Choose the ultimate fan for my TRUE/Core I7 system

Immersion · Post by **Immersion** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 3:55 pm

I have been trying for two days now, many hours of browsing I can't still decide what 120mm fan to use to my Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme.
Also the main reason why I did create this thread is also that many of the tests and reviews or forum threads I have read is many months old some even a year, so I want to make sure that I am not missing any new fans that has been released in recent times.

So instead of colliding opinions I would hope that we all could come to some kind of agreement of what is best.

I am going to use this with my Core i7 920, I am going to clock this a lot, it is said 3.6 GHZ is not a problem even with the stock cooler. Since I am able to switch clock speed/fan speed quite easy in windows vista, I may only need clocking while using high performance programs or games. I aware I cannot not get a hyper silent machine with overclocking however, I want to get the best I can possible. AT max fan speed I can accept some audioble sound but I still want to be able to run very silent, especially during night when I sleep with the computer 2 meters from the bed.

I also need two chassis fans one 120 mm and one 80 mm.

Prices of fans are so cheap so it does not really matter what it cost, as long as I get the best I possibly can, I am ready to pay the price.

Also we should keep in mind that Thermalright heatsink is in need of high static pressure.

Redzo · Post by **Redzo** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 4:21 pm

Scythe S-Flex SFF21D is my tip, or Noctua NF-S12-1200. Nexus D12SL-12 is also a very, very good fan but if as you say money is no object go for S-Flex.
I should also mention Scythe SlipStream. Good air/RPM ratio and a nice price.
Any one of above mentioned fans together with decent fan controller/FanSpeed will give you nice temps with very little noise. Differences between them are very small indeed so if you dont have a VERY silent system I doubt that you will hear a big difference.

Immersion · Post by **Immersion** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 4:27 pm

Redzo wrote:Scythe S-Flex SFF21D is my tip, or Noctua NF-S12-1200. Nexus D12SL-12 is also a very, very good fan but if as you say money is no object go for S-Flex.
I should also mention Scythe SlipStream. Good air/RPM ratio and a nice price.
Any one of above mentioned fans together with decent fan controller/FanSpeed will give you nice temps with very little noise. Differences between them are very small indeed so if you dont have a VERY silent system I doubt that you will hear a big difference.

I am aware of NF-S12 since before, from what I have heard this fan does not have enough static pressure to cool the Thermalright heatsink, especially not well if overclocking, the Noctua p12 should be better for this purpose, but what I have heard about this fan is that the it does not sound very smooth, also the motor sound gives noise when you slow down the rpm.

I have not checkout Nexus D12SL-12 or Scythe S-Flex SFF21D and SlipStream yet, it would be interesting to see how they perform, in terms of airflow etc.

Yeah too many choices...I wish it was easier too choice, but in reality there should be at least 1 that is better then the rest, could we maybe come to an agreement you think ?

Immersion · Post by **Immersion** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 4:47 pm

Immersion wrote:
Redzo wrote:Scythe S-Flex SFF21D is my tip, or Noctua NF-S12-1200. Nexus D12SL-12 is also a very, very good fan but if as you say money is no object go for S-Flex.
I should also mention Scythe SlipStream. Good air/RPM ratio and a nice price.
Any one of above mentioned fans together with decent fan controller/FanSpeed will give you nice temps with very little noise. Differences between them are very small indeed so if you dont have a VERY silent system I doubt that you will hear a big difference.
I am aware of NF-S12 since before, from what I have heard this fan does not have enough static pressure to cool the Thermalright heatsink, especially not well with overclocking, the Noctua p12 should be better for this purpose, but what I have heard about this fan is that the it does not sound very smooth, also the motor sound gives noise when you slow down the rpm.

I have not checkout Nexus D12SL-12 or Scythe S-Flex SFF21D and SlipStream yet, it would be interesting to see how they perform, in terms of airflow etc.

Yeah too many choices...I wish it was easier too choose, but in reality there should be at least 1 that is better then the rest, could we maybe come to an agreement you think ?

Redzo · Post by **Redzo** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 7:53 pm

I don't really think that there is only 1 best fan out there. Sorry

But for instance some fans have better "sound" or noise profile if you will when undervolted but whine when at full blast, and then you others that have good CFM/sound ratio and so on and so on...But unfortunately I don't know of "one that rules them all" fan out there

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article695-page1.html

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article739-page1.html

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

Immersion · Post by **Immersion** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 8:17 pm

Redzo wrote:I don't really think that there is only 1 best fan out there. Sorry But for instance some fans have better "sound" or noise profile if you will when undervolted but whine when at full blast, and then you others that have good CFM/sound ratio and so on and so on...But unfortunately I don't know of "one that rules them all" fan out there

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article695-page1.html

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article739-page1.html

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

Thanks, but I have read all those reviews of course, and some of them are many years old. Yeah I can understand that it is hard to find a fan that perform good in all levels. However, some kind of compromise that give me best of both worlds is probably what I need. SO maybe not the most silent Fan in the world, but pretty damn close...

Some one with the experience need to decide for me

pixel · Post by **pixel** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:56 am

Hello,

I am using a Scythe S-Flex E (undervolted to approx. 1000 rpm) on my TRUE, which is cooling an E8400.

It's doing OK.. I get 64 C core temperature under Orthos small FFT load, overclocked to 4 gHz with 1,342 V. It's the highest I have seen. Idle at stock speed is about 47 C. I think it's because my processor has problems with its temperature reporting (a common problem for this series). Users I have spoken with over the internet mostly say the temps are nothing to be alarmed at.

