140mm fan choices, horizontally mounted

[MikeK]

I just noticed this Fractal Designs case review from SPCR - http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1034-page5.html

Says the 120mm fan (FD-FAN-120) 11 to 12 dBa and the 140mm fan (FD-FAN-140) is 11 to <11 dBa. Wow. Specified airflow is 38.3 CFM and 39 CFM.

Both the 120 and 140 mm fans are very quiet on their own, close to our anechoic chamber's noise floor. However, they both exhibit a noticeable ticking quality. It is particularly bad on the 120 mm model, being audible within one meter's distance at 12V, and within half a meter at 9V.

[mattyc]

I have just installed a thermalright shaman on my gtx570 and the fan also has a click around 55%rpm which is massively noticable and also very annoying! I am looking for a fan to replace this fan, it is great if installed vertically but not hotizontally!

[stingy]

so... any updates on the scythe 140mm fans yet? I need to a few of them to be placed horizontally in my new corsair 700D. the stocks fans are a bit loud for my taste.

[MikeK]

I recently finished building my computer and I checked out the fans a bit so I'll relay a little info here. I have an Antec Three Hundred case and I bought a couple Fractal Design fans including a 140mm and Nexuses. I can heartily recommend the Fractal Design fans for low noise (and low airflow) thought I had to pay a bit more than I wanted to ship from Canadian site NCIX. I'm sure it's not the 9-15 dBA as shown on the box (maybe at ? distance) but they are quiet. I put the 140mm Fractal Design in the top horizontal fan port, a Nexus 120mm in the rear, and a Fractal Design 120mm on the side panel as an intake. My CPU heatsink fan is the Scythe Mugen 2 RevB and I have the Scythe fan that came with that on. I have an extra Nexus that I might put on the other side in push-pull configuration but with the rear and top fan right there I think there is probably enough pull going on at the other side as it is.

As I tested them while building my comp, I noticed all were very quiet at 12v. This is my first experience with the Nexus. They're plenty quiet for me so I didn't experiment with undervolting them. I think my house has average ambient noise level. It was 44dB when I checked with my phone app.



I listened carefully for the ticking of either of the Fractal Design fans and there was none at all in mine unlike what SPCR staff and others experienced. The horizontal mounting doesn't have any effect that I can tell so far. The Fractal 140mm is definitely quieter than the Nexus. I get the feeling that it's pushing less air though.

The Nexus 120mm has a midrange turbulence noise when I put my ear right up to it. It's very smooth. There is a little bit of electrical buzz that is only noticeable with my ear right on it. Slightly further away (about 6 inches) mostly all I can hear is airflow noise.

The Fractal Design 120mm has a slightly deeper turbulence noise and slightly rougher and it sounds sort of like a propeller airplane when I put my ear to it. It's a bit like a buzz but not an electrical buzz. The airflow doesn't make a whisper and the faint buzz is all you can hear at about 6 inches.

The Fractal Design 140mm has a deeper smooth turbulence noise. There is a tiny buzz that is only audible with my ear right on it. At 6 inches all I hear is smooth airflow.

The Scythe (Mugen 2 comes with Slip Stream 120mm) I didn't really test since it was on the CPU heat sink but at idle the thing looks like it's barely spinning so it's not making any noise that way. I still didn't notice it at load.

I got out a Panaflo 80mm as well and it makes a higher pitched turbulence noise because of the faster speed. It's noticeable at 6 inches.

Overal subjective sound -
It's hard to compare noise levels since they make different sounds. If I had to estimate, I'd say the Fractal 140mm is quietest, then the Fractal 120mm. Louder is the Nexus and loudest the Panaflo. The Nexus sounds nicer than the Fractal 120mm though.

Overall subjective airflow -
The Panaflo feels like it's pushing the hardest but it is smaller so maybe the airflow is just more focused. The Fractal 120mm actually feels like it's pushing a little more air than the Nexus. Then the Fractal 140mm brings up the rear and I can feel it but it isn't that much airflow. I don't know how much the larger exhaust area size makes up for the low airflow. The good thing with it in my system though is that I can really notice the warm air coming up through the 140mm fan when my system is under load since it's right above the CPU.

