What is the best 92mm fan?

zuperdee · Post by **zuperdee** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 1:25 pm

Hello all,

Well, I just moved my system from a shoddy Tricod case into an Antec SLK1600 mini-tower. Suffice it to say, I think this case is probably one of the best cases ever made! Man what a difference it made in the system temperatures.

I am currently using an 80mm Nexus case fan at the rear, but I see that the opening is big enough to accomodate a 92mm fan as well. Therefore, I am now trying to find out what the best 92mm fan is--I cannot seem to find ANY that meet my idea of quiet so far... And I hate undervolting. Any recommendations?

Trip · Post by **Trip** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 1:35 pm

hate undervolting? Papst is a good choice. Noiseblocker fans are supposed to be really good as well. They usually aren't available in the US but: Sale. Someone can verify but I think they are as good as Papst.

Panaflo is supposedly very good when undervolting, though not as good as 80mm.

zuperdee · Post by **zuperdee** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 2:06 pm

Don't Papst fans have a clicking problem though?

mond · Post by **mond** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 2:27 pm

i must say i was thouroughly disapointed with the panaflo 92mm (L1BX), it makes a very anoying ticking sound that is clearly audible at all voltages, and it's nothing like the very quiet 80mm L1A. btw, it was not a bad speciment, i tried a replacement and it was exactely the same.
so i got a papst instead, the 3410 NGL or whatever it is, and it was a whole different thing. still, the motor noise does have a more ticking/rhytmic caracter to it compared with the 80mm L1A, but it's defineately on a whole different level than the the panaflo 92mm, and pretty damn quiet. the one i got anyway, apparently the biggest problem with papst is consistency. don't have any experience with other 92mm's. btw, the papst does not click any more when undervolted as i think some people have reported, the motor noise drops nicely as voltage is lovered. actually seems to my ears that the "clicking" get's somewhat more hifrequent and noticeable at about 8 volts or so (using a fanmate).

Trip · Post by **Trip** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 3:15 pm

Papst and Noiseblocker reputedly both have problems with clicking when undervolting. In my experience Papst is better than Panaflo at full voltage and Panaflo is better when undervolting. Note: one 80mm Papst fan I have undervolts very well and is the quietest fan I have.

zuperdee · Post by **zuperdee** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 4:57 pm

Well, I am preferably looking for a fan with a noise level <20dB or so (WITHOUT undervolting) that still moves more air than my Nexus 80mm fan.

Say--is there some place where I can find Adda fans? Are they any good? How about the Acoustifans? I've heard some good things about them.

Trip · Post by **Trip** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 7:18 pm

http://www.siliconacoustics.com/

zuperdee · Post by **zuperdee** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 8:56 pm

Yeah, I did see that. How about the Enermax UC-9FAB? Is that fan quiet? (Depending on how it is adjusted?) Or are there ones that are quieter than this if I use them with something like a Zalman FanMate?

al bundy · Post by **al bundy** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 11:15 pm

Don't overlook the 92mm PC Power & Cooling Silencer Fan, which undervolts nicely and becomes extremely quiet...

zuperdee · Post by **zuperdee** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 11:51 pm

Well, I've now looked around quite a bit, and it seems like for some reason, there just aren't as many choices with 92mm fans as there are with 80's or 120's. I guess people only want very big or very small, eh? WHY???

Well, I decided to try a 92mm AcoustiFan, since I've been hearing some good things about these fans. I also figure the extra goodies they come with might make up in part for their high price. (For example, I would probably end up purchasing isolator mounts separately otherwise.)

zuperdee · Post by **zuperdee** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 12:13 am

Well, having used the 92mm AcoustiFan for a few days now, I'd say this fan definitely lives up to its reputation--it is VERY quiet, and I cannot imagine ANY other fan being much quieter. In my opinion, the Nexus fans are just about as quiet, and I'm sure the PC&C Silencer is probably also just about as quiet. There might be slight differences between them, but in my opinion, the differences are probably so small that they are not worth noting. ALL of these fans are quieter than the Panaflos though, in my opinion. The Panaflos are total JUNK. Anyway, main thing is, the AcoustiFan is definitely what I'd call a high quality fan, and it is now on my short list of fans that I'd recommend.

