NH-L12 running at the lowest speed

[cpaqf1]

Hi there,

I was reading the review for it but I don't find it 100% clear yet, would a NH-L12 at 6V(or whatever is lowest with the PWM) be considered silent? I currently have a mac mini which I consider silent, could I expect the same level of noise from that cooler assuming the rest of the pc is fanless?


thanks guys

[CA_Steve]

Welcome to SPCR.

11-12dB @ 6V is pretty darn quiet. (SPCR's anechoic chamber's noise floor is 10-11dB). Then, put it inside a case. Should be inaudible.

All this assumes your unknown CPU can be cooled well with the fans @ 700-900rpm and the rest of the unknown pc components aren't dumping lots of heat into the otherwise passive case.

[cpaqf1]

Welcome to SPCR.

11-12dB @ 6V is pretty darn quiet. (SPCR's anechoic chamber's noise floor is 10-11dB). Then, put it inside a case. Should be inaudible.

All this assumes your unknown CPU can be cooled well with the fans @ 700-900rpm and the rest of the unknown pc components aren't dumping lots of heat into the otherwise passive case.

thanks for your reply! Could I get your input regarding my parts list? This is where I'm currently at, this build is based on this guide http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1424-page1.html

1. Could I change the fan on the noctua for something even quieter?
I'm considering a few cases, the Corsair 250D, the Corsair Air 240 but I'm still browsing.


2. Do you think the noctua case fans would be completely inaudible since they're rated <10dBa?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($278.03 @ Vuugo)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L12 37.8 CFM CPU Cooler ($74.95 @ Amazon Canada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.50 @ Vuugo)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($104.97 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($303.03 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 960 4GB Video Card ($289.03 @ Vuugo)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular Fanless ATX Power Supply ($184.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-S12A ULN 120mm Fan ($24.95 @ Amazon Canada)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-S12A ULN 120mm Fan ($24.95 @ Amazon Canada)
Total: $1434.40
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-24 15:41 EDT-0400

thanks!

[Abula]

Some comments about the build,

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($278.03 @ Vuugo)

Why going with Haswell? i would suggest Intel Core i5-6500

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L12 37.8 CFM CPU Cooler ($74.95 @ Amazon Canada)

Why this cooler? the case has space for a tower cooler that should be better option, better cooling will end up on lower rpms and less noise, the case has the CPU horizontal so weight shouldnt be an issue.

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.50 @ Vuugo)

Not that many Skylake H170 mini itx mobos out, one that seems very nice is the Asus H170 Plus D3 Mini-itx, but i cant seem to find it in canada =(

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 960 4GB Video Card ($289.03 @ Vuugo)

I would suggest to go with MSI GeForce GTX 960 GTX 960 GAMING 2G, it will be quieter under load than the Asus.

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($104.97 @ DirectCanada)

You will need ddr4 for H170

Case: Power Supply: [url=http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ss520fl]SeaSonic 520W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular Fanless ATX Power Supply ($184.99 @ Newegg Canada)

Personally i would suggest to go with fanned PSU, in the Rosewill it will be sitting in its own chamber reciever very little airflow, so its best to have some way of moving that hot air out. Seasonic G-450 is what i would suggest, but there might be better options out there.

Case: Rosewill LEGACY W1-S Mini ITX Tower Case
Case Fan: Noctua NF-S12A ULN 120mm Fan ($24.95 @ Amazon Canada)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-S12A ULN 120mm Fan ($24.95 @ Amazon Canada)

The Rosewill case uses 140mm fans, and personally i would swap them, in the build that i did i coulnt undervolt them at all, they are not bad tonally, but there is no need 1000rpms all the time. If you control them via PWM, my suggestions is a couple of Noctua Fan NF-P14S REDUX-1200 PWM, if you dont want to use PWM fans, and you plan to undervolt them, then look into Antec True Quiet 140.

[cpaqf1]

thanks for your reply, yeah the NH-l12 cause I realised I can't get the rosewill w1 for a decent price in canada, it would cost like 375$... my options are the 250D or the 240 Air so my cooler options are really limited I think. Would I really gain anything from going skylake?

as for the GPU, I'm more concerned about noise at idle, whenever I play games I'll usually have headphones on so I won't care. With the case sitting on my desk, I'd love to not hear it at all at idle.

