Recommend me a 120mm Fan!

[AkumaX]

So I'm looking at dozens of 120mm fans @ SVC, Jab-Tech, Club-IT, Xoxide, etc...

Now, I'm going to attach a FanMate2 to this thing to make it inaudible anyway

But, my dilemna is:

1) Should I get a medium or loud noise/performance ratio fan (35dBa or more), and then FanMate it down to < 20dBa?

2) Or should I just get a quiet one (probably around 25 dBa or less) and FanMate that thing down to silence?

here are some fans:

http://www.svc.com/tbf-b12-e1.html
http://www.svc.com/fba12g12m-nba.html
http://www.svc.com/fd12025c1m31.html
http://www.jab-tech.com/Coolermaster-Ul...SAF-S12-E1-120mm-Case-fan-pr-2756.html
http://www.jab-tech.com/Evercool-120mm-...-Thermally-controlled-fan-pr-3043.html
http://www.jab-tech.com/YATE-LOON-120mm-Case-Fan-D12SL-12-pr-3009.html
http://www.xoxide.com/ther12casfan.html
http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A0096028
http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A1303812
http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A1908121

I'm only lookin' to spend around $10-$15 shipped (which is most of these links, preferably less). I'm just wondering if approach 1) or 2) is the better thing to do. TIA!

 

[darkxshade]

Here's my recommendation, pretty quiet and has a self adjustable speed. http://www.dharmatrading.com/images/eng/products/image/sa-fan.jpg

 

[Shadowknight]

Quiet and teh pretty: http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/nexus_120mm_bw.html?id=PtZgRKJN

 

[Operandi]

Panaflo for the CPU, Yate Loon for case fans.

 

[Zepper]

I will soon (expected Monday - they just left Minneapolis a couple hours ago) have a carton of some of the best fans ever made. Here's a link to a site that's selling the same fan:
Linkage
I believe the specs they list are wrong as the ones I've had have started between 6 and 7 volts and you could turn them down to under 6V and they'd run.

I'll be selling them with a crimped and soldered 3-pin connector for a LOT less. PM me if you're interested.

.bh.

Heatware = Zepper

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Here's another very good 120

57cfm @ 31dBA and has a for real tach wire.
More than enough for any heat pipe HS. It will start/run @ 4V.

If you are looking for a case fan with more cfm, step-up to the
38mm version of this fan. 75cfm @ 34dBA and it too will start/run @ 4V.

I love Delta Triples.


...Galvanized

 

[Alfalfameister]

I got a Silverstone FM121. It's pretty okay. Not as strong as some Deltas (Silverstone has max 110cfm), but not as loud as them either. Comes with rheostat, and can be made practically silent.

 

[AkumaX]

So is it better to buy a fast/loud fan and FanMate it down to silence? Or just buy a quiet fan in the first place? BTW this is going on a Sonic Tower seen here(i'm replacing that junky fan, makes weird buzz noise on low cfm/low power mode)

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Originally posted by: AkumaX
So is it better to buy a fast/loud fan and FanMate it down to silence? Or just buy a quiet fan in the first place? BTW this is going on a Sonic Tower seen here(i'm replacing that junky fan, makes weird buzz noise on low cfm/low power mode)

Well, it depends really. I've found that anything over 45 cfm on my HSFs is pointless. So I'm getting a 48cfm, and I'll clock it down when I don't need it, and raise it up when I do.

 

[Kaeishiwaza]

http://www.frozencpu.com/fan-194.html ftw. Got 4 of them and they're inaudible. Get good temps with them too.

 

[Zepper]

It depends... Some fast loud fans get very quiet when turned down just a little from max. Others can stay fairly noisy Particularly sleeve bearing or sloppy ball-bearing fans with PWM speed controller - those can buzz. Get a linear fan controller (e.g. Sunbeam Rheobus) if you want to avoid the buzz.

.bh.

 

[AkumaX]

Originally posted by: Zepper
It depends... Some fast loud fans get very quiet when turned down just a little from max. Others can stay fairly noisy Particularly sleeve bearing or sloppy ball-bearing fans with PWM speed controller - those can buzz. Get a linear fan controller (e.g. Sunbeam Rheobus) if you want to avoid the buzz.

.bh.

How would I know what Brand of high CFM / loud fans become completely silent? or ones that would buzz regardless of what speed control you put on it?
Do you think my FanMate2 is good enough? TIA

 

[Zap]

I've had good luck with the 120mm Cooler Master LED Silent fans. Got mine at SVC.

 

[mrza]

Why are there two molex connectors on each fan? You only need to connect one to the power supply right?

 

[Zepper]

mrza,
Some high power fans have molex for power and a 3-pin fan connector for the speed sensor. Others come with a 3-pin fan connector and provide a 3 to 4 pin adapter.

OP,
. You can fairly well count on top name fans (Panaflo, Sanyo Denki, Nidec, NMB, Delta, etc.) to be relatively quiet when cranked down by a controller. But some of those don't push a lot of air to begin with and don't really need a controller. The ones I'm getting will range from about 55CFM to over 100 at max. And the sound ranges from nearly inaudible to obvious but not irritating.

.bh.

 

[Techno Pride]

plain black - D12SL-12 1350rpm
bling bling UV or LEDs - Coolermaster 1200rpm

 

[Twofootputt]

Some discussion here about Coolermaster & Akasa

 

[Pens1566]

Originally posted by: Operandi
Panaflo for the CPU, Yate Loon for case fans.