The Slipstream800 really *IS* the sweet spot!

SilentBen · Post by **SilentBen** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:49 pm

Just for what it is worth, I decided to go with the 1200rpm slipstreams in my P182 build. They were so-so at 1200rpm, but certainly, a bit overkill, louder then expected, and not exactly "silent". Still, they are better then stock or something from an OEM computer!

I voltmodded them using the 5v molex trick and they are reporting about 750-800rpm on the motherboard.

What an audible improvement! I barely hear my PC when my slips are at 800rpm!

For the 800rpm vs 1200rpm personal audible test... I didn't even know my computer was on the first time I booted at 800rpms. I had to visually check to see if the fans were spinning! At 1200rpms, it's reasonable but I noticed the fans when I was surfing the net or doing other quiet things. Once I jumped into a game or played music though, the fan sound drowned out.

As I kind of wrote in my own thread, 1200rpm slips are good if you want to voltmod or use a fan controller... and I think 800rpm is the sweetspot for just "plug and go".

I personally bought the 1200rpm to move more air and I was thinking that I was getting a better value too. The higher CFMs I found to be unnecessary in my setup, at least given these mildly warm spring temps.

If I were to purchase them again, I'd most likely get a 1200rpm for my CPU heatsink (which if I REALLY need the power, the motherboard can step it up, but mine stays at 800rpm or less anyway) and the rest at 800rpm. The only reason I'd get a 1200rpm for the CPU... is because an 800rpm slip does not exceed 800rpm, if the CPU gets hot enough (which mine probably never will!), I want the capability to step it up a bit, such as 1200rpm. Maybe it is just me though!

At less then $10USD/fan, I'm not sure I'd recommend anything else based on my personal results!

nutball · Post by **nutball** » Sat May 03, 2008 5:16 am

Well, my fans arrived. A quick test just plugging one in at full power, and also with a fan controller, I must say I'm impressed. There's a little bit of clicking from the hub if you put your ear right next to it, but more than a few feet away it's inaudible. All you can hear is the air rush, and that's drowned out by the 2.5" drive in the machine I'm using to power it.

I'm going to leave the fan running for 24 hours to see if the clicking subsides.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Sat May 03, 2008 8:14 am

silentben

how good is the airflow at 800rpm when you undervolt the 1200rpm slipstream?

i was going to do exactly what you said aswell, 1 1200 on the cpu and 800's for case fans.

was just wandering if the airflow was the same for undervolted 1200's compared to original 800's.

tima · Post by **tima** » Sat May 03, 2008 8:23 am

FWIW, my experience with several of the Scythe fans was this:

1. 800 RPM Slipstreams - Quiet at 12v, but not enough cooling for a main case fan (E6600, 8800GTS 512MB, TV tuner, Prelude, no overclocking). I have one in the lower chamber of my P182, where it does a great job keeping the 3 HDs cool.

2. 1200 RPM Slipstreams - Quiet at 5v, whines as voltage is increased with Fanmate 2. Unacceptable.

3. 1200 RPM S-Flex - Quiet at 5v, whines as voltage is increased with Fanmate 2, but not as much as (2). Not horrible, but not great either.

4. 1600 RPM Slipstream - Quiet enough at 5v, decent cooling. No whine as voltage is increased to give excellent cooling at the expense of being rather loud. I have one of these as the rear exhaust in my P182.

5. 1600 RPM S-Flex - Seems better WRT whine than the 1200 RPM models, but as the 1600 RPM Slipstream is working well, I'm not currently using it.

I bought (2) and (3) at the same time from Newegg, so maybe it was just sample variance. I've shelved Nexus and Noctua fans in favor of the 800 and 1600 RPM Slipstreams. Conclusions: I've got too much hardware for this system to ever be truly silent, and any fan rotating at more than 800 RPM is going to be audible. That said, I'm happy with the low baseline noise level and character, and I can increase the upper chamber fan speed for gaming purposes, and the noise is drowned out by the audio anyway.

Hush · Post by **Hush** » Sat May 10, 2008 10:39 am

I'm getting a slipstream 1200 to replace the tri cool fan in the solo, do i need a fan controller or can a program like speedfan control it?

dhanson865 · Post by **dhanson865** » Sat May 10, 2008 1:18 pm

Ash wrote:silentben

how good is the airflow at 800rpm when you undervolt the 1200rpm slipstream?

i was going to do exactly what you said as well, 1 1200 on the cpu and 800's for case fans.

was just wandering if the airflow was the same for undervolted 1200's compared to original 800's.

