How quiet is the Papst 92mm 3412L (23db)?

p5 · Post by p5 » Sat May 03, 2003 5:50 am

i've just bought a new psu, it's a CWT 450BDP (which is think is equivalent to the Antec SL450 because the specs are exactly the same).

Anyway, i'm not sure if both fans are temperature controlled but the 80mm exhaust definitely is, running at 1900rpm at the moment.

I'm thinking the 80mm dynaeon is fine at 1900rpm, but im not sure how loud the 92mm is, i think it's causing a lot of the whoosh noise in the psu. if it isn't temperature controlled, it might be running at 12v, which is 35db.

I'm thinking of getting the Papst 92mm 3412L (36cfm, 23db), and i wondered what sort of noise level this is compared to say a panaflo 80mm L1A (got one on my cpu hs).

thanks

dukla2000 · Post by **dukla2000** » Sat May 03, 2003 6:17 am

Presume you mean 3412NGL? I have a couple of those as well as 80mm L1As.

After exhaustive precision testing to ISO 9002 standards (including lying on the floor holding the NGL wires in a molex) using sophisticated test equipment (my right ear, and both fans plugged into the same psu so both getting the same version of 12V) I figure the overall noise loudness is the same: maybe the 'flo was just quieter but it was rear mounted on the case and I couldn't get my fat head between the case & the wall!) So the paper specs (21dB(A) 'flo, 23dB(A) 3412) are, I can confirm without too much doubt, more or less accurate. The 3412NGL is slightly lower frequency.

(Well OK I lied about the 9002 - I haven't written up this test procedure and figure in the interests of science it may be better if I don't

)

ps - welcome to SPCR, just noticed that was your first post.

p5 · Post by p5 » Sat May 03, 2003 6:41 am

yeah thanks for the welcoming, been reading and searching these forums for a while and learning on how to silence my pc, got the silent bug, etc.

i'll probably be getting the NGL off dorothy for my psu.

reckon i should get another 80mm L1A for the exhaust in the psu as well?

dukla2000 · Post by **dukla2000** » Sat May 03, 2003 9:14 am

p5 wrote:yeah thanks for the welcoming, been reading and searching these forums for a while and learning on how to silence my pc, got the silent bug, etc.

i'll probably be getting the NGL off dorothy for my psu.

reckon i should get another 80mm L1A for the exhaust in the psu as well?

Just double check with Dorothy exactly what that fan is. I am confused cause 3412L is not in my Papst memoribilia:
N usually stands for NEW and the 3412N range go back to at least 1999
G stands for sleeve bearing (otherwise ball)
L for Low

so 3412NL or 3412NGL make sense and have the cfm/dB(A) she quotes in the shop.
Also they have 3312L which are 32mm thick (3412 are 25mm) Just BTW, it is fairly uncommon to find Papst with rpm sensor wires: note Dorothy is selling 2 wire versions so if watching your rpm rocks your boat you need plan B.

On the psu exhaust: presume that is a Dynaeon DF1208SL or some such? The old mantra is that Panaflo & Papst are better quality, so at similar airflow should be a touch quieter. Although an 80mm 'flo L1A is much lower cfm and dB(A) than Dynaeon at 12V, this may not help much as the psu may just raise the volts on the thing to get the same cfm.

Overall I cant see the point of multi-fan psus in a silent context: personally I would be tempted to put a decent 92mm in there, maybe on the thermally controlled circuit or else low volt it myself, and remove the 80mm completely.

p5 · Post by p5 » Sat May 03, 2003 9:46 am

thanks for the info, yeah i was wondering about the sintec-sleeve bearings (G). i'll ask her that.

rpm reading doesn't really bother me unless the fan is loud and i dont know whether it's spinning at full 12v (the case with the dynaeon 92mm). But otherwise as long as the papst 92mm dorothy sells is quiet, no rpm is fine.

i'm guessing the 3412's she sells are N, because they are the right 36cfm/23db specs, but i have asked her, just to double check.

yeah i was considering a single 92mm on the bottom and taking the exhaust out too, as the primary goal is to have a quiet but cool enough psu. the dynaeon 80mm exhaust is currently at 1950rpm after a good 3 hours of gaming, highest was at 2045rpm. i'm guessing this is nearly as quiet as a panaflo 80mm L1a at 12v.

do you reckon the Papst 92mm 36cfm alone would be enough with the 80mm removed?

thanks
Peter

ps: dorothy tells me the model is 3412L as on the fan label itself, so it's not a sintec-sleeve bearing. She also says there's no difference in life, but what about noise? we all know ball bearings produce more of a noise, but maybe the same db level.

dukla2000 · Post by **dukla2000** » Sat May 03, 2003 10:30 am

p5 wrote:do you reckon the Papst 92mm 36cfm alone would be enough with the 80mm removed?

ps: dorothy tells me the model is 3412L as on the fan label itself, so it's not a sintec-sleeve bearing. She also says there's no difference in life, but what about noise? we all know ball bearings produce more of a noise, but maybe the same db level.

I haven't had a Papst with balls, but figure it is low risk, they are engineered like LandRovers. Still can't understand why it isn't 3412NL ... And Dorothy is v knowledgable and not trying anything (I bought from her before, perfect service, will again next time she has the fans I covet), the 3412NGL and 3412NL have the same noise specs .

36cfm through your psu enough? about 20cfm (with accompanying noise) too much IMHO. My psu gets what I give it and is grateful, currently 80mm 'flo L1A @7v = 14cfm.

energy · Post by **energy** » Sat May 03, 2003 1:52 pm

The 3412L is just a tad louder than the Panaflo, nothing major. Definately a quiet fan.

bigred · Post by **bigred** » Sat May 03, 2003 11:42 pm

I have 2 Panaflo L1A's and 1 of these Pabst fans in my system. The Pabst is by far the loudest fan in my system. Although I believe this is only because of its placement.

Some testing before I put the fans into the system showed the same as what energy said. All in all I think you will be very happy with this fan.

goose_wh · Post by **goose_wh** » Sun May 04, 2003 11:45 am

energy wrote:The 3412L is just a tad louder than the Panaflo, nothing major. Definately a quiet fan.

agreed. I have just purchased a 3412L from dorothy & have found it to be fine. not silent (even at lower voltages) but a heck of a load quieter than my previous zalmann 92mm.
Im wondering what 92mm Panaflos are like though?

energy · Post by **energy** » Tue May 06, 2003 4:19 pm

Not that great.