My 92mm Fan experience: SilenX vs Acoustifan vs Panaflo

Sizzle · Post by **Sizzle** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 7:46 pm

So I put a top mount blowhole in my case and it really helped drop my temps as I have a PSU with one fan in it (a low flowing one at that).

Anyway, this is the loudest part of my computer. Not loud really, but irritating. I have tried 3 different 92 mm fans. The SilenX 14dba, the Acoustifan C model, and the Panaflo L (from China). At 12 volts the SilenX is the quietest but has a high pitched click to it. The Acoustifan and Panaflo have way to much air noise at 12 volts. Putting the resistor that came with the Acoustifan in place(which I have read puts the voltage down to 6.5), the SilenX still has the high pitched click which is more noticable because there is no air noise. The Panaflo clicks. The Acoustifan has a slight whine, but is the quietest of the three at this point (and feels like it is moving the most air).

Is there a 92 mm fan out there that may be a good solution for me? Off the top of my head, the Nexus may be a good solution, but it moves so little air, undervolting it would make it almost useless in this case I think. I have read numerous posts remarking on undervolted Papst fans clicking.

I do have room to expand the hole to 120mm, but that just makes a bigger hole for noise to escape.

josephclemente · Post by **josephclemente** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:18 pm

I just recently installed two Nexus Real Silent 92mm fans.

They are spinning at 800 RPM right now. One of them is on my ducted Zalman 7000Cu, and the other is in my ducted intake for the suspended hard drive.

Rear exhaust is handled by an 80mm Nexus (800 RPM). Interestingly, I compared this new 80mm Nexus to my old one, and found something different. The new frame has open screw mounts like the larger fans so you can use fan isolators.

The PSU is a Seasonic Super Tornado (Revision 3). It stays around 830 RPM.

I am very happy with these fans! I can't hear them if there is any light ambient noise. When the night is dead silent, the little noise they produce is actually pleasing. No strange clicking, whining or any other undesirable effects.

Tibors · Post by **Tibors** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 9:38 pm

There have been reports of people with a top blowhole in their case, where the blowhole without a fan gave the best temps. Supposedly this was caused by a better pattern for the airflow in the case. Besides it is amazing how much airmovement is possible from convection alone.

It is cheap and easy to try out if this is the case for you too. Don't just turn of the fan, but remove it completely for the experiment. A non moving fan blocks a considerate amount of airflow.

Wex · Post by **Wex** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 5:58 pm

Whatabout a low cfm 120mm for a blowhole? And for the nexus' hows the airflow?

Sizzle · Post by **Sizzle** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 6:04 pm

My Nexus won't be here till the 20th, so I am going to have to wait. I wish I would of started with a 80mm hole, but oh well. Bigger hole also equals more noise getting out.

dddp · Post by **dddp** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 5:42 am

this review usually opens people's eyes re multi fan set ups

http://www.short-media.com/review.php?r=230

sumarised, if you want low temps, multi fan set ups, including blow holes, might not be the way to go about it

Sizzle · Post by **Sizzle** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 4:38 pm

Update! My 92 mm Nexus came today. WOW! I am blown away. Well not really because it does not move that much air, but man, it is so quiet at 12v. Undervolted it is almost absolutely silent, but moves zip for air. Good enough for blowhole at 12v. It cannot be heard over my exhaust fans. Now to quiet those. They are newer SilenX fans, which make more "Whooosh" then the older ones.

pony-tail · Post by **pony-tail** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 9:47 pm

this review usually opens people's eyes re multi fan set ups

I found this to be true with my SLK case , not true with the AOpen case , not true with an InWin V500A , true with the Sonata (after a few mods) and not true with an AOpen H340 Book PC.
It seem to me that this Idea only holds true for certain case configurations
admittedly all the not true's are Micro Atx SFF cases . but I do think that making an assumption on a single case is risky at best as The InWin case posted 5 C. better temps with a front fan .

josephclemente · Post by **josephclemente** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 6:36 pm

That article seems to be ignoring hard drive temperatures. Also, the fan speeds were never decreased.

DrCR · Post by **DrCR** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 8:56 pm

I concure with the the statements and experiences with the Nexus 92. IMHO it is the 92mm quiet fan. And based on what MikeC said in the 120mm Fans Compared sticky, the Nexus is looking to be the big cheese in the 120mm sector as well.

DrCR
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