What are the best fans for use on radiators?

Imprezzion · Jul 17, 2023

I wonder how good the new noctua fans are on rads. The ones that come with the 2023 nh coolers that Steve from Gamers Nexus did a bit on with the engineer.

ermandadana · Jul 17, 2023

Madmaxneo said:
It can be difficult to find good sites that list best fans for various uses especially when many of them seem biased towards one particular brand.
I thought that higher static pressure was the thing to look for in rad fans but many of the "best of" sites that I've perused recently are pushing fans with a higher CFM more than anything. Nox Vidmate VLC
I currently have a Lian Li Lan Cool II case and I've been looking for a good set of fans for my 280mm rad in the front. Even though I have a set of Noctua NF-A14 PWM fans in the front it seems like I should be able to get better airflow even with the front panel on. I also recently read a comparison article that gave the Corsair AF 140 fans (both RGB and non RGB) the best of them all and beating out the Noctua fans (which used to be the best) but I don't know what the static pressure for these fans are.
I'd like recommendations for both 140mm and 120mm but primarily 140mm (since that is what my rads are).
I may be upgrading the front to a 420mm rad and I do already have the AF140 fans in my shopping cart, but are they the best option (they're also a bit expensive overall).

"Best of sites" are usually rubbish. Look for reviews of each fan you are considering. They should have it compared to other options. Check though multiple reviews and avg the lot.

Always Counterclockwise · Jul 17, 2023

Imprezzion said:
Overpressure is a good thing to have. Pushes out the hot air and keeps dust out.

If you're willing to assume the case interior adequately approximates a constant pressure volume, yes, but I've found it difficult to find evidence to support that and have mostly encountered evidence against. Positive pressure-negative pressure's a popular conceptual model for its simplicity but it hasn't been a useful predictor for anything I've built in the past couple years—seems to be a less bad approximation for older, more restrictive cases. Also, as few builders estimate fans' actual operating points, most attempts to apply the model are subject to substantial airflow estimation errors.

It's not often people do the work to build loops multiple ways, so comparative measurements are fairly rare, but the coolest-quietest running configs I've seen posted have rear intake and exhaust out of top and front rads. Which bypasses the dust filters on every case I know but does minimize flow resistance and in case heating. IMO that's a testimony to how overdue the ATX form factor is for a redesign but, as builders, we're left to try to get the most from what parts the industry chooses to make available.

Given an air cooled GPU, pretty much the options are to put CPU rad at least partially downwind of GPU heat or put the GPU (and much of the rest of the build) downwind of CPU heat. What makes the most sense depends on the relative CPU and GPU power levels and, if they're low enough, it doesn't really matter. With traditional front to back airflow configs I've found increasing front intake is fairly effective, up to a point, and operating points where an air cooled GPU's sitting at higher power than the CPU are favorable to that effect.

I suspect this is the basic result the overpressure approach is trying to explain. Given the other pressure differentials across the GPU, rear, and top fans it's hard for me to point out where the overpressure is, though. Particularly with the current best in class airflow cases like the OP's Lancool II, the North mesh, and the Torrent series where the GPU draws quite a bit from the side or bottom rather than being supplied from the front.

Imprezzion said:
I wonder how good the new Noctua fans are on rads.

Considering Noctua's theoretically maybe finally actually possibly releasing their next gen NF-A14 in Q1 of 2024, probably not very good for at least another six months. Given Noctua's saying LCP frame as well as LCP impeller it seems likely they'll be also be expensive, even by Noctua brand tax standards.

Noctua's also indicated 2–4 °C cooler with the next gen NH-D15 from the current NH-D15. Enough to catch up with, unlikely to exceed, the more effective dual tower air coolers which have been available for 1–2 years. Since air cooler fins and rad fins aren't that different that suggests the next gen NF-A14/15 impeller might similarly end up being catch up to the TL-C14 and Silent Wings 4 140.

Neutronman · Jul 17, 2023

I've been very happy with my Artic P12 and P14 PWM fans. Decent static pressure and low noise.

Madmaxneo · Jul 18, 2023

Imprezzion said:
Overpressure is a good thing to have. Pushes out the hot air and keeps dust out. I run quite a bit of overpressure and my case temps are amazing. Even with the air-cooled GPU and radiator for the CPU as intake the case temps barely rise if at all judging by my RAM and SSD temps.

