No no no.... What Noctua is saying about their NE-FD1 PWM fan driver IC is mainly marketing. It may be efficient (surely), but I've got a NF-F12 PWM, and I am sorry to say that the motor is not the smoothest or quietest I've ever heard...at all ! In fact, the NF-F12 PWM I've bought is for me a big d...

The accoustic of the fan is in my opinion quite poor at any speed... I'd rather use the NF-P12, or any better fan
I don't know how the PWM version of NF-P12 behaves, like NF-F12 with small ticking, of rather smoothly like NF-P12 ?

Maybe (not totally agree...it depends on what you are doing with you fan, exhaust/intake or rad), but it is discontinued now, replaced by Shadow wings and Dark wings.

I think you can start by replacing the 212+ fan...and you can also get rid of all +140mm fan, big 200mm fan are sometimes not that silent :/

Edit : if fan speed is 1000rpm, start by reducing it Check the bios to see if there are some options to do that.

Nexus is a good choice. I'm not sure how the Icy dock will regulate the fan speed (the data given by Icy dock are ). Otherwise you can go with Noiseblocker http://www.svc.com/nb-x1r.html

Hi, You may look at these fans : http://www.svc.com/sp802512l-03.html http://www.svc.com/nb-x1r.html http://www.svc.com/nb-m8-s1.html http://www.frozencpu.com/products/9615/fan-597/Coolink_SWiF2-800_80_x_25mm_Hydro-Dynamic_Bearing_Fan_-_1100RPM_95dBA325mlh.html?tl=g36c15s58 http://www.frozencpu.com/...

Hi, A few questions : - Does the Icy dock regulate the fan ? Or can you use something like the Noctua LNA/LNA resistor, or a Zalman fanmate to slow down the fan ? - Also, what drives are you using ? Are you using them right now, with or without fan ? If yes, what are their temp ? - In what shop(s) (...

I don't know how a sleeve bearing fan like the Slipstream will behave, and how long it will last in a power supply. Aerocool... :? crappy fan ! You can perhaps try one of these : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835426027 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835...

Go for a 140mm fan like Scythe Kama flex 1600rpm, or 1200rpm
You may also use a BeQuiet Dark wings, but it is 1000rpm only.

Zullwick wrote:Looks like I found a 5th contender. The Zalman ZM-SF3 120mm

Not really good for silent use, to be really silent you have to lower the voltage under ~4V (to reach ~550rpm).

The NZXT fan is...not that good, within the framework of silent operation.

SilenX fans used to be crappy...really crappy ! Some don't even last 6 months, as their motor tend to overheat, and their blade design is not as efficient as the manufacturer claim. (I only tried the IXP series, not the new EFX) I'd go for Nexus fan, or BeQuiet, or Noiseblocker fan. I don't know the...

You may have a look at Scythe Kama flow 2 1900rpm, or Noiseblocker M12-S3HS (1800rpm, no PWM), or M12-P (2000rpm, PWM). You could also consider Triebwerk TK-122.

pet wrote:Both fans are deadly silent, more so than the Nexus recommended by spcr or any other fan I have tried.

Mmm, I don't totally agree about that part

I'd go for Nexus basic fan, if you can buy one. Cheap, quite efficient, start under 5V, not too noisy, 1500rpm max. I haven't tried the Kama flow 2 fan, but the S-flex is good too, maybe it will last longer than Nexus, but it is also more expensive, and personnaly I prefer the sound of the Nexus. Th...

I don't think so... maybe because they were aging ?....they replaced them with Kama flow 2. The 900rpm is good too, but the 1400rpm is in my opinion inferior to S-flex 1200.

You may also try Noiseblocker fan, XR1 or XR2

Edit : but they are 25mm thick...

I don't know if they ship international : http://www.docmicro.com/pieces/NoiseBlocker-BlackSilentFan-XL1-120-120-25mm-13dB-40CFM-connect-3-pins-carte-mere-REV-3-00-BULK_5523.html http://www.docmicro.com/pieces/NoiseBlocker-BlackSilentFan-XL2-120-120-25mm-21dB-58CFM-connect-3-pins-carte-mere-REV-3-00...

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article690-page1.html
http://www.nmbtc.com/bearings/engineering/

I'd stick with Nexus, Scythe, Noiseblocker or Gelid fan if I were you.

Here (france) Noiseblocker XL1 or XL2 can be found between 6,50€ and 6,90€, in "bulk" package. In box (with silicone parts), they cost around 10€.
I'll add a Silent 12 fan to my next order

I'll try a Silent 12 then, and I'll see if I still prefer Noiseblocker XL1, for a similar price (~6,50€)

I've just bought a Gelid Wing 12 (1500rpm) yesterday, good bundle, fancy fan, but too noisy for me @5V.
Maybe I should have tried a Silent 12 (1000rpm) fan.

BeQuiet make good fan too, undervolt nicely.

Noctua are somewhat overpriced... and their bundle is better than Scythe fan...but are they worth the premium, I don't know (and in fact I don't think so : maybe 4-5 years ago, but now there are much more good fans available)

Mmm...do you know if the PWM version behaves better ? I know 120mm PWM is not that good, but I think 92mm PWM is smoother at low speed than 92mm "basic" (or my 92mm basic is a bad one)

A small addition : I've received a Nexus basic 80mm yesterday, a good fan, but in my opinion not as good as its 120mm brother, and not as good as the BeQuiet Silentwings USC. In the past I used Enermax Enlobal fan too, but now I am not able to buy them anymore... PS : Off topic, but I've learned tha...

BeQuiet Silentwings USC...and maybe the new Shadow wings and Darkwings.

Silentwings USC are better in my opinion than Arctic F8 and F8 pro, Zalman ZM-F1 FDB, Scythe Kama flow 2, Sharkoon Silent eagle SE and Coolink SWIF2...and that's all I've tested for the moment

It seems like Nanoxia goes bust :/ (hope it is not the case, but their products are disappearing...) http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/120-140-fans-roundup_11.html#sect0 I'd go for Nexus basic (black and white or orange), or Noiseblocker XL1 (or PL1 or M12-S1/S2), or Kama flow 2 900rp...

Nexus and Nanoxia DX are really good fans, undervolt nicely, able to "near-silent" operation. Slip stream 120mm are good fans too, smooth noise, but the sound quality of each version is not equal, and the 2 "1200rpm" versions I have spins too fast to be really silent (for me !) at 5V. Nanoxia FX12-1...

In my opinion, don't. If your S-flex are aging, replace them with S-flex, not with Noctua !
But if you can't find S-flex anymore, then you may try Kama-flow 2 or Noctua.

This fan is not that good as a "case" fan.... but sure the LNA/ULNA adaptator are quite practical.

I'd rather go with Nexus fan and Zalman fanmate for exemple, or Scythe S-flex 800rpm...or Scythe Slipsteram 500 or 800rpm

Your slipstream 500rpm seems to be needy for a bit of oil I think ;) So currently you have 1 : Scythe 1,200 RPM Slipstream 2 : Stock 1,200 Fractal Design R3 Fan 3 : - 4 : Stock 1,200 RPM Fractal Design fan 5 : - 6 : - 7 : Scythe 500 RPM Slipstream CPU : Scythe 800 RPM Slipstream Am I right ? What fa...