Scythe S-Flex SFF21E Noise...

[sanzen07]

So I just bought three of these fans and put them in my Antec P183 (2 in front and 1 in back). I plugged them into the 3-pin connectors on the motherboard. However, they don't really seem all that quiet. There is a dull noise I can hear from them still. I have read that I shouldn't use the Intel Automatic fan speed controller because of the noise so I turned that off but I'm still hearing noise. I also notice that SpeedFan reports the fans as running at only ~1130 RPM instead of the full speed of 1200 that they should be running at. Any idea why this might be? Would this noise issue go away if I bypassed plugging them into the motherboard and just plugged them into the power supply directly? Appreciate any input, thanks!

 

[Jumpem]

The fans are rated 20.1dB at 1,200rpm. They will still be audible.

 

[bloodugly]

Running at around 1130 RPM isn't that surprising. There is usually some variance from the spec they provide. In fact, often times they'll say something like 1200 RPM (±10%). I'd suggest getting a basic fan controller and dropping their voltage a bit and see how your temps/sound levels are. As Jumpem said, 3 fans at 20.1 dBA each will still be audible. Also you might try seeing how they each sound by themselves, its possible that one of the three is a bit noisier than it should be.

 

[LocutusX]

I had a similar issue as to you when I tried to use that same fan model. Have a look at my post and see if the same thing applies to you.

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...341447&highlight_key=y

 

[Piano Man]

Doubt its those fans. I have several and the only thing I can hear is the slightest "whoosh" sound of air. Not hum at all. You probably have them blowing up against too much material (ie thick grills or something else) or you're hearing some vibration noise. What do they sound like in your hand? That should give you a clue.

 

[sanzen07]

Yeah it could be the noise from them blowing/sucking against the fan grills on the case. In addition, I have them mounted with soft silicone fan mounts instead of screws so I'm pretty sure it's not vibration. I'll try taking them out and holding them and then turning on the computer to see if blowing against the case fan grill is the issue.