Only problem is, even though I'm very pleased with the AcoustiFan, I now feel bad in a way not having tried the PC&C Silencer, cause it also sounds like a very good fan. Anyone think there's a point in trying that fan, too? (Problem is, where could I use it?)

Putz · Post by **Putz** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 1:14 am

While I'm not arguing with you regarding your comments about Panaflos, zuperdee, I must warn you that saying bad things about Panaflos is sure to make you a few enemies around here...

v3n · Post by **v3n** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 3:09 am

mond wrote:i must say i was thouroughly disapointed with the panaflo 92mm (L1BX), it makes a very anoying ticking sound that is clearly audible at all voltages, and it's nothing like the very quiet 80mm L1A. btw, it was not a bad speciment, i tried a replacement and it was exactely the same.
so i got a papst instead, the 3410 NGL or whatever it is, and it was a whole different thing. still, the motor noise does have a more ticking/rhytmic caracter to it compared with the 80mm L1A, but it's defineately on a whole different level than the the panaflo 92mm, and pretty damn quiet. the one i got anyway, apparently the biggest problem with papst is consistency. don't have any experience with other 92mm's. btw, the papst does not click any more when undervolted as i think some people have reported, the motor noise drops nicely as voltage is lovered. actually seems to my ears that the "clicking" get's somewhat more hifrequent and noticeable at about 8 volts or so (using a fanmate).

i feel the same way

i bought a 92mm panaflo last week to replace my zalman 92mm on my flower and its noisy at all voltages with the clicking

the 80mm is fine

sthayashi · Post by **sthayashi** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 8:46 am

zuperdee wrote:I am currently using an 80mm Nexus case fan at the rear, but I see that the opening is big enough to accomodate a 92mm fan as well. Therefore, I am now trying to find out what the best 92mm fan is--I cannot seem to find ANY that meet my idea of quiet so far... And I hate undervolting. Any recommendations?

I'd have just assumed that Nexus 92mm fans would be quiet enough for you. But I don't know if they're up for sale yet.

m0002a · Post by **m0002a** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 9:34 am

When considering Panaflo fans, looking at the specs is important. The L1A designation just means it is the lowest speed of that size, and not always comparable across sizes (92mm vs. 80mm). For example:

92mm FBA09A12L1A - RPM 2100, CFM 42.7, dBA 27.0
80mm FBA08A12L1A - RPM 1900, CFM 24.0, dBA 21.0

So there is nothing wrong with the design of the 92mm Panaflo, it is just not meant to be a very low output fan. One should know from the specs what to expect from these two fans in terms of the fan speed, the amount of air it moves, and the sound level (at 12V).

Of course, the planned voltage (if not 12V) needs to be considered as well.

zuperdee · Post by **zuperdee** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 1:25 pm

Putz wrote:While I'm not arguing with you regarding your comments about Panaflos, zuperdee, I must warn you that saying bad things about Panaflos is sure to make you a few enemies around here...

Goodness, I hope not. I'm not trying to make enemies--I am stating my opinion based on actual experience with them. It is my honest opinion that Panaflos, although they ARE considerably quieter than many other fans out there, they are still far from being the "best of the best." They have far too much clicking and bearing noise, and given this, I think there ARE better options. That is my opinion.

sthayashi wrote:I'd have just assumed that Nexus 92mm fans would be quiet enough for you. But I don't know if they're up for sale yet.

