Need some new fans and fan controller for my computer

[T0bias]

Hi,

I am considering to get some new case fans and some new fans for my H100 cooler. It's actually mainly the H100 stock fans as I think they're too loud - if I put the H100 on anything but low the fans are too noisy for me.

They're ok on low apart from the fact that I do hear a slight whining noise (not sure how to describe it) from my PC, and I think the fans are contributing to that - if I could get it more quiet without sacrificing performance I'd of course like that

I have been considering two Noctua NF-F12 for the H100 - I know they're a little expensive, but I don't think the cost is too bad (and I find their color fine). It seems like they perform really well and are very quiet. Most reviews where they use them specifically for the H100 they run it at max though, but I'm thinking they will probably be more quiet on medium than the stock fans on low - while maintaining the performance of stock fans on low?

I am a little more in doubt about case fans. They're very quiet (3xAntec TwoCool 120mm that came with P280), but they don't really seem to be very effective (if I hold my hand close to them I can hardly feel them doing anything) - so I was thinking if I could get better performance without sacrificing quietness? I was looking at the Noctua NF-S12B FLX.

Last but not least I was thinking about getting a fan controller, which one would you recommend? I'd prefer if it could handle 6 fans, so I have the option to add some extra case fans if necessary. I was also considering to connect the H100 pump to it as I've read about people having success removing a slight clicking noise from the pump by lowering the "speed" just a little bit on a fan controller.

I hope someone can help me a bit

Btw, my computer setup is as follows in case it matters
i7-3930k with H100, 16GB Corsair memory, P280 case, Seasonic 860 Platinum power supply and a Gigabyte GTX 460 (temporary)

 

[Scoobyboo]

I have two Noctua NF-S12B FLX as casefans and they are really good.
Definitely worth their money in my opinion...
And that FLX version comes with special cables so you can adjust the fanspeed by connecting through a different cable.

I only have the standard fan controller that came with my Fractal Define Mini, so I don't have any experience when it comes to controllers I'm afraid.

 

[dma0991]

I don't know how much Noctua NF-F12 would cost but the tried and tested Scythe GTs would work just as well if not better. You're not feeling much of a draft with the case fans as it might not be running at full speed, especially if it is connected to the motherboard header and the PC is idling.

Get some Noiseblocker or Noctua as case fans, doesn't really matter actually if they are controlled manually with a fan speed controller. FYI I do have a pair of Noctua NF-P12 as case fans, they are undoubtedly quiet but its pricey for the silence you're getting.

I'm using a Lamptron fan controller and it has been trouble free for the past few months since I've built my rig. I like them for the fact that they can support a lot of fans per channel/knob. You can go with the 6 channel FC2 or get something like mine, FC5v2 and run a Y-splitter for each channel, controlling 2 fans per channel.

 

[T0bias]

Thanks for your replies

The Scythe GT you mention is that this one http://www.coolerkit.dk/shop/scythe-gentle-typhoon-1909p.html? (1850 Rpm).

It's actually a fair bit cheaper than the Noctua NF-F12- it just seems everyone is generally very happy about Noctua products, so I don't know really Never really got around replacing any fans even though I wanted to do it a few times - so I don't have any experience myself.

Do you think the NF-P12 is better than NF-S12B FLX for a case fan? Isn't the latter designed to be a case fan where the NF-P12 is more for coolers, as the NF-F12?

And did you think of any particular noiseblocker fan?

 

[dma0991]

I don't think everyone is happy about Noctua fans. They would be complaining about the price or its color. I can't really complain about its price since I got it cheap and color isn't an issue since it is hidden inside my case. I can't really vouch for how well Scythe GTs perform as I have all the fans I need as of now, maybe I'll cough up for a few soon but till then, I'll take the word of the majority of users who watercools their rigs.

It's difficult to decide between a flow optimized or a pressure optimized fan when it comes to case fans. Pressure optimized fans although lower in flow, has its merits from its increased pressure. I chose the Noctua NF-P12 particularly due to the fact that I have filters and the extra pressure would help with the added restriction from the filters. You could go with either and they would work the same, minimal difference at best. I'm using Noiseblocker XLP as my rad fans, not a very popular choice when it comes to rad fans but it will have to do till I get myself some Scythe GTs.

Any fans you're using, if it is controlled manually via a fan speed controller, it should be as silent to your level of tolerance. I have my pair or Noctua NF-P12 and Noiseblocker XLP running at <1kRPM speed pretty much all the time controlled with the Lamptron FC5v2 and they are dead silent.

 

[T0bias]

Yes ok apart from price and color But I don't think the difference in price between the Noctua and Scythe is that big, it's only when comparing with a really cheap fan that it seems expensive. I'm also hiding the fans away inside my case so I don't mind the color at all. So only the performance and noise matters for me.

Another thing about noise is the type of noise - I suspect some fans may produce good scores in a noise test- but the sound may be high frequency or in other ways be more annoying than other fans - that's just me guessing though, but I read that the Scythe GT at some RPM's can whine?

I also have dust filters at all intake fans, and the case itself is kinda closed compared with other cases since it's supposed to be a noise dampened case. Does that too point towards using a pressure optimized fan?

