SPCR

What is the generally preferred way of setting up your case fans.. Statically set RPM/voltage or variable using a thermal probe of some sort?

I don't see the need for variable case fans unless you have an extreme difference in temps from idle to load (like with a very hot video card) making it impossible to get all the heat out at low fan speeds.

ame wrote:I don't see the need for variable case fans unless you have an extreme difference in temps from idle to load (like with a very hot video card) making it impossible to get all the heat out at low fan speeds.

There are also seasonal variations in temperature (up to 15C where I'm living right now).
Also, I just like to play with buttons. Press them, turn them, ... Must be some genetic thing

K.Murx wrote: Also, I just like to play with buttons. Press them, turn them, ... Must be some genetic thing

now that I can relate to

ame wrote:

K.Murx wrote: Also, I just like to play with buttons. Press them, turn them, ... Must be some genetic thing

now that I can relate to

Me too, that is why I prefer manual control over PWM and automatic controls in my main system... I like to find sweet spot for fans that have some unwanted noise charasterics in certain speeds ( Noctua and Gentle Typhoon for example) but perform excellently and silently in speed sweet spots

But I like to increase when needed fan's speed that are verfiably silent thruought rpm spectrum (Slipstream, RealSilent Basic ) when needed ( hot day and such)

I voted variable, but feel that fixed is certainly better. It's just that fixed is only usable in a more constrained set of circumstances. You need the right components and ambient conditions. If you have them, then by all means go fixed. For the rest of us, there is variable.

I prefer variable... but I probably push my system (overclock) more than the average SPCR'r, so I appreciate the extra cooling ability when my system is pushed, and quiet when it doesn't (which is most of the time, ie surfing the web extra).

So, my preference is very much automated variable speeds. Speedfan doesn't really have the level of control I would like, but gigabyte's bios fan control is actually pretty good, at least once you have adjusted it.

That said... my water cooling equipment literally just arrived this morning, so I suspect fixed fans will be the way of the future for me!

I personally prefer variable, just set my fans to low when on Idle but generally my gpu will get too hot when I start coding using CUDA, so need to increase the fan speed then ^^ but does so automatically, using speedFan

Where is the option for none?

dukla2000 wrote:Where is the option for none?

OMG

Today is almost 40°C here in Italy, where is the option for "breath of tornado"?

_MarcoM_ wrote:

dukla2000 wrote:Where is the option for none?

OMG

Today is almost 40°C here in Italy, where is the option for "breath of tornado"?

LOL.. Silence is hard enough at 25C - 27C ambient temp.. I would hate to try at 40C..

Cant vote, no option for both.

PSU -fixed.
CPU two-speed stepped -variable.

WipeOut wrote:

_MarcoM_ wrote:

dukla2000 wrote:Where is the option for none?

OMG

Today is almost 40°C here in Italy, where is the option for "breath of tornado"?

LOL.. Silence is hard enough at 25C - 27C ambient temp.. I would hate to try at 40C..

Voted for fixed speed, but it's very hard in summer

Should have been a "hybrid" option - variable fan control, but set up to spend most of the time at minimum speed unless something extraordinary happens, like 35C ambient temp.... My HTPC is set up like that, but I'm not quite there with the P182 now because of the GTS250 card... to keep that fan spinning where its not really audible, I have to run the front intake fans (2x nexus 120mm, one in a kama bay) at 80% during gaming...

Wibla wrote:Should have been a "hybrid" option - variable fan control, but set up to spend most of the time at minimum speed unless something extraordinary happens

What you call hybrid is the typical use case for variable fan control. The goal of variable fan control is to have the fans spinning as slow as possible most of the time.

i chose fixed.
you don't need to change it since generally the case temp stays the same, even if the cpu gets hot, the variations are low.

alternatively, if you have big variations you might need too.
if you are freak of pressure, you want the air flow to be the same through out the case - as in the air from the front fan (if you have one)sucks exactly the amount the cpu takes (assuming you have a ninja with the fan forward exactly in front of the front fan).
and so will the amount of air flow that exists the cpu be sucked out by the rear fan at exactly the same rate.
this is indeed crazy!

i would just put my front\rear fans at low.