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Good/Best Static Pressure fans for 1000RPM and QUIETNESS (Radiators)

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SteezyTN

· Gamer and Watercooler!
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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hey everyone. Back in October I purchased my CPU kit (RX360 + Photon D5 Pump) along with an extra radiator (RX240). Then in November I purchased that last parts which included my 780 water blocks and an extra (third) radiator (EX240). So that's three radiators cooling my 4770k (4.4Ghz/1.235v) and my two 6GB 780's (1176Mhz/1.2v). Now that's a crap load of heat.

I'm using the stock XSPC fans (1650) and they seem to be doing a great job. I've been playing with the speed to try and keep my water temps (not hardware) below 40c, and I've been having a lot of trouble doing that without having the fans audible/blasting. Until today, I've finally got it set to where my fans run around 990-1000RPM and the water temps were no higher than 35c, which is outstanding for what I want (just as long as it's below 40c).

Here's the issue now... 1000RPM is freaking LOUD on the XSPC fans. Not blasting loud, but irritating loud.

What are the best fans with great Static pressure that run around 1000RPM and that are quiet? Or even ones less than 1000 that have great SP? All I want are quiet fans that reliever the job
smile.gif
I've been looking at the new EK vardar fans, and those look nice and seem to performe well.

Now I'm not talking about $20 a pop. $15-18 is probably the most I'll go... Unless I get a few first (like one radiator at a time) and get more later.

I know this is a "hot topic" around the forums, but it just gets kind of annoying knowing that I spent $800 on my watercooling setup, and it's basically the same noise level as with air.

I would really appreciate some feedback
smile.gif
 
#2 ·
3000rpm ultra kaza. No but really the swiftech Helix are a good pick so are cougar vortex. Unlike most I use slip stream or 2000rpm Yates.
 
#3 ·
Gentle Typhoons are one of the old favorites for quiet radiator fans. Something like the AP-13(1150rpm) might work for you. I use AP-14s(1450rpm) for my rig, while they are audible at full speed I don't find the tone annoying like most other fans. You can probably find some videos to give you an idea. The main thing to be careful of for these fans is that they are not PWM if that is what you want, and don't always like being undervolted. They can sometimes actually get louder when you dial down the speed with a controller, they are specifically designed to run at their rated speeds.

The Cougar Vortex is also decent for cheaper, BUT, they REALLY don't like being horizontal. Bad idea for a top-mounted radiator.
 
Discussion starter · #4 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moparman View Post

3000rpm ultra kaza. No but really the swiftech Helix are a good pick so are cougar vortex. Unlike most I use slip stream or 2000rpm Yates.
Click to expand...
I said fans that run around 1000RPM, not 2000 or 3000. I don't want a jet engine.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yorkston View Post

Gentle Typhoons are one of the old favorites for quiet radiator fans. Something like the AP-13(1150rpm) might work for you. I use AP-14s(1450rpm) for my rig, while they are audible at full speed I don't find the tone annoying like most other fans. You can probably find some videos to give you an idea. The main thing to be careful of for these fans is that they are not PWM if that is what you want, and don't always like being undervolted. They can sometimes actually get louder when you dial down the speed with a controller, they are specifically designed to run at their rated speeds.

The Cougar Vortex is also decent for cheaper, BUT, they REALLY don't like being horizontal. Bad idea for a top-mounted radiator.
Click to expand...
Im not looking for PWM fans. The non PWM is what I want. I am controlling them via an NZXT Sentry Mix 2 fan controller. I currently have them set to 60%, which is 990RPM for my XSPC 1650 fans. Im going to take a look at those 1150's.
 
#5 ·
I really like the Be Quiet fans and Cougars vortex.

As they're pretty quiet even for 1500 RPM.
 
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#6 ·
why not buy 2000rpm fans if youre using a fan controller? why are you using a fan controller if not to control your fans speeds? its just as easy to lower speeds on a 2000rpm fan as it is on a 1650rpm fan.
yates and any other sleeve bearing fan cant be ran horizontal for a long time. the bearing eventually wears out and you wont like the sound. the up-side to that though is they are cheap fans.
 
#8 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Depauville Kid View Post

Noctua NF-p14 are $17 on Amazon.
Thermalright TY-147/140 are $16 in Amazon.

Those both have pretty good static pressure and are quiet. Should work as long as you can fit a 140mm.
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he needs 120mm fans. you cant put 140mm fans on 120mm rads...
and those noctua fans would be crap if they would fit on a radiator
 
#9 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by pc-illiterate View Post

he needs 120mm fans. you cant put 140mm fans on 120mm rads...
and those noctua fans would be crap if they would fit on a radiator
Click to expand...
I am aware you cannot put 140mm fans on 240mm rads. You can sometimes fit these fans on a 120mm radiator because the ty-140 and the nf-p140 have 120mm holes. You would just need to make sure you have clearance around the radiator for the extra width of the fan. Hence then line, "As long as you can fit them.". I did not notice what size radiator he had.

