Best Noise/Performance 80mm fans?

[dredd2929]

I recently bought a Cooler Master Praetorian. Sweet case, but the included fans don't seem to move much air. I wanted to get y'alls recommendations for fans that perform well (move a lot of air) but aren't too loud. I'm not too picky when it come to noise, just as long as it doensn't sound like my ShopVac. Someone recommended Panasonic Panaflo's, are these any good?

J. J.

 

[Varun]

Panaflos are one of the better 80mm fans out there. If you can find some medium speed ones you should be set.

 

[Deinonych]

In general, 80mm fans are relatively loud if they push a lot of air. However, I've had good experience with the Zalman ZM-F1 fans. At full speed, they generate 36CFM at around 34dB. If you want really quiet 80mm fans, Papst makes some 12dB jobbies. They don't move a lot of air though - only 19CFM.

Personally, I've given up on 80mm fans and moved to 120mm. You can get near-silent operation from a good 120mm fan and still get good airflow.

 

[JBDan]

I second the Panaflo vote in your case. They are very nice fans.

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: JBDan
I second the Panaflo vote in your case. They are very nice fans.

 

[Ricemarine]

Originally posted by: Excelsior

Originally posted by: JBDan
I second the Panaflo vote in your case. They are very nice fans.

Otherwise, PERFORMANCE VANTEC TORNADOS!

If you really want quiet, nexus 80mm fans.

 

[w00t]

That is it! I am sick of this people are dumb they get fans like silentx, nexus, and others that have low dB BECAUSE THEY DONT PUSH ANY AIR ANY FAN THAT IS RUNNING THAT LOW RPM OF COURSE DOESNT MAKE ALOT OF NOISE.

 

[mettleh3d]

nice

 

[d2arcturus]

Originally posted by: JBDan
I second the Panaflo vote in your case. They are very nice fans.

 

[furballi]

Panaflo medium speed controlled by Zalman Fanmate 2. If you cannot use a fan controller, then go with the low speed Panaflo.

 

[suszterpatt]

The 80mm GlacialTech SilentBlade is a pretty good compromise imo. 25CFM+ at 19dB.

 

[DanDaMan315]

ZALMAN ZM-F1 80mm Case Cooling Fan

 

[doinmybestatlast]

Panaflos sets the standard. There are other good fans, but more than likely you'll be happy buying the Panaflo. In almost every fan thread that deals with noise you'll find a bunch of votes for it. We're not talking high tech here, nor the best cooling fan, but the best noise/performance ratios. Also they are rather easy to find and at a good price.

 

[Jeff H]

dredd2929, take a look at this YS Tech Variable Speed fan.

 

[CreativeTom]

I have a couple Panaflo's in my P180 they are 120mm fans and they are ultra high speed, but let me tell you they are noisy.....I know they are the 120's and they are high speed, but I was surprised from all the recomendations on here for them how load they were.

I do also have a Vantec Tornado on my XP-90 heatsink for my processor, let me tell you this thing moves some decent air and it also is very quiet!!

 

[svi]

Panaflos and NMB ball-bearings offer a good compromise between noise and performance, and they are very reliable. Definitely a good choice.

I do also have a Vantec Tornado on my XP-90 heatsink for my processor, let me tell you this thing moves some decent air and it also is very quiet!!

Heh, the Tornado isn't what I would call "silent." "Ear-piercingly loud" would be the words I'd use. I take it yours is undervolted.

 

[CreativeTom]

Originally posted by: svi
Panaflos and NMB ball-bearings offer a good compromise between noise and performance, and they are very reliable. Definitely a good choice.

I do also have a Vantec Tornado on my XP-90 heatsink for my processor, let me tell you this thing moves some decent air and it also is very quiet!!

Heh, the Tornado isn't what I would call "silent." "Ear-piercingly loud" would be the words I'd use. I take it yours is undervolted.

Hey my Vantec isn't undervolted at all, like I said this is my personal experience, the Panaflo 120's I have which are the ultra high speed models are way louder then the Vantec Tornado.

 

[The Pentium Guy]

Originally posted by: w00t
That is it! I am sick of this people are dumb they get fans like silentx, nexus, and others that have low dB BECAUSE THEY DONT PUSH ANY AIR ANY FAN THAT IS RUNNING THAT LOW RPM OF COURSE DOESNT MAKE ALOT OF NOISE.

Calm down. Panaflos push a lot of air actually. I would trust their 25CFM rating over, say, thermaltake's 25CFM rating any day.

