What's the best way to differentiate between two fans?
Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2015 1:39 pm
I'm in the process of refining my first low noise oriented computer. At the moment, the two most noticeable noise sources are the CPU heatsink fan and my case fans. The heatsink is a Scythe Kotetsu with the stock fan. My case fans are Noiseblocker NB eLoop B12-2's. I have two B12-2's in the front of the case and one at the back as an exhaust.
At the lowest RPM settings for the stock Scythe fan and the B12-2's, they each exhibit undesirable noise qualities. The Scythe clicks all through the acceptable RPM range... I believe it also clicks at higher RPM's but by that point, the clicking is drowned out by the rest of the noise produced by the fan. The B12-2's produce what I can best describe as an electrical noise at low RPM's... it's similar to a fluorescent light but not as loud. In the same way that the Kotetsu fan click is barely audible, the "electrical buzz" from the B12-2's is very quiet but noticeable to an obsessive such as myself.
In a quest to see just how quiet I could get my PC, I tried some other fans I had laying around. That's where things got a little complicated. I tried replacing one of the B12-2's with a 1850rpm Scythe Gentle Typhoon. I wasn't expecting much due to the GT's higher RPM rating. I ran the B12-2 at it's lowest speed and matched said speed with the Scythe GT. To my surprise, the GT is not only quieter than the B12-2 but it can also run at much lower RPM's (roughly 300rpm, half of the B12-2's minimum), it feels like it has better airflow according to the palm of my hand and to cap it off; it's quieter too! Even at it's lowest RPM of just under 300rpm (I'll add exact numbers tomorrow), there are no annoying clicks or strange noises and the airflow, whilst weak, still feels pretty good considering the low RPM.
So where do I go from here? The GT seams better in every way but surely it's too good to be true. How can I test the difference between the two different fans? Would replacing the heatsink fan with the two case fans, first one and then the other and then running a benchmark be the best way to differentiate between the two?
At the lowest RPM settings for the stock Scythe fan and the B12-2's, they each exhibit undesirable noise qualities. The Scythe clicks all through the acceptable RPM range... I believe it also clicks at higher RPM's but by that point, the clicking is drowned out by the rest of the noise produced by the fan. The B12-2's produce what I can best describe as an electrical noise at low RPM's... it's similar to a fluorescent light but not as loud. In the same way that the Kotetsu fan click is barely audible, the "electrical buzz" from the B12-2's is very quiet but noticeable to an obsessive such as myself.
In a quest to see just how quiet I could get my PC, I tried some other fans I had laying around. That's where things got a little complicated. I tried replacing one of the B12-2's with a 1850rpm Scythe Gentle Typhoon. I wasn't expecting much due to the GT's higher RPM rating. I ran the B12-2 at it's lowest speed and matched said speed with the Scythe GT. To my surprise, the GT is not only quieter than the B12-2 but it can also run at much lower RPM's (roughly 300rpm, half of the B12-2's minimum), it feels like it has better airflow according to the palm of my hand and to cap it off; it's quieter too! Even at it's lowest RPM of just under 300rpm (I'll add exact numbers tomorrow), there are no annoying clicks or strange noises and the airflow, whilst weak, still feels pretty good considering the low RPM.
So where do I go from here? The GT seams better in every way but surely it's too good to be true. How can I test the difference between the two different fans? Would replacing the heatsink fan with the two case fans, first one and then the other and then running a benchmark be the best way to differentiate between the two?