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376K views 3K replies 365 participants last post by  shalafi 
#1 ·
LNA = Low Noise Adaptor
ULNA = Ultra Low Noise Adaptor



Lower is better.

Push/Pull:



Push:



Pull:



Lower is better.

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Push:



Pull:



Lower is better.

Push/Pull:



Push:



Pull:




Lower is better.

Push/Pull:



Push:



Pull:



Lower is better.

Push/Pull:



Push:



Pull:



Push/Pull:



Push:



Pull:


 
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#2 ·
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  • Processor: Intel Core i7 920 (C0/C1 Revision) - 3.6 GHZ (180 x 20) - 1.42 v
  • Motherboard: Asus Maximus II Extreme LGA1366
  • Memory: 3 x 2GB (6 GB) Mushkin Redline DDR-3 1442 MHz @ 7-8-7-24
  • Graphics card: ASUS nVidia GeForce 210 (Passively cooled)
  • SSD: Corsair Force 3 60 GB
  • Power Supply: Seasonic X-Series SS-460FL (Fanless)
  • Chassis: Lian Li Pitstop PC-T60
  • CPU Cooler: Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.C Black Edition
  • Thermal Interface (TIM): Xigmatek Freezing Point G4718





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#3 ·










  • Processor: Intel Core i5 2500K (D2 Revision) - 4.6 GHz (100 x 46) - 1.40 V
  • Motherboard: MSI Z77A-GD55
  • Memory: 2 x 2GB (4 GB) Crucial Ballistix DDR-3 1333 MHz @ 9-9-9-24
  • Graphics card: iGPU (Intel HD 3000)
  • SSD: Corsair Force 3 60 GB
  • Power Supply: Seasonic X-Series SS-400FL (Fanless)
  • Chassis: Lian Li Pitstop PC-T60
  • CPU Cooler: Xigmatek Prime SD1484
  • Thermal Interface (TIM): Xigmatek Freezing Point G4718







































































































































































Same as 120mm Test Rig
  • Processor: Intel Core i7 920 (C0/C1 Revision) - 3.6 GHZ (180 x 20) - 1.42 v
  • Motherboard: Asus Maximus II Extreme LGA1366
  • Memory: 3 x 2GB (6 GB) Mushkin Redline DDR-3 1442 MHz @ 7-8-7-24
  • Graphics card: ASUS nVidia GeForce 210 (Passively cooled)
  • SSD: Corsair Force 3 60 GB
  • Power Supply: Seasonic X-Series SS-460FL (Fanless)
  • Chassis: Lian Li Pitstop PC-T60
  • CPU Cooler: Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.C Black Edition
  • Thermal Interface (TIM): Xigmatek Freezing Point G4718







































































































































 
#4 ·
Hello guys and girls.

To start with, I've always been obsessed with fans, trying to get the best ones in my builds. I have looked around and did not find any websites that dedicate themselves to test just fans and rightly so, It wouldn't be that lucrative.

I am in the process of building a website dedicated to just that, maybe expand it later, but fan testing will be the top priority. For now though, I'll stick to OCN's forums.

I have begun testing and I will be updating this thread regularly with the data gathered from these tests.

I plan to build several different rigs to test different sized fans, the one I'm starting with is dedicated to 120 mm fans. The heatsink used in each system will remain the same. The only thing that will change are the fans.

As stated earlier, I only have one spare system that I've dedicated to test 120 mm fans. Hopefully, with enough funding and support, I will build at least two more testing rigs, one for 140 mm fans and another for 92/80 mm fans.

Righto, down to business then, let me walk you through the 120 mm testing rig:

Processor: Intel Core i7 920 (C0/C1 Revision)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus II Extreme
Memory: 3 x 2GB (6 GB) Mushkin Redline DDR-3 1600 MHz
Graphics Card: AMD HD5450 (Passively cooled)
SSD: Corsair Force 3 60GB
Power Supply: Seasonic X-Series SS-460FL (Fanless)
Chassis: Lian-Li Pitstop PC-T60
CPU Cooler: Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.C Black Edition
Thermal Paste: Xigmatek Freezing Point G4718

Prolimatech Sent me a Megahalems Rev.C Black Edition as well as a set of their Red Vortex 12 LED fans, rated for 1600 RPM. On top of those, they've also sent me a set of extended mounting clip to use with thicker 38mm fans and a set of screws required to use this cooler with a LGA2011 motherboard.

