Reference PWM fan - 120mm

[appletree]

I am thinking about replacing my rear, top case / CPU fans which are Nexus Basic 120mm @7V ~ 700rpm
for PWM fans with similar noise per CFM. (to gain quieter idle and slightly more performance at load)
Not decided yet just want to know my options.

My idea is they should do idle @400rpm (or less) and full load @800 - 850rpm (meaning rpm for equivalent Nexus fan noise at such rpms). I will be using them with akasa splitter so I can undervolt them if needed. My CPU sink is HR-01 plus hence static pressure is not that important. Price is also not important.

What is important, they should have very smooth sound characteristic basically a smooth quiet wooosh... across entire rpm range - like the Nexus fan

What they should not have:
clicking, rattling, humming, hissing, chirping...

Do fans like that exist ? Or am I better staying with Nexus Basic fans ? I think Nexus fans are nicknamed "reference" for good reasons, just wondering if something like reference PWM fan exists. What I am especially interested in is if someone could provide comparison of high quality PWM fans to Nexus Basic at about 700-800rpm.

[lodestar]

The closest to a PWM reference fan in my opinion would be the Scythe Slip Stream SY1225SL12M. This fan was tested by SPCR as part of the Scythe Mugen 2 review see http://www.silentpcreview.com/article961-page4.html and http://www.silentpcreview.com/article961-page5.html. I use two Scythe SY1225SL12Ms on a PWM splitter cable which is connected to the CPU PWM fan header, one as the CPU cooler fan and the other as the rear exaust fan. The splitter cable is the Akasa AK-CB002, just as you propose. Certainly idle speeds in the 400-500 rpm range are achievable in practice, and the fans are effectively silent at this speed.

[quest_for_silence]

Do fans like that exist ?

Either a Scythe DFS122512L-PWM or a Scythe SY1225SL12LM-P work like that.
I don't know about the Scythe SY1225SL12HPVC, but it seems also promising.

[appletree]

Well I have couple of SY1225SL12M - the non-PWM version. From the "hand test" the amount of air it moves doesn't look very impressive at 700rpm. Also all of them have some bearing noise - but it is possible that an accident when they have fallen down from respectable distance to floor is to blame here Unfortunately I don't remember how they sounded before. But the biggest problem SY1225SL12M PWM it is "temporarily" out of stock everywhere around here (like 30 days delivery dates )

So is DFS122512L-PWM my best bet ? I've read some people mentioning motor related problems... will it sound clicking free no matter if in horizontal / vertical position ?

[fumino]

ive got some fans you might want to look into. they all look to have pretty good design, have what should be good bearings for horizontal mounting, and are generally considered silent (so they should at least be somewhat quiet xD).

• Akasa Apache Black
  Akasa Viper
  Arctic Cooling AF12 PWM
  Coolink SWiF2-120P
  Enermax Cluster
  Noiseblocker NB-BlackSilent Pro PLPS
  Noiseblocker NB-Multiframe M12-P
  Thermalright TR TY-140

fyi: if i had to guess, the akasa fans might be the worst of that group. the thermalright fan isnt a 120mm fan(specs list it as 160x140x26.5), but it does mount to 120mm holes. depending on you application, this could be a great choice.

[ces]

Apparently PWM fans are all generally nosier than non-PWM fans.

PWM or not
Slipstreams are safe choices and
Noiseblockers are safe choices

the non-pwm Nexus reference fan used by SPCR is perhaps an even safer choice if it is available to you.

[quest_for_silence]

ive got some fans you might want to look into. they all look to have pretty good design, have what should be good bearings for horizontal mounting, and are generally considered silent (so they should at least be somewhat quiet xD).

Are you actually testing and evaluating all these fans?

• Akasa Apache Black
  Akasa Viper
  Arctic Cooling AF12 PWM
  Coolink SWiF2-120P
  Enermax Cluster
  Noiseblocker NB-BlackSilent Pro PLPS
  Noiseblocker NB-Multiframe M12-P
  Thermalright TR TY-140

fyi: if i had to guess, the akasa fans might be the worst of that group. the thermalright fan isnt a 120mm fan(specs list it as 160x140x26.5), but it does mount to 120mm holes. depending on you application, this could be a great choice.

