absolute quietest cooler for 3770K

[nervx]

i have the HR-02 + Thermalight TY-140 fan using pwm. the fan spins at 500-600rpm idle and no more than 800rpm at full load, it can go faster but my temps(load 55C) don't get high enough to push it. my case is an Fractal R4 using only the two stock fans running at 7v.


My pc is:
3770k
8GB of Corsair Low Profile(large ram heatsinks might hit the fan on a hr-02)
Asus gtx 670
120mm fan PSU
Samsung 830 SSD
2TB Western Digital Red for storage


in terms of noise if i set the case fans to 5v i cant hear the pc at all unless the storage drive spins up or i put my ear right against the case. this is at night when there's little to no ambient noise pollution. i build with as quiet as possible in mind. i wasnt sure how the HR-02 would work out but i'm more than impressed. I highly recommend the thermalright fan as well, top notch stuff.

[g1981c]

Originally Posted by nervx

i have the HR-02 + Thermalight TY-140 fan using pwm. the fan spins at 500-600rpm idle and no more than 800rpm at full load, it can go faster but my temps(load 55C) don't get high enough to push it. my case is an Fractal R4 using only the two stock fans running at 7v.


My pc is:
3770k
8GB of Corsair Low Profile(large ram heatsinks might hit the fan on a hr-02)
Asus gtx 670
120mm fan PSU
Samsung 830 SSD
2TB Western Digital Red for storage


in terms of noise if i set the case fans to 5v i cant hear the pc at all unless the storage drive spins up or i put my ear right against the case. this is at night when there's little to no ambient noise pollution. i build with as quiet as possible in mind. i wasnt sure how the HR-02 would work out but i'm more than impressed. I highly recommend the thermalright fan as well, top notch stuff.

i was hoping to go as low as 300 rpm.

[g1981c]

so regarding SpeedFan - somebody said i could use it to set fan speed to zero ... but could it be used to AUTOMATICALLY set speed to zero whenever lets say CPU temp was below 60C ?

if i could use software to automatically switch the cooler between active and passive modes that would be awesome - assuming the cooler could keep the CPU under 60C or so passively when not under heavy load.

?

[lehtv]

Originally Posted by g1981c

i was hoping to go as low as 300 rpm.

Scythe 500 RPM + 7V adapter cable

[g1981c]

Originally Posted by lehtv

Scythe 500 RPM + 7V adapter cable

but you lose the PWM with this cable - correct ?

wouldn't it make more sense to put a low rpm fan on a 4 pin PWM header without any adapters ?

[lehtv]

The Scythe 500RPM fan doesn't have PWM to begin with.

I don't know of any PWM fan that spins at 300RPM on idle

[g1981c]

Originally Posted by lehtv

The Scythe 500RPM fan doesn't have PWM to begin with.

I don't know of any PWM fan that spins at 300RPM on idle

ok so it doesn't have PWM but i would still want the mobo to control its speed. what about that PWM to Variable Voltage adapter that somebody in this thread said he was using ?

being able to automatically control a fan between about 300 and 700 rpm would be nice, but being able to shut it off completely and automatically even better.

[infoiltrator]

The Macho is the original Thermalright passive cooler with a fan. I like the supplied fan.
Nans Gaming Gear had the lowest price over Christmas
http://www.nansgaminggear.net/
Check amazon too
Silent power supplies
Seasonic
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/artic...ly-Review/1664
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php...Story&reid=200
Super Flower (Rosewill and Kingwin and..)
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/artic...ly-Review/1666

[lehtv]

ok so it doesn't have PWM but i would still want the mobo to control its speed.

Motherboards can usually control supplied voltages, I think ASUS has the best fan voltage control. But since you don't overclock, there is simply no need to control the speed. HR-02 will adequately cool a stock clocked Ivy Bridge with only a 300 RPM Scythe fan.

but being able to shut it off completely and automatically even better.

To my knowledge that's not possible without physically disconnecting the fan power cable.

[MoInSTL]

As much as this forum thread and lehtv in particular has been helpful when I was choosing a quiet case and h/s/f, I recommend the OP spend some quality time over at Silent PC forums.
http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums. There are articles and reviews as well.

I've been a member there since 2005. There isn't as much traffic as there used to be since other quiet & silent products like SSD drives and the R4 launched , but there is still good info and helpful folks.