[Abula]

Would I really gain anything from going skylake?

Slightly better performance, slightly more efficient, as most things with intel, its baby steps =).

as for the GPU, I'm more concerned about noise at idle, whenever I play games I'll usually have headphones on so I won't care. With the case sitting on my desk, I'd love to not hear it at all at idle.

The MSI will be as quiet as the asus on idle, both are passive under light load, where you will see a difference is under heavy load, where MSI will be quieter.

thanks for your reply, yeah the NH-l12 cause I realised I can't get the rosewill w1 for a decent price in canada, it would cost like 375$... my options are the 250D or the 240 Air so my cooler options are really limited I think.

SPCR did 3 builds on mini itx, you should check those reviews. That said, i think two cases that you should have on your list, that you should have avaiable in canada are both reviewed by SPCR.

Fractal Design Node 304 Mini-ITX Case
Fractal Design Core 500 Mini-ITX Chassis

Both got editors choice, imo really good picks for building on mini itx, specially on a budget. Also both will allow you a big tower cooler.

If you go with either of those two cases and you want to remain with haswell, i would go with the ASUS H97I-PLUS, ideal cpu socket placement for those cases + tower cooler.

[cpaqf1]

Would I really gain anything from going skylake?

Slightly better performance, slightly more efficient, as most things with intel, its baby steps =).

as for the GPU, I'm more concerned about noise at idle, whenever I play games I'll usually have headphones on so I won't care. With the case sitting on my desk, I'd love to not hear it at all at idle.

The MSI will be as quiet as the asus on idle, both are passive under light load, where you will see a difference is under heavy load, where MSI will be quieter.

thanks for your reply, yeah the NH-l12 cause I realised I can't get the rosewill w1 for a decent price in canada, it would cost like 375$... my options are the 250D or the 240 Air so my cooler options are really limited I think.

SPCR did 3 builds on mini itx, you should check those reviews. That said, i think two cases that you should have on your list, that you should have avaiable in canada are both reviewed by SPCR.

Fractal Design Node 304 Mini-ITX Case
Fractal Design Core 500 Mini-ITX Chassis

Both got editors choice, imo really good picks for building on mini itx, specially on a budget. Also both will allow you a big tower cooler.

If you go with either of those two cases and you want to remain with haswell, i would go with the ASUS H97I-PLUS, ideal cpu socket placement for those cases + tower cooler.

thanks, that\s the mobo I wanted aswell but I absolutely need wifi, I know where to buy the mini pcie card but do you happen to know if I absolutely need an antenna?

[quest_for_silence]

do you happen to know if I absolutely need an antenna?

Without it your S/N ratio would be abysmal.

[cpaqf1]

I'm sorry for not going with the advice given but to be honest guys I think ill stick to haswell, What's the quietest cooler I could fit into a Corsair 250D, the clearance is aparently 140mm?

btw, Abula, the MSI 960 is interesting but only has 2GB, do you think ill notice a difference over the 4gb strix?

[quest_for_silence]

What's the quietest cooler I could fit into a Corsair 250D, the clearance is aparently 140mm?

Probably the Be Quiet Dark Rock TF and Noctua NH-C14S.

[Abula]

btw, Abula, the MSI 960 is interesting but only has 2GB, do you think ill notice a difference over the 4gb strix?

It really depends on the games, very few games will use over 2gb, there are some like skyrm with their mods that do take the advantage, but imo its not worth the extra investment for a mid end card, the card is not meant for high resolutions. But checking newegg.ca, they just placed the 4gb version of the MSI in the shellshocker deal, at $10 more for the extra 2GB seems like a good deal to me, MSI GeForce GTX 960 GTX 960 GAMING 4G 4GB 128-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support ATX Video Card, i would act fast as it wont stay like that for long.

I'm sorry for not going with the advice given but to be honest guys I think ill stick to haswell

No need to apologize, this is your money and you will have to live with your choices, there is nothing bad to have made your mind into what you want.

