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Can you guys recommend me some case fans?

Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2013 2:59 pm
by st8ic
My build:
Cooler Master Silencio 550
i5 3570 @ stock w/ Hyper 212+
2x XFX 7770 Double D crossfire
Cooler Master Silent Pro M2 620W (exhaust)
1x120mm Scythe Slipstream 800rpm (exhaust)
2x120mm Cooler Master junky/generic 800rpm (intake)


The case fans are silent, but cooling performance is pretty poor. I'm looking to get three silent low-cost 120mm fans to replace them. Any suggestions?

Re: Can you guys recommend me some case fans?

Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2013 4:46 pm
by quest_for_silence
With that setup I guess you can't have good cooling, even if you should priorly define or describe that "pretty poor cooling performance" (need some data).

At any rate, I don't think that your M2 PSU actually acts as an hot air exhaust.

Re: Can you guys recommend me some case fans?

Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 12:32 am
by Pappnaas
You might end up selling both 7770 and get a single GTX760 or something from AMD, that will reduce your heat and top dps.

Exactly your problem is the reason for me never to recommend low-end x-fire or SLI.

Re: Can you guys recommend me some case fans?

Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 7:43 am
by st8ic
Pappnaas wrote:You might end up selling both 7770 and get a single GTX760 or something from AMD, that will reduce your heat and top dps.

Exactly your problem is the reason for me never to recommend low-end x-fire or SLI.
GTX 760 TDP = 170W
7770 crossfire TDP = 80x2 = 160W

So it really doesn't matter. I'm just looking for brand recommendations for pushing a few more CFM than my current 800rpm fans.

Re: Can you guys recommend me some case fans?

Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 8:18 am
by Abula
st8ic wrote:
Pappnaas wrote:You might end up selling both 7770 and get a single GTX760 or something from AMD, that will reduce your heat and top dps.

Exactly your problem is the reason for me never to recommend low-end x-fire or SLI.
GTX 760 TDP = 170W
7770 crossfire TDP = 80x2 = 160W

So it really doesn't matter. I'm just looking for brand recommendations for pushing a few more CFM than my current 800rpm fans.
Go with nexus basic 120, they are 1000 rpms that should give slighly more cooling and still not much more noisy, and they are still not as expensice as noctua or noiseblocker. If you want more airflow look into scythe gentle typhoons, there are a lot of versions, look into 1150 rps, 1400rpms and 1850rpms.

Re: Can you guys recommend me some case fans?

Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 8:34 am
by quest_for_silence
st8ic wrote:I'm just looking for brand recommendations for pushing a few more CFM than my current 800rpm fans.


Abula's advice is sound but given the actual noise level, about nothing can help (IMVHO). And, moreover, some more CFM won't (more probably that not) solve your issue (I'm still waiting for some temperature data) as (IMO/IME) you have to raise substantially the current noise floor to get a noticeable increase in cooling power.

Re: Can you guys recommend me some case fans?

Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 10:26 am
by loimlo
Based on my experience, CM case bundled 120mm fan is average .... You can make it quieter by slowing down RPMs, but you cannot make it quiet enough by SPCR standard due to its clicking sound characteristics. Anyway, you can give it a try before purchasing a new fan. If you are not satisfied, you can just buy a new fan from SPCR recommendation list.

Re: Can you guys recommend me some case fans?

Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 10:26 am
by lodestar
st8ic wrote:I'm just looking for brand recommendations for pushing a few more CFM than my current 800rpm fans.
The best solution, given that you are restricted to a single 120mm exhaust fan by the Silencio 550 case, would I think be to replace the two supplied Cooler Master fans with high performance PWM fans. An example would be the Akasa Viper 120mm fan from sources such as FrozenCPU. This is a fan with a 600 to 1900 rpm range. Probably the best way to deploy two fans would be one as exhaust and one as bottom front, retaining the existing Scythe fan at top front to provide hard drive cooling. These fans would be best used with a PWM splitter cable such as the Akasa AK-CB002.

How these cables work is that that one connection is plugged into the CPU PWM fan header on the motherboard, and then the existing CPU fan and a maximum of two PWM case fans are plugged into the other connections. These connections are labelled on the AK-CB002. Power for all the fans on the cable is taken separately from a molex connector to the PSU. All the fans on the cable work at the same setting as the CPU fan. So at idle they all run at idle speed, but under the stress of gaming the case fans will increase their speed automatically. They are unlikely to go to maximum speed, instead you will find that there is a balancing point. Where that point is will depend on how hard the particular game is pushing the CPU and graphic cards. Because all the fans are being driven by the how high the CPU temperature is it will also depend on the ambient or background temperature in the room. So in a warm room in the winter it will be higher than a cooler room. As this balancing point is reached automatically, at least you don't have to try and predict it, which is the case with fixed speed 3 pin fans.

I appreciate it would require around a $40 spend for the Akasa Viper but it would improve the issue of insufficient case airflow. Yes, there would an increase in fan noise under gaming conditions. This would be balanced by the fact that the increased airflow would limit the CPU temperature and the noise produced by the CPU fan. Equally it would limit the graphics card temperatures and the noise produced by their fans. There may also be less fan noise from the PSU.

Re: Can you guys recommend me some case fans?

Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 3:07 am
by Pappnaas
st8ic wrote:
GTX 760 TDP = 170W
7770 crossfire TDP = 80x2 = 160W

So it really doesn't matter. I'm just looking for brand recommendations for pushing a few more CFM than my current 800rpm fans.
You are complaining about temperatures being to high, but refuse to give any more data.

Adding the TDP of two cards does tell you nothing, you don't even take into consideration that two smaller cards will give complete different thermals compared to one bigger card, even if their TDP differs a lot.

You should give us some more info on your temps, readings and stuff, because without more facts, we all can't really contribute something reasonable.