Best silent fans for Kuhler 920?

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CompuG##K

Gawd
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Jul 9, 2008
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I just received my Kuhler 920 today and now I'm looking for some suitable, quiet fans to use on it. I knew the stock fans were loud and when I plugged just one of them in to test out the noise I pretty much said nope.

This Kuhler 920 is going to be going in a Sugo SG08 and will use push/pull. I would have loved to make use of the 180mm fan in the SG08 as a push fan, but I've found no sort of adapter that would let me connect a 120mm device to a 180mm one. I guess I'll have to use 120mm for both the top and bottom. Anybody have any recommendations for some decent quiet fans with good static air pressure?
 
I really like my Scythe Gentle Typhoons with a fan controller on my 920. Keeps my OC'd 2600K in decent temps (for the tight case I have) and are very quiet.
 
As stated, the GT's are some of the best fans on the market right now, and they shine even better when used on a rad/HS. Be sure you pick one that's in the RPM range you are comfortable with.
 
Get the Swiftech Helix 120mm fans. They are $9.99 and push just as much air as the GTs. They have no wind noise at all, and only a slight hum when compared to the GTs. And compared at nearly half the cost of the GTs, they are a no brainer.
 
Gentle Typhoons if you can afford them. The Helixes are good, but not quite as good as the GTs.
 
JLangevin said:
Get the Swiftech Helix 120mm fans. They are $9.99 and push just as much air as the GTs. They have no wind noise at all, and only a slight hum when compared to the GTs. And compared at nearly half the cost of the GTs, they are a no brainer.
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The only review I have seen of them (Martin's lab) gave them a very poor review, his sample has really poor motor noise and even if you discounted the motor noise the fans were rated as average at best. They did not come close to the GT's at all.

The Titan Kukri (same fan as the Helix):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9luI8887yM

GT AP-15:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3r9ivkIw0Q

Notice that at max speed both fans are pushing out almost the same CFM, however, look at the noise levels of both at those speeds, the GT is at 41.7dbA, while the Titan fan is pushing 60dbA! That's 18.3dbA louder, keep in mind that for every 10dbA you have a doubling of perceived sound level, so the Titan at almost the same CFM is almost 3 times as loud. That is not something to scoff at either. Then you have to look at the build of each, the Titan uses a low life sleeve bearing while the GT uses BB, 30k MTBF vs 100k MTBF. Also, the AP-15 can be had for 15 bucks, only 5 more than the Titan, not double the price.
 
Im going simply off my own ownership of the fans not to mention I posted my own videos of the fans...

And no, the Titan motor noise is not the same as the Helix.

Again, I own 10 of these Helix's
 
JLangevin said:
Im going simply off my own ownership of the fans not to mention I posted my own videos of the fans...

And no, the Titan motor noise is not the same as the Helix.

Again, I own 10 of these Helix's
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Giving a personal view of a fan and a video with no baseline to compare it to means little, sorry. Martin gives actual proof and readings of fans in a static environment. Also, I never said motor noise was the same, I stated the sample he had, had a very rough motor noise and even when he discounted that noise out of hand he still said the fans at best were average, and if you consider the motor noise he said they were poor.

How many you own does not affect the factual data set that we have, even without the bad motor noise (which clears out at full speed on Martin's test) it is still almost 3 times as loud as the AP-15 at almost the same CFM levels.

Even in your own video you can hear awful motor noise, so I do not know why you are still trying to make the claim that this fan is anywhere close to the GT line. Even though you claim that clicking noise is not there in person, I really doubt this, and if it's not there then how can we take the videos audio at face value for all the other fans?

So your own video shows on your phone it produces the most noise out of all the fans you showed it next to, and it has a bad motor noise, yet we are to just dismiss all of that and the actual tests done by Martin because you say so? Ummm, no thanks.
 
When did I say that you were to dismiss the Martins video? I dont believe I said that anywhere, so dont put words in to my post, nor make any assumptions. Makes you look bad.

