I would need 5 140mm fans.(2 front intake, 2 top exhaust, and 1 rear exhaust). On the description for each fan it says on their website that all their fan can be used for either rads or as case fans. I guess I'll go with the NF-A14 PWM. I prefer the look of the industrial ppc fans but not sure its needed. Fan noise usually doesn't bother me(Having Amtrak trains pass behind our house growing up lol)
We should start a club. From what I glean over years of reading these forums, some folks are totally anal about any sound at all coming from their computer. They pick cases and fans that starve airflow. But electronic parts need airflow.
I don't think anyone here dares to use something like an AP-30, but I purchased two to try out. There IS some motor noise as RPMs rise above the 2,500 to 2,800 RPM range, but it can be easily stifled. The GT AP-30s top out at ~4,250 RPM. I use them for exhaust fans in my two Sandy Bridgers. Any extra CFM to be had from speeds above 3,300 RPM has little additional cooling effect using my D14 and EVGA ACX coolers. But I'd rather have the flexibility of high-output fans with PWM thermal-fan-control and a low-noise profile in the prevailing operating range, allowing for temperatures up to 65C to 70C before they become just a bit more than "barely audible."
On the other end of the spectrum, I've seen some folks so obsessed with excess airflow that they provisioned their case with 8 to 15 fans. This is totally unnecessary.
Generally, you'd like to plan your computer-building to achieve the overall airflow that supports maximum "cooler effectiveness" -- heatpipes, AiO or custom-water. But the best strategy is your personal solution to a "maxi-min" problem: most effective airflow with the least number of fans overall, and the least amount of dBA or noise in your usual operating range -- below what the stress-tests give you.
Under that scenario, here are the fan-makers I look at for various purpose:
Nidec-Servo for "Gentle Typhoon" PWM
Noctua -- particularly the iPPC product line
Akasa -- there are some good 120 and 140mm
Akasa Viper PWM fans that are spec'd in the 100 to 110 CFM range
Cougar Vortex -- I use a couple of the 120mm's. They're also fitted with the rubber corners like the iPPCs. They are quiet, but the output is less than I'd like for certain situations.
Bitfenix Spectre Pro for 200mm fans
Always avoid fans with sleeve bearings. More generally, avoid fans with less than 30,000 hours MTBF, and look more closely at those rated from 50,000 to 100,000 hours.
Now . . . if you're put off by the color of the plastic shroud or blades (Akasa Vipers have puke-yellow blades), I have to say "Are you serious?" OK!! Looks trump airflow or longevity or silent-running, then . . . . But some useful fans are "just plain black." If I wanted LED fans, I'd search long and hard to get the other features I want -- or no dice. No cigar. No deal.