I think it's best if the fans on the H100 is controlled via the unit itself, so that removes a bit of flexibility

 

[dma0991]

AFAIK Scythe GTs will only whine at certain speeds, I believe it is somewhere in the middle range, not on the lower speed or highest speed. This shouldn't be a problem if you have a fan controller that you can set manually. You could set it to be controlled by the H100 unit itself but I actually prefer a fan that has a speed that I set it to be.

That would mean that I don't get the noise that is associated with the fan ramping up or ramping down. I set the fan speed to be fixed at a certain noise intensity that I'm comfortable with. That way, my ears don't have to get used to the fan noise at different intensity levels.

Special cases where there are filters or something that restricts the fan, I believe a pressure optimized fan is best suited for it. Flow optimized could be used as exhaust fans, since filters are not required for exhausts.

 

[T0bias]

It's just because it's for the CPU I think it may be better that it's controlled by the H100? So I don't have to worry about turning up the speed when I'm doing something cpu intensive, or if I forget to do it.

It doesn't sound so good with potential whining on the Scythe GT, maybe it wont be a problem, but it's difficult to say Maybe I should just try the NF-F12, then I guess I can always use it as a case fan if I'm not happy with it.

 

[T0bias]

Regarding the fan controller I also found the Scythe Master Pro, it controls 6 fans (easier if it just works with 6 fans right away without needing to get splitters imo) - do you have any experience with this one?

I also looked a bit on the Lamptron Touch, which also controls 6 fans, but it's touch - I don't know if I'd like that - seems easier just to quickly turn up the knobs on a regular controller in case I need to leave the computer rendering overnight with load at 100% (which I often do) - seems to be more fiddling with the touch interface.

 

[dma0991]

What I meant with splitters is that you could control fans in pairs which is ideal in my situation. I don't have splitters so every time I need to adjust the fan speeds, I would have to turn up all 4 knobs which isn't that big of a problem but I could control 2-4 more fans if I had it and I know for certain that it would be easy with the 30W/channel.

The Scythe fan controller looks nice but it would've been better if it displayed all of the info together instead of having to turn the additional knobs to get the info from each channel.

Touch was my major concern when I decided on which fan controller that I should buy, it was more of a disadvantage rather than an advantage. Some fan speed control with touch is less controllable due to the 10% speed increment for every finger tap instead of a more controlled feel you get with a knob. Touch doesn't work too well here, it is fancy no doubt but it is less controllable and just much slower.

 

[T0bias]

Okay I agree that the touch is not a plus, so I'd prefer regular knobs or sliders.

How much a benefit do you think it is to have rpm and temp readings on the unit? It sounds nice to have, but I'm not sure how much I'd use it in the long run.

And there are more options if I don't need to have this

 

[tinmann]

I spent way too much time trying to figure out just which fans to use where in my loop. I originally opted of Yate Loon fans but after research found that sleeve bearing fans shouldn't be mounted horizontally (blowing up or down) only vertically (blowing left or right) because it causes the bearing to wear out prematurely. So I opted for Scythe S-Flex SFF21G fans because of their Bearing Type: S-FDB (Fluid Dynamic Bearing by SONY Corporation) supposedly rated for 150,000 hrs opposed to 20,000 hrs for normal sleeve bearing and 50,000 hrs for ball bearing fans.
http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/acc/002/sflex_detail.html
It took me a while to find them but they are worth it. The closest thing Scythe has now is the Scythe Kama Flow 2 but they are pricey but if you intend to mount you rad in the top of you case or just horizontally then these would be my choice. They are rated for 120,000 hrs of use.
As far as fan controller go I went with the Scythe Kaze Master Pro.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811998077
It's sturdy not hollow like the rest and has 6 channels that handle a max of 1 ampere per channel. As an example my fans operate at 0.24 amps so 3 fans at the same speed on one channel is possible. The thing is to use Radiators with low FPI like the XSPC RX series that don't require high speed fans to cool. I told you I spent too much time on fans.

 

[dma0991]

How much a benefit do you think it is to have rpm and temp readings on the unit? It sounds nice to have, but I'm not sure how much I'd use it in the long run.

RPM readings gives some 'feel good' factor to the fan controller, makes me wanna look at it ever so often just to see that everything runs fine. I guess you could use it as an indicator if there is a dead fan, unless yours doesn't come with an alarm that does that.

Temp readings are useful but not a deal breaker. I accidentally snipped one of the thermistor leads while I was sleeving the temperature probe cable and I'm left with 3 and I find that it is almost sufficient. 1 for the chipset heatsink, 1 for the VRM heatsink and 1 at the front as ambient. I could do with more but it'll look messy.

 

[Charlie98]

I'm using a Lamptron fan controller and it has been trouble free for the past few months since I've built my rig. I like them for the fact that they can support a lot of fans per channel/knob. You can go with the 6 channel FC2 or get something like mine, FC5v2 and run a Y-splitter for each channel, controlling 2 fans per channel.

I have a Lamptron 4 channel controller (FC3) and it's fantastic. I'm running 6 fans on it right now and having the flexability to turn each set of fans up or down is great.

 

[dac7nco]

If your MB has a lot of PWM connectors, I'd swear by Enermax or Cougar. I used to run Aerocool Sharks, but either of the above are a leap ahead. I go for silence/CFM (audio nut).

Daimon