I'm sure MikeC will let us know when he publishes this article. I wouldn't hold your breath though, it's a massive undertaking and he has a lot on his plate.

MikeC,
Did you ever get your hands on some Acoustifans?

yes, in the mix.

Mike,

Are there any fans you would like me to buy and send to you? I don't know what you have in your stock since you started this, but would be willing to buy them through the business and then donate to you.

We visited about this the other day. I am willing to help when / if i can.

Hello Mike:

It looks like the list on the first page of this thread has not been updated -- is it? You *did* get the Enermax 120mm I sent, because you e-mailed me after you got it...

TIA

Yes Neil, of course I did, thank you, and no I didn't update it. The usual juggling of way too many tasks...

Have you got a Yate Loon 120mm(and other sizes?). Or Nexus Real Silent 120mm, which is the same fan?

If you have any FSPXXX-60PN 120mm PSU I believe it has a Yate Loon fan inside!

If you feel like it porhaps you could update the list?

Original post & list of fans on hand updated. Thanks for sending the fan samples, everyone!

Sweet, looks like you received my small box of fans

Hello:



The Yate Loon spins a lot faster at 12v, and the blades on the Nexus have more of a curved leading edge. They are quite similar, though.

There is not really the Yate Loon. Only the most used Yate Loon. On the Yate Loon web-site you can find a list of all their 120x120x25 fans. Most Fortron PSU's (that includes the Nexus NX-3500) use the D12SM-12. I don't know which one of these comes with the Ahanix Black Knight case.

Looking at the specs at the Nexus webite and in the above list, then I think Yate Loon made an extra slow version specially for Nexus. They just couldn't be bothered to think of a new model number and used D12SL-12 again.

Nexus used a very old trick. Design a fan that moves less air then its competitors, then it will make less noise too.

About the slightly more curved blades. It is hard for me to see. I have a Yate Loon from a Fortron PSU, but only the picture from the Nexus web-site. If you say so, then I believe you

Hello:



I was looking at them side-by-side...

They *do* look very similar, so I would not be surprised if Yate Loon makes the Nexus, but they are not the same fan with different speeds.

I'm running an Abit VP6 dual P3 board with some cheap aluminium heatsinks from Titan. I replaced the fans with Ys-tech Silent 80x80x25mm models that run circa 2000rpm by default. I use a 84 Ohm resistor to lower the voltage, and BIOS shows 1450rpm for both fans.

There is no hum, but the clicking commutation sound is clearly audible, and actually the loudest part of my PC. My theory is that 10 different 80mm fans are a) almost equally loud at a known RPM, with minor differences, and that b) RPM at 12V and rated current are directly related, in a linear way.

AFAIK, it is also so that voltage and RPM are linearly related. What I am coming to is that people aren't usually looking for a 12V fan to run at 5V or 7V, but a fan of certain size to run at certain RPM, even if they don't do it knowingly. At my favourite 1500RPM, there is very little difference between the hum (turbulence) noise of different 80mm fans, so I am looking for silent bearings and soft, silent commutation. At the end it makes me no difference if the fan runs with 5V, 7V or 12V.

It might even benefit to find a fan designed for the target RPM, because at 2000RPM the hum is clearly louder than the clicking in my Ys-tech fans, so seemingly there was no need to design for a softer commutation.

MikeC:

Any news on when you'll be able to review some SilenX fans?

Are you including any "blower" or "water wheel" style fans? They can be used in small spaces where otherwise a 60mm or smaller fan would be needed, and I think they usually have higher pressure than axial fans (good for radiators). Some of them have impressive specifications from the manufacturer, e.g. this Vantec PCI slot blower:
http://www.svc.com/vanfancarsys.html
Airflow 42 CFM; Noise 25.6 dBA; Speed 2800 RPM

Akasa Ultra Quiet Amber 80/120mm Fans.

120mm = 18.0 dB(A) @ 44.8 CFM

A favourable review.

ATTN to everyone who sent me a fan:

I'd like to thank you all and would appreciate it very much if you could send me an email giving me your name, forum name and the fan(s) you sent. I have such a huge pile of fans that it's been well-nigh impossible to keep track of where they all came from.

I am trying to get enough of the testing done to post the first installment of the big fan roundup in the next week or two, at least of the best models.

