Need advice: Stealth vs. Papst for old P3 system

[cleverhandle]

My old Dell (Dimension XPS-T550) is going to be put into service as a firewall machine. While it was never a particularly loud machine, it will be the third always-on PC in my living room, and the wife is keen on keeping things as quiet as possible. The system is a P3 - the early variety where the chip is on a board perpendicular to the mobo (Slot 1 maybe?). The only fan (besides the PSU fan) in the system is a 92mm unit in the rear with a hood that covers the CPU board. Airflow in the case is pretty much nonexistent, with just a few small holes in the front panel for ventilation - but since the machine is solely a firewall, it will have almost no drive activity, and no cards other than the NIC's.

So, I'm looking to replace the original NMB fan (34 CFM/29 dBA), since the other machines in the room have significantly quieter fans. I'm considering either the Vantec Stealth (28 CFM/20 dBA) or the Papst (36 CFM/23 dBA). The Papst is obviously a safe bet, giving better airflow and less noise than the original. But Vantec (on paper) is even quieter - will 28 CFM be enough to cool the machine well? I replaced the Dell about a year ago, and never checked temps before that, so I unfortunately don't have any good data to refer to. Also, for those that own both units, is the Vantec really quieter than the Papst? I have some Vantecs in my desktop machine, and I like them, but I always hear people rave about Papst.

Comments appreciated...

 

[Auric]

Vantec is not quieter for the same performance, it is just slower. Get a Papst or a Panaflo and if they do not offer a model slow enough to be quiet enough, then make it run slower by giving it less power -either the "7V trick", resistor (optionally variable), or the free, easy and flexible SpeedFan software.

 

[PliotronX]

Unfortunately, it isn't accurate to compare ratings provided by manufacturers. Vantec fans, I believe, are made by Sunon who make high quality fans, but do not excel in the quiet department. Get the Papst

 

[cleverhandle]

OK, I was leaning in that direction anyway, if just to see if the Papst hype is justified. Ordered tonight, but I won't have that machine up and running for another week most likely. If I remember, I'll post a report. Thanks for the advice.