Which Fan: SilentWings 3 vs. Corsair ML Pro vs. NB eLoops?

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Notwist
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Which Fan: SilentWings 3 vs. Corsair ML Pro vs. NB eLoops?

Post by Notwist » Wed Mar 01, 2017 3:36 pm

***Update 3-16-17***

Well, Corsairs are out of the running due to clicking at low RPMs. (See here: https://youtu.be/th6ax5ud0Pw)

BeQuiets are very good, but they just look so bland. And subjectively they didn't feel like they pushed a ton of air around 1000 rpm.

Noise blocker look nice, Noctua iPPC 24V looks nice. Going to test.

***Original post***

Hey everybody,

I've been HEAVILY invested in researching comparisons between these fans and I'm ultimately torn, so I figured I would turn to people just as picky about noise as I am.

Here's the breakdown:

1) Price is not a factor, I care primarily about silence, then performance and aesthetics about equally
2) Case is a white NZXT Manta (see attached image of the front intake area to get an idea of obstruction the fans have to deal with).
3) Would be purchasing 2x140mm for front intake, 1x120mm for use on my Noctua U12S heatsink, and 1 x 120mm as exhaust
4) My Asus Impact VIII ITX motherboard has a 6 PWM fan headers, and the case comes with a PWM controlled DC Fan controller. So I've got no shortage of connectivity. I enjoy the flexibility afforded by PWM generally speaking.
5) I will NEVER run my fans about 1400RPM in most cases, I would sooner under clock or take a performance hit than deal with a jet engine in my room

6) Finally, here are the contenders, and why:
- Corsair ML Pro series: considered very quiet at low RPMs while having great airflow. I like the look of them, and the option to toss on white corners to match my build.
- BeQuiet SilentWings 3: consistently highly regarded as an excellent low noise fan. Looks is a bit more generic but they look fine.
- Noiseblocker eLoops: many say the sound signature is great, but I have also heard that some versions louder than others at equal RPMs, PWM version should be avoided (or some say its fine, who knows). Was considering maybe 2x140mm for the front at least, but was also worried about reports about noise when placed near obstructions or filters.

Airflow is relatively open.

Anybody with direct experience with these fans able to share their thoughts? Especially those who might have tested them individually or gotten to compare. Thanks!

***What I've researched thus far***

I've read every known publication's review of each of these fans, and the comments sections of those reviews, and every known forum. The consensus I've seen thus far is:
- Corsair ML Pro are really good
- SilentWings 3 are really good (my motherboard should also be safe from Thermalbench's reported PWM issues with these which can happen at higher PWM %'s)
- Noiseblocker very good, can make noise if a filter placed in front of them, some versions make more noise than others, SPCR said avoid them PWM version?
- Before the Noctua users chime in: I already bought and tested a full set of 2x120mm and 2x140mm PWM Noctua iPPC fans (2000 RPM variety). They click at low RPMs, and sound substantially worse at the same RPM as their beige counterparts. So that's a no-go. I was very disappointed.

Where I'm still stuck is I could use hearing from more SilentPCReview-oriented opinions comparing the SilentWings to the Corsairs to the Nosieblockers. Or at least more objective reviews from people who test properly: it also doesn't help that over 3/4 of the reviews out there for the Corsair fans are written by people who weren't following instructions (always run the fans through PWM so the MagLev gets the 12V needed to operating ideally), and then they do ridiculous stuff like compare the 12V DC noise level of the Corsair ML (a 2400RPM fan) to the 12V DC noise level of a 1400RPM fan, and conclude "WELL THE 1400RPM FAN IS CERTAINLY QUIETER THAN THE 2400RPM FAN! HERE IS WINNER!" lol.

I generally trust SPCR more because the user-base tends to seem more collected in their approach to component selection, people care a bit less about mad-overclocks and more about being able to hear themselves think, etc.


