Need advice on 120mm case fans.

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tom thumb
Posts: 22
Joined: Thu May 13, 2010 5:49 am
Location: Middle Earth

Need advice on 120mm case fans.

Post by tom thumb » Sun Aug 15, 2010 3:16 pm

So my new i7 rig is nearly done and I need a good 2 or 3 120mm case fans.

So far I've tried every trick to get my total noise output down...

Noctua CPU heatsink - two noctua 120mm fans w low noise adapters
Seasonic X750 PSU - fan only turns on when system load exceeds ~250watts
Sapphire Vapor-X HD5850 *with* low noise adapter ;)

And now it's time to buy the case fans and I am finding that I have too much to choose from and too little information to go on.

I've read the article about silent fan anatomy as well as the one with recommended ones, and I've come to the conclusion that the Nexus D12SL-12 is "the best" that this site's articles can recommend, but those articles are 3 years old and I think it very likely that someone out there has an even better option by now.

Newegg lists 164 120mm fans, surely there is something better out there!

I am not looking for the most quiet fan either - several of those recommended here are effectively silent, with RPMs tuned down so low that they become inaudible - yet they move very little air. What I want it something that is effectively inaudible, but moves more air - something the Nexus does do to some degree.

Ignoring price, color, style, mountability and other irrelevant attributes, what is the most acoustically efficient 120mm (and possibly 140mm - if you have the time) case fan available today?

SPCR community, YOU are my last hope in this matter. Manufacturer dBa and CFM claims are often exaggerated and uncomparable, Product reviews subjective, SPCR articles dated.

I will take any and all advice you can give.

kuzzia
Friend of SPCR
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Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 4:41 am
Location: Denmark

Post by kuzzia » Sun Aug 15, 2010 9:33 pm

Well, in the regard of silence, why don't you have a look at the Scythe Slip Streams

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article832-page1.html

especially the 1200 rpm slipstream seems to have a very good air/noise-ratio (30 cfm to 21 dBA, 7 V)

Seems good to me. 9 USD on newegg, also cheap in DK where prices are skyhigh for such devices :(

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