Secondly, the discussion regarding the Titan vs the Helix is that they are the same blade, but not the same motor, so comparing the Titan to the Helix is just stupid.

We are ALL waiting for Martin to have the time to compare the actual Helix to the GT, but until then, all you have is a Titan (and one at much higher RPM) compared to a GT. Not a helix.

BlueFireIce said:
Giving a personal view of a fan and a video with no baseline to compare it to means little, sorry. Martin gives actual proof and readings of fans in a static environment. Also, I never said motor noise was the same, I stated the sample he had, had a very rough motor noise and even when he discounted that noise out of hand he still said the fans at best were average, and if you consider the motor noise he said they were poor.

How many you own does not affect the factual data set that we have, even without the bad motor noise (which clears out at full speed on Martin's test) it is still almost 3 times as loud as the AP-15 at almost the same CFM levels.

Even in your own video you can hear awful motor noise, so I do not know why you are still trying to make the claim that this fan is anywhere close to the GT line. Even though you claim that clicking noise is not there in person, I really doubt this, and if it's not there then how can we take the videos audio at face value for all the other fans?

So your own video shows on your phone it produces the most noise out of all the fans you showed it next to, and it has a bad motor noise, yet we are to just dismiss all of that and the actual tests done by Martin because you say so? Ummm, no thanks.
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JLangevin said:
When did I say that you were to dismiss the Martins video? I dont believe I said that anywhere, so dont put words in to my post, nor make any assumptions. Makes you look bad.

Secondly, the discussion regarding the Titan vs the Helix is that they are the same blade, but not the same motor, so comparing the Titan to the Helix is just stupid.

We are ALL waiting for Martin to have the time to compare the actual Helix to the GT, but until then, all you have is a Titan (and one at much higher RPM) compared to a GT. Not a helix.
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Your post goes on after the videos and review I posted of actual proof about this fans performance but you come back making statements about your own video and feelings on the fan, that is not putting words anywhere.

I am guessing you have proof that these are not the same fans? Because they are made by the same MFG and relabeled and resold by both. You also claim they do not have the same motor noise and yet in Martin's video and your own they both have a bad motor tick/fluttering, though you claim in your video that its "not really there", even though we now have two audio samples that show other wise. And again, even if you take out the motor noise (which Martin did) he said they are at best average.
 
Audio sampling picks up all sorts of noises that our ears either ignore, or simply dont register all of the time. There is no other way to describe it. With 6 of these in my Switch 810, and adjusting the speed with Speedfan all the way from 0-100, that clicking noise cannot be heard by my ears. All that can be heard is a soft hum, and most of that noise is coming from the high FPI radiator.

A fan that pushes as much air as the GTs, and is MUCH quieter than many of the other fans on the market, for $10 is certainly an excellent deal. If the OP wants to pay $15.99-$17.99 for a fan that is a little less noisy at 12v (when he is going to slow them down anyway) then of course its his choice to pay 50% more.

When these fans are regulated and controlled, they are amazingly quiet at 7v-10v - Thats the bottom line. If you dont like it, or want to hate on the fans, I certainly wont stop you, however they perform extremely well on high FPI radiators, and ill take the 50% savings all the way to the bank.
 
JLangevin said:
Audio sampling picks up all sorts of noises that our ears either ignore, or simply dont register all of the time. There is no other way to describe it. With 6 of these in my Switch 810, and adjusting the speed with Speedfan all the way from 0-100, that clicking noise cannot be heard by my ears. All that can be heard is a soft hum, and most of that noise is coming from the high FPI radiator.

A fan that pushes as much air as the GTs, and is MUCH quieter than many of the other fans on the market, for $10 is certainly an excellent deal. If the OP wants to pay $15.99-$17.99 for a fan that is a little less noisy at 12v (when he is going to slow them down anyway) then of course its his choice to pay 50% more.

When these fans are regulated and controlled, they are amazingly quiet at 7v-10v - Thats the bottom line. If you dont like it, or want to hate on the fans, I certainly wont stop you, however they perform extremely well on high FPI radiators, and ill take the 50% savings all the way to the bank.
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Just because you can not hear it does not mean its not there, your ears might not be able to pick up up while others can, or your environment might be to loud to be able to hear it, but it is clear and stated by Martin, that it has motor noise.

