got a panaflo, computer is no quieter..

[scottatwittenberg]

ok.. i got a fan:
80mm Panaflo FBK-08A12M 30cfm 29db
it was at a surplus store.. but i don't think it was used.. becasue the used ones were dirtier.. anyways.. i choose it over one of the many comair rotron 80mm.. they had papst fans, but they were 92mm and 60mm.. no 80s.. so maybe my solution will be to get a comair because they seem to be pretty good from what i read..

but my computer isn't quieter.. if i slow my fan, i can hear the motor kinda growling.. i don't like it.. if i max it out, it sounds about what my sunon did at about 2200 rpm.. i have no idea wht the rpm is on mine at any given time becasue the 3rd wire isn't there.. maybe i will solder one on... and i cna't find the rpm online.. my guess is it is 2200rpm since it is 30cfm... but seriously.. how loud is 29db? i thought it was supposed to be close to inaudible.. maybe i got a bad fan.. but i don't know.. my computer seems to be atypical of everyone elses. first i took off the rear grill and it got louder.. then i took off the 3 1/2 inch floppy bay cover, and it got louder again. but i have to leave that out for the sake of my hdd temps. putting the "top" on my case makes it louder.. i am about to dynamat the son a bitch..

has anyone else had problems with their shuttle just not getting quieter? i have the "silenX psu" but i stopped the one fan and the NB fan.. and it didn't make the comptuer "quieter" it just kinda changed the pitch.. i am thinking that i just have too much heat generating stuff in there.. it used to be quiet.. then i added a vid card, 2nd hdd, wireles nic, and 2nd stick of memory..

so yeah.. that's my story.. i don't even know if i am asking any questions in specific.. except maybe.. what should i try next? my computer is too loud..

edit... i did a little reaading on the comair rotron site.. and they say that a ball bearing fan is louder than a sleeve bearing... why is it then, that i always read people suggesting BB fans over sleeve on sites like this? basically the sleeve bearing fan can wear out sooner, and when the oil is gone it will peform very poorly, however a bb fan will last longer but be louder due to the metal on metal contact...

just something to think about.. maybe that is why i hear a "growling sound" now from the papst that i didnt' hear from that sleeve bearing sunon..

one more thing, then i am done..

20–30 dB for a quiet library or whisper.
40 dB for the average home.
60 dB for a normal conversation.
90 dB for a commercial truck or a train.
120+ dB for a jet airplane or rocket taking off.

so.. when i can hear my computer in an otherwise quiet room while trying to sleep, am i being unreasonable? i mean.. is a 20db computer too loud? 0 is the threshold of hearing.. i should research how much sound depletes at certain distances from the source.. or something

 

[N_Raged]

I don't care how quiet people say panaflo's are, the bearing noise drives me nuts too. But in your situation, you might as well get a high CFM sleeve bearing fan and undervolt it, this will make it even quieter and last longer.

 

[codeflux]

M = medium speed. 29dba is not that quiet.

as much as i love panaflos, get CoolerMaster fan with rifle bearings. they are *very* silent.

 

[tommo]

My case fans gets louder and louder the more I listen to them.

It's the same as when you watch the television at low volume, and you can hear it better after a while.

Isn't that 29db at "average speed"? I read that on a website, and I don't know what that means.

 

[mutthead21]

what sort of temps are you looking at Scott?

 

[scottatwittenberg]

well.. i turned my fan down quite a bit.. i have no idea of the voltage or rpm.. but my cpu, hdd, and psu temps all went up above 50.. i was sitting there and saw my cpu temp change from 61 to 62 in my taskbar.. and then clicked speedfan and everythign had little flames next to them.. so i cranked it up full blast and got the temps down to about 42..

so. yeah.. it was still too loud at the slowest speed.. haha.. maybe i am being picky.. i need to put the comptuer closer to the ground and let the carpet absorb the sound or something..

the thing that really makes me mad though, is i had a dell at work.. and guess what? when i turned off the other computers in the room, i couldn't heard the dell running..

i guess my next computer will have a zalman 7000 and a few 120mm fans at minimum speed...

maybe before that, i can at least get a 92mm inside my case somehow...


oh, what is the difference between a high cfm fan that is undervolted and a lower cfm fan at stock? since i don't know the rpm of my fan at stock i will use the 3 different panflos on frozen cpu as an example..

L1A = 24cfm, 1900rpm, 21db
M1A = 32.1cfm, 2450rpm, 28db
H1A = 39.6cfm, 2950rpm, 32db

ok.. now.. if i get an H1A and undervolt it, what will that do? make it run at say 1900rpm.. therefore both the cfm and db will decrease.. and you will have an H1A that is running @1900rpm, 24cfm and 21db.. or pretty close to that.. they are probably the same fans, but the motors are wired so they go different speeds when at 12v.. so the only advantage i see is that it can run faster if you need it to..

i will go a little more scientfic while i am at it..
cfm/db for each fan
L1A = 24/21 = 1.14
M1A = 32.1/28 = 1.14
H1A = 39.6/32 = 1.23

ok.. so if the sound to cfm ratio is teh same.. then at 24cfm, the H1A should be at.. 19.51db.. so hmm.. yeah.. that's about it.. they are the same fan, at least I think so

instead of asking over and over what fans are quiet, i will get one of those comair rotrons.. why? only becase they cost $30 new.. that's why.. i will get one for $8.. and see if it is better than this panaflo.. then if that fails i will get a vantec stealth, zalman, or that coolermaster rifle...

this is after i sound deaden my case....

 

[Avatar666]

Just remember that decibel is a logarithmic scale. Every 12pts the noise we perceive 'doubles'.