Best fans to mount on a Corsair H100.

[GameLifter]

I am currently using an H100 as my CPU cooler with the two fans that came with it in a push configuration. I originally had Cougar Vortex 4 fans mounted on it but I had to take them out because they started to make an ugly rattling noise. I eventually read that the Cougar Vortex 4 fans have a design flaw that ruins them when mounted horizontally. The fans that came with the Corsair H100 aren't terrible but they are starting to make a slight rattling noise.

So what are the best fans in terms of noise level, performance, and reliability when mounted horizontally? I heard that Noctua fans are really good and Corsair recently came out with some really good fans. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

 

[ericloewe]

Everyone likes the Noctuas, but you have to put up with their unorthodox color scheme. There isn't much real-world information about the Corsairs right now (at least compared to older fans), so you might want to wait a bit for some thorough reviews and opinions.

As for the design flaw... It's a pretty big one. If a hard drive can be safely mounted in pretty much every orientation, it's unacceptable that a relatively simple fan can fail for being mounted horizontally.

 

[Zardnok]

I did a lot of research recently myself on what fans to use for the H100 and learned the Scythe Gentle Typhoon AP-15 fans rated for 1850 RPMs are the best combination of air-flow, static pressure, and silence. I just mounted two of them on my own H100. I have never read anything about horizontal mounting issues with the GT fans and considering the amount of research I did before my purchase, I would have likely read something.

If money is an issue, go with the Yate Loon D12SH High speed fans on a fan controller turned down or use the Yate Loon D12SL Low speed fans without. I have tried the D12SH without a controller and they were too loud for me, but there is awesome pressure spinning that fast!

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Gentle typhoons are the best

 

[dkm777]

I second the GT AP-15. Have one mounted on my H60 and it outperforms the stock fan and a Noctua NF-P12 in every department.

 

[dma0991]

The GTs are a popular choice but something cheaper like Noiseblocker XLP would work just fine. I have a pair for my rad and it works like a charm, hardly any signs of fatigue on its sleeved bearing running at a constant 100% speed for 8-9 hours. No strange noises either.

 

[GameLifter]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys! The GTs look really nice so I may go with them. I also like the cheaper price point of the Noiseblocker XLP and Yate Loon. I'll prob stick with the fans that came with the H100 a little longer because they are doing decent for now but once I get the itch to upgrade I'll prob get the GTs.

 

[billyb0b]

gentle typhoons!

 

[Nizzzlle]

I have Gt ap-14s in push on my h100 that perform rather well... I'd recommend for sure.

 

[n0x1ous]

Noctua nf f12. Made for rads and dead silent

 

[Zardnok]

I found some of the reviews I read before deciding on the Gentle Typhoons.

XBit Labs fan test

The first group includes the best models with excellent combination of acoustics and airflow rates. These are first of all Noiseblocker fans from NB-Multiframe and NB-BlackSilent series, Scythe Gentle Typhoon and S-FLEX fans, Thermalright TR-FDB (the specific model we tested) and Nexus Basic. The former fans offer not only the best combination of airflow and noise, but also look stylish and are equipped with unique shock-absorbing triangles. We should absolutely give due credit to Scythe Gentle Typhoon for remarkable bearing design and ridiculously low power consumption. And Thermalright TR-FDB and Nexus Basic together with the junior Noiseblocker NB-BlackSilent fans are the most affordable solutions among the fans in the leading category. If you would like to know my personal preferences in this group of products, they will be with Nexus Basic fan, as it is a practically noiseless model.

The Nexus Basic fan is made by Yate Loon and is essentially the same fan as the D12SL.

Mad Shrimps fan test using radiator

If I had to pick just one fan for my needs. I want something very quiet, but something that also has a decent amount of performance. While being a bit on the ugly side, the Gentle Typhoon AP-15 gets my top pick for producing the most CFM per noise level and quality of the fans tested. 9 volts in particular is my favourite spot which is still producing a good 22+ cfm on the radiator.

Bottom line:
King of Power @12V = Delta AFBSHE
King of Low Noise @ 12V = Noiseblocker S1
King of CFM per Noise Level/Quality = Gentle Typhoon AP-15

Well dressed Megahalem fan test

The GT’s are remarkable fans. I have the 800, 1150, 1450 and 1850 RPM fans. When I put on them on fan controllers and synchronized them, they sounded exactly the same and put out the same amount of wind. They feel like the same fan with different resistors.

Do some of your own research as well. You can search for Gentle Typhoon or AP15 and come up with more information than you will ever need.

 

[MacGyverSG1]

I have 4 GT AP-15s for a push/pull for my H100. When I finally get my computer up and running, I'll post how they do.

I'm still trying to decide if I want to pull in fresh air or push out warm air. Using a Corsair 800D.

 

[Zardnok]

I have 4 GT AP-15s for a push/pull for my H100. When I finally get my computer up and running, I'll post how they do.

I'm still trying to decide if I want to pull in fresh air or push out warm air. Using a Corsair 800D.

Pulling cool fresh air into the case and through the radiator is more effective cooling than using the H100 as an exhaust and using already warm air to cool the CPU.