 

[CreativeTom]

Originally posted by: The Pentium Guy

Originally posted by: w00t
That is it! I am sick of this people are dumb they get fans like silentx, nexus, and others that have low dB BECAUSE THEY DONT PUSH ANY AIR ANY FAN THAT IS RUNNING THAT LOW RPM OF COURSE DOESNT MAKE ALOT OF NOISE.

Calm down. Panaflos push a lot of air actually. I would trust their 25CFM rating over, say, thermaltake's 25CFM rating any day.

The two panaflo's I have in the back of my case are rated at a crazy 124 CFM. The fans are basically equivilent to a 10" desk fan on high.

 

[svi]

Hey my Vantec isn't undervolted at all, like I said this is my personal experience, the Panaflo 120's I have which are the ultra high speed models are way louder then the Vantec Tornado.

Are you SURE your Tornado isn't undervolted? Do you have it hooked up to a fanbus or fan controller? If not, either it's defective or your Panaflos are hooked up such that any serious air movement causes a ridiculously loud whine (the P180's a good case, that shouldn't be it). I find Tornados and comparable 80mms extremely loud, easily louder than Panasonic U-series fans.

 

[Ricemarine]

Originally posted by: The Pentium Guy

Originally posted by: w00t
That is it! I am sick of this people are dumb they get fans like silentx, nexus, and others that have low dB BECAUSE THEY DONT PUSH ANY AIR ANY FAN THAT IS RUNNING THAT LOW RPM OF COURSE DOESNT MAKE ALOT OF NOISE.

Calm down. Panaflos push a lot of air actually. I would trust their 25CFM rating over, say, thermaltake's 25CFM rating any day.

Lol, that guy is on crack... They blow the same amount as a regular 80mm fan, (performance fan). A nexus 92mm has 27.8 cfm, 19.2 dba, 1500 rpm speed. It does fine acting as a cpu fan. Cause I'm using one!... Plus its not as loud as the panaflo that I sold off. Being such bigger, and lower rpm, causes less noise. Its better than having an 80mm with the same cfm.

If you go on silentpcreview, you will see it does just fine, and that it pushes AIR at least.

Btw, my cpu temps are 3 C off of the ambient temp.

 

[CreativeTom]

Originally posted by: svi

Hey my Vantec isn't undervolted at all, like I said this is my personal experience, the Panaflo 120's I have which are the ultra high speed models are way louder then the Vantec Tornado.

Are you SURE your Tornado isn't undervolted? Do you have it hooked up to a fanbus or fan controller? If not, either it's defective or your Panaflos are hooked up such that any serious air movement causes a ridiculously loud whine (the P180's a good case, that shouldn't be it). I find Tornados and comparable 80mms extremely loud, easily louder than Panasonic U-series fans.

No i am sure the Vantec is not undervolted, I have checked the speed on it and it's at max Rpm and I think the reading that the BIOS is giving me on the fan speed is correct. I am running my 3700+ Sandy at 2.73Ghz right now with an idle temp of only 33c and at load it peaks at 37c, so I must say that those are some awesome temps with a 25% OC on the CPU.

 

[svi]

No i am sure the Vantec is not undervolted, I have checked the speed on it and it's at max Rpm and I think the reading that the BIOS is giving me on the fan speed is correct.

Er, what does the BIOS say the fan's spinning at? If it gives a reading at all, the fan is plugged into the motherboard, which means there's a possibility of it being speed-throttled depending on CPU temp. Since your temps are nice and low, your fan would stay well below top speed.

 

[CreativeTom]

Originally posted by: svi

No i am sure the Vantec is not undervolted, I have checked the speed on it and it's at max Rpm and I think the reading that the BIOS is giving me on the fan speed is correct.

Er, what does the BIOS say the fan's spinning at? If it gives a reading at all, the fan is plugged into the motherboard, which means there's a possibility of it being speed-throttled depending on CPU temp. Since your temps are nice and low, your fan would stay well below top speed.

Yes that is very true, but the Bios settings that I have saved for my overclock I have the fan set to always on max if the CPU is over 30c. I don't know why you don't believe that the Vantec is on high and it's not that noisy.....The fan isn't the most quiet thing I have heard, but it's way drownd out by the hum of the panaflows on max.

 

[svi]

Yes that is very true, but the Bios settings that I have saved for my overclock I have the fan set to always on max if the CPU is over 30c. I don't know why you don't believe that the Vantec is on high and it's not that noisy.....The fan isn't the most quiet thing I have heard, but it's way drownd out by the hum of the panaflows on max.

I don't believe it because, next to my collection of Delta EHE-series fans, the Tornado is easily the loudest fan I have ever used. My pair of U1As are nowhere near as loud as either. If you have a multimeter (doesn't need to be a fancy one), an oscilloscope, or an SPL meter, there are simple tests that will determine what's going on here.