Fan choice for P180

Exel · Post by **Exel** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:48 am

With the addition of a second passively cooled GPU I encountered the need to have a front intake fan installed on my Antec P180. I don't need a whole lot of extra airflow, so the fan doesn't need to push around a lot of air, but my number one priority is that the new fan is silent.

So what is the hottest (quietest) new 120mm case fan on the market? Last I updated my knowledge on silent fans was when I bought my system 2 years ago, so I'm a bit out of date.

I might even consider replacing the two standard P180 rear fans with quieter models if they are not too expensive.

zoatebix · Post by **zoatebix** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:02 am

I've heard good things about the Globalwin CS1202512L, and they're cheap. Maybe from Edward Ng on these forums? The Yate Loon D12SL-12 is cheap, easy to find these days, and is rumored to be the OEM model on which the Nexus fan is based. Scythe Slipstreams are more expensive than the Globalwins and Yate Loons but cheaper than pretty much anything else. $10 a pop. Less if you're lucky. 120mm Nexus fans start at $13.

I wouldn't pay for anything more than the Nexus, but that's me.

EDIT: And now I feel silly for not checking your location and listing all those prices in US dollars...

Exel · Post by **Exel** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:17 am

Considering availability in local stores the options are limited to Nexus, Noctua and Papst, maybe Scythe. Haven't seen Globalwin available anywhere.

I've read the spcr fan roundups, and based on those I am currently leaning towards either Noctua or Nexus. The "ultra low noise" 640rpm mode on the Noctua sounds particularly appealing. It is however considerably more expensive than the Nexus, and prohibitively so to be a replacement for the TriCool stock fans. Considering the difference in price, is there really a noticeable difference between the Noctua and the Nexus?

Is the Nexus with its sleeve bearing really unsuitable for the P180 roof fan placement? What is a good fan for a horizontal mount?

Exel · Post by **Exel** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 5:59 am

Bought a Slipstream L to do the job. It's quiet and smooth, but clearly audible - though less so than having to run the Zalman CPU faster to get the same airflow.

I just wish the P180 had a fan mount in the upper drive cage so I could get the fan further away from the front intake.

xev · Post by **xev** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 6:44 am

Do you mean the area near the pci slots? That hdd cage?
If so, it can hold a fan as seen in the pic on the following page:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article741-page6.html

And if you mean the DVD/CD area, you can zip-tie a fan anywhere in there as well and it will provide more direct air to the cpu cooler. Of course you will need some kind of filter to replace the plastic covers.

Exel · Post by **Exel** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 7:19 am

xev wrote:Do you mean the area near the pci slots? That hdd cage?
If so, it can hold a fan as seen in the pic on the following page:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article741-page6.html

I don't have those clips. My version of the case, one of the earliest production models of the original P180, didn't ship with them. Iirc they were added only in later revisions of the case.

misterd · Post by **misterd** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:43 am

You're a modder - make it happen. I noticed a big difference in originally using the front fan and then moving it back to the end of the upper cage.

xev · Post by **xev** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 10:33 am

I don't have those clips. My version of the case, one of the earliest production models of the original P180, didn't ship with them. Iirc they were added only in later revisions of the case.

use zip ties. if you dont have holes in the cage then it should be easy to drill small ones.

Or you can use crazy glue or another that will hold plastic to metal.
.

zoatebix · Post by **zoatebix** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 10:40 am

If you're not using the upper hard drive bay, you could just wedge a fan in there: