BEST QUIET/CFM 120mm Case Fan

[JFC15]

I'm looking to replace 4 - 120mm case fans in my tower due to noise. (1 front intake, 2 top exhaust and 1 rear exhaust.) I'm looking for a quality fan that can push some air to cool a warm computer but also be as quiet as possible. The two I've found are the Noctua NF-P12-1300 and the Cougar CFV12H. Not crazy about the color of either... but quality/prformance will win out. They are going into a In-Win Dragon Rider case and will be connected directly to the power supply. If anyone has any knowledge of either/both of these fans and could help me out, I'd really appreciate it. Also, if you know of a 120mm fan that is comparable or better than the ones I listed, feel free to tell me about them.

THANKS!!

 

[Halogen23]

I am a bit of an audiophile and was frustrated with the motor noise of the Cooler Master R4's that I had bought for my TRUE. I began searching around for very quiet fans and found this gem. You can also get two at a time for a nice discount.


I am VERY pleased with these antec fans running on my heatsink. The noise profile is very mild and the tone is low and smooth, even when running at 1200 rpm. There is a switch built onto the fan for ultra quiet 600rpm which is practically silent which would make it easy for you to choose fan speed since you'll have them plugged straight into your PSU.
Here is the only review I had seen of them. I bought them not knowing if they would live up to the hype but they seem excellent so far.

If you are looking for a more 'traditional' fan, I also highly recommend the NoiseBlocker BlackSilentPro PL-2's

 

[RavenSEAL]

Noctuas are as good as they get.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Noctuas are as good as they get.

but expensive

 

[iamgenius]

I am a bit of an audiophile and was frustrated with the motor noise of the Cooler Master R4's that I had bought for my TRUE. I began searching around for very quiet fans and found this gem. You can also get two at a time for a nice discount.


I am VERY pleased with these antec fans running on my heatsink. The noise profile is very mild and the tone is low and smooth, even when running at 1200 rpm. There is a switch built onto the fan for ultra quiet 600rpm which is practically silent which would make it easy for you to choose fan speed since you'll have them plugged straight into your PSU.
Here is the only review I had seen of them. I bought them not knowing if they would live up to the hype but they seem excellent so far.

If you are looking for a more 'traditional' fan, I also highly recommend the NoiseBlocker BlackSilentPro PL-2's

Noise blockers are good. However, and if price is no problem, I would suggest the gentle Typhoons:

http://www.amazon.com/Scythe-Gentle-.../dp/B001Q6RUVO

They are about the best fans when it comes to noise. They also move some serious CFM.

 

[Halogen23]

Noise blockers are good. However, and if price is no problem, I would suggest the gentle Typhoons:

http://www.amazon.com/Scythe-Gentle-.../dp/B001Q6RUVO

They are about the best fans when it comes to noise. They also move some serious CFM.

Indeed, the Gentle Typhoons are legendary but can be difficult to find these days.
You can't go wrong with any of the suggestions you've gotten so far. Each fan will have it's ups and downs- just find the one that meets your budget and qualifications for your build. The TrueQuietPro 120 is still the best noise/CFM I have ever heard from the noctua, silverstone, gelid and other very high quality fans I have owned. The noiseblockers and the gentle typhoons are probably the only real contenders, I believe.

 

[JFC15]

I keep going back to the Nuctua because so many forums state they are the best. I think my decision will be between the Noctua NF-P12-1300 and the Cougar CFV12H as originally posted.

 

[RavenSEAL]

but expensive

You get what you pay for.

 

[masteryoda34]

IMO Sythe S-FLEX are the best http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/acc/002/sflex_detail.html

Unfortunately no longer in production.

 

[TidusZ]

IMO Sythe S-FLEX are the best http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/acc/002/sflex_detail.html

Unfortunately no longer in production.

I've had 2 of them on my TRUE for 3-1/2 years, still just as quiet and good as ever. Definitely sad to see them not in production.

 

[ClockHound]

I've had 2 of them on my TRUE for 3-1/2 years, still just as quiet and good as ever. Definitely sad to see them not in production.

Yes. I miss the S-FLEX, but have found their replacements, the KAMAFLOW 2 to work just as well with a little less noise:
http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/acc/106/sp1225fdb12_detail.html

PWM version is also available: http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/acc/020/dfspwm_detail.html

Still prefer GTs in some applications.

 

[iamgenius]

Indeed, the Gentle Typhoons are legendary but can be difficult to find these days.
You can't go wrong with any of the suggestions you've gotten so far. Each fan will have it's ups and downs- just find the one that meets your budget and qualifications for your build. The TrueQuietPro 120 is still the best noise/CFM I have ever heard from the noctua, silverstone, gelid and other very high quality fans I have owned. The noiseblockers and the gentle typhoons are probably the only real contenders, I believe.