The thing is I have tried it with putting both rads as pushing air in and it actually increased my temps by 1 -2 degs.
FYI, you aren't the first to comment on this as I have another thread about optimizing airflow and someone else said the same thing.
I ended up reversing the flow (flipped the fans) on the two fans pulling air out through the 280mm Swiftech rad on top. This means I now have 5 fans pushing air into the case and 1 fan as an exhaust in the rear of the case. As it stands now it looks like there is no difference in temps but when I get home tomorrow I will see again. It is currently sitting at 43C which is lower than normal the last few days but the outside ambient temps are a little lower tonight. When I got home today my temps were about 45-47C so when I get home tomorrow I will check to see.

maltamonk · Jul 18, 2023

ermandadana said:
"Best of sites" are usually rubbish. Look for reviews of each fan you are considering. They should have it compared to other options. Check though multiple reviews and avg the lot.

Uhmmm.....ya

Sir Beregond · Jul 18, 2023

Neutronman said:
I've been very happy with my Artic P12 and P14 PWM fans. Decent static pressure and low noise.

Those fans are fantastic value. Good performance for the $$$.

geort45 · Jul 18, 2023

I've sawn some videos last night to decide about the same. Artic P12 is very very good value for the money, if on a budget it looks to be the better option... a 5 pack is stupid cheap... but if you can spend more and get into mid-tier price, you can get the Gentle Typhoons which perform MUCH BETTER, almost on par with the high-priced ones, at acceptable noise levels.

Always Counterclockwise · Jul 18, 2023

geort45 said:
if you can spend more and get into mid-tier price, you can get the Gentle Typhoons which perform MUCH BETTER

TL-B12s are basically Gentle Typhoons; rifle rather than ball bearing, without trailing edge serrations, and same RPM and airflow specs. Where I am 3xTL-B12 and 5xP12 PWM are nearly the same price.

Caveat I'd put on that is, in my last couple Thermalright orders from April and June RMAs, there was a fairly high defect rate with clicking S-FDB bearings. Hopefully they'll get that sorted.

geort45 · Jul 18, 2023

Always Counterclockwise said:
TL-B12s are basically Gentle Typhoons; rifle rather than ball bearing, without trailing edge serrations, and same RPM and airflow specs. Where I am 3xTL-B12 and 5xP12 PWM are nearly the same price.

Caveat I'd put on that is, in my last couple Thermalright orders from April and June RMAs, there was a fairly high defect rate with clicking S-FDB bearings. Hopefully they'll get that sorted.

IF you're having defects with the bearing of your TL-B12s, and they're NOT the same kind of bearings as the Gentle Typhoons, then I wouldn't discard the classic Gentle Typhoons

Madmaxneo · Jul 18, 2023

What do you all recommend for RGB rad fans (both 120mm and 140mm)?

Always Counterclockwise · Jul 19, 2023

Madmaxneo said:
What do you all recommend for RGB rad fans (both 120mm and 140mm)?

TL-C12S, TL-C14S, and Endorfy 140 Fluctus are about the best documented. By extension, TL-B12S, TL-E12S, and TL-S12 are likely capable choices as well.

Lian Li ST120 and AL120 v2 are a couple others. DeepCool FC120 if you don't mind P12 type blade flex issues (the P12 A-RGB isn't especially competitive). 3RSYS Silence GI 120 ARGB and Silence XY14 for folks with access. (Edit: update from the Socoool BLAIDD to GI 120.)

Madmaxneo · Jul 19, 2023

Always Counterclockwise said:
TL-C12S, TL-C14S, and Endorfy 140 Fluctus are about the best documented. By extension, TL-B12S, TL-E12S, and TL-S12 are likely capable choices as well.

Lian Li ST120 and AL120 v2 are a couple others. DeepCool FC120 if you don't mind P12 type blade flex issues (the P12 A-RGB isn't especially competitive). 3RSYS Socoool BLAIDD and Silence XY14 for folks with access.

Are there graphs of the test results for any of these fans? I'd like to compare them to the Corsair AF elite fans I have now.

