The Top SPCR Quiet 120mm Axial Fans Compared + 120mmAC Fans.

Control: management of fans, temp/rpm monitoring via soft/hardware

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DrCR
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Re: Awesome thread!

Post by DrCR » Sun Oct 02, 2005 9:24 pm

^Glad to hear it Chris! This thread was started for guys just like yourself. :)

DrCR

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Still alive...though barely with uni in session...

knutinh
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Post by knutinh » Tue Oct 11, 2005 2:55 am

If 25mm fans are accidentally of higher quality than 38mm ones, could you not use 2x 25mm fans in series if you need more static pressure?

k

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Post by Myth! » Tue Oct 18, 2005 6:12 am

Sgt_Strider wrote:I'm interested in buying a Nexus 120mm fan, but I want to run it at 5V. The problem is that I heard the Nexus has issues running at 5V?
do the nexus have trouble running at 5v...or just starting at 5v? I'm using the mCubed T-balancer which starts all fans at 100% when booting up but perhaps some of the other fan controllers do the same in pure DC for less money.

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Post by Mastakilla » Thu Oct 27, 2005 9:48 am

http://www.ikbenstil.nl/product_info.ph ... 2092777be8

Chieftec / Yate Loon D12SM-12 11,75 EUR
size: 120/25/105mm
CMF: 93,5m³/h (55cfm)
Noise: 28dB(A) opgave fabrikant (bij volle toeren)
Current: 12V
Ampere: 300mA
Wattage: 3,6W
RPM: 1650t/min
Livespan: 50000h
Tachosignal: ja

does anyone have some experience with these?

they seem like a good deal if they are as reliable and silent as the papst fans who are twice as expensive...

i hope someone has some experience with em

and a lil 2th question: is the zalman fanmate 2 decent? (no noise and few heat?)

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Post by Tibors » Thu Oct 27, 2005 10:45 am

I have no personal experience, but the medium speed Yate Loon (that is this fan minus the Chieftec label) is mentioned quite a few times on these forums. It is the slightly faster version of the Yate Loon mentioned in the first post of this thread. If sufficiently slowed down it is a reasonably quiet fan, but not the quietest that exists.

But why not just get a Nexus for €10,- (orange / black&white) . After all that is a Yate Loon too, but slower and thus quieter (and a little bit cheaper).

-----------

The fanmate2 is noiseless and it's heat is ignorable.

Mastakilla
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Post by Mastakilla » Thu Oct 27, 2005 11:11 am

thx for the answer

i have a cm stacker case with 120mm fans runnin at 1700rpm
but my cpu and gpu fan are atm louder then those, so actually i do not know yet the result of having only 120mm fans at +-1700rpm

i am planning to buy watercooling soon (thermochill pa120-2 and gpu and cpu block with a DD D5 pump)

since i am on this forum, it must be clear that appreciate silence very much

but im also a member on www.xtremesystems.com , which actually is the opposite of this site ;)

with this i mean, that i also like to overclock and have good performance

thats why im lookin for the golden path in between silence and performance

this is also the reason why i at least want to be able to TRY fans with rpm around 1700rpm

if its too noisy, or if the performance difference is too little, i will reduce rpm with a fan controller to perhaps 1000-1300rpm?

but i still wanne be able to try those higher speeds...

i noticed those yateloon fans are half the price of the papst 1600rpm fans i was planning to buy first
that is the main reason im very intrested in those
but i do pay much attention to reliability and also on the longer term
and actually papst is the only fan brand i trust in this area...

so i would like to know if those yateloon fans are decent too, and also stay decent after years of use...?

and offcourse i would also like to know if they make any irritating noises at low rpm, or if they are at least as good as those papst fans?

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Post by Bobendren » Sat Dec 10, 2005 12:23 pm

Hi,

I orignally thought 38mm fans where a better option, but after reading the last few pages i've changed my mind to 25mm fans (Is this still the case? Are there still no decent 12V DC 38mm fans? - to be used as a rear exhaust fan)

I'm keen on getting the Papst 4412FGM (82.4cfm) which i want to attach to a toggle switch to select 5v (about 30cfm?) or 12v. I've overclocked my pc and feel the higher airflow will be beneficial (as opposed to the 4412FGL). Does anyone have any experience with this fan or know anything about it? Will it even start at 5v?

