I have the antec sx830 case. i purchased 2 extra antec 80mm fans for my case for the front from outpost.com for about 5 bucks. my problem is that they're really loud. what are the quietest 80mm fans i could buy that's a reasonable price...i want to replace the 4 antec ones i have.
What are the quietest 80mm fans I could buy?
- Thread starter Shu8
- Start date
The quietest 80mm fan I can think of is the Papst 8412NGL which runs at just 12 db(A) by using a special high-quality Sintec sleeve bearing which life-time is comparable to a standard two-ball bearing. Anyway, don't expect too much airflow from it, only 20cfm...
As an addition, you can always make your existing fans more quiet (and less powerful) by running them at a lower operating voltage than the default 12 V. 5 V or 7 V would be the easiest voltages one can accomplish (that means: without using additional components), but as most 12 V DC fans don't run properly at 5 V, I'd recommend to try 7 V. For 7 V you just have to connect your fan's "+"-wire (usually red) with the PSU's 12V-wire (usually yellow on a 4pin-connector) and the fan's "-"-wire (usually black or blue) with the PSU's 5V-wire (usually red on a 4pin-connector).
More reasonable Papst model would be the 8412NGML, which is 19dB@26.5cfm, between 19dB and 12dB is so very little difference both at the levels of sound that can hardly be heard. Papst fans are niether cheap either be about $20+ each, and hard to find. Look into Adda, Nidec, PCP&C, Panaflo...being the most inexpensive from the bunch 5 bucks and the lowest performing of the 4, rest going about at 10 bucks a pop.
Look here on fan comparsion
Look here on fan comparsion
Yep, you're right, the NGML model (which I use as well) might be better but he asked for the quietest. 
But I'm shocked what you said about the availability and price of Papst fans in the U.S., because they're widely available and relatively cheap here in Europe.
But I'm shocked what you said about the availability and price of Papst fans in the U.S., because they're widely available and relatively cheap here in Europe.
Ya there very very rare here...if i was to buy a Papst fan id go through someone that lives in europe, how much did you buy NGML model for in US dollars? So far i haven't seen it for sale here in the US, but seen other 80mm for 23 bucks a piece...not cheap at all.
Just a comment on the Pabst name:
We have Nortel OPTera SONET transport equipment which uses this brand as the cooling system for the 6 foot bays. These OPTera bays support OC-192 speed transmitter/receivers which generate TONS of heat. There are two shelves of Pabst fans, with 3 fans in each shelf. Each one of these suckers is ULTRA-POWERFUL, probably running at 5,000+ RPM and putting out over 100CFM each.
If Nortel relies on these fans to cool $300,000 worth of equipment, then they are pretty good!
We have Nortel OPTera SONET transport equipment which uses this brand as the cooling system for the 6 foot bays. These OPTera bays support OC-192 speed transmitter/receivers which generate TONS of heat. There are two shelves of Pabst fans, with 3 fans in each shelf. Each one of these suckers is ULTRA-POWERFUL, probably running at 5,000+ RPM and putting out over 100CFM each.
If Nortel relies on these fans to cool $300,000 worth of equipment, then they are pretty good!
Man with how little air the Panaflo's push I can't imagine them at 7V. With the exception of maybe the 92mm and 120mm L1A's I can't imagine the gains in silence being worth the loss of cooling.
Eric
Eric
<< I can't imagine the gains in silence being worth the loss of cooling. >>
No way dude. Check the stats...
This website has some good info on fan noise vs. CFM
(80mm brand) (model) (noise) (CFM)
Panaflo FBA08A12L1A 21.0dB 24.0CFM
Sunon KD1208PTS3-6 24.5dB 29.4CFM
Remember, dB is a LOGARITHMIC scale (like the Richter earthquake scale) so an increase of 3dB means TWICE the perceived sound volume! So, for about 5.5CFM more cooling power you are having to deal with 3.5dB more noise. Over TWICE as loud! Twice the annoying fan whine is NOT worth the extra cooling.
Some people try to use 10 fans to overcome poor case design and airflow. 2 months later they ditch their case and fans because their girlfriends and wives have left them in search of quieter homes! Now it's all about EFFICIENT, QUIET cooling. If you are "geek" enough to build your own computer, you'll probably be spending alot of time in front of it. Why deal with unnecessary fan noise just to get your temps. down another 3 degrees?!
GizZo,
I don't know the exact Euro<->Dollar exchange rate but I estimate the normal Papst 80mm models (the ones which are not temperature controlled) cost about 13-14 US$ here (Germany, cheapest source) and the "Variofans" cost about 20-21 US$.
The 60mm models are in the 8-10 US$ range and the 92mm models in the low 20's.
