P182 Tri Cool Replacement Choices

majicjack_11 · Post by **majicjack_11** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:45 pm

Well I am getting a P182 for my new system, and after reading here have chosen to replace the tri-cool fans immediately. I was also thinking of putting 1 at the front of the case to bring fresh air in.

After searching, I have come down to choosing the Nexus, Noctua NF-P12-1300 or Yate Loon D12SL-12. I will NOT be cutting out the mesh at the back of the case, and have read about the Noctua making noise due to the mesh?

Anyways, what's your say? Also, I will be using a Zalman Fan Mate 2 for my Ninja (stock) Scythe fan. Will it be ok, since Zalman says 'Do not use FAN MATE 1 with a fan having a start up voltage of more than 5V. '

Much appreciated!

EDIT: Update with picture of fan location on post 8 below.

yamahaSHO · Post by **yamahaSHO** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 9:59 pm

Personally, I would stay far away from the Noctua. I have them in my NSK-2480 and the Tri-Cools have proven more quiet.

I have used Yate Loon (1350 RPM) and now I'm currently on Scythe Slip Stream (1,200 RPM) fans and both are decent. The Scythe seem to have more flow, but can make the noise to get there. From my use, it seems they have more flow at the same sound levels as the YL fans. For either fan, I would recommend a fan controller.

I would ditch the fan mate and get a 5.25" controller to have control over all your fans.

I would recommend reconsidering cutting the fan grills.

toki_c · Post by **toki_c** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 3:05 am

yamahaSHO wrote:Personally, I would stay far away from the Noctua. I have them in my NSK-2480 and the Tri-Cools have proven more quiet.

One thing to say... yamahaSHO permit me to laugh. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL.

Do you knwo that you've just said?! The sentence of the century man!!! How could you compare a TriCool with a P12 or a S12?

Oh yes, permit me to say a last thing: compare aples with aples...

EDIT: I would like to have your definition of a silent computer. Yours should definitely be different as mine or the majority of SPCRers'.

EDIT2: Oh yes, permit me to say that there are Nexus and Noctua in the top recommnded list on SPCR. I have no doubt about what the last Noctua P12 fans can give... high pressure with the new P12 design which was the only suoperior thing Nexus True Silent 120mm fans has when using a S12 fan with a processor heatsink.

jaganath · Post by **jaganath** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 3:46 am

One thing to say... yamahaSHO permit me to laugh. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL.

okay, permission granted.

How could you compare a TriCool with a P12 or a S12?

we don't need to, SPCR already did it for us.

The Tricool comes out very favourably:
Antec Tricool: 23 dBA@1220RPM/20 dBA@870RPM
Noctua S12 : 25 dBA@1200RPM/20 dBA@800RPM

you can say the Noctua produces much more CFM at those equivalent RPMs, but frankly there is very little evidence to back that up.

I have no doubt about what the last Noctua P12 fans can give... high pressure with the new P12 design

actually the new P12 has been a big disappointment:

Noctua NF-P12 ... vs ten other fans. Done.

Post by **NeilBlanchard** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 4:02 am

Hello,

The Scythe Slipstream 800RPM fan is extremely quiet.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article805-page4.html
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article805-page5.html

At 12v the 800RPM Slipstream is similar to the Nexus at 7v, and it moves a bit more air, too.

yamahaSHO · Post by **yamahaSHO** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 4:29 am

toki_c wrote:
yamahaSHO wrote:Personally, I would stay far away from the Noctua. I have them in my NSK-2480 and the Tri-Cools have proven more quiet.
One thing to say... yamahaSHO permit me to laugh. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL.

Do you knwo that you've just said?! The sentence of the century man!!! How could you compare a TriCool with a P12 or a S12?

Oh yes, permit me to say a last thing: compare aples with aples...

EDIT: I would like to have your definition of a silent computer. Yours should definitely be different as mine or the majority of SPCRers'.

EDIT2: Oh yes, permit me to say that there are Nexus and Noctua in the top recommnded list on SPCR. I have no doubt about what the last Noctua P12 fans can give... high pressure with the new P12 design which was the only suoperior thing Nexus True Silent 120mm fans has when using a S12 fan with a processor heatsink.

It sounds like you fell into marketing hype. These ARE louder than my Tri-Cool fans. In fact, they are just as loud or louder at their lowest setting compared to medium. High is just annoying.

I thought I would give them a try due to store credit.... They haven't proven to be worth the $50 (w/shipping) I paid for them.

I'm not saying they're a horrible fan, they just do not supply what they promise.

majicjack_11 · Post by **majicjack_11** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 5:25 am

lol good thread I sparked here..

Anyways, I will check out the slipstream and the nexus, as well as a better fan controller.

Thanks!

majicjack_11 · Post by **majicjack_11** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 7:25 am

Alright I have decided to choose the Slim Stream 800 RPM. Here is a picture of what I would like to do:

I am still unsure about the top fan, and whether it should be an exhaust, intake, or be removed completely...ideas? All fans would be controlled via a Zalman MFC1, and am still deciding which ones to put on switch and dial...ideas?

