Replacing stock Evo 212 fan, but to what?

Freddy1765

Senior member
May 3, 2011
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Recently bought a new case, Fractal Arc Midi R2, but the stock fans are a tad loud for my taste, so I want to replace them, and while I'm at it, might as well throw a new one on my CPU heatsink as well.

For the case I've been looking at Yate Loon - D14SL-12 (140mm), but I'm not sure what to look for with regard to the CPU fan. Since the fan connector on the motherboard is 4pin, I dont expect those 3pin YLs to work, and what about all that static air pressure etc., is that important on a CPU fan?

Don't really want to pay a fortune, the YLs are already fairly pricey at ~$9 a piece (converted from local currency, don't live in the US).
 

lehtv

Elite Member
Dec 8, 2010
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Recently bought a new case, Fractal Arc Midi R2, but the stock fans are a tad loud for my taste, so I want to replace them, and while I'm at it, might as well throw a new one on my CPU heatsink as well.
Are you using the stock fans at full speed, or are they too loud for you at mid and low speeds as well, using the integrated fan controller?

For the case I've been looking at Yate Loon - D14SL-12 (140mm), but I'm not sure what to look for with regard to the CPU fan. Since the fan connector on the motherboard is 4pin, I dont expect those 3pin YLs to work, and what about all that static air pressure etc., is that important on a CPU fan?
4-pin is for PWM control which allows a wider range of RPM's between idle and load modes, and a better customization of the fan's speed profile using the motherboard's BIOS. For most people it is important for a CPU fan because it's pointless to run a fan at a noisy RPM when the CPU is not doing anything, but for very quiet setups, a constant low RPM fan works better, assuming it can handle the CPU's clock speed despite that.

Don't really want to pay a fortune, the YLs are already fairly pricey at ~$9 a piece (converted from local currency, don't live in the US).
$9 is not expensive for a fan

Do you have Scythe fans available? Scythe Slipstream 800RPM 140mm fans are great for case fans, they don't move as much air as the fractal fans, but the lower RPM makes them quieter. Typically Scythe fans are very responsive to voltage changes, making them ideal for use with fan controllers.

Before you buy a new fan (120mm) for the 212 Evo, try setting the fan to a quieter fan profile in the motherboard's BIOS.
 

Freddy1765

Senior member
May 3, 2011
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I'm running the stock fans at 5v using the fan controller, but they're still fairly audible if I don't have music on for instance.

I can't seem to find the Scythe 140mm, although the 120mm Slip Stream 800 rpm are available.

To be honest, I haven't at all tinkered with the CPU fan in BIOS, assumed it would regulate itself. According to HWMonitor it's running at 1000rpm at the moment, only have Chrome/Skype open. Perhaps I should have a look at it in BIOS!

EDIT: On closer inspection, those Scythes are the "Slim" edition, not sure if they fill fit in the case (I do believe there are mounting holes for 120mm fans in general though).
 
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lehtv

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Dec 8, 2010
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The slim ones have very bad CFM, don't buy them. I meant the standard ones, though it looks like they are discontinued. Is there an online store you're shopping from?
 

Freddy1765

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May 3, 2011
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I haven't read anything negative about those Yate Loons, and the price seems hard to beat. Is there any reason not to pick them?
 

lehtv

Elite Member
Dec 8, 2010
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I don't have any reason to believe they're any better than the default Fractal fans which I think are also 1000 RPM. They are cheap though, you could get one for comparison... but still, why expect the cheapest fan of the bunch to be anything more than a sidegrade at best over what you already have.

The selection of 140mm fans isn't that great, the only ones I know for sure are very quiet are the expensive 800RPM Noctua fans. Thermalright X-Silent 900RPM may also be worth looking at. But maybe you'd have better results by using only 120mm fans. Scythe GT 1150RPM 120kr

EDIT: found these: Scythe Glidestream 800RPM 105kr
 
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Freddy1765

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May 3, 2011
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That's a good point. For starters I'll have a look at that CPU fan in BIOS. I took off the front panel and put my ear right up against the front fan, and it is in fact pretty silent. Top/exhaust ones sound louder, but perhaps that's actually CPU fan, since the exhausts are identical to the front one (Silent Series R2).

And yes, I know the selection is quite poor, but that's just the way it is over here. I don't think there's a very large market for hardware enthusiasts in Denmark.
 

Freddy1765

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May 3, 2011
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On closer inspection, the loudest parts of my system are actually 1) engine whirring from the stock Evo fan and 2) my two HDDs. Well, that's quite a revelation to be honest. Knowing that, I'll be better off just getting a different fan for the CPU. Any recommendations in that regard?
 
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lehtv

Elite Member
Dec 8, 2010
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Good to know that the Fractal fans are OK. I sort of expected as much, but I don't have firsthand experience with their 140mm fans

So you checked the BIOS options for lowering the fan profile?

For the CPU I'd get Scythe Glide Stream 120mm PWM (300-1350 RPM, compare CM's 600-1800RPM). It is the standard fan used on their current heatsinks - and it is very good. I have a Scythe Mugen 2, the original fan in that performed the same at 1300RPM as my current Noiseblocker eLoop 120mm at 1700RPM, which just goes to say that it's designed for use with heat sinks. It may not perform as well as the original CM fan but it will be quieter
 

Freddy1765

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May 3, 2011
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I did go into the BIOS and changed the profile to "silent". The units the BIOS uses to measure fanspeed were called PWM/C I think. Anyway, went from 1.25 to 1.0. Lowered rpm by about 100 compared to earlier (when sitting on desktop, now just under 1k rpm, temps are 40-41C). It's quite difficult to isolate sounds from all the spinning HDD platters/case fans/GPU- and CPU fans, but the engine whirring seems most intrusive to me.
I'm only running a 4.2 GHz OC on my 2500k, getting temps at 58-63C when gaming, so even if this new fan runs slower it won't affect temps in a dramatic way, as long as it's silent.

EDIT: So, more tinkering has revealed that the top exhaust fan is vibrating quite a lot. I put a finger on it to stop it, and a lot of noise disappeared. I tightened the screws, which didn't help. I can actually see the fan blades vibrating vertically when looking at it (as it runs parallel to the case-ceiling it's quite obvious when it spins).
 
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