How "loud" is your fan in a closed case? @30db, @40db, @50db?etc.

[Whitedog]

I?m trying to decide on 92mm fan for an SLK-900. I?m having a hard time figuring out how ?loud? a fan is at the advertised db levels.

I understand db?s, but I can?t put together 40db?s and actually ?how loud it is?.

Like this;

30db = ?You can?t hear it at all in an enclosed case.
40db = ?You can hear it if you listen carefully?
50db = ?It?s so annoying you have to have loud music playing to drown it out?

Am I close?

If anyone has a fan with ?rated? db noise level, can you share an example of how loud it is to you with your case closed up?

THANKS!

 

[AthlonXP]

40db, I got use to it.

 

[BentValve]

When both of my PCs are on I have measured the SPL at my sitting position @ 66db , its loud but I am the type of person
that can fall asleep with the TV or stereo on.



Here are some typical sounds, and their levels.

Sounds dB SPL
Rocket Launching 180
Jet Engine 140
Thunderclap, Air Raid Siren 1 Meter 130
Jet takeoff (200 ft) 120
Rock Concert, Discotheque 110
Firecrackers, Subway Train 100
Heavy Truck (15 Meter), City Traffic 90
Alarm Clock (1 Meter), Hair Dryer 80
Noisy Restaurant, Business Office 70
Air Conditioning Unit, Conversational Speech 60
Light Traffic (50 Meter), Average Home 50
Living Room, Quiet Office 40
Library, Soft Whisper (5 Meter) 30
Broadcasting Studio, Rustling Leaves 20
Hearing Threshold 0

http://www.jimprice.com/prosound/db.htm

 

[Whitedog]

BentValve... LOL!

Yea, I know all about the db levels of "other stuff". That's not what my question was.

These fans are rated XXdb... but that doesn't tell me how loud they are "inside a closed case"

AthlonXP gave a good example. "40db, I got used to it"
That tells me it was a little annoying at first, but not too bad.

I don't really want to "get used to anything" I think maybe 30-33db is my target area.

 

[Chaotic42]

With Delta? I'd say between 70-80 dB. It was louder than my AC for sure.

Now? ~30 or 40.

 

[anomaly]

There are too many variables really. It depends what kind of case, what you consider "loud" etc. Physics wise, every 3 db is a theoretical doubling in noise output. The human ear generally preceives 7-10db as double the noise out put. It also depends at what frequency. 40db @ 20hz, which won't happen with a fan, is a nice tone. 40db @ 20khz is annoying as heck.

 

[NeonFlak]

All of my fans are 80mm Sunon 50cfm 40db. The sound doesn't bother me but you can tell when the computers off for sure =)

 

[Darkhawk28]

I'd say between 40 and 50db

 

[John]

40db fans are too loud IMHO. I use 80mm Panaflo 21db fans throughout my cases, and I really enjoy the quietness of my office. I have a SLK-800a w/ one of the Panaflo 21db fans, and my 1800+ @ 2.3GHz 1.7v runs 60c under 100% load. The cpu temp is acceptable, and it is 100% stable...and quiet!

 

[Whitedog]

I ordered This over at Best Byte. Looks like a good fan. 52cfm@33db's. They had a Great price on the SLK-900-U too. $41.99! so I got that too.

Cheers! :beer:

 

[0roo0roo]

higher pitch is also more annoying then lower pitch noise. 40db is um bad. 30db i already consider loud. quiet fans like panaflows and vantecs are below 30. i use a fanbus to lower the speed of my fans until i can stand them. thats the best solution.

 

[BurnItDwn]

1 million dB .. Its very very loud

 

[RalfHutter]

Noise tolerance is an individual thing but most people seem to think that under 25-30 dB is pretty darn quiet. I'd shoot for a 30-32dB fan at worst. A 92mm L1A Panaflo should be just fine for your setup.

Personally, I'm a real quiet freak and I'm running only one case fan, a 5-volted 120mm L1A Panaflo and am happy with its noise. My CPU fan is a 7-volted 80mm M1A Panaflo and I can just barely hear it outside the case. I can live with it but would like it quieter.

 

[sharkeeper]

cough

-DAK-

p.s. Most of the noise is not from common fans per se. The user is also not exposed to the typical abuse as well. The actual system is very quiet.

 

[Whitedog]

Uhmm... I'll bet you could overclock that system to 1.21 jigga hurts.