To get a better idea of airflow, I taped a small thin piece of paper I got with my case just above the fan for both the Nexus and the 140mm Fractal while they were oriented vertically (pointing horizontal). The angle of of much the paper was pushed out from the case would roughly determine the relative airflow I thought. Hopefully since the paper was wide it would account for the different fan sizes. It's definitely not scientific but maybe better than using my hand to feel the breeze. The Nexus won that test over the Fractal 140mm as you can see below. I didn't test the 120mm Fractal Design this way.



I was hoping to test all the fans individually with the dB phone app which would be pretty cool. I unplugged the hard drive, SSD, DVD and all the other fans to isolate my CPU fan but the video card fan was still the loudest. Then my wife and my rabbit came in the room so testing wasn't an option any more Maybe if I had a lot of time on my hands I could put in a passive video card and run the tests but that's not happening right now.

[BDBrot]

Hey MikeK, just wanted to say a big thank you for your post! I have been having a hard time finding (reasonably) objective information on quiet 140mm fans and your post almost qualifies as an article - especially with the lack of any professional reviews. I can tell that you went to some effort and I really appreciate it! In particular, I quite like the idea of using a piece of paper for objectively comparing airflow between different fans. I have a bit of relevant scientific background and, off the top of my head, I can't think of any flaw in this method. It won't give you a linear scale and you can only (reliably) compare the results for other fans made in the exact same set-up, but it seems quite objective to me . It is, of course, important that the sheet of paper is big enough, as you asserted in your article.

Thanks to SPCR as well, of course, for delivering some (slightly hidden) measurements on the noise of the fractal fans. And thanks again to MikeK, for pointing them out .

So, looks like I will probably be trying the fractal 140mm fans with my radiator. I hope I'm as lucky as you and I don't suffer from the clicking.

[aztec]

Well, I just got my YL 140mm 1,00RPM mounted on top panel of my A05.

This thing is quiet, no ticking, but it pushes very little...and i mean very little air. I'm running it @1,000RPM.

[MikeK]

Hey BDBrot, I appreciate the note and glad I helped someone. There didn't seem like much info out there about 140mm fans so I figured I'd add a little. Let us know how it goes for you with your choice.

[Just an ordinary rabbit]

Has anyone tried the BitFenix Spectre fans?
The Non-LED 140mm Spectre runs at 1000RPM on 12v (should undervolt to a nice quiet speed), Fluid Dynamic Bearing so no issues with horizonal mounting, and very importantly, cheap! (I can get them in the UK for £5! )

[tanassi]

I never liked the BeQuiet brand much (too pretentious) but it seems te Silent Wing 140mm USC is rather good and can be mounted in any direction. Will order 2 today (side intake and blowhole) and will let you know how it goes.

I was very unimpressed with the 140mm Thermalright x Silent, while I still like the TY 140 (as a CPU cooler, cable too short, needs adapter for case fan use though, dont like that).

Furthermore I get the inmpression that 140 isnt always better than a 120mm. Why do we crave the 20 extra mm?

[BD Hopkins]

Now more than ever is the time for SPCR to do a 140mm fan roundup; the 140mm market is glutted.

As I'm also in the market for a horizontally-mounted 140mm fan, I'll list some of what's available by bearing type:

Ball Bearing

• BGears B-Blaster BG01565
• Two Ball Bearing
• 1800 RPM

• Koolance FAN-14025HBK
• Two Ball Bearing
• 2200 RPM

Rifle Bearing

• NZXT FN-140
• 1300 RPM

Proprietary Bearings / Bearings We Know Little About / Marketing Gibberish

• Aerocool Shark Series EN55451
• Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB)
• 800 RPM with included adapter, 1500 RPM default

• BitFenix Spectre BFF-SCF-14025KK-RP
• Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB)
• 1000 RPM

