Request for 180mm fan

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ikonomov
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2014 9:46 am

Request for 180mm fan

Post by ikonomov » Sat Jun 11, 2016 9:29 pm

Hello awesome people of spcr. I've been reading reviews on this site for the last 12+ years or so and we all know the role this site has played in nudging the industry in the right direction. Yes, manufacturers cannot afford to ignore forums and product reviews anymore, because time and again the voice of the community has proven useful and definitely not something to ignore. I'm including a copy of an email I just sent to Noctua that explains everything I'd like to say, and if any of you have a an item on your wishlist that includes a high quality 180mm fan please let us know.

{
Dear Noctua,
I've been checking your website for the last couple of years with the hope of seeing a 180mm fan. Silverstone has been making cases for a long time that can use 180mm fans and currently on the market the only 180mm fans available are their own sleeve and DBB as well as Phobya's Nanoflux. There are couple of lines of cases in Silverstone's collection including their Fortress Series cases that are very highly regarded for their cooling capability and design that can take 180mm fans. I think it would be great if the people that bought those cases have the ability to pair them with one of the best fans in the industry. It seems that there is a well established market for 180mm fans that is here to stay and unlikely to disappear any time soon. My question is is there a reason why you have 9 models of 140mm fans and not one 180mm SSO2 fan in your product line, and if there isn't, wouldn't it be a great idea if you can design at least one.
}

edh
Posts: 1621
Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2008 1:49 pm
Location: UK

Re: Request for 180mm fan

Post by edh » Sun Jun 12, 2016 1:40 am

They have recently been showing off a 200mm fan. I've no doubt they will have mulled over other sizes but we have to accept that they will only do what there is a business case for. You can't assume that because you and a number of others want a product that it is viable for them to launch one.

lodestar
Posts: 1683
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2005 3:29 am
Location: UK

Re: Request for 180mm fan

Post by lodestar » Sun Jun 12, 2016 4:45 am

Also if you decide to replace the 180mm fans there are other options apart from another make of fan in the same size. For the Fortress FT05 the alternative options are 2 x 140mm or 3 x 120mm fans, and for the FT04 3 x 120mm. Going this route would give a very wide range of potential choices, including Noctua.

Abula
Posts: 3662
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:22 pm
Location: Guatemala

Re: Request for 180mm fan

Post by Abula » Sun Jun 12, 2016 7:20 am

180mm is not a uncommon size, but its not standard either, the only one that really has done it is Silverstone and to some point Phobya. I think most manufacturers look at 180mm to be a size that it will never be a real standard, thus they dont invest on it, and they are probably right, for example i would prefer a FT05 with 200mm fans, i feel the case needs room both in the front and back, thus allowing slightly bigger fans, but still to me the 180mm silverstone fans are fine, specially the AP182 that you can drop them close to 200rpms, my only wishlist is that silverstone creates a PWM version, specially how MSI and Asrock are designing their motherboards with PWM headers, and also specially because this are high consumption fans and some motherboards headers are exceeded, having PWM will allow to use sata/molex power to power them while only using PWM singnal to control them and rpm to report.

ikonomov
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2014 9:46 am

Re: Request for 180mm fan

Post by ikonomov » Mon Jun 13, 2016 7:17 am

I received a reply from Noctua.
{
thank you very much for contacting Noctua!

Actually the market for 180mm fans is rather small, compared to the market for 200mm fans. This is why we're doing a 200mm model right now, a 180mm fan will follow afterwards.
}

This is great news. I agree with Abula that 200mm fan would have been perhaps better only so that they can take standard fans. I don't find those cases small and with the FT02 and FT05 the 180mm really look like the perfect fit. I have been hoping Silverstone would abandon their 180mm fans, but they haven't and continue to make new products that can take them. I think we can all agree that installing smaller fans in openings designed for larger ones is not ideal. Lets trust Noctua to follow through with a 180mm fan.

I remember very well the time when 80mm fans were the standard fans used in almost every PC case available. Then a time came when 120mm replaced them. Then 200mm and 140mm fans appeared here and there, and I thought at the time they were an oddity that will not show up in the very next model that comes out. They didn't disappear as I had hoped, and in fact new ones came out. 180mm isn't an odd size and I think it is safe to assume that they are here to stay. Between 140mm and 200mm there is a huge gap, and depending on the case design I'm sure that it can be utilized by other manufacturers.

Abula
Posts: 3662
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:22 pm
Location: Guatemala

Re: Request for 180mm fan

Post by Abula » Mon Jun 13, 2016 8:38 am

ikonomov wrote:Between 140mm and 200mm there is a huge gap, and depending on the case design I'm sure that it can be utilized by other manufacturers.
I don't think 200mm or anything higher than 140mm will become a standard in case manufacturing, 140 already seems very good into cases like R5 that fits 180mm height coolers.... i do would like to see the niche of special airflow and single one fan solution for the front to be 200mm, but i doubt its going to happen, all design with what they have and what they want.

But one thing to keep in mind is that Silverstone 180mm are 32mm not 25mm as other options, from what i remember Phobya was 25mm, not sure if it has mulitple versions. I think that if noctua does enter 180mm will be 25mm, so i probably will remain using 32mm Silvertone fans, hoping they make a PWM version in the years to come.

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