Well it isn't exactly 800 rpm to 800 rpm comparison but I think its close enough to say that there isn't a drawback to using the M 1200 around 5v to get the noise level of the L 800. I'd even go as far as saying that if you are comfortable with making the voltage adjustment the M 1200 is the better fan.

Code: Select all

Slipstream  H 1600  5V  21dBA  890RPM 30CFM
Slipstream  M 1200  5V  18dBA  720RPM 24CFM
Slipstream  L  800 12V  19dBA  770RPM 24CFM
Slipstream SL  500 12V <18dBA  440RPM 14CFM

and here are the rest of the numbers:

Code: Select all

Number of samples tested: 2
Slipstream SH 1900 12V  39dBA 1780RPM 79CFM
Slipstream SH 1900  9V  26dBA 1340RPM 54CFM
Slipstream SH 1900  7V  18dBA  630RPM 21CFM
Slipstream SH 1900  5V <18dBA  400RPM 12CFM
Starting voltage 4.7

Number of samples tested: 6
Slipstream  H 1600 12V  32dBA 1460RPM 61CFM
Slipstream  H 1600  9V  29dBA 1250RPM 47CFM
Slipstream  H 1600  7V  24dBA 1080RPM 40CFM
Slipstream  H 1600  5V  21dBA  890RPM 30CFM
Starting voltage 4.2

Number of samples tested: 4
Slipstream  M 1200 12V  28dBA 1210RPM 46CFM
Slipstream  M 1200  9V  24dBA 1030RPM 37CFM
Slipstream  M 1200  7V  21dBA  890RPM 30CFM
Slipstream  M 1200  5V  18dBA  720RPM 24CFM
Slipstream  M 1200  4V <18dBA  620RPM 20CFM 
Starting voltage 2.4

Number of samples tested: 2
Slipstream  L  800 12V  19dBA  770RPM 24CFM
Slipstream  L  800  9V  18dBA  640RPM 21CFM
Slipstream  L  800  7V <18dBA  540RPM 18CFM
Slipstream  L  800  5V <18dBA  420RPM 13CFM
Starting Voltage 3.2

Number of samples tested: 6
Slipstream SL  500 12V <18dBA  440RPM 14CFM
Slipstream SL  500  9V <18dBA  350RPM 10CFM
Slipstream SL  500  7V <18dBA  270RPM  6CFM
Slipstream SL  500  5V <18dBA  170RPM  2CFM
Starting Voltage 7.3

again taken from Fan Roundup #5: Attack of the 120 Scythes
I also highly recommend the content in the discussion of that article at silentpcreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=48060

jhhoffma · Post by **jhhoffma** » Mon May 12, 2008 6:01 am

Hush wrote:I'm getting a slipstream 1200 to replace the tri cool fan in the solo, do i need a fan controller or can a program like speedfan control it?

Depends on the motherboard. Speedfan controls compatible fan headers on the motherboard, but this will only work once Windows is loaded. The fan will run full tilt until then. You mobo may also have BIOS control, which will work as well. Regardless, as long as you use the 3-pin header and a compatible motherboard, the fan is capable of being controlled via software/BIOS.

If you're used to a Tri-cool, you probably won't even notice the Slipstream @ 12v.

Erssa · Post by **Erssa** » Sat May 17, 2008 9:07 am

jhhoffma wrote:If you're used to a Tri-cool, you probably won't even notice the Slipstream @ 12v.

According to SPCR, Slip Stream M at 12V measured 28dBA compared to 20dBA for low-speed Antec TriCool. If you are sensitive enough to find 20dBA TriCool too loud, then 12V Slip Stream's 28dBA is going to sound like a turbojet.

Not very solid advice considering Dhanson865 had posted the Slip Stream figures just before you, which shows you have to run your Slip Stream M at 5V to beat the TriCool at low..

Post by **NeilBlanchard** » Sat May 17, 2008 1:13 pm

Hello,

If he was referring to the 800RPM Slipstream (which is the subject of this thread after all), then his comments are accurate.

19dBA @ 12v = 24CFM

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article83 ... .html#SS-L

Erssa · Post by **Erssa** » Sat May 17, 2008 2:14 pm

NeilBlanchard wrote:Hello,

If he was referring to the 800RPM Slipstream (which is the subject of this thread after all), then his comments are accurate.

19dBA @ 12v = 24CFM

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article83 ... .html#SS-L

Hush's question was clearly about 1200rpm not 800rpm. jhhoffma even quoted it. Based on what I have read on other threads, I believe he was referring to 800rpm. But despite his intents, it was inaccurate, since he was answering to a specific question about the 1200rpm model.

jhhoffma · Post by **jhhoffma** » Sun May 18, 2008 8:29 am

Erssa wrote:Hush's question was clearly about 1200rpm not 800rpm. jhhoffma even quoted it. Based on what I have read on other threads, I believe he was referring to 800rpm. But despite his intents, it was inaccurate, since he was answering to a specific question about the 1200rpm model.