That TY-140 should be noticeably dialed-down to have a low and smooth sound from it, IMO: if he doesn't use any effective fan control it may turn out louder than comparable 120mm fans.
Maybe the one I could like the most is the Coolink, as it is more effectively undervortable than the previous Coolink generation, but IMO it isn't really preferable to something like a S-Flex SFF21E (same bearing, see relevant test on SPCR) with reference to sound: but it could be cheaper and it sports one of the maybe longest warranty (5 yrs, IIRC).
The AC F12 PWM *IF* it isn't noticeably better than the AC F12 (TC: and I have some doubts it can be), it doesn't worth so much to be compared, at any speed (I mean, for silencers: it may be about a couple of dB higher than a classical Scythe FDB), even if it's highly regarded by several co-forumers,: moreover, it suffers a very low static pressure and somewhat inferior airflow to similar sounding fans, maybe important for an heatsink fan (even if it's a somehow common issue for the best sounding fan).
At anyway, it's very cheap so it's a well balanced and far more than decent product.
I dislike Enermax and Akasa, but this might be one of my own prejudices.
About the Noiseblockers, these are somehow controversial products (very much expensive, very well built, with very long warranty, 5 or 6 years IIRC, but also somehow too much high specs, but as also a Noctua usually does while not as a SilenX does).
Talking about the Multiframe, it's certainly needlessly fast: it should be about a bit less quiet than a classical Scythe SFF21E at its own very lowest speed (which should be under the specified range by NB, moreover) and gives the same airflow, and as the Scythe it has a somewhat low static pressure at those speeds: so, are it worthwile, for silencers? It's probably an higher quality for an higher price (and the Scythe is already too much expensive). I don't think the slower M12-PS might be a better product (for silencers), due to a maybe too much high PWM starting voltage (when voltage controlled it looks like to behave better).
The Black Silent are a lot cheaper (maybe as expensive as Scythes FDB?), and I don't know it: if it should be a PWM version of their renowned PL2, I think that when PWM-driven at the very low speeds it shouldn't be preferable to a Gelid Wing 12 or a Cooler Master R-series (not to mention the Slipstreams, but which on the contrary are not well versed in horizontal mounting, as other silence champions like the Nexus Basics).

Well, eventually please let us know about your own findings and thanks for sharing.

[Parappaman]

I have two Noiseblocker Blacksilent Pro PL-PS. Setting them at 0% PWM rate, they dial down to roughly 600 RPM, and at just 1%, they quickly jump up to slightly less than 900, which might be just too much for the OP. They're fairly quiet in the entire range though (at 900 RPM, it sounds more or less like my Slipstream 800), have no ticking sound, and are EXTREMELY well looking and built. Also, just look at that mounting assembly!



I'm one of those highly regarding the F12 PWM fans btw. I mean, you can't overlook their price! 4 euro! If one's on a budget, nothing beats them.

[quest_for_silence]

I have two Noiseblocker Blacksilent Pro PL-PS. Setting them at 0% PWM rate, they dial down to roughly 600 RPM, and at just 1%, they quickly jump up to slightly less than 900, which might be just too much for the OP. They're fairly quiet in the entire range though (at 900 RPM, it sounds more or less like my Slipstream 800), have no ticking sound, and are EXTREMELY well looking and built.

Dear mate why ever do you want to run those PWM fans at 900rpm when a Slipstream might go down to 2-300rpm (depending on the specific controller) for up to -50% less money? Just for the NANO-SLI bearing (and horizontal use)?

However, like most Noctuas, the NBs are a luxurious purchasing experience, which is difficult to regret!

[Parappaman]

Because 2-300 RPMs is just too little for me, my pc is not based on an ultra-efficient i3/i5. At 600 RPM they're plainly inaudible, and when temps rise, 900 RPM are simply necessary. Plus, when you can get them, slightly used, for 8 euro each including delivery, it's hard to resist!

[Telstar]

Now there is the M12-PS which is a multiframe version of the PLPS.
What I really like of the NBs is the noise profile, that doesnt bother me a bit.