There are also 120mm Noctuas that have pretty good static pressure and are quiet. They too can be found for $16 or $17 on Amazon.

Your assessment of the quality if the fans is opinion only. These fans have long time been a "go to" fan for many users. Thank you for your opinion though.
 
#10 ·
He has multi fan radiators, those 140mm fans aren't going to fit next to each other.
 
#11 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by geggeg View Post

He has multi fan radiators, those 140mm fans aren't going to fit next to each other.
Click to expand...
VSG, as I said in my previous post, I didn't see what size radiator he had. I know they will NOT fit on 240mm radiators. They can fit on 120mm if you have clearance, but NOT on a 240mm as the fans won't fit next to each other.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Depauville Kid View Post

I am aware you cannot put 140mm fans on 240mm rads. You can sometimes fit these fans on a 120mm radiator because the ty-140 and the nf-p140 have 120mm holes. You would just need to make sure you have clearance around the radiator for the extra width of the fan. Hence then line, "As long as you can fit them.". I did not notice what size radiator he had.

There are also 120mm Noctuas that have pretty good static pressure and are quiet. They too can be found for $16 or $17 on Amazon.

Your assessment of the quality if the fans is opinion only. These fans have long time been a "go to" fan for many users. Thank you for your opinion though.
Click to expand...
 
#12 ·
noctua fans are average at best. if you dont believe me you can go read martin's and most others reviews and comments on them.
if you didnt see he has 240 and 360 rads, maybe you should start reading posts. he stated what radiators he has in his first post in the second and third sentences.
as far as my opinion, its only an opinion when a statement cant be backed with facts to prove or disprove. what i stated is a fact. hell, the fact that those particular fans dont 'seal' to a radiator's surface alone proves they arent good for any radiator. that alone is a fact you cant ignore. do you want or need more facts?
 
#13 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by pc-illiterate View Post

noctua fans are average at best. if you dont believe me you can go read martin's and most others reviews and comments on them.
if you didnt see he has 240 and 360 rads, maybe you should start reading posts. he stated what radiators he has in his first post in the second and third sentences.
as far as my opinion, its only an opinion when a statement cant be backed with facts to prove or disprove. what i stated is a fact. hell, the fact that those particular fans dont 'seal' to a radiator's surface alone proves they arent good for any radiator. that alone is a fact you cant ignore. do you want or need more facts?
Click to expand...
I noticed you've posted several times on this thread and haven't offered even one suggestion to the OP. Are you here to help or criticize other's opinion? Why are you even posting on this thread if not to answer the OPs question of which fans to buy? Perhaps you should put more effort into helping others rather than criticizing the help that has been given.
 
#16 ·
I find the Corsair SP120 fans are pretty good and not very loud at all (IMO) at 1000RPM. I don't really think they get too audible until 1400RPM or so. They come in several varieties as well. They have both "Quiet" and "High Performance" models, the Quiet being 1500RPM max and the HP being 2400RPM max. They also come in 4-pin/PWM and 3-pin standard. I've found the PWM "High Performance" can be varied from about 750RPM to max speed, with PWM control. They also have LED editions which are all the same max speed--1600RPM. I'm guessing the clear blades aren't stable/reliable at higher speeds hence why they only come in one variety.

Oddly, I've seen the LED ones cheaper than the rest, though they aren't exactly cheap fans in general, in any variety. However they're still a bargain compared to Noctua and from reviews I've read they're almost as good.

They also include very similar fans with their Hydro coolers though these fans are slightly different--they're PWM fans but seem to be either 2000RPM, 2400RPM or 2700RPM PWM depending on what cooler they came with. These also do not have the rubber frame inserts or the coloured rings, they're just hard plastic screw mounts. The reason I mention these is because you can often find people reselling unused ones for cheap on eBay, etc., so might be a cheaper way of getting them.
 
#17 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by WindowsRevenge View Post

I find the Corsair SP120 fans are pretty good and not very loud at all (IMO) at 1000RPM. I don't really think they get too audible until 1400RPM or so. They come in several varieties as well. They have both "Quiet" and "High Performance" models, the Quiet being 1500RPM max and the HP being 2400RPM max. They also come in 4-pin/PWM and 3-pin standard. I've found the PWM "High Performance" can be varied from about 750RPM to max speed, with PWM control. They also have LED editions which are all the same max speed--1600RPM. I'm guessing the clear blades aren't stable/reliable at higher speeds hence why they only come in one variety.

Oddly, I've seen the LED ones cheaper than the rest, though they aren't exactly cheap fans in general, in any variety. However they're still a bargain compared to Noctua and from reviews I've read they're almost as good.

They also include very similar fans with their Hydro coolers though these fans are slightly different--they're PWM fans but seem to be either 2000RPM, 2400RPM or 2700RPM PWM depending on what cooler they came with. These also do not have the rubber frame inserts or the coloured rings, they're just hard plastic screw mounts. The reason I mention these is because you can often find people reselling unused ones for cheap on eBay, etc., so might be a cheaper way of getting them.
Click to expand...
I also had the SP120s on a rad, worked fine, I had my rad vertical, so they were very quiet and had good airflow.
 