Here you can find plenty of gentle typhoons :

http://www.jab-tech.com/Scythe-Gentle-Typhoon-D1225C12B5AP-15-1850rpm-pr-4501.html

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Another vote for Gentle Typhoons. Nothing really matches them, not even most 140mm fans.

http://martinsliquidlab.org/2010/11/04/120mm-fan-testing-on-an-mcr120-radiator-round-6-summary/2/

http://martinsliquidlab.org/2010/12/10/r7-140mm-fan-testing-on-a-hwlabs-sr1-radiator/2/

 

[dkm777]

I second Gentle Typhoons, if you can find them. However, I recently swapped a Noctua NF-P12 for a Zalman ZM-F3-FDB on my Thermalright Venomous-X and - surprise, surprise - not only was the noise character more pleasant, i got lower temps by a few degrees as well. It was cheaper than both the Noctua and the GT. Another brand to consider is Be Quiet, but I don't know if they are available outside Europe. They recently released a new series called Shadow Wings that come in a variety of RPMs.

 

[JFC15]

I keep going back to Nuctua because so many forums state they are the best. I think my decision will be between the Noctua NF-P12-1300 and the Cougar CFV12H as originally posted.
Looking at the "specs", the Cougar CFV12H looks a little better than the Noctua NF-P12-1300. Than again, "paper" specs aren't always totally factual. That's where you all come in...

Noctua NF-P12-1300
Size: 120x120x25 mm
Bearing: SSO-Bearing
Speed: 1300 RPM
Airflow: 54.36 CFM
Noise: 19,8 dB(A)
Static: 1,68 mm H2O

Cougar CFV12H
Size: 120x120x25 mm
Bearing: Hydro Dynamic
Speed: 1200 RPM
Airflow: 60.4 CFM
Noise: 17.7 dB(A)
Static: 1.73 mm H2O

Does ANYONE have "actual" knowledge of either of these fans? I've checked out all of fans that were suggested in this post, but most specs state they are louder than these two. Maybe a little more airflow, but noise level is huge with me. PLUS, these two have a decent airflow and higher static pressures. Both "seem" like good overall fans usable as case fans or on CPU coolers. From everywhere that I've checked, the Noctua is about $3 more per fan than the Cougar. But if the Noctua is actally better, I'll pay the extra. Anyone ? ? ?

 

[dkm777]

Take it from a guy who had a case full of Noctuas only to dump them in favor of Be Quiets - the noise character is downright weird. The NF-P12 has a sort of high pitched howl to it that can be annoying to some people. Also the perceived noise increases at certain lower RPMs. Must be because of the vortex control notches working out of their ideal conditions. Never buying Noctua again, I think they're snake oil.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Take it from a guy who had a case full of Noctuas only to dump them in favor of Be Quiets - the noise character is downright weird. The NF-P12 has a sort of high pitched howl to it that can be annoying to some people. Also the perceived noise increases at certain lower RPMs. Must be because of the vortex control notches working out of their ideal conditions. Never buying Noctua again, I think they're snake oil.

And too expensive

 

[JFC15]

Thanks dkm777, but I'm having a hard time locating BeQuiet fans sold in the USA. So many people stated that the Gentle Typhoon fans are really good... but at 12v, they're 28dBa. I'm trying to keep my rig fans below 20dBa each. That's why I was looking at the Cougar CFV12H. They push some good air and are very quiet at 17.7dba. Just haven't talked to anyone that has used them for an honest opinon. I have the In-Win Dragon Rider full size case and it has the room for (11) 120mm fans (not counting the CPU), so that noise adds up. I currently have (6) 120mm fans on all the time and (3) more when I start to heat up the rig. And I agree with T Yamamoto that Noctua fans are expensive. But from what I've seen, most of the good fans are in the same price range.

 

[Termie]

Thanks dkm777, but I'm having a hard time locating BeQuiet fans sold in the USA. So many people stated that the Gentle Typhoon fans are really good... but at 12v, they're 28dBa. I'm trying to keep my rig fans below 20dBa each. That's why I was looking at the Cougar CFV12H. They push some good air and are very quiet at 17.7dba. Just haven't talked to anyone that has used them for an honest opinon. I have the In-Win Dragon Rider full size case and it has the room for (11) 120mm fans (not counting the CPU), so that noise adds up. I currently have (6) 120mm fans on all the time and (3) more when I start to heat up the rig. And I agree with T Yamamoto that Noctua fans are expensive. But from what I've seen, most of the good fans are in the same price range.

I wouldn't trust rated dBA for a second. I don't think you should go with the Cougars. Go with a fan recommended here.

I run Scythe S-Flex and KamaFlow 2 fans. They're excellent, but I haven't used GTs or Noctua (but have read about the Noctua whining problem). The Antec True Quiets mentioned above look interesting as well, but because they are brand new, you won't find a lot of feedback on them.