You're going on the assumption that he's using the Tri-Cool on low. I assumed that no one would replace a Tri-Cool on low with a higher speed fan AND expect it to be quiet. I would think if he's replacing a Tri-Cool with a 1200rpm fan, he's been running it on medium (~1400rpm) which is NOT quiet, and despite what the SPL readings say is much more tonal and buzzy in its noise than a 1200rpm Slipstream. All the 1200rpm Slipstreams I've heard, have the whoosh as the dominating noise character @ 12v.

If he's undervolting anyway, I don't see how my advice is bad, considering you'll never get an 800rpm to undervolt with the range of a 1200rpm model.

Erssa, have you ever heard a Slipstream and compared it to a TriCool? I have...many times. I've never seen you comment on how well a SlipStream performs, so I'm guessing you're basing you knowledge on the SPCR charts. You should know that numbers don't tell the whole story.

Erssa · Post by **Erssa** » Sun May 18, 2008 9:45 am

jhhoffma wrote:You're going on the assumption that he's using the Tri-Cool on low. I assumed that no one would replace a Tri-Cool on low with a higher speed fan AND expect it to be quiet. I would think if he's replacing a Tri-Cool with a 1200rpm fan, he's been running it on medium (~1400rpm) which is NOT quiet, and despite what the SPL readings say is much more tonal and buzzy in its noise than a 1200rpm Slipstream.

I think it's pretty fair to assume that no one posting on SPCR runs their TriCools at medium. On these forums it's pretty much given that his motive for fan swap was lower noise, in which case he already considered TriCools at low too loud. I don't expect anyone who bothers replacing TriCool with Nexus to run their Nexus at 12V either.

All the 1200rpm Slipstreams I've heard, have the whoosh as the dominating noise character @ 12v.

If he's undervolting anyway, I don't see how my advice is bad, considering you'll never get an 800rpm to undervolt with the range of a 1200rpm model.

Who cares if it cannot undervolt in the same range? Most common fan controller (Fan Mate 2) can't even go below 5V. And like the topic of this thread says: 800rpm really is the sweet spot. Run any faster, and it's too loud for most. But really that's beside the point. The only gripe I have with your advice was that you gave the impression, that he could be fine with his fan running at 12V. Such an advice could mean he doesn't buy a fan controller, which can be a mistake if his motherboard can control only cpu fan. You definitely need a Fan Mate or some other fan controller with Slip Stream M, to be on the safe side.

Erssa, have you ever heard a Slipstream and compared it to a TriCool? I have...many times. I've never seen you comment on how well a SlipStream performs, so I'm guessing you're basing you knowledge on the SPCR charts. You should know that numbers don't tell the whole story.

I don't see why I would need to listen to a Slip Steam to know it's too loud at 12V. It's only a fan. I only need to know, that at 1200rpm it is louder then Nexus at 12V. Even Nexus at 12V is too loud for me and the majority here. It's not that hard for me to picture a louder whoosh.

And yes, I know numbers don't tell the whole story, but, no offense, they are way more reliable then subjective opinions coming from a random person in the forums. As you well know, you can find people here claiming, that their Seagate's are inaudible, while the next guy is crying how intolerable they are. Same goes for pretty much every internet review site out there. That's why the only subjective opinions I really trust are from the official reviewers here at SPCR, I've been here long enough to know their standards, so I can compare them to mine.

dhanson865 · Post by **dhanson865** » Sun May 18, 2008 2:53 pm

fwiw here are some quotes from another thread covering the same topic

dhanson865 wrote:Tricool 120mm on Medium 27dBA 1430RPM 36CFM
Slipstream M 1200 12V 28dBA 1210RPM 46CFM

Tricool 120mm on Low 20dBA 870 RPM 21CFM
Slipstream M 1200 7V 21dBA 890RPM 30CFM

Definitely better CFM to dBA ratio on the slipstream

MajmuN wrote:
Fred wrote:How would the 1200 RPM slipstream at full speed compare to a tricool on the medium setting in terms of noise?
I have both fans, and Slipstream at 12v sounds a lot more than TriCool at low, though TriCool at medium is slightly louder than the Slipstream at 12v - slightly.

So objectively by Sound Pressure Level the Slipstream 1200 is 28dBA but subjectively more than one person has said it sounds quieter to them than the Tri Cool 120mm that objectively measures at 27dBA.