I don't know the exact Euro<->Dollar exchange rate but I estimate the normal Papst 80mm models (the ones which are not temperature controlled) cost about 13-14 US$ here (Germany, cheapest source) and the "Variofans" cost about 20-21 US$.
The 60mm models are in the 8-10 US$ range and the 92mm models in the low 20's.
Hanky:
Whats that cheap source? Im looking to buy like 20 Papst fans mixed bag of 120mm vario, and couple of these 80mm we are talking about here. Oh yeah and have been looking for those anti vibration gaskets they have for those fans...haven't found any of those in USA at all, papst makes those.
Whats that cheap source?
Im looking to buy like 20 Papst fans mixed bag of 120mm vario, and couple of these 80mm we are talking about here. Oh yeah and have been looking for those anti vibration gaskets they have for those fans...haven't found any of those in USA at all, papst makes those.Ummm, 3dB is not twice as loud to the human ear. It takes twice the acoustic power to reach a 3dB increase, but to the human ear, a 10dB increase is twice as loud.
GizZo,
Do you mean German shops? (I don't know any other...)
Btw: While dB is a logarithmic scale, dB(A) is not! I think dB is a purely technical scale while dB(A) somehow takes physiological effects into account. I don't know how or whether you can describe it with a simple mathematical function like log, but I tend to believe not. So, for me it seems to be not correct to say an addition of x db(A) means twice as much noise as before.
Do you mean German shops? (I don't know any other...)
Btw: While dB is a logarithmic scale, dB(A) is not! I think dB is a purely technical scale while dB(A) somehow takes physiological effects into account. I don't know how or whether you can describe it with a simple mathematical function like log, but I tend to believe not. So, for me it seems to be not correct to say an addition of x db(A) means twice as much noise as before.
The three German shops where I bought Papst fans so far are:
A Conto
Conrad Electronics
Levermann
I'm not sure whether it helps you though, because their pages are in German and I don't think they ship overseas.
A Conto
Conrad Electronics
Levermann
I'm not sure whether it helps you though, because their pages are in German and I don't think they ship overseas.
<< Ummm, 3dB is not twice as loud to the human ear. It takes twice the acoustic power to reach a 3dB increase, but to the human ear, a 10dB increase is twice as loud. >>
After reading the website, I do indeed stand corrected. Twice as loud is 10dB increase. But 3dB represents a noticeable increase in sound. To me, that still means noticeably louder for as long as you are in front of your computer.
I'd rather use efficient, unobstructed cooling then just throwing loud fans at the situation!
Sunny129
Diamond Member
- Nov 14, 2000
- 4,823
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hey GiZz0, i just wanted to say that i stumbled across your fan specs website, and the information you've posted has been very useful to me. now my only problem is finding one of those quiet 80mm Papst in the U.S. i'm not so sure i want to place any international orders from europe. so unless i find one in the states, i guess i'll be looking at some of the other brands you posted at your site.
i've been looking for a source of the top 2 quiet Papst fans in the US for quite a while now, no luck yet think i ran up on it once before but it was like 32 bucks a peice..ouch!
Really the best way to go is widen your hole to a 92mm if possible and grab that Widebody Nidec fan i have listed there, the blow alot air pretty quietly and life span on em is amazingly long 125k hours which is like 55% longer projected hours then Papst Fans.
The 80mm fans that are under 23dB blow like around 25cfm...25cfm is really such a wussy blow of air, ya i know my fans blow about that, but there wusses all of em! Im working on my next mod which would incorperate 22dB 120mm fan, and that same Nidec fan i was talking about.
Really the best way to go is widen your hole to a 92mm if possible and grab that Widebody Nidec fan i have listed there, the blow alot air pretty quietly and life span on em is amazingly long 125k hours which is like 55% longer projected hours then Papst Fans.
The 80mm fans that are under 23dB blow like around 25cfm...25cfm is really such a wussy blow of air, ya i know my fans blow about that, but there wusses all of em!
Im working on my next mod which would incorperate 22dB 120mm fan, and that same Nidec fan i was talking about.Sh1t i gotta figure out how to label that better its a CFM to Noise..Ratio the higher the ratio the more cfm out of the noise your getting
IE:
Papst NGL 12db/19.4cfm ratio is 1.61 its the cfm divided by noise level
Papst NGML 19db/26.5cfm ratio = 1.39
Panaflo L1A 21db/24cfm ratio = 1.14
IE:
Papst NGL 12db/19.4cfm ratio is 1.61 its the cfm divided by noise level
Papst NGML 19db/26.5cfm ratio = 1.39
Panaflo L1A 21db/24cfm ratio = 1.14
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