What's the quietest cooler I could fit into a Corsair 250D, the clearance is apparently 140mm?

140mm does limit a lot what you can install, at least on tower cooler, speaking of which, its improtant that you decide on the motherboard, specially because not all have the same socket placement thus not all allow to mount the same coolers with a GPU, Asus is notorious because was the first to kinda centralized the CPU socket, allowing the use of towers on mini itx builds. Motherboard manfucturers like MSI and Gigabyte used the more traditional "next to the PCIe slot", though on new gens (skylake) both are changing to the Asus style. Asrock on the other hand had a more oposite to PCIe, this works good in most mini itx cases, its a little further than Asus style, but in most cases it works fine, you do have to crosscheck the case side clearance.

If you are in fact looking into a centralized CPU socket, like Asus, looking for towers, i would look into Noctua NH-D9L CDN$ 76.99 (110mm clearance), for this you will need the CPU socket close to the center.

If you are looking into down blowing coolers, look into Noctua NH-C14 CDN$ 85.90 (130mm clreance with to top fan, 105 without). This cooler should work with the not centralized CPU socket, but crosscheck it.

[cpaqf1]

btw, Abula, the MSI 960 is interesting but only has 2GB, do you think ill notice a difference over the 4gb strix?

It really depends on the games, very few games will use over 2gb, there are some like skyrm with their mods that do take the advantage, but imo its not worth the extra investment for a mid end card, the card is not meant for high resolutions. But checking newegg.ca, they just placed the 4gb version of the MSI in the shellshocker deal, at $10 more for the extra 2GB seems like a good deal to me, MSI GeForce GTX 960 GTX 960 GAMING 4G 4GB 128-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support ATX Video Card, i would act fast as it wont stay like that for long.

I'm sorry for not going with the advice given but to be honest guys I think ill stick to haswell

No need to apologize, this is your money and you will have to live with your choices, there is nothing bad to have made your mind into what you want.

What's the quietest cooler I could fit into a Corsair 250D, the clearance is apparently 140mm?

140mm does limit a lot what you can install, at least on tower cooler, speaking of which, its improtant that you decide on the motherboard, specially because not all have the same socket placement thus not all allow to mount the same coolers with a GPU, Asus is notorious because was the first to kinda centralized the CPU socket, allowing the use of towers on mini itx builds. Motherboard manfucturers like MSI and Gigabyte used the more traditional "next to the PCIe slot", though on new gens (skylake) both are changing to the Asus style. Asrock on the other hand had a more oposite to PCIe, this works good in most mini itx cases, its a little further than Asus style, but in most cases it works fine, you do have to crosscheck the case side clearance.

If you are in fact looking into a centralized CPU socket, like Asus, looking for towers, i would look into Noctua NH-D9L CDN$ 76.99 (110mm clearance), for this you will need the CPU socket close to the center.

If you are looking into down blowing coolers, look into Noctua NH-C14 CDN$ 85.90 (130mm clreance with to top fan, 105 without). This cooler should work with the not centralized CPU socket, but crosscheck it.

Ok well I'll forget about the corsair. For the motherboard I've decided on the Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI. For now I'm still trying to get my hands on an affordable Rosewill W1, I think that one will pretty much allow any cooler.if ever I do find one, would you choose the silverstone cooler they used in the guide?
if I cant find the rosewill I am however starting to lean towards the fractal 500 or 304 like you mentioned after reading your last post, whats the quietest cooler I can buy for the fractals?
Sorry If im asking the same questions over and over again, last time I tried making a silent build, it didnt really work out so I wanna double check everything this time.

[Abula]

Ok well I'll forget about the corsair. For the motherboard I've decided on the Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI. For now I'm still trying to get my hands on an affordable Rosewill W1, I think that one will pretty much allow any cooler.if ever I do find one, would you choose the silverstone cooler they used in the guide?

Its not a bad cooler, average i would say, it should work as well as you saw on the SPCR guide, it was also reviewed alone sometime ago, SilverStone Argon AR01 & AR03 CPU Coolers

if I cant find the rosewill I am however starting to lean towards the fractal 500 or 304 like you mentioned after reading your last post, whats the quietest cooler I can buy for the fractals?

