How much DB are "loud"? (For a cooler)

[ndee]

Yep, I got kind of "normal" ears LOL

 

[bluntman]

Do you mean in terms of computer case fans or in general?

Any decibel reading over, say, 32-ish is generally regarded as being too loud. In general, anything over 85db to 90db is considered loud.

 

[cirrus1]

I don't have a definition of loud, but my neighbours do (about 105 dB's)
Sad when I like it that way.

 

[ndee]

Sorry, I meant coolers, when are coolers loud?

 

[overdoze]

to me anything over 30 is loud. I may have sensitive ear

 

[Cable God]

No idea, but this dang YS Tech 120MM case fan has almost a deafening roar to it....

 

[tonyou]

I also think that a fan should be around 30dBA or lower to qualify as quiet fan. However, whisper quiet will require 23dBA and silent type should be 20dBA or lower. These are my opinion of course...

Tony

 

[Cybordolphin]

Be sure to add ALL your case fans for your total dBA.

 

[Goi]

Cyberdolphin, dBa is a logarithmic scale, so you can't add them up linearly.

 

[jebus]

I'm not sure if this is a dumb question, but how do all of you measure the noise to the decibel? All of you have such precise ears? My fan's don't say how loud they are so I was wondering how all of you know...

 

[tonyou]

We are basically quoting the spec from the manufacturers, I know they can't be completely trusted, but...

Quoting from ADDA's catalogue:

&quot;Measurements of noise levels are made in accordance with CNS 8753 (which is comparable to DIN 45635) in a sound proof chamber with a sound level Lp < 15 dBA. A microphone is placed 1 meter from the center line of the fan under test which is supported on elastic mounts in the center of test room. The fan is then run free blowing, without resistance to airflow.&quot;


Tony

 

[Rigoletto]

In the cooling the Athlon roundup on Anandtech they mentioned Globalwin VEK32 and FKK50. The former was supposed to be a noisy beast but on globalwin site it says both sound 36db. I'm getting one but worried about the noise!

 

[bluntman]

Jebus, you measure it with a SPL (sound pressure level, I believe) meter. You can get one from Radio Shack.

 

[Jubjub]

ndee,

The other thing to bear in mind is that how a fan is mounted will have a huge influence on how loud it sounds to you (versus its sound hanging in the lab where the manufacturer tested it). In particular, I've found the distance between the fan and anything that disrupts its airflow to be a critical factor.
For example, I had slapped a 92mm 3dfxCool fan into my Inwin Q500 by bolting it to the inside surface of the case in front of the pre-drilled grill holes (low front; I had removed the plastic mounting bracket there for an 80mm). Anyway, it was loud as hell! But when I offset the fan from the grill by about one inch, the noise level fell dramatically.
Placement of the fan will also affect the pitch of the sound put out by a fan, and pitch is directly related to perceived loudness.
(Oh, and by the way, insetting the fan from the wall of the case as I did meant that it would be recycling the air already inside the case instead of drawing cool air in from outside. To prevent that problem I built a short duct out of foam-core board from the fan to the back side of the grill).

 

[Hittman]

I have 4 ADDA 80mm case fans rated at 41.0dB (50 CFM) and 2 ADDA 60mm rated at 37dB (28.3 CFM) on my Alpha 7125. I can tell you for sure that these are loud, but I wouldn't have it any other way.