Is it sample variance between what SPCR measured and the end users heard?

Is it simply that it is objectively louder but subjectively less annoying?

Given that the Tri Cool on Medium pushes about the same amount of air as the Slipstream M 1200 does when run at 9 volts I'd say it's fair to assume that someone wouldn't run either fan at 12 volts full speed. But I wouldn't rule out the possibility that they wouldn't want to run the M 1200 at 7 volts or at variable RPMs to take advantage of the increased airflow compared to the top speed of a slipstream L 800.

Code: Select all

TriCool 120mm
Medium switch      12v  27dBA 1430RPM 36CFM
High swich          7v  23dBA 1220RPM 30CFM
Low switch         12v  20dBA  870RPM 21CFM

If someone has those options they might find they need the higher CFM of medium TriCool but want the noise of a slipstream. In that case they might ask which model do I buy and how to I control the RPMs?

If they don't need the airflow then it doesn't matter they can get the 800 RPM slipstream plug it in and get 24CFM at 19dBA.

If they do need the airflow or they aren't sure how much airflow they need they can get the 1200 RPM model and use one of many methods to slow it to the airflow they actually need with the relevant tested levels being:

Code: Select all

Slipstream  M 1200  9V  24dBA 1030RPM 37CFM
Slipstream  M 1200  7V  21dBA  890RPM 30CFM
Slipstream  M 1200  5V  18dBA  720RPM 24CFM

They save 2 to 3 dBA at each CFM level versus the TriCool and don't loose any airflow. That is a win/win scenario on the noise/CFM fronts.

Just because anything over 20dBA bugs some people doesn't mean others won't put up with something in between 20dBA and 25dBA.

Given the flexibility of the 1200 RPM slipstream I think it's the best option, You are welcome to keep using 800RPM and 500RPM models if you prefer.

FartingBob · Post by **FartingBob** » Sun May 18, 2008 3:09 pm

My new fan setup (Antec solo)
Exhuast: Slipstream 1900 on a fanmate (at 5v unless im gaming or its a really hot day)
CPU: Slipstream 1200 on scythe Ninja (at 7v)
Intake: Slipstream 800 in scythe kama bay (at 7v) + 2x kama flex 92mm 1600rpm both at 5v.

Scythe really has taken over my system!
The 800 sounds fine to me at 12v, the 1200 and 1900 really need to be undervolted to 7v and 5v to be really quiet, but i like having the ability to up them if needed.

DrCR · Post by **DrCR** » Mon May 19, 2008 1:47 pm

Late to the party here, but I'm enjoying my Slipstream config.

Two 800rpmers @ 6v for video card (Accelero S1) and SS-550HT
One 1200rpm @ 5v for case exhaust
One 1200rpm on FanMate for TRUE.

The 800rpmers @ 6v start reliably and are extremely quiet. I just have them in series on a 12v line. They do the trick nicely.

DrCR

lethul · Post by **lethul** » Mon May 19, 2008 2:59 pm

So how does these Slip Stream compare to S-FLEXâ„¢ Series ?

Felger Carbon · Post by **Felger Carbon** » Mon May 19, 2008 5:59 pm

lethul wrote:So how does these Slip Stream compare to S-FLEXâ„¢ Series ?

Slipstreams are cheaper. Slipstreams have a higher pitch, which leads to several properties:
...at the same RPM, the Slipstream pushes more CFM and will in general be noisier for that reason (more whoosh)
...at the same CFM, the Slipstream will be turning lower RPM and will in general be quieter (same whoosh, less motor/bearing noise)
Slipstreams have 9 blades that are each curvier than the SFlexs' 7 blades. Curvier might not matter, but 9 blades likely are better than 7 for dealing with backpressure, all other factors being equal.
SFlexes have been around longer, and have gathered a lot of SPCR supporters. The SPCR crowd is mostly very conservative, and slow to change favorites. The smaller early-adopter crowd will jump on a new product if they perceive an advantage. For these reasons, you can find fervent support for the one fan over the other, in both directions.

DrCR · Post by **DrCR** » Mon May 19, 2008 8:31 pm

Either are great choices lethul. I used to be a fan of the older S-Flexs, but the Slipstreams have personally become my choice for just about any use.