Any response is much appreciated.

Bob

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Post by Bob_the_lost » Thu Dec 22, 2005 3:16 pm

Similar question to above, but i'm thinking about switching one of the fans out in my p180 for one i can control using speedfan. The case is designed for 38s so any 120mm would do.

(I'm using the tricools at the medium setting for the rear exhaust at the moment, don't have the noise/CFM information to hand for it but that level of noise is more than acceptable. More airflow at that db would be lovely, but only if it is powered by the fan headers on my mobo.

snutten
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Post by snutten » Sun Jan 01, 2006 4:13 pm

Just updating. You can now buy the Nexus 120 in Black and Off White colour scheme.

DrCR
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Post by DrCR » Wed Feb 15, 2006 3:06 pm

Back-white color scheme now noted on the main post. Thanks for pointing out that needed notation. :)

InTheFlow
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Re: Awesome thread!

Post by InTheFlow » Sun Mar 12, 2006 2:57 pm

chrisojeda wrote:Thank you all...this was the most helpful thread I could find for a newb like me :)

~ Chris ~
I have to totally 2nd that Chris! Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread!

I wish I had read this before buying that $24 silenx. It puts out a nasty smell. Kind of like an "electronic burn type" odor. It may have been damaged in shipping.

I can't imagine the company being able to sell them if they made everyone's room smell that nasty. :lol:

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Post by DrCR » Mon Mar 13, 2006 12:33 pm

Glad it was a help to you InTheFlow. :)

DrCR

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Four 120mm fans compared

Post by NeilBlanchard » Mon Mar 13, 2006 7:54 pm

Greetings,

I have four fans on hand, and I've made a brief objective and subjective comparison. The four are, in order from loudest to quietest measurements:

:arrow: Yate Loon D12SL-12 (low speed) - rated at 1350RPM. 0.3amp

:arrow: GlobalWin NC Bearing 1202512L - rated at 1300RPM, no current given

:arrow: SilverStone FN121 (aka GlacialTech, aka Everflow R121225SL) - rated at 1200RPM, 0.2amp

:arrow: Scythe YLTC, model DFS122512LS - rated at 1200RPM, 0.18amp

I measured them at a very close range with my Radio Shack sound level meter (analog meter) -- close range because the meter can only measure down to 50dBA. I used A weighting, and "fast" response. With the meter, I measured them on the "intake" side so as to avoid the noise made by the moving air, and the meter's microphone was closest to the tips of the blades. I measured them at 12 volts, 7volts and then 5 volts.

Subjectively, I listened to them all at 5 volts only, holding them very close to my (good!) ear; both on the intake and the exhaust side. Subjectively, the order shifted, slightly:

:arrow: Yate Loon
:arrow: SilverStone
:arrow: GlobalWin
:arrow: Scythe

The Yate Loon measured the loudest at all voltages, and it was the loudest subjectively, as well. It was close at 12volts, but a lot louder at 7v and 5v -- the step down to the GlobalWin was a big one at 7v, and even bigger at 5v. Subjectively it is very smooth, with no apparent bearing noise; just a pleasant hummmmmwhoosh.

The GlobalWin measured second loudest across all voltages, and the step down the second quietest fan was fairly small. Subjectively, it has a slight bearing rub, and a low hum.

The SilverStone measured 2nd quietest at 12v, quietest at 7v (by a smidge), and 2nd quietest again at 5v. Subjectively, it has a very small bit of bearing rub, and a lower pitched hum than the GlobalWin.

The Scythe was a surprise, since I have read several folks who feel this one is loud. It measured the quietest at 12v and 5v, and 2nd quietest at 7v -- again the range of the three quietest fans was small. (Maybe I'll have to figure a way to measure the hub noise?) Subjectively there is a more rapid, but ever so slight bearing noise (only audible about an inch from the support side of the hub), and the overall noise level is very low indeed. The only caveat is the Scythe did not start at 5v when horizontal and barely started when vertical.

Links to where I bought these:
Yate Loon
GlobalWin
Silverstone
Scythe

[Edit: I meant to have this in the review (so, now it is!): The Scythe fan is made by Young Lin Tech Co., LTD., and it's model number DFS122512L(S) seems to be the Young Lin part number.