Thanks for everybody's input. Seems like these are 3 of the most popular fans out there currently so if this thread gets going this might be useful to a bunch of people debating between them.
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Last edited by Notwist on Thu Mar 16, 2017 3:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Abula
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Re: Which Fan: SilentWings 3 vs. Corsair ML Pro vs. NB eLoop

Post by Abula » Wed Mar 01, 2017 6:04 pm

Personally i never consider Corsair fans, unless looks are important.
I will NEVER run my fans about 1400RPM in most cases, I would sooner under clock or take a performance hit than deal with a jet engine in my room
To me any fan above 1000rpms is noticeable, no matter the brand or design, weather its loud or not it really depends on a lot of things, including your base noise levels, etc. I like to run my fans at 400 to 500rpms at idle, and 800rpms at the max if the temperature is within the range of operation.

For 140mm PWM
I like Nocuta NF-P14S 1200PWM REDUX, very nice fan drop low. A fan that i personally want to test is Thermalright TY-147Asq, as their TY-147A PWM is one of my favorites, its just that it has 120mm frame, but the asq is suppose to correct this for case and radiator users, this fan has been tested a lot by Doyll on OCN seems to be one of his favorites.

For 140mm Voltage
I like Antec True Quiet 140, probably one of the best fans for price on the market, just it doesn't reach that high, but undervolt well, specially with asus fanXpert allows 200rpms idling. But this fans only reach 800rpms, so might not be your best option if you want 1400rpm fans, but its a very quiet fan none the less. As an alternative Noctua NF-P14S 900 is also a decent option.

For 120mm PWM
I really like Noctua NF-S12A PWM, Scythe Glidestream/Slipstream PWM, both go very low on pwm. I don't like Noiseblocker on PWM as their design is toward 0% still spin, so really comes down if its low enough their rpms they set for it, with asus fanxpert shouldn't be an issue, but with mobos that have restrictions of how low they can drop, i dont recommend them.

For 120mm Voltage
Here there are lots of options, i really liked Scythe Gentle Typhoons, but hard to get as they were discontinued, and some dont like the real ball bearing sound. If money wasn't an object, i would go with Noiseblockers M12-S1 or S2, depending on your cooling needs. Scythe slipstreams are also a good cheap option so is Nexus Basic 120.

I haven't tested much of eLoops, only time was briefly on a friend build, to me there was a resonance even at low rpms, but wasn't a big deal either, they are well regarded fans on OC community, but i personally prefer the above.

On bequiet, i haven't tested any, simply too expensive in the US.

quest_for_silence
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Re: Which Fan: SilentWings 3 vs. Corsair ML Pro vs. NB eLoop

Post by quest_for_silence » Thu Mar 02, 2017 1:11 am

Notwist wrote:Where I'm still stuck is I could use hearing from more SilentPCReview-oriented opinions comparing the SilentWings to the Corsairs to the Nosieblockers.

There's no match, IME/IMHO: albeit I didn't tested the ML140 (just the ML120), at the lower paces the Be Quiet SW3 win hands down, noise-signature wise: I mean the SW3 120 over both ML120/B12 and SW3 140 over B14. At the higher speed... well, I can't help, I usually don't use large fans over about 1000rpm.

IMHO at low spinning paces a sonic-wise alternative to the SW3 140 might be the Fractal Design Venturi HF-14, but it's not PWM (and it's still plain-black looking), or the Thermalright TY-147A, which is PWM but it's also white (can't say if you may like it). Unfortunately both fall short of 1400rpm.

All in all the SW3 looks like the safer bet.

Notwist
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Re: Which Fan: SilentWings 3 vs. Corsair ML Pro vs. NB eLoop

Post by Notwist » Thu Mar 02, 2017 10:32 am

Yea, it definitely looks that way that silentwings would be the better noise optimized option.

As for Noctua as an option mentioned earlier: I don't feel like having beige in my black and white system. And if Noctua really cared about competing, they could easily make a black fan. In fact, why they chose black with customizable colored corners for their INDUSTRIAL line makes little sense, as that would be the market that cares least about looks, and most about price/performance. So I'm unsure what they're accomplishing.

CA_Steve
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Re: Which Fan: SilentWings 3 vs. Corsair ML Pro vs. NB eLoop

Post by CA_Steve » Fri Mar 03, 2017 9:25 am

Noctua Redux series are black....

