you can get them cheaper than the Noctua fans, they are a no brainer.
 
Noctua support is a thing though, I've used it on their heatsinks multiple times (not for failures either) and they came through in spades.
 
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