I have a Corsair Carbide 500R case and my Corsair H100 radiator is mounted at the top of the case where I have 120mm and 140mm fan mounting holes. Currently I'm using the Corsair supplied fans for the H100 but they're awfully noisy at startup voltage and I'm searching for a pair of fans where I can set them and forget them.

So, I need a 120mm or 140mm that is probably at most as noisy as a 120mm Scythe Slipstream 1200rpm model and I think it needs to have a high static pressure value to push the air through the fins but I'm not sure, hence asking here!!!

Caveat: I cannot use 140mm fans that use the 120mm fan mounting holes. Due to the way the Corsair Cabode 500R's top fan mounts are placed, they would not fit. I could not fit 38mm deep fans either. See photo below.



Does SPCR have any advice for me in this regard?

Bump?

I'm also thinking of replacing my rear exhaust (120mm Scythe Slipstream 1200rpm coincidently) with a 140mm fan. The rear slot has room for one 120mm or 140mm and I can use either. Any thoughts on this?

I would have thought that 140mm PWM fans using a splitter from the CPU would have been the best solution. Genuine 140mm size PWM fans are not particularly easy to find currently. In the UK you could consider the Akasa Apache 140mm PWM fan http://www.scan.co.uk/products/140mm-akasa-black-apache-s-flow-blade-design-fan. These fans can be used with a PWM splitter for two or more fans. Akasa have recently brought out this one http://www.scan.co.uk/products/45cm-akasa-flexa-fp5-pwm-5-fan-splitter-black-braided-cable-powered-via-4-pin-molex. The splitter draws the power for all fans from the PSU and the control signal only from the motherboard. This should give you a one time 'fit and forget' setup.

The splitter would enable a rear exhaust PWM fan to be included on the PWM fan chain if required.

Whilst motherboard controlled fans are a great idea, one which I've toyed with myself, it is not an absolute requirement. Those fans go on my list of nice choices.

The Corsair fans that come with the H100 sound awful at spin up voltage but can be turned down to turn at a 'silent' level. At that slow level it keeps my i5 under 65C in it's overclocked state which is amazing/acceptable. It's a hassle and what I'd like to do is be able to set my fan controller to one speed and let it go (or motherboard control solution as outlined above).

I think I am able to control the normal (old fashioned now?) 3-pin fans via the motherboard (will have to test that out, quite fiddly) so that might be a route to take.

Is there any conclusive 120mm vs. 140mm fan data out there with the exception of the XBit Labs stuff that just makes me want to buy Scythes (probably Gentle Typhoons with another 120mm Slipstream 1200 exhaust)?