Those are the meat and potates of this setup, now let me reveal the BIOS and windows settings:

First of all, the overclock. This CPU has sort of been a pain in the bum as it's overclocking capacity is severely limited. It shouldn't matter though as what's more important is the amount of voltage I'm feeding it. It's running at 3.6 GHz using 1.4-1.42 volts (according to CPU-Z). In this trim, using Prolimatech's fans in push/pull, and with an ambient temperature of around 26 C, the CPU is running at an average of 78 C. Not bad at all as I was expecting somewhere around the 85-90 C mark. The Base Clock / Multiplier ratio for CPU is 180 x 20.

The memory is running at 1442 MHz. The timing for this set of memory is 6-8-6-24 with 1.65 volts, but I didn't manage to get it stable with those timings. As a result of that, I'm using 7-8-7-24.

In the BIOS, I've pretty much disabled anything that is not necessary for the overclock such as Hyper Threading, Virtualization, etc (They are sort of relevant as you might need more voltage to run these features). I have gone one step further and even disabled LAN (Ethernet port) and some other irrelevant features.

The motherboard is using the latest BIOS revision (2101). All spread spectrum settings are disabled. The Load line Calibration is turned on. The voltage set in the BIOS is 1.3875, but as stated earlier, it goes up to 1.42 volts in windows.

The operating system is Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit with the latest updates installed (as of june 25th, 2012).

The torture testing will be done with Prime95 64-bit version 27.7. The FFT size will be 1280K (min and max) to keep the amount of heat generated the same everytime. 1280K was optimal since it used the most power during full load. The test is ran for 5 minutes every single time.

CoreTemp 0.99.8 will be used to monitor the temperatures in each session. An average will be recorded after each test and the ambient temperature will be deducted from that value.

I will try to be as accurate as possible to get the most consistent results. The heatsink and the whole system will be cleaned with a DataVac electric duster before and after each test.

Before running the main torture test, Prime95 will run for 5 minutes to warm the heatsink, after which the main test will commence.

As most of you would know, the performance of any certain fan, depends entirely on where and how you use it. Different heatsinks/radiators have different thickness and fin densities and it's near impossible to test a set of fans in every possible scenario. In my series of tests with 120 mm fans, Prolimatech Megahalems will be used. The distance between each fin layer is 2 mm which is pretty much the same as most other CPU Coolers on the market. I've measured the fin gap on a Noctua NH-C14 and a Cooler Master Hyper 212+ and they are exactly the same as the Megahalems.

Now then, everything I just wrote pretty much involved temperatures and not much else. Worry not though as I will also be measuring the noise levels of each and every fan and maybe later, the voltage required to run these fans at full speed. The chart that I'm going to make will include a simple yet intuitive Performance to Noise ratio section alongside other standard bits and bobs.

I have a variety of tools (Multi-meters, Decibel-meters, etc) available. I will test each of them and determine which one is the most accurate to be used in my tests.

Update #1: I've changed the power supply for the 120mm test rig (Corsair TX850) to a Seasonic X-Series SS-460FL (Fanless) unit. The only moving part in the system will now be the fans on the CPU cooler, allowing accurate dBA measurements. (7/July/2012).

Update #2: I had to change the thermal interface to Xigmatek Freezing Point G4718 since Indigo Xtreme lost its consistency after exposure to high heat levels (CPU temperature over 90C). (28/Sep/2012).

Update #3: 140mm rig finished and first set of fans tested. (5/Oct/2012).

Update #4: GPU in the 120mm Testing rig was changed to a passively cooled HD5450 as the old one (GT 210) died. (20/Feb/2015)

Update #5: Moving forward, all 140mm fans will be tested on the 120mm test rig for direct comparison between the two sizes. (3/Mar/2015).
 
#7 ·
Alright guys, I've uploaded plenty of pictures which you can find in my second post. I'm finished with my first series of tests with the set of original Prolimatech fans and I have all the data. I need to make a couple of charts and list the performance... something like this:

(Chart Removed)

Maybe a bit more detailed but I need a program to start with. Any suggestions? I've never done this sort of thing so I need help with it.
 
#8 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cyclops View Post

Alright guys, I've uploaded plenty of pictures which you can find in my second post. I'm finished with my first series of tests with the set of original Prolimatech fans and I have all the data. I need to make a couple of charts and list the performance... something like this:

Maybe a bit more detailed but I need a program to start with. Any suggestions? I've never done this sort of thing so I need help with it.
Excel, OpenOffice maybe. This might be helpful as well http://www.chartgo.com/
 
#10 ·
Excel has been a pain but I got it to work somewhat. Here are the results for Prolimatech Red Vertex 12 LED fans. I will also be updating the second post with this.