 

[dma0991]

I don't have actual knowledge about the Noctua NF-P12's but I got them pretty cheap and they're coming soon but I like to point out that sound is subjective and what is loud to one person might not be that loud to another person. As for the NF-P12's, I'm just testing them for myself rather than basing on opinions from Newegg which seemed positive but I'll be the judge of that myself.

One thing that I don't like about fans is that manufacturers tend to over inflate the specs at times, I'm not confident that those Cougar fans are as good as they say they are. I believe Noctua is no exception to that problem. Safest bet are the Scythe GT's but they are just as pricey and I'll leave buying and testing them later.

I own a pair of Noiseblocker XLP as well and I would say that they are quite silent. I don't have Scythe GT's to compare them with so I would rate the XLP's as silent, for now.

 

[dkm777]

JFC15, after testing a bunch of different fans I learned not to trust the specs provided by the manufacturer too much. For example, Be Quiet claims very high static pressure for their PURE fans, but while testing with heatsinks and a Corsair H60 I found that to be bollocks. The temps with heatsinks were higher than other much simpler fans and the Corsair H60 test was a total disaster - I have it setup to draw fresh air from the back and I could actually feel air bouncing back and the flow through the rad was very weak. The temps were horrible. As case fans they're great, very reliable. This has taught me to instead rely on hands on testing (which can get really expensive). If you want to save money, you can always go with Yate Loons. They're available in a range of RPMs and their impeller shape is kind of a classic - many great quiet fans are based on their basic shape, like Nexus Real Silent, Scythe S-Flex, Thermalright TR-FDB, Zalman ZM-F3-FDB. They have sleeve bearings though and won't last as long as ball bearings or fluid dynamic bearings.

 

[JFC15]

(3) of the fans I'm replacing are Yate Loons D12SH-12... WAY too loud (40dba). I was looking at the reviews that OVerLoRDI linked this post and viewed "several" of the 120mm tests. That review and post from dkm777 is swaying me from the Noctua's. They give off a wierd sound in the review. I really liked the Gentle Typoon 15... but they are a little costly (but still very much in the running... thanks to everyone on here that keeps pointing to them)... The others I "sort of" liked in that review were the Yates Loon D12SM-12, Artic Cooling F12, and the Coolink SWiF2-1201 (and SWiF2-120P). What about those? or does the GT15 beat them all hands down?? The Yates were appealing because of "decent" airflow, noise level, and COST. They are the cheapest of the bunch by far. Which, by all accounts, probably makes them the worst. The Artic Cooling and Coolink had more airflow than the Yates and were about the same noise level, but were more costly. I don't want to just purchase fans because they are cheaper though. I'm trying to find the best at a happy medium... if there is any. If GT15 are where it's at, then...

 

[iamgenius]

Thanks dkm777, but I'm having a hard time locating BeQuiet fans sold in the USA. So many people stated that the Gentle Typhoon fans are really good... but at 12v, they're 28dBa. I'm trying to keep my rig fans below 20dBa each. That's why I was looking at the Cougar CFV12H. They push some good air and are very quiet at 17.7dba. Just haven't talked to anyone that has used them for an honest opinon. I have the In-Win Dragon Rider full size case and it has the room for (11) 120mm fans (not counting the CPU), so that noise adds up. I currently have (6) 120mm fans on all the time and (3) more when I start to heat up the rig. And I agree with T Yamamoto that Noctua fans are expensive. But from what I've seen, most of the good fans are in the same price range.

You worry too much about noise. I can always sell you my two Delta's (PFB1212UHE) if you want, you will love them I'm sure, hehehehehe.

http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/de12pfexhisp.html

 

[iamgenius]

Here:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/120-140-fans-roundup.html

You might not find a review article longer than that one. Pick a fan from the first category(they categorized them into three categories according to quality). The Gentle Typhoon many recommend for you here is in the first category of course.

And here you can see that the Gentle Typhoon is the king(specially when it comes to cooling radiators):

http://www.madshrimps.be/articles/a...Roundup-Tested-on-WC-Radiator/0#axzz1sJjHUpdL. They are called legendary for a reason.

 

[JFC15]

iamgenius - I originally had (2) Scythe DFS123812H-3000 fans in a push/pull on my Corsair H70. I had to have them hooked to a fan controler because they were SO loud (46dba)!! I couldn't imagine what your (2) Deltas would have sounded like! (Can you hear me now??)

OK everyone... I know that I was slow to pull the trigger on a fan choice... I just wanted to make sure I was making the right decision. I am glad that I took my time and came to this forum to ask questions because I was originally going to pick either the Noctua NF-P12-1300 or the Cougar CFV12H. The constant push (and LOTS of research) for the GT15 won me over. I just placed the order at Jab-Tech (not a bad price!).

Thanks again to all!!