Is a 31 dba case fan noisy? Need some advice here!!!

[rutchtkim]

I have 92mm fans on the top and side of my maxtop case. They are kinda loud. I would like to replace them for quieter fans. I don't care too much about cfm nor rpm's, noise is my main concern. Will a 31 dba fan will relatively quiet? I was thinking of getting Adda brand.

Thanks

 

[hcarlson]

It's noticeable, but not loud by any means. Anything around 30db is pretty quiet.

 

[CaptnKirk]

32 dBa seems to be the breakout level that annoyance begins.
On the logrithmic Decibel scale, 33 dBa is twice as loud as 30dBa, so 31dBa, or lower, should be quite acceptable.

Have you considered getting an adjustable fan so you can control precisely what performance Vs. sound level you like?
The Y.S. Tech is one of the best, and can be controlled between 18dBa to 40dBa.

 

[Salvador]

30 db is noisy to me, but remember that not all noise is created equal. You're looking at large fans (92mm), correct? The larger fans tend to put out a deeper noise and a noise that sounds more like air moving. What I can't stand is the little whiny fans like the 50 and 60 mm. I'd much rather have a 92 mm fan that is 30 db than a 60 mm fan that is 30 db.

Sal

 

[rutchtkim]

Thanks for your input guys.

 

[CaptnKirk]

As Sal said, "Base carries", you do notice it, but it's not one of those irritating whiney, bitchy ones.

 

[KingofFah]

I have an hhc-002 HSF. It has a 60mm fan on it that sometimes hits 8000RPMs. Needless to say, I have gone deaf. That is why I type, I do not have conversation with people that do not know sign language

 

[optimistic]

It's noisy. Now 28dba, now we're not talking

 

[warnerwh]

One decibel is barely perceptible. It takes 10db to sound approx twice as loud. The above statement that 3db is twice as loud is incorrect. Audio has been my hobby for 30+ years. I think he got the 3db is twice as loud as it takes a doubling in amplifier power to create 3db more loudness and 10 times the amplifier power to make it 10db louder which most people feel is about twice as loud.

 

[Jhhnn]

31 dba isn't quiet, it's mid range. Check the label on the fans you're now using, compare their power consumption specs to any you might purchase. Noise and cfm ratings are wildly inaccurate, comparisons of power consumption and rpm are the safest bet. Many enthusiast-type boxes are over-fanned, anyway, it's been fashionable for awhile now.

These might be the quietest 92mm fans on the market, and will likely do the job just fine, provided you're not running a mountain of really hot stuff in your box-

Adda

Or these-

Panaflo

 

[OulOat]

Originally posted by: warnerwh
One decibel is barely perceptible. It takes 10db to sound approx twice as loud. The above statement that 3db is twice as loud is incorrect. Audio has been my hobby for 30+ years. I think he got the 3db is twice as loud as it takes a doubling in amplifier power to create 3db more loudness and 10 times the amplifier power to make it 10db louder which most people feel is about twice as loud.

CaptnKirk is right.

--
What this logarithmic scale does is shown below:
If the energy level is 10, the dB measure is 10 dB
If the energy level is 20, the dB measure is 13 dB
If the energy level is 100, the dB measure is 30 dB

So, 20 dB is not twice as loud as 10 dB. Because a logarithmic scale is used, every 3 dB increase in sound level doubles the perceived sound level for humans.

taken from here.