Variable or fixed speed case fans?

Control: management of fans, temp/rpm monitoring via soft/hardware

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Variable or fixed speed case fans?

Variable
18
50%
Fixed
18
50%
 
Total votes: 36

WipeOut
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Variable or fixed speed case fans?

Post by WipeOut » Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:38 am

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?

ame
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Post by ame » Sun Aug 16, 2009 1:09 am

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.

K.Murx
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Post by K.Murx » Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:50 am

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 ;)

ame
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Post by ame » Sun Aug 16, 2009 11:52 am

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 :)

thejamppa
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Post by thejamppa » Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:13 pm

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)

jessekopelman
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Post by jessekopelman » Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:52 pm

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.

ascl
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Post by ascl » Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:23 pm

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!

spartan117
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Post by spartan117 » Mon Aug 17, 2009 12:00 am

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

dukla2000
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Post by dukla2000 » Mon Aug 17, 2009 12:10 am

Where is the option for none?

_MarcoM_
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Post by _MarcoM_ » Mon Aug 17, 2009 1:45 am

dukla2000 wrote:Where is the option for none?
OMG :lol:

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

WipeOut
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Post by WipeOut » Mon Aug 17, 2009 8:48 am

_MarcoM_ wrote:
dukla2000 wrote:Where is the option for none?
OMG :lol:

Today is almost 40°C here in Italy, where is the option for "breath of tornado"? :lol:
LOL.. Silence is hard enough at 25C - 27C ambient temp.. I would hate to try at 40C.. :)

xan_user
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Post by xan_user » Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:10 am

Cant vote, no option for both. :?

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

_MarcoM_
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Post by _MarcoM_ » Mon Aug 17, 2009 2:26 pm

WipeOut wrote:
_MarcoM_ wrote:
dukla2000 wrote:Where is the option for none?
OMG :lol:

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

Wibla
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Post by Wibla » Mon Aug 17, 2009 3:31 pm

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...

jessekopelman
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Post by jessekopelman » Tue Aug 18, 2009 1:10 pm

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.

Lt_Dan
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Post by Lt_Dan » Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:26 pm

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.

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