Is there a "best" case fan out there?

JWD1989

Weaksauce
Joined
Jul 24, 2010
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Simple question, what is the "best" case fan out there? Basically just maximize the airflow without sounding like a jet engine. I will need about 6 120mm fans to go in a case.

Thanks in advance
 
I personally like Noiseblocker Multiframe or Black Silent Pro fans and have them throughout my 700d.
 
There is no consensus best. For case fans I like Scythe Slipstreams or S-Flex. They both move a lot of air for the noise level and in my experience have good quality.
 
There is no consensus best. For case fans I like Scythe Slipstreams or S-Flex. They both move a lot of air for the noise level and in my experience have good quality.

haha thats why i put best in quotes. I just wanted to get some opinions on what all is out there. Thanks for the input!
 
I want to know what the best static pressure fans would be... For like liquid cooling on a rad? any opinions on them? Thanks
 
I want to know what the best static pressure fans would be... For like liquid cooling on a rad? any opinions on them? Thanks

Scythe GentleTyphoons if you want a fan that is the standard 25mm thick. FrozenCPU just got a bunch of the 1850rpm models(the best cooling/noise fan in my opinion) in, but they tend to sell out fast.
 
Thanks, im looking for some blue ones now but i will look into those
Is it like the black fans tend to be better then colored fans? I dont think iv really seen a amazing led fan...
I wonder about yate loons they have some blue fans...
 
Color has nothing to do with cooling... I always choose performance 1st, looks last when it comes to fans. Scythe Gentle Typhoons 1850's absolutely rock. Superior build quality and performance - that's why they sell out so quick everywhere.
 
LED fans do imo tend to be of lower quality. For a radiator or HSF I would highly recommend the Scythe GTs. I used to run 4 on a Feser 480mm rad and they worked beautifully. I now use 1 on the front of my Sugo SG-05 and one on my Samuel 17 cooler. With just those two fans my X3440 stays under 70c (running linx) with a slight OC on it.
 
best noise to cfm: Gentle Typhoons
Best CFM? Delta/San Ace
Best value: Yate Loon.
 
I want to know what the best static pressure fans would be... For like liquid cooling on a rad? any opinions on them? Thanks

Not the Gentle Typhoon. You want Deltas/NMB MAT/San Ace 9G or 109R for best static pressure. If you're looking for lower noise the San Ace fans undervolt very nicely. If you want silence then the Gentle Typhoon is the fan for you. If you're limited to 25mm thick fans the San Ace 9S fans overall have better static pressure.
 
Not the Gentle Typhoon. You want Deltas/NMB MAT/San Ace 9G or 109R for best static pressure. If you're looking for lower noise the San Ace fans undervolt very nicely. If you want silence then the Gentle Typhoon is the fan for you. If you're limited to 25mm thick fans the San Ace 9S fans overall have better static pressure.

Gentle Typhoons are not silent. They are, however, much quieter than San Ace fans ..
 
I would avoid Noctuas and Noiseblockers, not that they are bad, probably among the best fans out there, just imo overpriced, i would stick with Scythe.

Sycthe Slipstreams have a good record regarding quiet setups, probably among the favorites in SPCR. Gentle Typhoons are probably one of the best fans atm, just not as quiet as Slipstreams, their sound signature its not for everyone, to me they are the best, but not the quietest of them all, i would say good balance between performance and noise. Sflex are also good option, but i would pick either GT or SS before Sflex.

I have couple of fans on route, I went with Kama Flex out of wanting to try their PWM fan and also their 140mm also seems very similar to Slipstreams. Will see, but with Sycthe you cant go wrong.
 
Did a big long post in another thread.

For case fans, the best compromise of CFM vs. noiseflow is one of two very similar fans.

Scythe S-Flex ($15-20 before shipping) come in several speed steppings indicated by letters. E, F, and G are the most common case fan choices. I use Fs, which move a goodly bit of air for the noise they make. Downside: currently in short supply.