Madmaxneo · Jul 19, 2023

Always Counterclockwise said:
TL-C12S, TL-C14S, and Endorfy 140 Fluctus are about the best documented. By extension, TL-B12S, TL-E12S, and TL-S12 are likely capable choices as well.

Lian Li ST120 and AL120 v2 are a couple others. DeepCool FC120 if you don't mind P12 type blade flex issues (the P12 A-RGB isn't especially competitive). 3RSYS Socoool BLAIDD and Silence XY14 for folks with access.

They have the Thermalright TL-C14S on Newegg but they're over $40 on there.
I was able to find the Thermalright TL-C14S on Ali Express for a decent price and the Endorfy 140 Fluctus on a store that has a website.

They're literally the same price so which would be better?

Always Counterclockwise · Jul 19, 2023

Madmaxneo said:
Are there graphs of the test results for any of these fans?

See HWCooling and QuasarZone (as mentioned on this thread's previous page).

Madmaxneo said:
They're literally the same price so which would be better?

Not easy to say as HWCooling and QuasarZone test on different rads and don't have enough in fans in common to form a link function (though their unrestricted results for the small number of mutually tested fans seem close enough to be comparable). My guess would be modest advantage to the TL-C14S. TL-C14L and TL-C14W-S have identical airflow specs.

Haven't built with the Fluctus or A(RGB) TL-C14s but, FWIW, I've used the non-illuminated TL-C14 and it's probably the best fan I've run for tonality.

Shoggoth · Jul 19, 2023

I've been running 3 + 3 Silent Wings 4 140mm (1900RPM version) for a good few months now and they're both very low-noise and very effective. The non-Pro version is basically identical to the Pro except for the adjustable RPM and much cheaper (where I live anyway). If you'll be using PWM and don't need 2400RPM, no need to spend the extra money for the adjustment possibilities.

Highly recommended.

Always Counterclockwise · Jul 19, 2023

Shoggoth said:
no need to spend the extra money for the adjustment possibilities

Both HWCooling (Silent Wings 4 120 PRO) and QuasarZone (Silent Wings 4 140 PRO) found 5–10% increases in noise-normalized airflow with the pro versions on rads. Some of that's the normal corners available only with the pros. There might be other changes in the pros besides the speed control―nobody's done a teardown of the motors that I know of.

Can't say I'm enamored of the pricing model. It's a steep markup for the rad favorable corners other fans provide by default and be quiet! didn't upcharge for different corners with Silent Wings 3. P14s and TL-C14s are likely airflow competitive in most rad use cases at 25–40% of the price.

Shoggoth · Jul 19, 2023

SW 4 non-Pro comes with swappable corners too though, although I don't know if the Pro ones are different. Either way, the regular ones certainly have corners for both rad and case fitting, as did the SW 3s, as you say.

I'm sure the motors are different,given the difference in max speeds, but I didn't think the difference in efficiency was at quite that level.

Always Counterclockwise · Jul 19, 2023

Shoggoth said:
I don't know if the Pro ones are different.

They're different. The non-pro Silent Wings 4s come with the same two corner types as Silent Wings 3s, neither of which is the routine corner shape. Accessing the extra bit of through rad airflow normal style corners provide requires buying the pros to get that as a third corner option.

This is one of the things which makes Lian Li's P28s interesting. Pricing's close to the non-pro Silent Wings 4 and the limited data currently available suggests their performance might be close to the Silent Wings 4 120 PRO. Don't help if you need a 140, though.

FWIW, be quiet!'s descriptions of the non-pro and pro motors is identical. Different speed control doesn't necessarily mean different bearings or windings.

Shoggoth · Jul 19, 2023

Well, either way I'm sticking with what I've got. Performance is excellent, sound level is near the sound floor and I'm not spending more for marginal improvements.

What are the best fans for use on radiators?

Imprezzion

ermandadana

Always Counterclockwise

Neutronman

Madmaxneo

maltamonk

Sir Beregond

geort45

Always Counterclockwise

geort45

Madmaxneo

Always Counterclockwise

Madmaxneo

Madmaxneo

Always Counterclockwise

Shoggoth

Always Counterclockwise

Shoggoth

Always Counterclockwise

Shoggoth

Top Contributors this Month

Recommended Communities