• Enermax T.B. Silence UCTB14
• "Twister" Bearing
• 750 RPM

• GELID Solutions FN-FW14B-12
• "Nanoflux" Bearing
• 1200 RPM

• Noctua NF-P14-FLX
• "SSO" Bearing
• 750 RPM & 900 RPM with included adapters, 1200 RPM default

• Noiseblocker NB-BlackSilentPro PK-1 / PK-2 / PK-3
• "NanoSLI" Bearing
• 700 / 1200 / 1700 RPM (each RPM is a different fan)

• Thermalright X-Silent TR-X-SILENT140
• "Liquid State" Bearing
• 900 RPM

Sleeve Bearing

• Cooler Master R4-S4S-10AK-GP
• 1000 RPM

• Evercool Red Scorpion EC-RSF-14
• "Ever Lubricate" Bearing (I'm guessing it's sleeved because the name focuses on lube and lube is a major design component of sleeve bearings)
• 1200 RPM

• Noiseblocker NB-BlackSilentFan XK1 / XK2
• "NB-Longlife" Sleeve Bearing
• 800 / 1100 RPM (each RPM is a different fan)

• Prolimatech Blue Vortex PTCH-BV-140
• 1000 RPM
• Same cooler that ships with Prolimatech Armageddon but is available separately

• Scythe Kaze Maru 2 SM1425SL12SL / SM1425SL12L / SM1425SL12M / SM1425SL12H
• 500 / 800 / 1200 / 1700 RPM (each RPM is a different fan)

• Scythe Kaze Maru SY1425SL12L / SY1425SL12M
• 500 / 1200 RPM (each RPM is a different fan)

• Sharkoon Silent Eagle SSE-79098
• 800±19% RPM

• Thermaltake Turbo A2491
• 1000 RPM

• Xigmatek XSF-F1452
• 1000 RPM

• Yate Loon D14SL-12 / D14SM-12 / D14SH-12
• 1000 / 1400 / 2000 RPM (each RPM is a different fan)

Unknown Bearing

• Antec TRUEQUIET140
• 500 & 800 RPM with included switch
• Attempts to reduce vibration in frame w/ built-in "silicon" grommets

• Apevia Back & Green CF14S-BG
• 1200 RPM
• Pre-installed fan grill can be removed

• Cooljag Everflow FB14025SL
• FB14025SL is the number listed on a frozencpu item. However, frozencpu posts information about a 120mm fan in the details.
• According to Cooljag, FB14025SL is the mfg. # for model #R12145SL. But their information on R12145SL is not helpful.

• Lian Li CF-1410B
• 1000 RPM
• Pre-installed fan grill can be removed

• Lian Li BS-05
• Lian Li measures less noise and higher air flow but less static pressure than CF-1410B
• Pre-installed fan grill can be removed

• Phobya Nano-G 14 Waterproof PH-79031
• 1000 RPM

And that's just what is readily available on major US etailers and isn't PWN, have LEDs, or ≠ 25mm.

I'm going to order the BGears and Koolance fans to hopefully start with a lower voltage and the NZXT because I'm curious about the rifle bearing. The combined cost of the BGears and the NZXT is still less than one Noctua.

I may try out the FDB fans, too, because FDB is the more established of the lesser-known bearing types AFAIK. Just an ordinary rabbit, how have you come to the conclusion that FDB fans have no issues being mounted horizontally?

[Abula]

Really nice list of fans, i would add the Kama Flex to it, even though they are 135mm, its almost the same, their frame is 140mm, i own one 800rpm and was mounted on front of a lian li q08 (140mm fan bracket).

Scythe KAMA-FLEX 135mm x 25mm Fan - 800 RPM w/ S-FDB Bearing (140mm Mount) (SA1325FDB12L)
Scythe KAMA-FLEX 135mm x 25mm Fan - 1200 RPM w/ S-FDB Bearing (140mm Mount) (SA1325FDB12M)
Scythe KAMA-FLEX 135mm x 25mm Fan - 1600 RPM w/ S-FDB Bearing (140mm Mount) (SA1325FDB12H)

I would add also the Thermalright TY 140 since you already also contemplating the Noctua NF-P14-FLX, but its wierd 120mm mounting frame and an uneven frame (140/160), so might not be wroth considering if not all can be mounted like standard 140mm, still is atm my favorite 120mm+ fan out of PWM and good preformance.

