Best "quiet" fan to put on a ThermalRight AX-7??

[SNoWyV82]

I am not doing any overclocking, just looking for a good quiet fan for this heatsink. I have heard either the Panaflow L1A or the Enermax adjustable. Also, where is the best place to get this heatsink w/o a fan? Finally, will this fit on an Epox 8K3A+ or a Gigabyte GA-7VRXP? Thanks for the input!

 

[minendo]

Panaflo L1A

 

[SNoWyV82]

Is a grill on the fan advisable?

 

[Cogman]

A grill on all fans are advisable. Get a cheap 80mm grill and save you fingers/wires from the pain.

 

[L00PY]

I'm not sure about the mobo question but I'd suggest not using the L1A with this HS -- it just doesn't push enough air. As for where to get it, I bought mine from KD Computers, but if I had to do it again, I'd probably get it from Best Byte. I've gotten equally stellar service from them as KD, low prices, and to top it off, flat rate shipping.

 

[SNoWyV82]

How about a Vantec Stealth that pushes 27 CFM at 21 dBA?

 

[Boobers]

Panaflo H1A 32dba@40cfm. My T'Bird 1.4@1.6 runs at 44c idle, 49 full load. IMHO it's the best compromise between cooling and noise, plus it has a fluid bearing...

 

[XaosII]

http://www.kdcomputers.com/eui/prime/profile/523/25/component.htm << is this the fan?

if it is, ill probably order it real soon!

 

[Boobers]

The H1A is this part number: FBA08A12H

The last digit in the part number stands for:

L = Low
M = Medium
H = High
U = Ultra

 

[mechBgon]

Hi XaosII, that one's a good buy for the dollar, but it's the "L1A" low-output one. Notice that the model number is FBA08A12L, and L means Low. There is also an M (medium), H (high) and U (ultra). edit: whoops, Boobers is faster than me

For what it's worth, the L1A fan moves more air than the stock AMD fan does, and the AX-7 is a better heatsink than the stock AMD heatsink, so even with an L1A, you would have better cooling than the stock heatsink (not to mention a ton less noise). If you would like a bunch more quiet fans to consider (and a bunch more merchants to browse), check here: thread

 

[XaosII]

hey mech,

thanks for the replies. i dont have stock cooling, but a Thermalright Volcano 6CU (cant remember if its a + or not) due to its fairly low price. However im not very happy with the temps im getting on my Athlon XP 2000+. However my concern is noise, not so muhc cooling as i probably wont be overclocking much, or at all (kinda ironic since im getting a heavy-hitter HS/F combo for overclocking, and i have the Soltek 75DRV5, known for its overclocking ability ); that aside.

I really seem to like the Pabst one. But the diff btween then Panaflo L1A and H1A really a huge one comparing sound to cooling ability. And is the Pabst one shown on the other post quieter, remember, my concern is nmore noise than overclockability

 

[SNoWyV82]

Thanks for the info. Yeah, seems like I have narrowed my choices down to the L1A, the Papst 8412 N/2GML, or the Vantec Stealth. The Papst is $19.99!! It does 26.5 CFM at 19 dBA which is better than the 24 CFM at 21dBA of the Panaflo or the 27 CFM at 21 dBA of the Vantec though. Maybe I will get this for my HSF and do L1As for my case fans. I would use H1As however I'm trying to keep this quiet, quiet, quiet. Once again, thanks!

 

[mechBgon]

Yeah, XaosII, those Papsts are going to be about the quietest. Your computer will only be as quiet as its loudest part, however.

If your motherboard has a little fan on the chipset, or your video card has a fan, or your hard drive is audible at all, or you have a CD playing in your CD drive, then it wouldn't really matter if you had a Papst or an L1A. Either way, you would hear those other fans or drives.

If your room is dead quiet, and you have the quietest hard drive (Seagate Barracuda ATA IV), and no other fans that run louder, then that's where a Papst would be worth the extra money.

edit: SNoWyV82, if you get both the Vantec and L1A, could you post impressions on how they compare in real life, noise-wise? Thanks!

 

[SNoWyV82]

So there would be no point in doing one Papst and the rest Panaflos?? Because then the loudest fans would be the Panaflos so the silence of the Papst wouldn't be heard...

edit: Yes if I decide to get both then I definetely will. However, I read in another thread that the Vantecs don't sound like 21dBA when compared to PC Power & Cooling Silencers. This makes me doubt that they are actually that good. Damn, they are relatively inexpensive compared to the Papsts too....

 

[mechBgon]

There is also the possibility of running your Panaflos at reduced voltage. I have a crop of the older Japanese-made L1As and they always start and run at 7 volts. However, the newer ones are made in China, so there may have been some changes. Lucky reported that his would not start or stay turning at 7 volts. If you did want to run them at 7 volts, it amounts to grounding their ground wire to the +5V line from the PSU, which is the red one. I would bet this would definitely work with those Nidec-made Vantec Stealth fans.

If I weren't broke I would pick up some of the YSTech adjustable-rpm fans to see how their noise level is at ~20cfm. Minimum noise is supposed to be just 10dB, but at 800rpm and who-knows-what airflow. Maybe when payday comes I can indulge in some fans to experiment with... LOL, if I'm not careful the Mods will change me from "Elite Member" to "Fanboy"

Note to the Mods: Don't even think about it! :Q

 

[SNoWyV82]

Hehe....yeah after reading a thread about Vantecs I think I will stay away from them. I am going to do Panaflo L1As for my case if I find the stock fans to be too loud. Now I am thinking of if I should do the $20 Papst for my HSF with a ThermalRight AX-7 or if I should just use another Panaflow L1A. I might try experimenting with running the Panaflows at lower voltages if they are still too loud. My case has an adjustable fan switch which will be convenient (hopefully).

 

[drwoo123]

I have an AX-7 with the Panaflo L1A on an XP 1900. It is quiet, but I have to agree that it isnt pushing enough air through. At idle 47-48C, load 54-55C. I was wondering if anyone knows if they A7A266 MB incorrectly reports the temp. With the heatwave in NY, and no AC the temps are crazy - 54-55C at idle!! I have even gone as far as opening the case and putting a large table fan blowing right on the whole system with a difference of 1-2C. Any ideas ??


Thanx
My Rig

 

[SWScorch]

Originally posted by: mechBgon

If I weren't broke I would pick up some of the YSTech adjustable-rpm fans to see how their noise level is at ~20cfm. Minimum noise is supposed to be just 10dB, but at 800rpm and who-knows-what airflow. [/b]

I picked one up the other day to go with my AX-7. I don't have a decibal meter, but just judging by listening to it, it sounds pretty quiet. At full power, which is supposed to be 48.7cfm, it is far quieter than my 50cfm Sunon 80mm. There is no motor noise at all; just the sound of the blades slicing through the air, which makes a semi-high-pitched, but low in volume whooshing noise. Its only detectable if you put your ear within 8 inches of the fan.

At about 50-60% power, it still puts out a decent amount of air, enough to cause a breeze, and is almost dead silent. At minimum power, it is absolutely silent, but the airflow is so low as to be nonexistant.

All in all it seems to be a pretty nice fan.

 

[dpopiz]

just use a silencer and make sure you do a careful job of applying the as3
I had an xp2000 running just fine like this, and it's silent!