Well really depends on what you have available, expensive on Canada, but among the most recommended here on SPCR is the Scythe SCKTT-1000 Kotetsu GlideStream 120 PWM 400 RPM CPU Cooling, maybe you can find it elsewhere. Another that should work well on the Fractals is the Noctua NH-U14S, a little cheaper =), or you could go with the one that SPCR, also not very cheap.... SilverStone Argon Series AR03 CPU Cooler with 120mm Fan for socket LGA775/1155/1156/1366/2011, AM2/AM3/FM1/FM2. Kinda expensive the coolers in canada =(

Sorry If im asking the same questions over and over again, last time I tried making a silent build, it didnt really work out so I wanna double check everything this time.

Np, continue asking, thats why im here.

[cpaqf1]

Alright, I've ordered the Node 304.

1. For the CPU cooler you recommended, the Kotetsu, the Noctua NH-U14S and the Argon. The kotetsus is kinda hard to find but I could probably get my hands on one if it's really worth it. For me the easiest ones to get are probably the be quiets and the noctuas but that doesn't really matter, I'm ready to spend what is necessary to make it completely inaudible even if that means buying a Noctua NH-D15, honestly that is my #1 priority for this build so anything less would be kinda disappointing. But honestly I don't in which direction to go.

2. Do I really need to get the Asus H97I-PLUS to be able to accommodate a larger cooler or will the GIGABYTE GA-H97N-WIFI be fine? and will I need low profile ram?

3. Do I need to install the software on the MSI to make it silent at idle or is it automatic? I use to have a 980 GTX Strix with just the nvidia drivers and it seemed silent without playing around with the software.

4. Case fans, I'd like to replace them.I need a 140 and 2 92mm.

For the 140mm I was thinking this one http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.as ... 6835608035
otherwise the bequiet! Silent Wings 2 140?

for the 92mm I'm really not sure... if I can't find a silent one, can I just remove them?

thanks again!


Here's how it looks now. **still uncertain about GPU brand**

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($278.71 @ Vuugo)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($145.50 @ Vuugo)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($104.97 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($303.73 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 960 4GB Video Card ($300.54 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: Fractal Design Node 304 (White) Mini ITX Tower Case ($99.00 @ shopRBC)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular Fanless ATX Power Supply ($184.99 @ Newegg Canada)

[Abula]

Alright, I've ordered the Node 304.

Its a great case, but the most important thing you need to know atm is the case is very peculiar into which psu can be used with a long gpu, specially long PSU (over 160mm) are out of the equation, and its preferable 140mm, be very careful with modular PSUs as its a very tight fit. One PSU that its very popular among owners of the Node304 is the Seasonic G550, because of where it has the modular cable/holes it allows you to install long gpus. Be sure to check OCN [Official] Fractal Design Node 304 Owners Club, in there you will find tons of builds, and you can even see things you are thinking of buying like CPU coolers or PSU to get an idea into what will work best for your build, be sure to take some time and go by the pages, its a really big thread but worth spending the time checking it out.

1. For the CPU cooler you recommended, the Kotetsu, the Noctua NH-U14S and the Argon. The kotetsus is kinda hard to find but I could probably get my hands on one if it's really worth it. For me the easiest ones to get are probably the be quiets and the noctuas but that doesn't really matter, I'm ready to spend what is necessary to make it completely inaudible even if that means buying a Noctua NH-D15, honestly that is my #1 priority for this build so anything less would be kinda disappointing. But honestly I don't in which direction to go.

The NH-D15 should fit, but probably not with both fans, only the middle one. The Single tower coolers are a tight fit, but most of the time they are good regardless if you don't populate all the hdd brackets. Check the thread i posted above you will find builds with twin tower coolers and single tower, etc, grab some ideas there, and you might even find something cheaper that might be worth searching in canada. Upon seraching on the limited places i know in canada, there are very few cheap options there, but one that seems decent is the Prolimatech PRO-ARMGD 14cm CPU Cooler for Intel Socket 1366/1156 Motherboards you will still need to add a fan, it was reviewed by SPCR in case you want to read more about it, Prolimatech Armageddon & Coolermaster V8 CPU Coolers.