#18 ·
here is a shopping guide from PC games hardware. It's from a reputable,good German PC hardware testing magazine.

I would give those Silverstone SST-FN121-P a try. Ranked #3 on that list. Price/ performance award given. They seem to be really good.
1200 RPM, cheap, 3 PIN, relatively good cooling and on maximum fan speed only 0.7 Sone. If you lower the RPM you can get a nice 0.2 Sone.

Those fanspeed in Sone is shown at 100%/ 75%/ and 50% fan speed. Seems to be quiet.

Imo buy 1 fan and test it for yourself and then if you like it order more.

click on picture to see clear, big picture.


seems like newegg carries those Silverstone fans. $9.99 a pop.
120mm
1200 +/- 200 RPM 58.47 CFM
Sleeve
25.15 dBA max.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835220050
 
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#19 ·
I'm a huge fan of CoolingTechnique. Although they don't do radiator testing, they give you an idea of the airflow vs static pressure at different voltages. If nothing else it allows you to see right away if a manufacturer is exaggerating their stats or not. I'll link some common fans below:

Cooler Master
JetFlo 120

Corsair
SP120 & AF120/140

Noiseblocker
E-LOOP S-series

Noctua
NF-S12B FLX & NF-S12
NF-P12
NF-S12A series
Redux fans

Scythe
Gentle Typhoon AP-13 & AP-14

Yate Loon
D12SL-12 & D12SH-12
 
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#20 ·
This round 6 should give you a place to start, I would focus on both the dbA results and the noise quality ratings in the table.
http://martinsliquidlab.org/2010/11/04/120mm-fan-testing-on-an-mcr120-radiator-round-6-summary/

Regarding the Noctua debate. You can see the noctua S12B had good noise quality at lower speeds but the noise volume at 20cfm (lower speeds) was a 39.6 compared to the GT AP-13 which was 34.4 which is over 5dbA higher. Noctua fans do come in one of the nicer boxes full of accessories and feel of good quality, I just haven't had much luck matching the hype that follows them nor feel like the high price is really justified unless you value the accessories really highly.

Later I tested the NF-F12 here:
http://martinsliquidlab.org/2012/05/07/r10-fan-testing-bitfenixnoctuasilenxnoiseblockerphobya/

And at the OPs requested 1000 rpm the Noctua fan tested about 7dbA higher than the AP-15. The NF-F12 does have very good and similar presssure and rad flow per RPM as the GTs which is commendable, but noise level has always measured about average on a radiator in my attempts to quantify differences. 3dbA is barely perceptable but 7dbA is a very noteworthy difference. The one thing I could say is they have good pressure per RPM, but noise per resulting air flow on a radiator is nothing special.

With that said, while I have no personal experience and I cringe a bit looking at the prices, I find the newer EK Vardar fans to look very interesting based on ExtremeRigs testing. They do very much look like a GT replacement and I've never known EK to base their product developments on hype as some others do. Now if only they could lower prices to the $12-$14 range.

Regardless, I would probably recommend the EK Vardar if noise performance on a rad is the priority since they are PWM controllable, you should be able to use something like a swiftech PWM splitter and dial all fans down to your preferred 1000 rpm range easily too.

Keep in mind the slower speed you go below 1000 RPM the harder it is to tell between fans. I find that my preferred 600-800 rpm range is soo close it's really not worth spending extra on better fans. As long as they don't have motor ticks, etc and I have been known to use yate loons at $5 a pop.

Here is the New Vardar range at Frozen:
http://www.frozencpu.com/search.html?mv_profile=keyword_search&mv_session_id=nY8Ddmiv&searchspec=ek+vardar&go.x=9&go.y=7
The F1 would match your rpm request and probably be a good noise improvement.

And here is ER review of them compared to the AP-45. The Vardar seemed to even do a bit better at lower RPM which is good regarding the OP 1000rpm preference:
http://www.xtremerigs.net/2014/12/03/first-look-testing-ekwb-vardar-fans/

My 2c, but please don't recommend the Noctua fans unless you have some quantified radiator based review that can back up the recommendation as I've grown tired trying to measure anything even close on a radiator with three of their models. I have tried over and over again to see where the hype comes from and have just not been able to do so. I can only conclude they are either very good at marketing and/or sponsoring non-technical reviewers (AKA advertising entertainers) who don't have the tools or patience to review or test them adequately or they perform well as case fans or HSF setups but poorly as radiator fans. I do like the accessories and packaging, but I could never recommend them as a 120mm radiator fan if noise/performance ratio and cost are the priority criteria.

I have also always found fans do have diverse followings because with a fan controller you can basically adjust noise levels down regardless of their output to a level you are happy with. It takes very controlled testing to separate differences at like outputs on a radiator and you just don't have the capability to do so at most user levels.

Cheers!
Martin
 
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SteezyTN
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