What should I look for when looking at case fans?

[emblem]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...+fans&name=Top+Sellers

In that for example, what would I be looking for if I wanted a fan for $15 or less.

 

[nycxandy]

dBA (decibels) for noise level. Lower is better.

CFM (cubic feet per minute) for the amount of air it pushes. Higher is better.

Bearing type: Ball bearing for longevity. Sleeve bearing for lower noise production.

Basically, you need to decide on how much airflow is needed and the amount of noise that you can tolerate and find a middle ground in between. The more expensive fans will push more air at a lower noise level.

There are extras like LCD's, which makes it look fancy but are junk in my opinion, and PWM, which is a fancy extra.

 

[emblem]

I'm looking for an exhaust fan pretty much for the top of my CM690 case..

I don't care to much about noise to tell the truth but I do want some blue LED's.

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: emblem
I'm looking for an exhaust fan pretty much for the top of my CM690 case..

I don't care to much about noise to tell the truth but I do want some blue LED's.

Led fans are generally not the best out there to be honest. The best blue LED fan IMHO is the antec tri-power. Best overall case fan, again IMHO, is the Scythe slipstream 1600 though all the slipstreams are good *case* fans.

 

[aussiestilgar]

The Zalman F3 is a solid performer. It's also available in LED versions, though I'm not sure if the LED version is up to the same standard as the non-LED version.

Edit: F3 Blue LED @ Newegg

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: aussiestilgar
The Zalman F3 is a solid performer. It's also available in LED versions, though I'm not sure if the LED version is up to the same standard as the non-LED version.

can you link to an LED F3, I don't see them at my normal shopping spots.

EDIT: found some at xOxide.com don't know for sure if they'll be up to snuff with the non-led but, given that they're zalman I'd say chances rea pretty good.

 

[DSF]

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12

Originally posted by: emblem
I'm looking for an exhaust fan pretty much for the top of my CM690 case..

I don't care to much about noise to tell the truth but I do want some blue LED's.

Led fans are generally not the best out there to be honest. The best blue LED fan IMHO is the antec tri-power. Best overall case fan, again IMHO, is the Scythe slipstream 1600 though all the slipstreams are good *case* fans.

If you decide not to go with LEDs, I agree that the slipstream fans are very good.

 

[gingerstewart55]

Zalman LED fans can be found at www.performance-pcs.com in 3 colors or www.svc.com in blue.

Second the Zalman fans as being great, but be aware sleeve bearings wear out quicker than ball bearing fans, are usually cheaper made (as sleeve bearings are incredibly cheap to make as compared to good ball bearings) and many times are very positional in the noise they make......many sleeve bearing fans do not tolerate horizontal positioning well at all or make a LOT more noise in that position.....that's because any lubrication in the sleeve tends to run down and out of the sleeve when placed horizontally. Vertically positioned, sleeve bearing fans work much better and quieter.

A good ball bearing fan is the Scythe S-Flex series......incredibly quiet, quite powerful, and solidly built. Pick one of those up and compare its weight to a Zalman and you can really feel the difference.......but, then again, you get what you pay for. But S-Flex fans are routinely found for $15/ea.

A good read on fans is found here:

http://67.90.82.13/forums/showthread.php?t=171661

An excellent read.........ought to spend the couple of minutes needed to read the review of all the fans tested......quite a difference, for instance, between Yate-Loon fans purchased at Petra's and those purchased elsewhere........or why Antec Tri-Cool fans are mediocre at best.....