Strong airflow paired with a quiet fan for the rear exhaust
Strong airflow paired with a quiet fan for the rear exhaust
Hi All,
I need a high airflow fan (120mm or 140mm) for rear exhaust with minimal noise. Could anyone recommend something or leave a review? Thanks a lot.
My components aren't very heat-sensitive, but my room stays quite warm (about 30-35°C), and during gaming my CPU and VGA temperatures rise to 70-80°C. It seems raising the speed of the two front-intake fans to maximum didn't improve things under load.
My friend suggested the rear fan might help, which is why I'm searching for a high airflow fan with low noise for the rear exhaust—quiet enough but still effective.
P.S.: I'm using a CPU cooler from Deepcool Gammaxx 400. Thanks. Still puzzled about why San Ace “Silent” ranks among the top two! Higher dB and lower CFM compared to Arctic F12, but still better? And the Nidec Gentle Typhoon PWM looks impressive based on that chart...
The Arctic F12 PWM operates quietly with strong airflow and solid static pressure. I own them and notice they run very softly. Two units keep my i5-3570K at 4.2Ghz and the GeForce GTX 970 cool.
The third graph ranks by SPL; the Arctic F12 stands out as one of the quietest with excellent airflow. That’s why I chose them. I’m glad I made that decision.
Link: http://www.overclockers.com/pwm-fan-roun...ns-tested/
Product page: https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-F12-PWM-PS...002QVLBM2/
I purchased them in a five-pack and swapped fans on other systems. You might consider adding more fans or upgrading your existing ones. Running two fans at low speed is quieter than one running high speed when heat output is high.
For research on quiet fans, visit www.silentpcreview.com
But first, let me try to understand what you're aiming to achieve?
What hardware are you using?
What kind of CPU and GPU do you have?
What is your existing fan setup?
The most silent rear fan configuration is essentially nonexistent.
Anything entering from the front will eventually release heat somewhere.
The Arctic F12 PWM operates quietly while providing strong airflow and stable static pressure. I own these units and notice they run very softly. They help keep my i5-3570K at 4.2Ghz and the GeForce GTX 970 cool. The third chart is organized by SPL; the Arctic F12 stands out as one of the quietest with excellent airflow, which was the reason I chose them. I’m pleased I made that decision.
Here’s the link: http://www.overclockers.com/pwm-fan-roun...ns-tested/
This is the model I own.
https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-F12-PWM-PS...002QVLBM2/
I purchased them in a pack of five and swapped fans on other systems. You might also consider adding more fans or upgrading your existing ones. If you’re producing a lot of heat, running two fans at low speed is quieter than one at high speed.
https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-F12-PWM-PS...00NTUJTAK/
Those graphs are tough to interpret... but your advice was helpful. I’ve also seen positive feedback on Arctic fan reviews.
geofelt :
For quiet fan research, check out www.silentpcreview.com
But first, could you clarify what you’re aiming to achieve?
What hardware do you have?
What CPU and GPU are you using?
What is your current fan setup?
The most silent rear fan setup is essentially no exhaust fan. Whatever goes in front will eventually release heat somewhere.
My setup:
https://www.amazon.com/anidees-AI-05S-BW...B01N0YI9VU
CPU & VGA: i7 8700 + MSI 1080 Gaming X
Current fans: 2 front intakes, 1 rear exhaust. I’m planning to buy two more for a top exhaust but am concerned it might become too noisy.
Your parts are not particularly heat intensive.
I7-8700 is not overclockable, so a standard tower type air cooler with a 120mm fan is all you need.
Scythe kotetsu is one of the most efficient and quietest if you have 160mm available.
Here is a review:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1391-page1.html
If you have only 145mm available, the cryorig H7 is also good.
Your current arrangement of two front 120mm intakes will supply all the cooling your rig requires.
The single 120mm rear exhaust is useful only for directing the airflow.
Adding fans can only increase noise.
Do not do that without a good reason.
If you want to reduce noise, you can undervolt the fans to make them run slower and still get adequate cooling.
Ultimately, it is the higher rpm that makes noise.
There are secondary effects such as quality of the sound which can be reduced with better quality fans.