No, they're not for sale yet. That's why I was looking at alternatives--I'm not sure I wanted to wait that much longer. (Although the Nexus fans ARE very good fans, in my opinion.)

m0002a wrote:So there is nothing wrong with the design of the 92mm Panaflo, it is just not meant to be a very low output fan. One should know from the specs what to expect from these two fans in terms of the fan speed, the amount of air it moves, and the sound level (at 12V).

Well, if the 92mm Panaflo is anything like the 80mm Panaflo, I'd say again, it probably has too much motor clicking and bearing noise for my taste. Again, just my opinion.

So far, I'd say these 92mm fans are good recommendations:

* Nexus
* AcoustiFan
* PC&C Silencer

David Cole · Post by **David Cole** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 2:14 pm

I've just replaced two Zalman 92mms with Acoustifan 92mms to cool a P4 2.6 with Zalman Flower and a Zalman vga heatsink. Zalman fanmated in both cases. Fanmated, the Acoustifans are probably a little quieter than the Zalmans, though the Acoustifans would not start at the lowest Fanmate voltage. Neither are silent. But neither have shown any mechanical or electrical noise - just slightly different pitched and amounts of wind whirr. Didn't bother listening to either fan without a Fanmate (which won't help much as you don't want to under volt).

Shadowknight · Post by **Shadowknight** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 2:15 pm

The Evercool 92mm isn't too bad, when undervolted to the 1500-1600rpm range (the sensor varies a lot). Vibrates a bit, but a silicon fan mount between the fan and the cpu h/s takes care of that. At 12v, wind noise. Like with the 120mm, there really isn't any bearing noise.

By the by, I used to use a Panaflo L1BX (92mm) - had terrible, terrible bearing noise, even at 5v.

al bundy · Post by **al bundy** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 5:55 pm

zuperdee wrote:...though I'm very pleased with the AcoustiFan, I now feel bad in a way not having tried the PC&C Silencer, cause it also sounds like a very good fan. Anyone think there's a point in trying that fan, too? (Problem is, where could I use it?)

I haven't tried the 92mm AcoustiFan yet, but I have frequently used the 92mm PCP&C Silencer fan. It is the quietest 92mm fan (when undervolted) that I've ever tried to date. The other really nice thing I like about the 92mm Silencer fan is that, compared with other fans, it exhibits so much less vibration.

I will never use another Panaflo fan, of any size. I too find them to be much too noisy.

zuperdee · Post by **zuperdee** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 8:05 pm

al bundy wrote:I haven't tried the 92mm AcoustiFan yet, but I have frequently used the 92mm PCP&C Silencer fan. It is the quietest 92mm fan (when undervolted) that I've ever tried to date. The other really nice thing I like about the 92mm Silencer fan is that, compared with other fans, it exhibits so much less vibration.

Yeah--the 92mm AcoustiFan also has very little vibration. In fact, I do recall reading somewhere that they selected the motor they did especially for low vibration. Like I say, I'd be willing to bet that the Nexus fans, the AcoustiFans, and the Silencer series would all pretty much be neck-in-neck if you were to do scientific, uniform testing of them.

The one thing that I find most interesting about the Silencer though is its use of a ball bearing. It seems like it is rather unusual to find quiet fans like that that are using ball bearings--most quiet fans I've seen use either sleeve bearings, or a modified form of sleeve bearings--e.g., Hydro Wave bearings, Hypro bearings, "Rifle" bearings, Sintered Sleeve bearings, etc. I guess it just goes to show though that even ball bearings CAN be quiet, if they are done right.

So do you know by any chance what the life expectancy of the Silencer is?

al bundy · Post by **al bundy** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 8:19 pm

zuperdee wrote:...I guess it just goes to show though that even ball bearings CAN be quiet, if they are done right.

So do you know by any chance what the life expectancy of the Silencer is?

PCP&C claims an MTBF of 100,000+ hours for these ballbearing fans. I've never seen one fail or degrade in any way.