What do you think?

Thanks!

yamahaSHO · Post by **yamahaSHO** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:01 am

majicjack_11 wrote:Alright I have decided to choose the Slim Stream 800 RPM. Here is a picture of what I would like to do:

I am still unsure about the top fan, and whether it should be an exhaust, intake, or be removed completely...ideas? All fans would be controlled via a Zalman MFC1, and am still deciding which ones to put on switch and dial...ideas?

What do you think?

Thanks!

That is the fan controller I use. Personally, I would go with the 1,200 RPM fans as you can turn them down to be pretty dang quiet, however, still have room for more flow.

After experimenting with top fan, I eventually removed it and blocked it off. My 6-hour Orthos temps stabilized at 48C w/ a TRUE mounted on a E6750 @ 3.1Ghz.

majicjack_11 · Post by **majicjack_11** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:08 am

Thanks! Should I just keep the stock fan that comes with the Ninja as well since I can control its speed?

yamahaSHO · Post by **yamahaSHO** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:23 am

I think I would... I popped open a Ninja at Micro Center last week and it was packaged with a Slip Stream already. Not sure of the speed, but I would guess it was 800 or 1,200 RPM.

majicjack_11 · Post by **majicjack_11** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:26 am

Thank you sir for the advice. I will tamper with the top exhaust fan and see if it helps...I have been reading mixed things about keeping it and removing it.

Which fans do you think I should put on the 2 switches on the zalman? I was thinking maybe the video card fan, and perhaps the top (if i use it).

Thanks again

yamahaSHO · Post by **yamahaSHO** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:45 am

I'm not even using the switches... I have 3 case fans and a CPU fan which take up the 4 adjustable ports. My video card is passive (8800GT w/ Accelero S1).

You'll have to make that choice...

majicjack_11 · Post by **majicjack_11** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:51 am

Bada bing. I just hope this MFC1 fits in my case with the door closed

Thanks again!

jhhoffma · Post by **jhhoffma** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 6:25 am

If I may, you won't need the fan controller for the 800rpm Slipstreams. You won't hear them above the rest of the case, whether it's a single hard drive or a PSU fan or whatever.

They're damn quiet. The 1200rpm version? Not so much...but as yamahaSHO said, you can slow them down to be quiet. My 800rpm is running stock and my 1200rpm is about 700rpm. Very quiet. Though I think that fan had to be broken in, as it used to chirp loudly off and on, now it's completely gone (or has been for the last couple of weeks)

majicjack_11 · Post by **majicjack_11** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:14 am

Great info. I will get the 800's and leave them off the fan controller. I will however use the existing tri cools as intake fans (when I need them) and put those on the fan controller with the switch.

That being said, I will have:

-Rear exhaust 800rpm Slip Stream
-Ninja Slip Stream (800 or 1200 depending which comes with it..if 1200 I'll put it on the fan controller)
-Video card with Accelero S1 Rev 2 with 800 Slip Stream
-Keep 1 Tri Cool as intake on the fan controller
-Block the top fan, and measure temps and experiment.

Sound good?

Luminair · Post by **Luminair** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:42 am

I did this recently myself, and for simplicity, effectiveness, and value, this is what I'd recommend right now:

I'd use 800rpm slipstreams on the back, top, front middle, and front top in a scythe kama bay or a suitable alternative. I don't know how noisy the scythe ninja and kama bay fans are, but I'd probably use only slipstreams.
I'd remove the middle hdd tray and consider unscrewing the plastic mounts it uses. This limits you to using only 2-4 hard drives.
I'd store all hard drives in the bottom, but ideally have no more than two.
I'd remove the bottom middle fan mount and bottom compartment plastic divider.
I'd remove the front plastic fan covers and use the dust filters.
I'd tin snip out the front middle metal grill.
I'd route as many cables as possible behind the motherboard tray, which takes some trial and error.
I'd remove the PSU mount frame.
If the PSU cables are long enough, I'd face the PSU fan upward to avoid sucking in the dust that gathers at the bottom of the case, and shove the leftover cables below.
I'd use sticky aluminum (because the color matches) tape from a home hardware store and tape up the holes in the rear of the case that surround the PSU, and the hole at the top left by the removed Tri-cool fan switches.

If I was harder core I'd use a 1200rpm slipstream for the back output fan, and attach it to a fan controller that regulates the speed by temperature, giving a little more head-room for heat removal. Some fun could also be had by slightly ducting the front middle fan toward the graphics card heatsink.

You can do all of this with different fans, or slower fans, or faster fans... Slipstream 800rpms just happen to be a great choice for a lot of people. I bet using all 500rpm Slipstreams will produce very similar performance results for picky individuals who want less noise than the 800rpm fans produce (which isn't very much!).