2. Do I really need to get the Asus H97I-PLUS to be able to accommodate a larger cooler or will the GIGABYTE GA-H97N-WIFI be fine? and will I need low profile ram?

The Gigabyte has the CPU as the Asus so in essence you should be fine mounting the NH-D15 from the motherboard perspective, crosscheck the bottom of the motherboard to not have any chips that will not allow to mount the bracket. I would recommend at least standard height ram, personally i like a lot the crucial ballistic sport because of the low profile, weather its needed or not will depend on the cooler you chose.

3. Do I need to install the software on the MSI to make it silent at idle or is it automatic? I use to have a 980 GTX Strix with just the nvidia drivers and it seemed silent without playing around with the software.

The way the Vbios is setup, you shouldnt need to install software, the MSI should be silent on idle or low light load, it wont be inaudible on load, but should be quieter than the Asus. You can still use MSI Afterburner if you wish to change the behavior of the fans, or the MSI APP which is a light app that allows you presets like silent/normal/overclocked.

4. Case fans, I'd like to replace them.I need a 140 and 2 92mm.

I would test them first, they are not the best but not bad either, most users will be happy on the low settings, from what i remember on a friends build, the 92mm didn't like the low settings one of the fans didn't spin, i believe the mid were fine, not too noisy either. You can always change them later on if they don't furfill your quiet requirements.

For the 140mm I was thinking this one http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.as ... 6835608035
otherwise the bequiet! Silent Wings 2 140?

If you dont like the included fans, the be quiet should be a good option, personally i would go with Noctua NF-P14s redux-900 Fan (140x140x25mm, square frame 3-pin, 900rpm) or Antec True Quiet 140

for the 92mm I'm really not sure... if I can't find a silent one, can I just remove them?

For 92mm not many choices out there, i would consider the Noctua SSO Bearing Fan Retail Cooling NF-B9 Redux-1600

**still uncertain about GPU brand**

If you are unsure you want to go with MSI, go with what you like, Asus makes great cards, i just find them noiser on load than MSI, but its still one of the best noise wise, but remember its your money and you have to feel confortable with what you are buying, so no matter the advise i or others give you, the final decision is yours, and you are the only one that has to live with whatever you built.

Good luck with the choices, and be sure to spend some time on the the OCN thread, really good info there.

[quest_for_silence]

one that seems decent is the Prolimatech PRO-ARMGD 14cm CPU Cooler for Intel Socket 1366/1156 Motherboards you will still need to add a fan

Given he'd have to add a fan, probably that one would be decent too (while offering some more clearance): http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.as ... 6835608040

for the 92mm I'm really not sure... if I can't find a silent one, can I just remove them?

For 92mm not many choices out there, i would consider the Noctua SSO Bearing Fan Retail Cooling NF-B9 Redux-1600

I'm testing a pair of them these days: anything definitive, but apparently they're not any better than the much cheaper AC F9 quiet wise, and how much they are quiet strongly depends about the BIOS/controller setting.
Apparently the A9x14 at over 2200rpm (I have it in the same system) looks like noticeably quieter than the B9 at 1600rpm (actually about 1700rpm).

At any rate, the OP can't remove the intake fans without accepting some temps penalties (and maybe some coolers' fans speed rise), you need fresh air to feed those coolers.

[Abula]

For 92mm not many choices out there, i would consider the Noctua SSO Bearing Fan Retail Cooling NF-B9 Redux-1600
I'm testing a pair of them these days: anything definitive, but apparently they're not any better than the much cheaper AC F9 quiet wise, and how much they are quiet strongly depends about the BIOS/controller setting.
Apparently the A9x14 at over 2200rpm (I have it in the same system) looks like noticeably quieter than the B9 at 1600rpm (actually about 1700rpm).