Abula
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Re: Which Fan: SilentWings 3 vs. Corsair ML Pro vs. NB eLoop

Post by Abula » Fri Mar 03, 2017 10:02 am

CA_Steve wrote:Noctua Redux series are black....
The industrial are black and Redux are grey

CA_Steve
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Re: Which Fan: SilentWings 3 vs. Corsair ML Pro vs. NB eLoop

Post by CA_Steve » Fri Mar 03, 2017 10:07 am

Hey - don't mess with my binary color logic! ;)

Notwist
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Re: Which Fan: SilentWings 3 vs. Corsair ML Pro vs. NB eLoop

Post by Notwist » Fri Mar 03, 2017 2:14 pm

CA_Steve wrote:Hey - don't mess with my binary color logic! ;)
The fact that those iPPC versions have an atrocious clicking noise at low RPMs hurts me so much, because I loved the look of them. But it's too much to bear.

Here's a video I found that perfectly captures what they sound like:

https://youtu.be/KSH3uZcPsNc

I cried a little inside when I discovered how noisy they were, and unfortunately it wasn't just limited to a single unit, it was present on all 4 that I had ordered (2x120mm and 2x140mm).

Abula
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Re: Which Fan: SilentWings 3 vs. Corsair ML Pro vs. NB eLoop

Post by Abula » Fri Mar 03, 2017 6:52 pm

Seems Nansgaimg (Thermalright reseller for the US), is going to be getting some TY-147ASQ, i would give a shot to those, they have good pwm range of control and are black n white.

Another fans that i havent tested, but read good things about them are the Fractal Design Vemtiri PWM,

Fractal Design Venturi HP-14 PWM Black Case Fan FD-FAN-VENT-HP14-PWM-BK
Fractal Design Venturi HP-14 PWM Black Case Fan FD-FAN-VENT-HP14-PWM-BK

Mazzam
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Re: Which Fan: SilentWings 3 vs. Corsair ML Pro vs. NB eLoop

Post by Mazzam » Wed Mar 08, 2017 5:40 pm

I have a similar quandary. I'm looking for the quietest for most air flow 120mm case fans to put in a Cosmos 2.

I have Scythe GT 2000rpm on my Swiftech H220-X AIO cooler. While they were brilliant when I tested them out of the case with my fan controller, but once I put them on the radiator they started giving this annoying whine, even at low RPM. This might be cured with some insulating rubber put in between the fans and the radiator I'm looking to see what other fans to try out.

Notwist
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Re: Which Fan: SilentWings 3 vs. Corsair ML Pro vs. NB eLoop

Post by Notwist » Thu Mar 09, 2017 1:58 pm

Well, on the bright side...I've got another option to toss in: Noctua F12 24V iPPC 2000 RPM (and the A14 of the same type for the 140mm intakes). Turns out the 24V versions when run off 12V not only reigns in the RPM to more acceptable levels, but the clicking that is present on the 12V models when running at low RPMs is completely gone.

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Re: Which Fan: SilentWings 3 vs. Corsair ML Pro vs. NB eLoop

Post by NeilBlanchard » Wed Mar 15, 2017 7:23 am

The Noiseblocker fan looks very interesting - but it is very expensive:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0149M97NU/

Image
Image

Please notice that the ends of the blades are captured by a "ring" which - in theory - would move more air at any given RPM. Right at the beginning of my experiments with quieter computers, I tried a homemade version of this, and it was out of balance and rubbed ...

quest_for_silence
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Re: Which Fan: SilentWings 3 vs. Corsair ML Pro vs. NB eLoop

Post by quest_for_silence » Wed Mar 15, 2017 11:10 am

NeilBlanchard wrote:which - in theory - would move more air at any given RPM.
The CFM/RPM ratio of these eLoops is not very favourable, particularly if used as intake fans with filter/grille right before.

petrakeas
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Re: Which Fan: SilentWings 3 vs. Corsair ML Pro vs. NB eLoop

Post by petrakeas » Mon Jan 08, 2018 9:55 am

Regarding Thermalright's TY-147A PWM they are inaudible up to 500 RPM. However, if they are installed behind a filter, they start to make a noise above 500 RPM.

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