jabba wrote:Ralf, do you remember any of the RPM numbers from the fans you tested?
Both Panaflos and the Evercool had no rpm monitoring so all I know is what voltage I was feeding them. The Globe had rpm monitoring and I'm pretty sure I posted some rpm numbers near the bottom of the second page in this very thread. LMK if you need more and I'll see what I can dig up.
jabba wrote:Also, in using an XP-120 in a normal lintel mobo in a case such as a BQE, the fan will stick out far enough to be near the middle of the exhaust fan that would make a sideway T intersection. Perhaps someone with an XP-120 and BQE combination might be able to say for sure.
Yes, it sticks out about 35% of the way over the rear fan. But it's about an inch away from it. It's really not way different than the configuration you get using an SLK900 with a 92mm fan, or even a Zalman 7000 for that matter.
jabba wrote:Now, would you even bother with an exhaust (esp if there was an intake)? The two fans in a 90 degree configuration might create extra turbulence or fight each other.
Or would you use the CPU Fan in a suck or blow configuration knowing the exhaust fan is immediately next to it blowing air out of the case? Kind of a toss up of which would work better.
Good questions, and something that's easy enough to figure out just by playing with the configuration. Which I'm in the process of trying to get around to right now.
jabba wrote:Also, hypothetically, if you already owned a CNPS7000A-Cu, is this thing so much greater/quieter that you would plunk down an extra $50 to get it?
Short answer: yes.
It cools better than the Z-7000 at all voltages, even with the very quiet 120mm Globe fan. Not only is the Globe quieter than the Zalman fan, it's sound is a bit lower in pitch and it has less clicking. This makes it much more pleasant to listen to.
The XP-120 would also be a better choice if you were running a hot CPU like a 3.0, 3.2 etc P4. With these higher temp CPUs, the Z-7000 is starting to run out of steam and would need to be run at 7-8 volts to cool decently. At those sort of settings it's fan is becoming pretty noticeable.