Intersting, thanks for sharing Lucas. Idk really how it would work, i mean he is going with Gigabyte and mini itx probably will have 1 pwm that he will most likely use for the cpu cooler and one 3pin (not sure how good is gigabyte on fan control) or how would this fans react to voltage instead of pwm.

Offtopoic: Lucas, talking about prolimatech, have you tested the Prolimatech Blue Vortex 14 - High Airflow and Low Noise Fan (140mm), price wise seem even better than the Antec True Quiet 140s and there are very good comments about them in amazon and newegg, given that they dont see quiet as we do, seems like a very interesting fan because of its pricepoint. Would be very interesting to see your comments about it, since you have tried the noctua redux 140 and antec true quiet 140.

[quest_for_silence]

Offtopoic: Lucas, talking about prolimatech, have you tested the Prolimatech Blue Vortex 14 - High Airflow and Low Noise Fan (140mm), price wise seem even better than the Antec True Quiet 140s and there are very good comments about them in amazon and newegg, given that they dont see quiet as we do, seems like a very interesting fan because of its pricepoint. Would be very interesting to see your comments about it, since you have tried the noctua redux 140 and antec true quiet 140.

I have some since some years ago (it was the first fan I used onto the Armageddon): broadly speaking they are very quiet fans for the size, and rather sturdy for the price, their main limit is (IIRC) they won't go much under 500rpm (differently from the Prolimatech Sleek).

I cannot compare them with a True Quiet at the moment, the ones I have are in running systems, but with the Noctuas for sure (I've some spare lying around): I will let you know some comparative sound wise impressions next few days and, if I will have time, I will test then as heatsink fan to comparatively assess their cooling prowess (I'm currently testing some new thermal pastes so my "lab" bench/time is rather busy).

[cpaqf1]

Alright guys, I've made some more decisions

I ordered the MSI GTX 960 and the Noctua 140mm fan Abula recommended, the psu (I saw a few builds with it), the ssd, ram, cpu.

So lastly the cooler, Abula recommended the Prolimatech PRO-ARMGD and quest Noctua NH-U12S. They'd probably both end up at the same price after adding the fan on the Prolimatech, any reason to go with one in particular?

[quest_for_silence]

any reason to go with one in particular?

IMO mainly the dimensions: according to me the smaller, the better (inside the cramped space of a Node 304).

[cpaqf1]

any reason to go with one in particular?

IMO mainly the dimensions: according to me the smaller, the better (inside the cramped space of a Node 304).

do you think the noctua would be audible at the lowest setting? newegg says 18.6 dB(A) ( w/ U.L.N.A.) which seems kinda high

I will also be removing the HDD cages so this should help the airflow

[quest_for_silence]

do you think the noctua would be audible at the lowest setting? newegg says 18.6 dB(A) ( w/ U.L.N.A.) which seems kinda high

I guess you misunderstood that figure, it is the max SPL with the ULNA adapter, not the lowest noise, which ultimately depends of your mobo fan header: by the way, I owned that cooler and it has been already reviewed by SPCR (check the relevant review) and it has been already installed by other co-forumers in the Node 304, so I'm quite confident it's a good match for that case (not to mention I prefer 120mm fans for the CPU cooler, usually).

Said that, I also own the Armageddon adviced by Abula: they are both good coolers, and I like both, quality-wise they are on par, customer support is good for both, pick what you like more: I just think smaller is better or, more properly, more rational, though the Armageddon is slightly larger.

I will also be removing the HDD cages so this should help the airflow

For sure, but you still need the front fans.

[Abula]

I think both coolers are good, you can read more about either on the SPCR reviews,

Noctua NH-U12S Slim Tower Heatsink
Prolimatech Armageddon & Coolermaster V8 CPU Coolers

Both got silver awards, neither got editors choice, but both are good heatsinks. I would say its more up to you into what you prefer. Im a sucker for big heatsinks, in my mind bigger is better, something that in reality is not true, coolers like Scythe Kotetsu and Ninja4 has proven it. Still both are good coolers, read both reviews and value the pros and cons, on each, i think you cant go wrong with either.