Your rig should be all but inaudible as is if you use a decent cpu cooler instead of the stock intel cooler.
The charts are quite difficult to interpret, but thank you for your helpful advice. I've also seen positive feedback about the Arctic fan as well.
My setup:
http://tandoanh.vn/products/infinity-arm...ilent-case
CPU & VGA: i7 8700 + MSI 1080 Gaming X
Current fan layout: 2 front intakes, 1 rear exhaust. I intend to buy two more for a top exhaust but am concerned about excessive noise.
Each chart is identical; they are organized by free airflow, restricted airflow (static pressure test), and noise levels. All three data points are included in each chart for easy reference. Just arranged for simplicity.
The five-pack should suffice for this build. Although I believe one rear fan and two front fans would be sufficient, it would cost the same as buying three separately. It might be wise to purchase the five-pack just in case or for future use. If you have another computer nearby.
They managed to keep a 5 GPU mining rig cool, especially when running under increased airflow through a MERV 12 HEPA filter.
Your setup with two front 120mm intakes should cover all the cooling your rig needs. The single 120mm rear exhaust is mainly for directing airflow; adding fans only raises noise levels. Doing so without a valid reason isn’t advisable. To lower noise, consider running the fans at lower speeds to maintain adequate cooling. In fact, higher RPMs are often the main source of noise. Improving fan quality can also enhance sound quality. If your room temperature is around 30-35°C and your CPU and VGA heat up to 70-80°C during gaming, using a good CPU cooler instead of the stock one will make your rig much quieter. My components aren’t extremely heat-intensive, but the environment is quite warm. I found that boosting the speed of my two front fans didn’t help with CPU or VGA temperatures under load.
My friend suggested the rear fan could assist—this is why I’m searching for a high airflow, low-noise rear exhaust fan (quiet enough to go unnoticed).
P.S.: I use a Deepcool Gammaxx 400 as my CPU cooler.
My components aren’t extremely heat-generating, but my room temperature is fairly high (around 30-35°C), and during gaming my CPU and VGA temperatures rise to 70-80°C. It seems that boosting the speed of the two front intake fans to their maximum didn’t improve the temperatures under load.
🙁
A friend suggested that the rear fan might help... which is why I’m searching for a high airflow, low-noise rear exhaust fan (not overly loud but as quiet as possible).
P.S.: I’m using a CPU cooler from Deepcool Gammaxx 400. Thanks. Still puzzled about why San Ace “Silent” ranks among the top two “clear winners”!? It has higher dB and lower CFM than the Arctic F12, yet still better??
And the Nidec Gentle Typhoon PWM looks impressive based on that chart (30.5 dB but 101 CFM)... but what about its actual noise level? Is 30dB too loud?
The Deepcool Gammax (any other Deepcool heatsink) seems to be among the worst options you can buy. It’s also underperforming for the i7-8700. You’d achieve much lower temperatures and less fan usage with a Scythe Mugen 5, Thermalright Macho Direct or Cryorig H5 Universal. The Scythe and Thermalright are better, though many prefer the Cryorig for its appearance. The Thermalright stands out as the top mid-range option, offering superior cooling and quiet operation compared to many high-end units. This improvement could be more impactful than just using expensive case fans. Think about combining benefits. Swap the Deepcool for a Corsair liquid cooler and install it either rear-mounted or top-mounted depending on size. Then consider pairing it with your exhaust fans or additional cooling solutions.
Since you only have front case fans, ensure positive air pressure by sealing the top vents with paper and tape. Remove the PCI slot covers and observe the effect on GPU temperatures. Run Unigine Valley for an hour now to compare temperatures, then re-test after implementing the suggested adjustments. Keep the sides of the case open during testing. Also, check if airflow is escaping through the slots.
If you have a PCI card close to your GPU, move it to the lowest slot possible or ideally above it if feasible. Before testing either change.
The Gentle Typhoon operates at much higher RPMs. A 30.5dB level will be significantly louder, and higher RPM also increases pitch, making it more irritating. Lower RPM fans produce a softer hum.
I can’t explain why they chose the San Ace Silent—maybe they preferred the CFM-to-dB ratio.