And "a little less noisy"? 3 times as loud is not a little less, maybe to the other fans you had in the video, but not to the GT, so 5 bucks more for a fan that's almost 3 times as quiet? Without a doubt worth it. Also, as I have pointed this fan out before in other posts like this, but the AC F12 is a better choice than this fan as well, not only is it PWM also, but it uses a FDB bearing for longer life, has one of the smoothest motor/bearing ratings Martin has given and is cheaper than the Titan/Helix, I can see no reason to suggest either of those fans, if you want to discount the GT because its 5 bucks more a fan, that's fine, however the OP did not ask for cheap, he asked for good quiet fans and even then, the AC F12 would be the better choice as it performs better, has a better bearing and is cheaper than the Titan/Helix if you are looking for budget fans.
 
I own a slew of GTs (including an AP-28 or two), but Blue, you are making a pretty wild assumption that the OP is going to run these fans at the absolute highest speed to justify you "three times louder" critique of the cheaper fans.

Not to say the GTs aren't better, but I suspect there is a judgment to be made on value somewhere in there....rarely are such decisions black and white.
 
Check this guy's testing out.

Noise is the same, but the amount of air pushed by the GT is higher. Sure, it's not completely scientific, but gives a good baseline comparison.
 
Paradoxex said:
I own a slew of GTs (including an AP-28 or two), but Blue, you are making a pretty wild assumption that the OP is going to run these fans at the absolute highest speed to justify you "three times louder" critique of the cheaper fans.

Not to say the GTs aren't better, but I suspect there is a judgment to be made on value somewhere in there....rarely are such decisions black and white.
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I made no assumptions about anything, the max speed of the fans is what they are meant to be run at and I used that to be more fair to the other fan as at lower speeds it had massive motor ticking/fluttering. There is no justifying needed, the data is there, you can watch the videos or look at the charts on his website, pick any RPM range you want with those two fans, it's the same.

And again, when value comes into question, the AC F12 is a better choice, better sound, smooth motor, better performance, better bearing and cheaper than the Titan, which brings me back to my point, there is no reason to buy them over better (and in cases also cheaper) fans on the market.

Tsumi said:
Check this guy's testing out.

Noise is the same, but the amount of air pushed by the GT is higher. Sure, it's not completely scientific, but gives a good baseline comparison.
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It's very lacking in the measurement of CFM, but it does give an idea, which can be seen how much farther ahead the GT is and reflects Martins review that the GT has a pretty big gap over that fan.
 
Seems like the general consensus is that the GT is more than likely the fan to get, but how does the Cougar Vortex CF-V12HP compare to it? I've read some pretty good reviews that seem to say that it pushes even more air than the GT with no gain in noise. Any opinions/facts/statements in that regard?
 
One thing that everyone in the watercooling can agree on (even BlueFireIce) is that....

1. The GTs are not about moving the most air, and they are NOT the highest CFM fans out there.

2. What radiators need, especially high FPI rads, is high static pressure in a fan. CFM does no good if the design of the fan cant maintain that airflow through resistance.

What makes the GTs so good is that they are able to maintain high pressure and very respectable flow through radiators.

Edit: Also, if you are looking to spend that much on fans, just get the GTs, unless you are stuck HAVING to get PWM, but I dont believe that would be your case with how many fans you will need.
 
No mention here of the Noctua NF-F12? I'm planning to use one on an H80, based purely on glowing reviews. Has anyone compared the fans suggested above to the F12? Yes it costs more, but fans are just about the cheapest components in a computer build and are responsible for most of the noise.
 
CompuG##K said:
Seems like the general consensus is that the GT is more than likely the fan to get, but how does the Cougar Vortex CF-V12HP compare to it? I've read some pretty good reviews that seem to say that it pushes even more air than the GT with no gain in noise. Any opinions/facts/statements in that regard?
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Rated CFM from the MFG means little, also, outright CFM also means little when it comes to HS/Rad fans, it's like the SS fans, they move massive amount of air but stick them on a rad and they choke. There are also few "good" reviews on the Cougar fans.