If you want my opinion, Noctua is well known in the heasink market, they do some of the best mounting design for heatsinks, and their heatsinks are pretty good, their quality is second to none, that said im not a big fan of their NF-F12, its good at low rpms, but i dont like the tone at high. On the Armagedon, i dont own it, i do own some things from prolimatech including a megahelms which is also very good and quality wise also top notch, i suggested it more out of the usual being so expensive in canada like the kotetsu $115 (in the US is $49).

[cpaqf1]

I ordered the noctua, that way I dont have to spend another 5 hours trying to figure out what fan to put on the Promalitech

Absolute last thing! for the 2 92mm fans. The Noctua SSO Bearing Fan Retail Cooling NF-B9 Redux-1600 should be the quietest one? and should I go for the PWM version or the regular?


oh and btw, a big thanks to you both, you've been a great help!

[Abula]

Absolute last thing! for the 2 92mm fans. The Noctua SSO Bearing Fan Retail Cooling NF-B9 Redux-1600 should be the quietest one? and should I go for the PWM version or the regular?

Test the included fan first, they are not bad. Here a couple of screenshots where you can see their range of operation





The Node 304 has a fan controller built in, see how you like with it. I dont have much experience with gigabyte bios fan control nor their software, its not the best from what i seen, but lately they seem to have improve it, again something for you to test. You also have SpeedFan, it has worked well for many, personally i wasn't as lucky, the mobos that i have bought weren't fully supported. But one thing to keep in mind is that mini itx mobos have less headers than atx mobos, in your case you have 2 headers, one should be PWM for the CPU, and one should be voltage controlled for case fans, so i would probably just use the fan controller, but feel free to test the above.

If after testing the included fans they dont perform as you like then buy aftermarket fans.

[cpaqf1]

Alright thanks,

and if I do get them, should I get the PWM or the regular version?

[Abula]

and if I do get them, should I get the PWM or the regular version?

Its a little complicated to explain, and you seem to want a straight answer, too many varaiables, but here it goes, really depends into how are you going to control them.

First decide how you want to control

1) Fan Controller
Get the 3pin.

2) Motherboard
Hard to say, lots of combinations can happen and really depends on how the motherboard can control the fans, not all motherboards can do the same things. For example, your motherboard has 2 headers, one should be PWM where you can connect the CPU fan, but you can also connect others using a Y PWM splitter. Now my biggest doubt on gigabyte is how does it control the 3pin fans on the other header.... both in bios and software, since idk, i cant tell you much.

[cpaqf1]

and if I do get them, should I get the PWM or the regular version?

Its a little complicated to explain, and you seem to want a straight answer, too many varaiables, but here it goes, really depends into how are you going to control them.

First decide how you want to control

1) Fan Controller
Get the 3pin.

2) Motherboard
Hard to say, lots of combinations can happen and really depends on how the motherboard can control the fans, not all motherboards can do the same things. For example, your motherboard has 2 headers, one should be PWM where you can connect the CPU fan, but you can also connect others using a Y PWM splitter. Now my biggest doubt on gigabyte is how does it control the 3pin fans on the other header.... both in bios and software, since idk, i cant tell you much.

Actually, I ordered the H97I-PLUS, I returned the Gigabyte!

[Abula]

Actually, I ordered the H97I-PLUS, I returned the Gigabyte!

Well i did a build on that motherboard a year ago, it has 3 headers,

CPU_FAN = PWM
CHA_FAN1 = Voltage controlled
CHA_FAN2 = Voltage controlled

If you are planning on using FanXpert2, you could control the back fan with CHA_FAN1 and get a Y splitter and control both frontal with CHA_FAN2, and CPU_FAN only for the fan of cpu cooler.

If you going to do the above or you going to use the fan controlled built in, then i would go with 3pin fan.

[cpaqf1]

Hmm, I received the case and the PSU and it looks like it'll be too tight unless I flip it upside down, but thats not a good idea for a fanless psu right? otherwise I can also turn it around but then there's no holes for the screws.. Except for one, does a psu have to be screwed to the case?

otherwise is there a psu that would be silent at light load or should I just change the case?

**edit**

now that I think about it I think ill just get a couple grounding wires and mount them to the case and psu.