348

Green = Best / Red = Worst

To calculate Noise to Temperature rating I simply add Delta temperature to Noise and devide it by 10. Lower values are better.

LNA stands for Low Noise Adapter.

As you can see the fan speed is more consistent when they are operated in pull mode. I've tested several other fans and they behave exactly the same.
 
#11 ·
Second 120 mm fan: Scythe DFS123812-3000 Ultra Kaze

379

Thoughts:

Loud!! but it doesn't bother me.

Fan is rated for 3000 RPM but I never saw anything over 2830 even when connected directly to the PSU.

It can cut your fingers and you will bleed if you're not careful, I know I did. Recommend using a fan grill if employed outside the case.

Great great cooling but for people anal about noise, you best look somewhere else.

As always check post #2 for pictures.

Comparison chart coming soon!!!
 
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#13 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by ohhgourami View Post

Great work so far! Just remember when you post charts up, PLEASE PLEASE properly label the axis. So many reliable sites even fail to do so and it drives me nuts!
That won't be a problem.

I'm making a couple of different charts.

Three for Push, Pull, and Push/Pull performance.

One for just outright best thermal performance.

One for Noise/Temperature performance.

And a few more I have to think about properly.

Feel free to suggest what I other charts I should put in there.
 
#15 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katcilla View Post

Would cost per fan be a possible addition to this?
Either way, this interests me. Keep it up!
Cost is a variable I have no control over. It differs from region to region and of course which e/re-tailer you get it from.
 
#16 ·
2 fans done, 3452340589 to go
tongue.gif


I always like checkout out these reviews where a mass of fans are tested on the same platform.
 
#17 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cyclops View Post

Cost is a variable I have no control over. It differs from region to region and of course which e/re-tailer you get it from.
True, but if you find a good source like newegg, prices would give people at least a rough estimate of what to expect to pay for their own fans. Anyway, it was only a suggestion, so no biggie.
 
#18 ·
Nice work
smile.gif

You could think about something to keep ambient room temperature the same for every test. I know that you post delta temperature but you cannot compare results when one fan was working in 40C and second in 20C room temp, even be measuring the difference only (temps are ridicules i know but it shows what i mean).
 
#20 ·
Delta AFC1212D-PWM now fully tested:

379

Loud and Deadly.

Pictures on post #2.
 
#22 ·
Yea this is great, and can't wait to see the results!!

But I have to be an ass and point one thing out. Your "Noise to Temperature Ratio" really isn't a ratio. That ratio would be dividing Noise by the Temperature (keep in mind that the 10 here is unit-less). The reason being that temperature and noise have two completely different units and can't really be added into any sensible entity. Granted, I think that if you are using the same equation to define that stat for all of the fans it is fine, as the fans can just be compared relatively.

So there is no real problem here, but I just had to point that out. My engineering background wouldn't let this fly.
rolleyes.gif
 
#23 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rkkonrad View Post

Yea this is great, and can't wait to see the results!!
But I have to be an ass and point one thing out. Your "Noise to Temperature Ratio" really isn't a ratio. That ratio would be dividing Noise by the Temperature (keep in mind that the 10 here is unit-less). The reason being that temperature and noise have two completely different units and can't really be added into any sensible entity. Granted, I think that if you are using the same equation to define that stat for all of the fans it is fine, as the fans can just be compared relatively.
So there is no real problem here, but I just had to point that out. My engineering background wouldn't let this fly.
rolleyes.gif
You're correct. I changed "Ratio" to "Rating" in all of the charts.
 
#24 ·
Alright folks, it's finaly done. Check post #1 for comparison charts between different fans in different scenarios. I made eight charts so far so give me feedback and I'll try to improve them.
 
#25 ·
Here are the test results for Scythe Kaze Jyuni SY1225SL12SH 120mm Slipstream:

379

Loud fans but they work alright. The plastic hub got really hot during operation. These fans along with a set of others, emit a weird grindy noise when operated either in Pull or Push/Pull. No idea why, but I assume it's because the fans "leak" alot due to lower quality / simpler design.

Will update the main charts after I put up results for a few more fans.
 
#26 ·
Corsair F12S25SH12A (H100/H80 Fans) Results are in:

379

Too loud in my opinion, could do with better ones.
 
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