[AustinInDallas]

I just want to double check, but this http://www.nansgaminggear.net/Produc...MACHO-REV-A-BW DOES come with the screw driver? because 39.99 with free shipping is a great price

[lehtv]

Yes it should come with one. Found out that Nan's is selling the same cooler for the same price at Amazon as well, and it says in the title that a screwdriver is included.

http://www.amazon.com/Macho-BW-Suppo.../dp/B008YTUN38

[g1981c]

Originally Posted by lehtv

since you don't overclock, there is simply no need to control the speed. HR-02 will adequately cool a stock clocked Ivy Bridge with only a 300 RPM Scythe fan.

i don't doubt that. but you're going too far with logic again.

humans act not out of objective need but subjective desire. i *want* motherboard to control the fan because a stock cooler does that and if i *upgrade* to a cooler that can't do it then *psychologically* it doesn't feel like an *up* grade, even if objectively it is.

i want objective improvement ( dBa ) as well as subjective improvement in areas such as bragging rights, fanciness, awesomeness, and style

i want something sophisticated and classy but also functional and affordable and with flawless performance

[g1981c]

but in any case LEHTV your advice so far has checked out very well:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coo...ight-hr02.html

long story short D14 beats HR02 under heavy fan airflow and HR02 beats D14 under fanless or low-RPM fan conditions.

[g1981c]

so i have been doing more research and it seems Noctua PWM fans will go down to 300 rpm - both the 120mm and 92mm versions.

furthermore it appears that 92mm noctua is 2db quieter than 120mm when at the same RPM.

this got me thinking get this:

http://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NH-U9B-...tua+nh-u9b+se2

and this:

http://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NF-B9-P...ds=noctua+92mm

[lehtv]

i don't doubt that. but you're going too far with logic again.

humans act not out of objective need but subjective desire.

Maybe I'm not human then...

[g1981c]

Originally Posted by lehtv

Maybe I'm not human then...

that could be it - you sort of look like a dinosaur chicken too

what about 92mm Noctua though ?

[lehtv]

92mm for what? HR-02? Not supported. only 120mm or 140mm

Smaller fans are always quieter at the same RPM. They also move a lot less air.

[Maximilian]

NF F12 spins at ~ 300 rpm idle and is PWM.

http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=p...2&lng=en&set=1

[g1981c]

Originally Posted by lehtv

92mm for what? HR-02? Not supported. only 120mm or 140mm

Smaller fans are always quieter at the same RPM. They also move a lot less air.

i know it's not supported for HR02. i posted a link before, it would be for this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...6?tag=at055-20

yes it has less cooling ability than a 120mm cooler but from the data i seen it has a lot more cooling capacity than the stock intel cooler which seems to be perfectly capable for non-overclocking scenario.

in my application it would only need to be quiet when the system is pulling 10W above idle, so maybe the CPU is dissipating something like 6 or 7 watts above idle. i think a 92mm fan would provide more than enough airflow at 300 rpm for this kind of load.

i mean 120mm fans were considered badass back when CPUs had much higher TDPs than today at 22nm, and i am not looking for badass - just quiet - so 92mm i think should be good ?

[lehtv]

My original recommendation of running HR-02 passively or with a 300RPM Scythe fan stands. Of course, nothing I say will change your mind or persuade you, you're just going to make your own irrational decision

[g1981c]

Originally Posted by Maximilian

NF F12 spins at ~ 300 rpm idle and is PWM.

http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=p...2&lng=en&set=1

yes but it's a 22db fan versus:

http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=p...4&lng=en&set=1

17db fan, at about the same RPM.

5db is a noticeable difference ( assuming both are not actually silent, then it's not noticeable lol )

[g1981c]

Originally Posted by lehtv

you're just going to make your own irrational decision

hm ... so far you have not mentioned a single reason why my latest suggestion is irrational ...

[lehtv]

That's because

Originally Posted by lehtv

nothing I say will change your mind or persuade you, you're just going to make your own irrational decision

Which also means that if I said your suggestion was rational, that wouldn't have any effect on your decision either. You just get what you want to get, whether it makes sense or not

[g1981c]

Originally Posted by lehtv

That's because

Which also means that if I said your suggestion was rational, that wouldn't have any effect on your decision either. You just get what you want to get, whether it makes sense or not