Have you found a good way to consistently measure the fan CFM output not just at 12 but at all voltages? If so, great! If thats not possible (could be a tricky thing!) then IMO the more fair deal is to compare all fans by having them at the same RPM. Perhaps fan 1 runs at 1000rpm at 7v wheras fan 2 is running at 800 at that voltage, making noise comparison useless.

Somehow I reckon the difference in CFM at a certain fixed RPM can't be that big? Slight difference in fan blade design but surely not more than 10% real difference? (Interesting to find this out actually) Just my feeling anyway..

Ideally, if airflow is accurately measurable at all fan speeds, why not, instead of 12, 7 and 5v test 120mm fans at 50, 30 and 20CFM instead and compare noise levels with all fans providing similair airflow. Fans aren't rocket science so there will probably be very similair graphs appearing..

How will you make it as usefull as possible for us?

Regards,

Niels

Take this tour of the SPCR test lab to find what kind of equipment that is beeing used in testing. Among other things there is a anemometer to measure airflow.

Gasketed funnel shroud, variable size to fit different fans, that attach to Mike's anemometer.

-Ed

Are you still taking fans Mike? I have come across a few more I would like to send you.

Hello Mike
Since we all appreciate the nidec motors on the samsung hard drives, what about reviewing a few of their low noise fans? I have an Aopen 400 watt powersupply in one of my computers thats surprisingly quiet. It uses an 80mm nidec beta sl fan, model no: d08t-12pu at .22amps.
http://www.nidec.com/

I came across this fan on the www.endpcnoise.com web site, and wondered if it had been tested (Papst 8412NGLLE)? I'm really looking for a 92mm fan, and wondered if anyone knew if Papst made an LE version of their 92mm fan?

It looks like the next best thing is the Nexus 92mm case fan, right?

From the Papst catalog:

Series 3400N 92 x 92 x 25 mm
Type 3412NGL / 3412N/2GL
Air flow 61 m3/h
Air flow 35.9 CFM
Nominal Voltage 12 V DC
Voltage Range 8...15 V DC
Noise 23 dB(A)
Noise 4.0 bels
Sintec-Sleeve Bearings
Power Input 1.2 Watt
Nominal Speed 1950 min-1
Temperature Range -20...+70 °C
Service Life L10 80000 Hours at 40 °C
Service Life L10 40000 Hours at tmax

Hmm...Found the Papst web site.

The fan I was talking about was the Papst 8412NGLLE. They have a fan listed as 8412NGL but no LE extention.

I think you are right, that the right fan is the 3412NGL(LE) for the 92mm version. No searches turn up if including the LE though. I'm guessing that it doesn't exist as a case fan, if at all.

Oh, well, looks like I'll just have to order the Nexus. Would this fan (92mm) be considered quiet enough for an HTPC if running at full 12V?

Please add the Silverstone FM-121 to the list. I tried to purchase the tj-06 fans from silverstone after your tj-06 review but was told that they are not available separately, probably because they are introducting the FM-121 9 blade which is an Everflow R121225BU with a speed control unit. The fans on your list are mostly old standards and although the 9 bladed everflow might not be new, Silvertone may have specified a higher quality fan. This one has a speed range from 700 to 2400rpm. Silverstone fans are readily available from a number of sources and like the fan you tested may provide a good low to middle speed solution. - FG

No love for Antec fans? I think the stock fan in the Sonata is great along with the Antec Pro 120mm fan I bought with it. Minimal motor noise, no whining, just clean air being pushed.

Anyways, at 5V, the Antec Pro 120mm spins at roughly 950RPM. As stated, next to nothing in motor noise and whine. It usually spins at 1150RPM when it's on my FAN ONLY connector. At 1150RPM, it's easily more quiet than a Vantec 120mm un"stealth" at 950RPM and a tad bit quieter than my Nexus 92mm at 1500RPM.

The fan in the antec 3000b was tested and thought to be good at low speed. I'm starting to think that most fans are acceptably quiet at low speed. It does seem that most of the fans in the test have been around for a long time and hard to find like papst and yate loon and the newer models are not being considered eventhough some are quite good. Manufactures are becoming aware of the silent computing trend and probably have quiet fans on the boards. - FG

I've got an Antec 120mm from a SLK1650B case going spare if you want it? Let me know and I'll get it in the post straight away