[ces]

I would add also the Thermalright TY 140 since you already also contemplating the Noctua NF-P14-FLX, but its wierd 120mm mounting frame and an uneven frame (140/160), so might not be wroth considering if not all can be mounted like standard 140mm, still is atm my favorite 120mm+ fan out of PWM and good preformance.

Please explain. What do you mean by uneven frame (140/160)?

[ces]

Now more than ever is the time for SPCR to do a 140mm fan roundup; the 140mm market is glutted. As I'm also in the market for a horizontally-mounted 140mm fan, I'll list some of what's available by bearing type:

I would submit that there are only 3 types of bearings.

1. Traditional ball bearings.
2. Magnetic bearings
3. Sleeve bearings (most of which have some type of oil manipulating grooves cut into them and are sometimes referred to as rifle bearings and other times given proprietary names)

[Abula]

What do you mean by uneven frame (140/160)?

From thermalright website, Fan Dimensions : L160mm x H140mm x W26.5mm

The fan is not square or even, its has 2 flat sides (kinda off) where it ony measures 105 + 2x17.9 = 140.8mm, the other two sides dont have he flat spot, so its 105 + 2x23 = 151

[ces]

What do you mean by uneven frame (140/160)?

From thermalright website, Fan Dimensions : L160mm x H140mm x W26.5mm The fan is not square or even, its has 2 flat sides (kinda off) where it ony measures 105 + 2x17.9 = 140.8mm, the other two sides dont have he flat spot, so its 105 + 2x23 = 151

Are the 105mm holes the same as the holes in a standard 120mm fan?

[Abula]

Are the 105mm holes the same as the holes in a standard 120mm fan?

Yes, the following is a Noiseblocker 120mm fan,

[ces]

Are the 105mm holes the same as the holes in a standard 120mm fan?

Yes, the following is a Noiseblocker 120mm fan,

Do you think 104.8mm vs 105mm is the same... or is it just enough difference to cause some mounting problems?

The asymmetric edges on the Thermalright seem to make sense in the context of using it on a tower cpu cooler. Doesn't it?

[Abula]

The asymmetric edges on the Thermalright seem to make sense in the context of using it on a tower cpu cooler. Doesn't it?

Yes but its not that simple, the fan orientation will matter in some cases, for example in my current build im planning with the Silverstone TJ-08E + Asus Gene Z + Thermalright HR02, the PCI slot is close and the height of the case only allows 165mm that the fan might not fit, still have to try, but the Galaxy GTX580 has a backplate so going to steal some mm more.... at the end i opted for Noiseblockers 120mm PWMs to avoid any issues (knocking on wood). I think would be much better if Thermalright were to do all sides match, to do all 4 sides flat and measure 140.8, this will allow the fan to be the exact width of the HR02 and to install in cases with 160mm height, that said, the Macho seems to have a little more tolerance on the bracket and might allow the fan to go lower, so all i said might be worthles. Now you have heatsinks like the Silver Arrows (147mm) that are wider than the HR02 (140mm), so i kinda think the wider sides its intentional, but at the end the fan is still the same, its just the way the frame is.

Do you think 104.8mm vs 105mm is the same... or is it just enough difference to cause some mounting problems?

Well personally i don't think there should be any problems, thermalright might also be approximating, 0.8 can easily go to 1. I have mounted noiseblockers on couple of cases and they fit fine, although i have done it with rubber screws, thermalright design the fan to be mounted on 120mm specs, so my guess is it complies with the standard.

[MikeK]

Here here, 140mm fan roundup with review site winning methodology and measurements!