Note that this config doesn't really need fan speed modification (static or dynamic) or an additional video card fan. The two 120mm fans in and two 120mm fans out at 800rpm each provides MORE airflow than most modern components need, as long as it is properly directed at them.

Note that because of the PSU output fan and the slightly more obstructed front fans, there is more air output than air input, which means you will maintain some (just enough) air flow over the hard drives via the bottom front input.

With this config a Q6600 w/ Ultra 120 and 8800GT w/ Accelero S1 are always something cooler than they need to be, and 2-3 bottom-front hard drives are around 40 degrees Celsius, which is below my ideal nominal temperature of 45 degrees Celsius. The same goes for a computer with a stock e6300 and a stock 7800GT

That is the summary of my experience after making my own P182 and then helping a friend make one.

majicjack_11 · Post by **majicjack_11** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 9:12 am

Wow great stuff!

Thanks for the info!!

tutu · Post by **tutu** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 3:21 pm

I've followed the excellent advice on here.

The Antec on low are way too loud so I replaced them. My setup:

Slipstream 1200 as exhaust,
Slipstream 800 as intake
Slipstream 800 on Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme

Top fan removed and blocked off.

The bottom fan was removed. Case vents around the PSU blocked to draw cold air from the front.

All 3 are connected to a Zalman MFC-1 Plus. The 1200 needs to be run at 5v (its very loud at 12v). The 800s dont seem to be any louder at 12v than they are at 5v.

I would have brought 3 800s but I ordered a 1200 as I originally was going to overclock a E2160 to 3GHz but I got some extra money and went for the 8400 which should theoretically be cooler

phantom220 · Post by **phantom220** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 7:15 pm

Just wondering how your HDD temps are with that setup tutu?

I too am looking at getting some Slipstream 800s, my TriCools are finally annoying me just a little too much. At the moment I'm thinking one at the back, one at the front as an intake and one in the lower chamber.

Originally I tried blocking off the vents at the back and not using a case fan but temperatures got too high.

tutu · Post by **tutu** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:20 am

phantom220 wrote:Just wondering how your HDD temps are with that setup tutu?

I too am looking at getting some Slipstream 800s, my TriCools are finally annoying me just a little too much. At the moment I'm thinking one at the back, one at the front as an intake and one in the lower chamber.

Originally I tried blocking off the vents at the back and not using a case fan but temperatures got too high.

According to Speedfan - on the "Readings" tab:

29c - Samsung F1 320
45c - WD 750gb (is that OK?)

This is after about 1 hr uptime.

majicjack_11 · Post by **majicjack_11** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:27 am

Hey tutu,

Just a quick question...are your 800 slips always at 12v? I just want to know whether it's worth it to get a fan controller since you say there is no difference in sound at 5v or 12v.

Thanks!

jeffc · Post by **jeffc** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 5:27 am

I'd recommend the Slipstream 1200s with a fan controller so you can adjust them down or up to full speed if needed, as others have suggested. They are quieter when slower. Or use 800s if you don't want to use a fan controller.

I would recommend using the top fan, but probably against the front fans. Try it without a front fan, and maybe with one of the Tri-cools on low for comparison.

Regarding SHO's initial comments about the Tri-Cool, the stock Tri-Cool at low speed is very quiet. They're about as quiet as the Slipstreams (but only at low speed).

majicjack_11 · Post by **majicjack_11** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 7:58 pm

Ok well I am still debating between:

a) multiple 800 rpm slips with no fan controller
b) multiple 1200 rpm slips and fan controller

I'd rather not get a fan controller, since many of them generate heat. I am just trying to determine whether the 800rpm slips are quiet without needing to be undervolted.

I will do more research

Thanks!

NTNgod · Post by **NTNgod** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:10 pm

majicjack_11 wrote:I am just trying to determine whether the 800rpm slips are quiet without needing to be undervolted.

The 800s are very quiet at 12V. However, my 1200s sound the same to me as my 800s when I undervolt the former to the same RPMs (I purchased two of each) - hardly there - so I wanted a little extra for when summer comes.

majicjack_11 · Post by **majicjack_11** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 9:54 am

Thank you sir

Xodus22 · Post by **Xodus22** » Fri May 02, 2008 11:18 pm

I'm also considering doing the same type of thing to my antec P182. However, I'd like to use the Scythe S-Flex SFF21F fan to replace the tri-cools simply so I have the option to ramp up the RPM if I feel it necessary in order to cool the system. I will most likely be purchasing a Zalman fan controller to manage all these fans as well.

Anyways, my question is, do you think it'd be smart to replace all 3 tri-cools? Also, what about possibly putting 1 of them on the front panel in order to increase air flow? How effective do you think it would be overall to my system noise to replace all these fans, and lastly, since I want the 1600RPM S-Flex, as long as I use a fan controller to undervolt it, it should be about as quiet as the lower RPM versions right?