Best 120mm fans?

[Krynj]

I'm toying with the idea of replacing the stock fan that can with my OCZ Vendetta 2. Don't get me wrong, this cooler works great. My idle temps are always mid-to-low 20s, but, if I can get some extra cooling by just buying a high speed fan, I'd like to do so.

 

[Quiksilver]

Define "best" in your terms first.

 

[Krynj]

Ahh, yeah, probably should have done that, eh? My mistake.

Best (in my terms) = Offers best air movement and cooling. High RPM.

 

[RallyMaster]

Delta.

 

[Zepper]

You need to check out Vapor's fan reviews in the Air Cooling forum at http://www.XtremeSystems.org/Forums/. He has at least five threads of fan tests and comments from XS denizens:

1- first fan roundup w/ 26 fans
2- second roundup
3- part of his 3rd roundup - ~50 CFM fans
4- another part of 3rd > 100 CFM fans
5- A study of the effects of filters and guards.

Search in the Air Cooling section for threads by Vapor.

.bh.


PS: I like the Cooler Master 110 CFM fans which will soon be covered by Vapor - but I guess they don't really make over 100 CFM as claimed or they would have been in the above. They still move plenty of air and more quietly than the vaunted Sanyo 1011 does (I have several of each) whether at full speed or cranked back to 7V or less. See my review here:
http://www.techimo.com/reviews they are still in the top gallery. The main review is on the black one and the LED one just notes the few diffrences and links back to the black one. They work fine on the included controllers and even better on a 3rd party one like the original Rheobus.

.bh.

 

[Krynj]

Can't seem to get to XtremeSystems.org right now.

 

[Zepper]

Yes, for some reason it is hard to get a connection sometimes, but I just clicked on the link above and got right in. Perhaps they have a low capacity connection for their servers.

.bh.

 

[Jessica69]

XS's servers go up and down, more and more frequently these days. Happens.

 

[Chronoshock]

In order of price, Noctua NF-P12, Scythe SFlex E/F/G (depending on your tolerance for noise/desire for CFM; most pick F), Yate Loon D12SM (or D12SH, although Vapor's testing shows the CFM falls pretty short of claims). The 3 listed are typical choices to mount on a CPU cooler. Definitely read Vapor's reviews when XS is up for more info.
I don't know if this is true or not, but sleeving type could be a factor given the horizontal orientation when the fans are mounted to a cooler vs as a case fan.

 

[Zepper]

Originally posted by: Jessica69
XS's servers go up and down, more and more frequently these days. Happens.

Must be running M$ server software instead of Linux... [evil grin here]

.bh.

 

[Arc 0V]

SANYO SAN ACE H1011 FANS ARE #1 WOOT! haha, but yeah you should check a lot of Vapor's testing on xtremeforums.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

for fast high RPM's look at DELTA fans!

 

[KillerCroc]

What about Zalman or Nexus fans? They both have a good reputation (though usually in case cooling - not many reviews mention them for CPU cooling) ?

 

[RallyMaster]

After reading the posts in this thread, the OP honestly has no reason to get new fans except for the fact that he simply wants to. If you need high speed, high noise, high CFM fans, go get some Deltas or Sunons. If you're looking for a tolerable level of noise and plenty of good temps, just keep what you have on there already. I honestly have to say that past 1500RPM or so (120mm fans) for some coolers, you hit the law of diminishing returns and end up with too much back pressure that it actually ends up screwing up your temps.

 

[Zepper]

One more thought on the Sanyo 1011 - they are 38mm thick and weigh twice what a typical fan does (it has a monstrous motor), some of the rubber/silicone mounting pins can't handle the weight, so it isn't suitable in all applications.

.bh.

 

[Marty502]

How's the Zalman ZM-F3 fan?

I'm in need of two 120mm fans for my Centurion 5 case, and I'd be happy with a moderate, even low amount of CFM as long as they're quiet. Very quiet, if possible.

Are they quiet? Keep in mind I don't have any fan controllers as of yet... my only measure of quieting them down would be wiring them at 5V.

 

[RallyMaster]

For the Centurion 5, I would say you get some cheapo but good Yate Loon D12SL-12s for around $6 each shipped from jabtech.com

 

[Zepper]

IMO the Zalman F3 is not all that quiet unless you crank it well back. I bought a couple of F3 and F2 partly to get personal experience with them and partly to civilize a Chenbro SR105xx whose stock fans will make your ears bleed. I'll have to give the F3 a longer trial before giving up on it.
. Vapor's dB figures are adjusted for 1 Meter's distance - remember, sound decreases by the inverse square law: half the distance, four times the apparent noise. And as always, the frequency spectrum of the noise is perhaps more important than the absolute level to each individual. IOW, quiet to one may be a cacophony to another depending on their application and other factors.

.bh.

 

[Marty502]

And if I got a fan controller for the F3s? Are they worth it then?

I'd have to order the Yate Loons from USA (I'm from Chile) yet I could get the Zalmans 20 minutes from here. And I found a good deal on a Vantec fan controller.

 

[Zepper]

If you are getting the Zalman anyway, why not try it before investing in the controller. If you are farther away from your system box than I am, it may be tolerable for you. But they do move nearly 50% more air than the Yate Loon SL at full speed. But I probably wouldn't run the F3 w/o a controller. Here in the states, the F3 comes with a voltage/speed reducer (a resistor with inline connectors on it - the resistor can get quite warm so keep it away from heat sensitive things) and silicone mounting pins - I'd think it would be the same elsewhere. That may be enough for you.


KillerC,
Nexus fans have been just hand-picked and speed reduced Yate Loon fans. If you want to pay extra, go for it. Otherwise, just buy some Y-Ls from Petra's...

.bh.