And actually, all four fans have closed corners!]
Last edited by NeilBlanchard on Tue Mar 14, 2006 6:43 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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Post by frankgehry » Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:23 pm

Neil,

Nice review. I think the previous scythe reviews were for the sflex. The scythe at newegg looks just like a yate loon. Does it have closed corners or any other similarities?

DrCR
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Post by DrCR » Tue Mar 14, 2006 2:03 pm

Hey Neil, Thanks for the mini-review!

How good do you feel your fan samples were and also, how representative do you feel they were of that fan model? (For example, you may feel one sample you have is excellent, but you have to buy twenty of them to find one so good).

The Yate Loon, wow, I'm a bit surprised it lost so decidedly. Do you think if you had used a Nexus the ranking would have turned out more in the NexusYL's favor or, at least, the Nexus wouldn't have lost quite so decidedly as the non-Nexus YL?

Also, CFM. Any ideas on how the fans compared to each other CFM-wise? (E.g. Perhaps the GlobalWin could be considered superior to the Scythe once CFM differences were taken into account, or something like that).

Thanks again Neils. :thumbsup:

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Post by NeilBlanchard » Tue Mar 14, 2006 6:40 pm

Greetings,
DrCR wrote:Hey Neil, Thanks for the mini-review!

How good do you feel your fan samples were and also, how representative do you feel they were of that fan model? (For example, you may feel one sample you have is excellent, but you have to buy twenty of them to find one so good).

The Yate Loon, wow, I'm a bit surprised it lost so decidedly. Do you think if you had used a Nexus the ranking would have turned out more in the NexusYL's favor or, at least, the Nexus wouldn't have lost quite so decidedly as the non-Nexus YL?

Also, CFM. Any ideas on how the fans compared to each other CFM-wise? (E.g. Perhaps the GlobalWin could be considered superior to the Scythe once CFM differences were taken into account, or something like that).

Thanks again Neils. :thumbsup:
You're welcome!

I'd be guessing on the three quieter fans variability -- I have only used the Yate Loon and the Nexus 120mm before. They might have some variability in the bearing noise and the vibration (all seem pretty smooth, with very little vibration, btw).

I'd say the GlobalWin and the Scythe would rival the Nexus, if not be on par, or even be a touch better than the Nexus. :shock: :o The SilverStone, while quiet, is a bit rougher sounding and certainly more bearing noise than the Nexus -- but for the price, any of these is a better value.

As far as CFM is concerned -- this is always tricky at best to guestimate. I'll be happy to do a more practical thing: use them in a system I am in the process of building to see how they work. :) It is an Athlon 64 X2 4200+ undervolted to 1.275v, and hopefully the Scythe Ninja will fit on my Gigabyte and in my Evercase 4252; an S12 430 will be the PS. There will be two passive video cards (6600 and X800 XL), and it has 2GB of RAM and one (or maybe two) HD's. A pretty typical SPCR system...

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Post by DrCR » Wed Mar 15, 2006 1:05 pm

NeilBlanchard wrote:I'll be happy to do a more practical thing: use them in a system I am in the process of building to see how they work. :)
That would be awesome, thanks. :)

[on the side]Question - why the duel vids? I'm running dual vids myself with a 3dfx V5 5500 PCI, but that's just for native Glide compatibility. And something that I may give up soon since Glide wrappers have improved so much. Why would you want to have a 6600 and a X800 in the same box? Running Maya on the 6600 and D3D gaming on the ATI? Hacking together a crossfire-SLI monster lol? Just curious. 8) [/resume normal broadcasting]

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Post by Happy Hopping » Sun May 14, 2006 9:13 pm

I have a few quick questions:

1) What is the thickness of the fan 25 mm vs. 38 mm. in relation to performance?

2) What is the no. of blade of a fan going to do w/ the performance, whether it is 7 blade or 9 blade?