Putz · Post by **Putz** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 9:18 pm

zuperdee wrote:
Putz wrote:While I'm not arguing with you regarding your comments about Panaflos, zuperdee, I must warn you that saying bad things about Panaflos is sure to make you a few enemies around here...
Goodness, I hope not. I'm not trying to make enemies--I am stating my opinion based on actual experience with them. It is my honest opinion that Panaflos, although they ARE considerably quieter than many other fans out there, they are still far from being the "best of the best." They have far too much clicking and bearing noise, and given this, I think there ARE better options. That is my opinion.

I'm sure you didn't, zuperdee, and I understand your opinion (and can't/won't argue with you). It just struck me as harsh, and perhaps a little trolling, when you called Panaflos "JUNK", in caps no less.

I do believe, to support your observations and opinion, that many have noticed Panaflos not being as notably quiet as before, since they switched to a Chinese manufacturing plant, from one in Japan.

zuperdee · Post by **zuperdee** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 9:51 pm

al bundy wrote:PCP&C claims an MTBF of 100,000+ hours for these ballbearing fans. I've never seen one fail or degrade in any way.

MAN!!! And if I remember Papst's MTBF figure correctly, PCP&C is claiming an even longer lifespan than Papst's Sintec sleeve bearings. In comparison, the Acoustifans claim only 26,000 hours. PCP&C *REALLY* sounds impressive now!!!

zuperdee · Post by **zuperdee** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 9:56 pm

Putz wrote:I'm sure you didn't, zuperdee, and I understand your opinion (and can't/won't argue with you). It just struck me as harsh, and perhaps a little trolling, when you called Panaflos "JUNK", in caps no less.

Yeah--that was probably a little bit harsh. My apologies for that.

Putz wrote:I do believe, to support your observations and opinion, that many have noticed Panaflos not being as notably quiet as before, since they switched to a Chinese manufacturing plant, from one in Japan.

Yeah--I too have heard that they've had some problems since they started outsourcing production to China. However, I believe that even the ones made in Japan aren't the best--the ones I have are made in Japan, and I still find them lacking.

Kenzu · Post by **Kenzu** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 12:32 pm

I've found the Adda fans most quiet, that is with Hypro Bearing types, check from Adda.
The other favourite of mine is Y.S. Tech with their Silent or Super silent models.
(Papst fans are over valued, noisy IMO)

zuperdee · Post by **zuperdee** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 1:09 pm

Yeah--I too have heard good things about Adda fans (with Hypro bearings), but 1) does this apply to ALL their sizes, or only to one? 2) where can I find Adda fans for sale? They seem to be VERY hard to find in the retail channels.

Trip · Post by **Trip** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 2:52 pm

I bought some 60mm ADDA from Pham Computer

Wintermute · Post by **Wintermute** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 4:25 pm

I believe the fans that SilenX.com sells as their own are really ADDA fans. Not sure, just a guess. They claim to use Hypro bearings which is a ADDA patented technology from what I can gather. I am still trying to find the "right" fan for the Thermalright SP-94. I was initially leaning towards the Papst 3412N/2GL but I'm not so sure anymore. See Mond's post here.. There isn't enough background on the SilenX fans so I'm too iffy on them to try them out. I am considering an Acoustifan but I am not confident in allowing the Acoustifan's thermal regulator to adjust the fan's speed while it is perched on top of my CPU. I'd rather undervolt a fan with a Fan Mate and then attach the fan to the mobo's CPU fan regulator.

Viperoni · Post by **Viperoni** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 1:44 pm

Anyone know if BigfootComputers.com aluminum fan's are Evercools? If so, they got what appears to be good pricing on them right now, and I could use a 92mm model for my PS

Viperoni · Post by **Viperoni** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 11:38 am

CONFIRMED, BigFootComputers.com Aluminum fans are indeed Evercool's. I guess I'll need to go down soon and pick me up some

What is the best 92mm fan?

What is the best 92mm fan?

Re: What is the best 92mm fan?