It's quiet at this speed; at full speed the noise becomes more pronounced - enough to be picked up at 1 meter. It still wouldn't qualify as "noisy", though. I'm satisfied with the noise (or lack of it) of the fan.

I also have a Noctua P-12; I had it on the TRUE before I got the Scythe. I bought the Scythe intending to use it as an exhaust fan, but I also tried it on the CPU heatsink. Temperatures were about 1-2 degrees better with the Scythe on the TRUE, so I switched the fans.

Currently I'm using the S-Flex on the TRUE and the Noctua P-12 as an exhaust fan. I don't think the difference in temperatures would be more than 2 - 3 degrees, but it made sense to put the fan with the higher static pressure on the (dense) heatsink and the fan with lower pressure and higher (reported) CFM on the exhaust.

Overall, I'm satisfied with the S-Flex on the TRUE. It's a good choice if you don't want to use more "noisy" fans such as a Silverstone P123. I'm not thinking of changing the fan at all.

There is a new series of fans (Gentle Typhoon) from Scythe; but I don't think there are any tests of them yet. I don't think there would be a significant difference between them and the S-Flex when it comes to static prssure, though.

I would recommend the S-Flex E for the TRUE, and maybe Noctuas for exhaust / intake fans. If you're planning to have positive pressure inside the case, maybe another Scythe would be better for intake. (I've heard that the 800 rpm version, S-Flex D, has a strange noise characteristic - some would say they heard clicking noises. In that case; getting another E and undervolting would be better..)

dlpfan · Post by **dlpfan** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 1:00 pm

I have a TRUE w/push-pull configuration mounted on i7 920 clocked to 3.8GHz (speedstep enabled). I took the stock led 120MM fan off my Zalman GT1000 case and installed in the front of the heatsink(controlled by MB PWM), back of the heatsink I have installed a Yate Loon D12SH12, which I took off a dead 600W Seasonic S12. Front intake are 2 92mm Scythe PWM fans, rear is a 120 x 38 Panasonic U1A. All fans except for the one connected to the MB are undervolted to approx 7-8V. Is it dead quiet? No but it's quiet enough for me to hear the faint hum of a Viking wine cooler about 7 feet behind me.

Load temps running Prime95 Blend 57c, idle drops down to 29-30c.

maf718 · Post by **maf718** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 4:24 pm

Hi, this test by the late Felger Carbon seems to suggest the S-Flex beats the NF-P12 as well as the Slipstream when attached to a heatsink.

For 120mm case fans it's hard to beat the Scythe Slipsteam, and there is a good 2000rpm 80mm Panaflo that I have used, that can be undervolted, but obviously sample variance is an issue with Panaflo fans.

Immersion · Post by **Immersion** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 5:54 pm

Alright guys, I want to thank you for all your responses, it helps a lot.
I did not thought it would be this hard to find the the best fan but the reality is that we all have different subjective experiences so it seems like a lot of sites talk against each other. But when you go through more and more, it gets more and more clear.

have read many other sites and it seems like the Scythe S-Flex SFF21E as mentioned in this thread would be the best choice as a heatsink fan.

The case Fan, I am not sure, some seem to recommend slipstream others Noctua s12. I did compare the mp3 samples and if I should trust these I think I prefer the s12, it sound slightly "darker",which I think I prefer. what do you other think, is Noctua s12 the best choice for a case fan.

I also see no benefit to buy the 800-rpm version, though it looks like the 1200rpm version have a slightly stronger motor, which maybe be useful when I use it undervolted. I usually always have all my case fans on the lowest speed. If could be any help to you I got a pretty big chasis, a coolermaster stacker, so there is very good air circulation.

As 80mm case top fan I think I will choose NEXUS REAL SILENT CASE FAN SP802512L-03 , in the SPCR recommended list it does not seem to be much competition. Besides the Kama Flow which is only available in Japan.

Rebellious · Post by **Rebellious** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 6:15 pm

If your CPU header is PWM and you're overclocking to 3.6GHz only occasionally, you can also try Arctic Cooling AF12025, more headroom at 1500 rpm. I tried them in in my build here:

viewtopic.php?t=51531

Immersion · Post by **Immersion** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 6:20 pm

Rebellious wrote:If your CPU header is PWM and you're overclocking to 3.6GHz only occasionally, you can also try Arctic Cooling AF12025, more headroom at 1500 rpm. I tried them in in my build here:

viewtopic.php?t=51531

Thanks but I thought Thermalight was better ?

King Wookie · Post by **King Wookie** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 11:20 pm

I'm currently running a Noctua P-12 on my 120 ultra, and I'm quite happy with the noise vs. performance, but the S-Flex does look to be a really good choice; based on tests done with cooling radiators.

StApostol · Post by **StApostol** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 5:45 am

The S-Flex fans are among the best out there, if you don't mind the price premium. Prefer the 1200- or 1600RPM versions over the 800RPM, as their motors will work at lower voltages and have a slightly smoother noise (the 800RPM motor emits a faint tick that can be heard under ~30cm).

My main rig uses a 1600RPM S-Flex @600RPM to cool an E6750 CPU (Ninja rev. B cooler) and it is silent. It slowly ramps up to 1000RPM under full load when the CPU is overclocked, where it is audible but not annoyngly so.

My secondary rig uses the 800RPM version as an exhaust fan (stock RPM). It is a little louder than the above version, but still not audible over the rest of the system.