Blue Angel said:
No mention here of the Noctua NF-F12? I'm planning to use one on an H80, based purely on glowing reviews. Has anyone compared the fans suggested above to the F12? Yes it costs more, but fans are just about the cheapest components in a computer build and are responsible for most of the noise.
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Because they cost more than the GT fans and do not perform as well.

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I REALLY REALLY wish that the GTs came in more colors than Grey/Black. I think its what makes some people decide to go with other fans. Some people, including myself, have a color scheme they sell to customers and the GTs just ruin it. My setup is all white/black with a little red tossed in there and the GTs just murder the flow.

For a company that makes what is widely considered the best fan in the world, I would think they could come up with some color options.
 
JLangevin said:
I REALLY REALLY wish that the GTs came in more colors than Grey/Black. I think its what makes some people decide to go with other fans. Some people, including myself, have a color scheme they sell to customers and the GTs just ruin it. My setup is all white/black with a little red tossed in there and the GTs just murder the flow.

For a company that makes what is widely considered the best fan in the world, I would think they could come up with some color options.
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If the person wants looks over performance, then more power to them, people are like that with cars, guns or anything really. Also, Scythe does not make them, nidec/servo does, who is a large OEM, most resalers have fans made for them or relabel someones fan. Scythe in the GT case does not really have that option, if you notice scythe is more of a source for the servo fans than anything else, look at the GT fan and its label, scythe is nowhere to be seen like every other fan they and other places have, it says nidec/servo on the label rather than their own brand name. However, if someone wants both, you charge them more for painting them. ;)
 
Do you know how easy/hard it is to remove the fan blades from the GTs? I see what almost looks like a nut fastening them to the motor shaft.
 
I have never tried to remove the blades from the GT's, or any fan I have painted. Granted I understand where you are coming from, however I am very use to painting and have access to a full HVLP system with air brushes and the like as well. Even without though, given time, painting with the blades in place is well more than doable, even with rattle cans, I have seen many people do this before. If you are building systems for people who want it, paint a few and see how hard it will be (and how long it takes) and charge them for the time.
 
I actually just found a guide from someone who painted up their GTs... they showed in detail how the blades are retained. I dont have access to an airbrush, and would much prefer to remove the blades.

Turns out they are held on by a simple snap ring. This also allows access to the ball bearings and such should they ever need to be oiled (which I doubt) Seems pretty straight forward.

Ive not had any customers ask for custom painted fans, but I now have the option for the GTs.
 
JLangevin said:
I REALLY REALLY wish that the GTs came in more colors than Grey/Black. I think its what makes some people decide to go with other fans. Some people, including myself, have a color scheme they sell to customers and the GTs just ruin it. My setup is all white/black with a little red tossed in there and the GTs just murder the flow.

For a company that makes what is widely considered the best fan in the world, I would think they could come up with some color options.
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I think the biggest driving force to other fans is the cost ($15 vs $5-10) compared to other fans, and the lack of availability.
 
Tsumi said:
I think the biggest driving force to other fans is the cost ($15 vs $5-10) compared to other fans, and the lack of availability.
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I also think allot of people buying fans do not really understand or care, many see flashy LED's and that's as far as it gets, I had this all the time, people replacing stock fans in computers with LED ones and then asking me why its so loud....Uhhh, maybe the crappy 3,500rpm LED fans you put in there?

I think availability does play a role also, however more and more people are trying to carry them, also being OOS at most places does not help, but I think that also shows they are not hurting on trying to move units.
 
I would go with the Gentle Typhoons or the only competitor that I've found to date in my subjective opinion - the Cougar Vortex PWM CF-V12HP. I have a pair of them to place on my H100 when I install it. They're not horribly expensive either and seem to have great airflow, static pressure, and noise levels.
 
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