Yeah, nice list BD. The Fractal Design would be nice too since they already have them from the case reviews. Lian-li has a 140mm fan, but I don't know if it's a rebadge. Masscool has a couple as well (ball bearing?). Why not put the Thermaltake in there for fun It does have a unique blade/hub shape.

[BD Hopkins]

Yeah, I didn't add the Thermalright TY-140 because its dimensions were funky and it is PWM.

AFAIK, a rifle bearing is indeed a type of sleeve bearing. I separated it because I read that it has a "spiral groove in it that pumps fluid from a reservoir. This allows them to be safely mounted horizontally (unlike sleeve bearings), since the fluid being pumped lubricates the top of the shaft."

Problematically, this proclamation is a) from Wikipedia b) sourced from an email from Coolermaster to the Overclockersclub.com review site:

Rifle bearing similar to sleeve bearing however it has some special mechanism that will increase Life Expectance of the fan (still slightly less than ball bearing) and it is quieter than sleeve and ball bearing.

In the pic of "rifle_inside", you can see the rifling shaft on the left, and the rifling tube with some spiral pattern on the right. Oil is flowing inside and outside the rifling tube.

Imagine when the fan is placed vertically, the fan will weigh down a little bit, so friction is created between the top of fan and the axle, thus lowering the life expectance.

In case of rifle bearing, when the fan spins, due to the special design of rifle bearing, the oil pumps from the bottom to the top along the rifling shaft, and then flows back to the bottom along the side and recycles. the exit of oil at the top creates the force to encounter the friction, so protection is non-stop and hence, longer life expectance.

This was regarding the technology in a product they were trying to sell; there is certainly a conflict of interest. Then again, the foundation of SPCR bearing knowledge is based on proclamations from companies who needed to sell their products.

I'll update the fan list when I get a chance.

[BD Hopkins]

I've added fans by Apevia, Lian Li, Phobya, Prolimatech, and Thermaltake ... yet none to the ball bearing list.

[tanassi]

Just thought I'd mention that the BeQuiet! 140mm Silent Wing USC are fine for mounting horizontally, blowing outwards/upwards. Thermalright's 140mm X Silent wasnt.

Vertically the Be Quiet was noisy. And god I hate that brand name :\ Pretentious, moi?

[Goggles]

I thought I'd add a little informal review of the Bitfenix Spectre, since I used two of them as top exhausts in my new machine. Very happy. I tried the white-bladed NXZT with the rifle bearing first but after a while I noticed a ticking sound that wouldn't go away no matter the orientation. Returned the fan 'cause I couldn't stop noticing the sound.

I bought the black, 140mm non-LED version. At full speed they report 1100 RPM in SpeedFan and are rated at 48 cfm with 0.6 mmH2O pressure. Fluid bearings, so supposedly fine for horizontal mounting.

They look and feel pretty cheap when you hold them, but who cares? Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised because the sickle-blade design looks like it was designed purely to look cool. I don't know if Bitfenix as a company is prone to that, but from their obnoxious marketing copy I was definitely suspicious.

The noise characteristics are VERY good. I have no way of measuring it, but they are very quiet at full speed with no tonal noise and no audible bearing noise. I'd say they're about equal to the Scythe Slipstream 120 I have in my case at that speed, and they are noticeably quieter turned down to 900 or 700 rpm, although I have no idea how the airflow would suffer. Still, compared to the Thermalright TY-140 I have as an intake, they are quieter when set to what I estimate to be similar airflow. The Thermalright's blades make a distinctive buzzing noise, seemingly unrelated to mounting or obstruction, that becomes noticeable above 900 rpm even with it buried at the bottom of my case. The two Spectres sound nice up to full speed mounted on top and much closer to my ears.

If I put my ear right next to them (unmounted) I can hear a sort of sliding noise from the hub when oriented to blow downwards, the same but quieter when blowing upwards, but the bearing seems silent with the fan vertical. Inaudible from more than a few inches away in any case. The audible noise of the fans is very pleasant; just the ideal soft 'whoosh.'