Fan Speed Controller question

[IQJUMPuw]

Hey guys

I'm going to get a fan speed controller from SVC pretty soon. I'm looking at Vantec ones...

I have 4 case fans and 1 Antec TriLight fan (30dBa) and I was wondering how much quieter it will get if I turn the knob all the way down. Also, I heard that by turning it down, the LEDs on the fan will also get dimmer. Is that bad?

Thanks in advance!

 

[OulOat]

Well, yes its bad since your lighting system will get messed up, but no, it won't damage the leds.

 

[IQJUMPuw]

Originally posted by: OulOat
Well, yes its bad since your lighting system will get messed up, but no, it won't damage the leds.

What lighting system? I'm a little confused right now... hehe

How much quieter will my fans get? about 15dBa from 30dBa? (50%?)

 

[Cherub]

It's a little more complicated. Depending on the startup requirements of your fans, a rheostat based controller may need a little more attention to set correctly. First, a fan may need to be "turned up" to start spinning, after which the voltage can be backed down. However, if you go below a certain point, the fan will stop spinning (very bad, as the motor will burn out because it's still receiving juice, just not enough to turn). Rheostats don't go to zero, so add switches if you want to be able to turn fans off.

This is a problem with larger fans, such as 120's. Mine need to be turned way up, and then backed down slowly. There is a loud whine that developes at a certain point, and there is a sweet spot where the fans are quiet but still turn. It's a pain in the arse to set them, so I generally leave them running and don't touch them. I certainly thought it would have been easier.

 

[IQJUMPuw]

Wow I never knew that fans will stop spinning if you turn down the knob too much. Do you always have to turn them up when first starting the computer and then slowly turn it down? All my fans are 80mm.

This is what I'm going to get: Vantec Nexus

Do you know how much quieter my Antec fan will get?