DrCR
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Post by DrCR » Sun May 14, 2006 11:01 pm

In general, the thicker 38mm and higher blade count (less freespace between the blades is really what matters here) = better performance in more restrictive environments e.g. heatercore. :)

Happy Hopping
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Post by Happy Hopping » Mon May 15, 2006 9:01 am

thanks, as I am digging btwn. these two:

http://www.frozencpu.com/fan-195.html

It's not going into a restrictive case, like a shoe box size computer, it's going into a minitower. And the spec. of these two is about the same, except the thickness of the fan, that's why I ask. I also look into the NExus that everyone in this thread is talking about but it seems the Nexus is not as quiet as these two.


http://www.frozencpu.com/fan-212.html

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Post by jaganath » Mon May 15, 2006 10:15 am

I also look into the NExus that everyone in this thread is talking about but it seems the Nexus is not as quiet as these two.
You will be disappointed if you take manufacturer's noise specs at face value. At 56CFM turbulence around the grill on the Artic Cooling fan will probably be at least 10dB, never mind any fan blade or motor noise. The Thermaltake Silent Wheel has had positive comments on here, but again at 55CFM there is no way it only makes 16dBA. Out of the three I would probably choose the TT Silent Wheel, because it is cheap and almost as quiet as Nexus.

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Post by DrCR » Mon May 15, 2006 12:09 pm

Yeah, you must assume the spec. sheet is a lie.

The Nexus isn't the absolute quietest axial you can get, I need to update the first post, but it's a solid choice that you really can't go wrong with - you know every fan purchased is a good sample. The only guys who don't like it are the 150cfm freaks (a dying breed, thank goodness) or those of us who are uber-quiet freaks. :)

Happy Hopping
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Post by Happy Hopping » Tue May 16, 2006 2:24 am

But how far off can they be when the list spec. is only 16 db?

Even if they lie, the 1st runner up from Arctic Cooling is also very good at 23dB.

To cut to the chase, how many dB is the Nexus? I have my eyes on the Thermaltake mainly because its 130 mm that fits nicely into 120mm and they claim to be 16 db.

Happy Hopping
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Post by Happy Hopping » Sat Jun 10, 2006 1:20 pm

At my friend's workplace, there is a 120 mm system rear cooling fan (measured from edge to edge of the black square is 125 mm). It's not extremely noisy, but clearly you can easily hear the fan noise.

The brand name is called NMB,

http://www.nmbtech.com/index_f.html

and I believe the motor is from this link.

https://www.minebea.co.jp/english/produ ... _2092.html

The printing on the back states:

NMB-MAT
Model 4715KL-04W-B46
12V DC, 0.9A
Minebea-Matsushita Motor Corporation

http://www.trademoon.com/Product368308.aspx

http://www.codemicro.com/store/check_pr ... tid=731132

The fan seems to sell for new at $210.6, or refurb for $86

I have a few questions:

why is this fan so expensive?

What is equivalent that is silent?

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Post by NeilBlanchard » Sat Jun 10, 2006 6:27 pm

Hello,

What brand is the computer? What is the power plug on that fan: 3-pin, or a full sized 4-pin Molex?

At 0.9A, that sucka' must be a high speed fan...check the current ratings on the fan above in this thread for comparison.

Happy Hopping
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Post by Happy Hopping » Sat Jun 10, 2006 9:20 pm

It's a HP workstation. And it's 3 pin. It c/w the machine, but I'm more than happy to replace it if I can find another one w/ the same capacity or even a bigger fan w/ higher capacity as long as it is more quiet than this one.

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Post by NeilBlanchard » Sun Jun 11, 2006 5:36 am

Hello,

I would suggest a medium speed Yate Loon, or possibly the Young Lin (they make the Scythe, which I have used and it is very quiet).

Happy Hopping
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Post by Happy Hopping » Sun Jun 11, 2006 8:15 pm

THanks, I heard of the first one, but never came across Young Lin, I'll do some digging at yahoo search and go from there.

DrCR
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Post by DrCR » Sun Jun 11, 2006 8:36 pm

NMB fans were around back when back when silent computing was less science and more art+trial and error. None of the NMBs that I know of would really be considered the best choice nowadays, but they were not too uncommon and served as a solid stopgap.

Haven't tried the Young Lin. Hey, at $4.50/fan you can't go wrong. :)

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Post by frankgehry » Sun Jun 11, 2006 8:58 pm

NMB merged with panaflo a while ago and NMB-MAT are producing some really good fans these days -

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article292-page3.html

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