Fan Selection

M

mrmylanman

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jul 13, 2008
Messages
1,484
Hey all, I'm thinking about building a new computer, using the Mini P180. I was going to go a lot smaller, but I want to go for overclocking.

It'll be a P55 (or X58 not sure) i7, and I'll be using an H50 (or perhaps the CoolIt system that just came out). I'll also be ultimately using Crossfire or SLI. I'll need a total of 3 120mm fans I'm thinking, and I was looking for some input from you folks on what a good quality fan is that costs less than the Noctua fans, which I used in the past but I'm looking for a cheaper solution.

I was sorta looking at the higher speed Gentle Typhoons, but I don't know if there's a better option out there than that or not.

Thanks for the input!
 
Last edited:
For my last few builds I got 5 Euro Arctic-Cooling F12 PWM fans (120 mm). They're pretty quiet so far and look good too :) I never got into that flesh-coloured fan thing :p
 
Yeah the Noctuas aren't the best looking fans. I'll look into those, thanks
 
I'd like to know that as well, I heard good things about them, but little in the way of official reviews, and I don't think newegg has them, so I can't check out their customer reviews either.
 
I can hear my three 1450rpm GT's and one 1850rpm GT if I try hard to distinguish their noise from that of the rushing air they output. It's hard though.
 
Are there any good red fans by chance? I'm not SUPER OCD about matching colors and all, but I would at least like to make the effort.
Click to expand...

Supposedly Enermax Magmas are great fans, but I haven't heard as much as I'd like to on them before making a verdict.
 
If noise is not a concern the Scythe fans are good and almost as quiet as the Noctua. But I have migrated most of my systems to the Noctua, they (Noctua) are among the best when noise to performance is considered.
 
dunsantos said:
+1 for Scythe. Yate Loon is my 2nd choice.
Click to expand...

+1 for both Scythe and Yate Loon. Also Nexus (which is identical to Yate Loon) is good, and has a more subdued color scheme.

It seems like you're looking for quiet fans that are good performers, like the Gentle Typhoons and the Noctuas.

Take a look at these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...m_re=scythe_slipstream-_-35-185-058-_-Product

The SlipStream series performs well at a low noise level. You may want to choose a model with more airflow, though.

or these:
http://www.amazon.com/Nexus-120mm-Real-Silent-D12SL-12/dp/B000CHU9T8/ref=pd_cp_e_0

Both have gotten favorable reviews in the past.

I would avoid Zalman fans, though. They tend to produce unnecessary noise, as far as my experience is concerned. But I may be in error due to my small selection of fans by them.

And if you want red fins, you may want to look into just spraypainting whatever fans you end up getting.
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Nexus are yates but a higher class<<<cant find the actual words I'm looking for. I guess kind of like a 920 vs Xeon, Xeons are the same, but usually binned higher

I think the Nexus fans are supposed to be about the quietest fan with great performance

I have heard nothing but good things about GT's and Noctuas as well
 
Elledan said:
For my last few builds I got 5 Euro Arctic-Cooling F12 PWM fans (120 mm). They're pretty quiet so far and look good too :) I never got into that flesh-coloured fan thing :p
Click to expand...

^ I also vote Arctic Cooling F series PWM fans. I just did a new build and am running these. I did a lot of research on fans and silent computing before doing this build. Nexus seems to hold the crown for silence but expensive if you need a lot. The others mentioned in this thread are also very good.

I decided on these Arctic cooling fans because they were the least inexpensive fans that I could find that were built with Fluid Dynamic Bearing technology & PWM combined. When you hold the fan in your hand as it spins the motion is absolutely inaudible. What you do hear though when put in your case is wind turbulence from the air speed created and that's a given with any fan. This is best combated either ducting and damping your case, or running it as loose as possible all things open.

I LOVE the PWM, you can link up to 5 fans together on 1 fan header and have your computer control the speeds exactly how you want. I have speedfan software calculated to run my fans from 20%-50% in my case which is inaudible as it sits 2.5 feet away from me. You can select a desired core temp for you cpu's and the fans adjust accordingly, and then if it hits a specified unsafe zone the fans rocket to 100% etc. It's awesome man and everything is auto in the background.

If you want F12's the cheapest place to get them is ebay at 9 bucks each with free shipping. They get shipped from ewiz.com. I got them in 2 days flat. Great deal for sure. :D

Other good stores to shop for your pc cooling needs, etc.

http://www.svc.com/
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php
http://www.frozencpu.com/
http://www.xoxide.com/

The first two have better prices for the same products.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top