Here's the master's [Mike Chin] comment on a Slipstream:
"The [Scythe Slipstream 800RPM, SY1225SL12L] was tested for noise characteristics. We didn't do a full range of airflow / noise tests, but SPL and RPM measurements were taken at various voltages. The overall noise signature of this nine-bladed fan is very smooth and quiet, mostly broadband turbulence with no tonality at all even at 12V. At 9V, it's already inaudible. Of course, spinning at just 660 RPM, it isn't moving that much air, although Scythe says the nine blades produce greater airflow at the same speed than seven blades. For many users, this fan can probably be run full speed; it's that quiet."
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article805-page5.html

DrCR

Post by **NeilBlanchard** » Tue May 20, 2008 8:09 am

Hello,

...and for a whole review of a bunch of Scythe fans, including every speed of Slipstream there is, you can read this:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article832-page1.html

It also compares them to the (previous) reference fans.

DrCR · Post by **DrCR** » Tue May 20, 2008 4:28 pm

Thanks for mentioning that article. I have a hard time checking out all the articles nowadays. Sorry for the insufficient, off-the-cuff posting.

DrCR

JVM · Post by **JVM** » Tue May 20, 2008 5:50 pm

Felger Carbon wrote:
lethul wrote:So how does these Slip Stream compare to S-FLEXâ„¢ Series ?
Slipstreams are cheaper. Slipstreams have a higher pitch, which leads to several properties:
...at the same RPM, the Slipstream pushes more CFM and will in general be noisier for that reason (more whoosh)
...at the same CFM, the Slipstream will be turning lower RPM and will in general be quieter (same whoosh, less motor/bearing noise)
Slipstreams have 9 blades that are each curvier than the SFlexs' 7 blades. Curvier might not matter, but 9 blades likely are better than 7 for dealing with backpressure, all other factors being equal.
SFlexes have been around longer, and have gathered a lot of SPCR supporters. The SPCR crowd is mostly very conservative, and slow to change favorites. The smaller early-adopter crowd will jump on a new product if they perceive an advantage. For these reasons, you can find fervent support for the one fan over the other, in both directions.

I just switched my S-Flex "E" around 880 RPM to the Slipstream "M" running around 760 RPM and temperatures increased 1-2C. The fans are for exhause (rear case). So, I don't know about Slipstream being better at CFM than S-Flex, 9 blades to 7 or curves or whatever. I only know what my temperatures say, and they say S-Flex.

The reviews here claim Slipstream "M" at 720 RPM produces 24 CFM and S-Flex "E" at 910 produces 23 CFM.

Now, that sounded very strange to me, so I used the Slipstream that came with my Ninja and the result was very disappointing--nowhere comparable to the reviews here in terms of CFM and RPM.

Considering it was extremely difficult to get those rubber fan mounts in the rear fan holes because of my Ninja, I went through a lot of trouble to find out the S-Flex cools better. I haven't tried upping RPM of the Slipstream, and maybe I will before switching back to S-Flex, then againg maybe I won't. After all, the S-Flex is rated for 150,000 hours and Slipstream for a paltry 50,000 hours--that's a difference of 100,000 hours! I wouldn't mind if the Slipstream performed with CFM as in the reviews compared to S-Flex, but I did not find that to be the case.

DrCR · Post by **DrCR** » Tue May 20, 2008 11:08 pm

Based on when I used to be into WCing the blade count is not the actual factor, it's how much blade that's there. In other words, the more "whitespace" when looking down the axis of an axial fan, the poorer it will perform in a restrictive environment. Another aspect to consider is the angle of attack of the fan blades. A coarser attack is going to be less suited to a restrictive environment than fine pitched one. For example, the NF-S12 would be a very poor choice indeed for a restrictive environment.

As Felger Carbon pointed out a bit "curvier" leading edge is probably insignificant and in his defense, he did throw in the "all other factors being equal" caveat.

My take on this topic is from an era when silent computing was a lot more wild west than it is now (by your join date and post count it appears you were around then too). Certainly feel free to prove me wrong with more scientific data, albiet with a caveat -- while the more knowledgeable tech community at large is much more knowledgeable about quiet cooling nowadays, it wasn't too long ago that any quiet/silent statements made by otherwise reputable site were simply laughable. In other words, please only use MikeC & co. experiments if you shoot for a hard smackdown on the above.

Anyways, did you note the editor's note on the Slipstream article stating the potential for "tainted the CFM measurements"?

DrCR

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Wed May 21, 2008 1:46 am

Here's my take on this..... It is virtually impossible to simply look at a fan-blade design, and tell how well it will perform in a restrictive airflow setup. You can look at the specs of the fan and get a general idea....that's about it.

Say you set 1000rpms as your upper rpm limit....which fan will blow the most air at that point in a particular setup, with the least amount of noise? Guess-work. The S-Flex and Slip-Stream will be very close, as well as a few others. But just looking won't tell you much. A lot seems to depend on the motor design.....something you cannot see.