Thermalright TR-FDB fans are also in several speed steppings, indicated by -XXXX at the end of the model number. Nearly the exact same CFM and noise at any given RPM as S-Flex fans (differences within margin of error, though seeming to give the tiniest nod to the Scythe fans). A bit cheaper, a bit more readily available, so probably the better buy.

That's all 120mm.

For 140mm, the best compromise of airflow, noise, and cost is almost certainly the Thermalright TY-140 (which can actually mount in 120mm mounts, btw).

Above that, I don't really know, because I don't need any 200mm fans or anything.
 
Don't read any reviews first andbhibget delta afb1212ghe turn it at full speed. Best case fan you can buy.

Don't complain when you are deaf though! Moves well over 240cfm+++
 
We need more love for the SFlex ... because of the SONY Fluid Dynamic Bearing that is used is rated over 150,000 MTBF ... meaning it has a greater life expectancy than a traditional Sleeved bearings....

Observe:

Sleeved bearings are the cheapest to make, with an expectancy of 30,000hours. As it ages, it gets noisier and noisier.

Ball bearings are pretty common. They are good quality and should be expected to last for 50,000hours. 90% of case fans these days are built with ball bearings.

Sony Fluid Dynamic Bearing is rated at 150,000 hours. 3 times the standard lifespan of a ball bearing fan.

So as you can see fan design, color are questionable when considering fans. I think it comes down to number of blades, blade design and bearing type. Of course some people look for certain CFM or Dba levels to make a fan purchase. I go every way.

In the 90s I had nothing but cheapo Led fans with colored plastic. In the late 90s I got cheap and just got apevias or rosewills, cheap chinese junk that worked. In the 2000s I started looking at high performance fans. Now it's about performance everything, including cooling fans.

I noticed many htpc guys use lower rpm fans and more of them. This seems to control a noise factor. In the 90s, everyone was buying deltas. It was like every gaming computer was a leaf blower.....

Like this.... its a $30 dollar Delta that moves at 4000 RPM... at 150 CFM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835213006

Buy one of those and the problem is solved. Just use headphones. ;)
 
Ball bearings are pretty common. They are good quality and should be expected to last for 50,000hours. 90% of case fans these days are built with ball bearings.
I though that sleeve bearing were the common ones, and ball bearings were more rare like GT.

We need more love for the SFlex ... because of the SONY Fluid Dynamic Bearing that is used is rated over 150,000 MTBF ... meaning it has a greater life expectancy than a traditional Sleeved bearings....
While i dont doubtthe Sony bearings are better, i think its still a fancy named sleeve bearing, probably much better in design.

I have tried a lot of fans, and best that i heard/seen/use are GT, not the most silent or the more CFMs, but good balance, even at spin off takes almost double the time compared to noctuas, noiseblockers, not saying it matters that much, but the fans are well balanced and the bearings work well.

Dont get me wrong, i do like SFLEX, i have 3 still, even have some of the new Kama Flex (MTBF120,000 hours) on the way to test, but from my past experiences GT i feel those are the best fans atm.
 
Scythe GentleTyphoons if you want a fan that is the standard 25mm thick. FrozenCPU just got a bunch of the 1850rpm models(the best cooling/noise fan in my opinion) in, but they tend to sell out fast.

Thank you my friend. Some Scythe Slipstreams with Sleeze bearings that I bought at most 6 months ago just kicked out. I was wondering why my HTPC was running hot as balls and found out that BOTH the intake and outtake fans.

I was able to shoot some lube into the lube-hole in the front under the sticker and revive one, but it needs to be replaced!
 
If you're buying Scythe, you should be buying Kama or GT (now that S-Flex is discontinued).

Or you can go for Thermalright TR-FDBs. They're basically the same as S-Flexes (and use the same fluid bearing).

@Abula: You are correct, Sony FDBs are basically higher quality sleeve bearings. They do have fairly long service life and low noise, and wear out less quickly than ordinary cheap sleeve bearings. Tend to be quieter than ball bearing fans and build quality means they're not a huge downgrade like cheap sleeve bearing fans are.
 
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