The magicbuster? I like that one.....Originally Posted by MicroCat
The magicbuster has spoken. And correctly. High fpi rads = high speed fans = high noise.
Still, because marketing pressure is greater than static pressure, corsair makes an inherently noisy product worse with mediocre fans. The EK Vardars (or Darkside/Nidec GTs) perform better with less noise than the stock. Could run in push/pull to further reduce noise relative to the stock fans. However, that's a lot of expensive airflow lipstick for this fpi piggie.
True, but in the battle of diminishing returns you gotta take the 2-3dB scraps where you can (even if they cost $30+ per dB).Originally Posted by ciarlatano
The magicbuster? I like that one.....![thumb.gif]()
While the Vardar, GT, eLoop, etc will theoretically perform better with less noise, you need to factor in the radiator. We aren't talking about a Nemesis GTX here, we are talking about a very low efficiency aluminum rad. The less effectively the rad can transfer heat, the less of a difference will be seen in performance. As we have seen in several credible tests, the difference between the top tier fans and others that can simply move a lot of air is very, very negligible.
First of all, thank you for your reply. I think that you have commented more than once on my questions and you have been always helpful. Now, i know that almost all aio wc are not even close to custom loop, that is why i am going to make the jump and make a custom loop in the very near future. In the meantime though, i want to buy a nice set of fans, which will deliver good performance and as silent as possible, not only for the h100i but also on the custom loop ( i will buy the first set and depending on the case i will move into, i will buy more, not really a fan of spending 40euros for a set of fans i will not use again ). So, if it was yours the h100i which fan vetween the 2 would you choose minding that you will upgrade soon? Also, if you can reconmend anything else, i am all earsOriginally Posted by ciarlatano
Bad news.....you can not drastically cit down the noise on a CLC without the corresponding hit in performance. The platform is built around a heavy reliance on high airflow to operate (high fpi aluminum rad, low flow pump). Much of the noise you hear comes from the air moving through the rad, and is not directly from the fan. So, to cut down noise you need to put less air through the rad, which in turn cuts down performance. Essentially, you cut down the noise with the lower rpm fans simply because they won't be moving as much air - but the result will essentially be the same as limiting the rpm on the included fans. You and every other CLC owner has been looking for the magic fan since the day they hit the market, but magic just doesn't happen here.
Ikr, for 5db less i might have to spend 40euros for a pair, or 80euros for 2 pairs! That is an extreme amount of money, but as i expleined to ciarlatano above, i want them to be good in order to keep them when i upgrade. The plan is to have enough radiator space, so i can operate them at low speeds for silence. That however does not mean that i do not want to get the maximum performance out of them. Also, thank you for answering and giving me your insight on the subjectOriginally Posted by MicroCat
The magicbuster has spoken. And correctly. High fpi rads = high speed fans = high noise.
Still, because marketing pressure is greater than static pressure, corsair makes an inherently noisy product worse with mediocre fans. The EK Vardars (or Darkside/Nidec GTs) perform better with less noise than the stock. Could run in push/pull to further reduce noise relative to the stock fans. However, that's a lot of expensive airflow lipstick for this fpi piggie.
I'm not @ciarlatano and can't even do a very good impression on the internet. But, just pretend I'm his pre-checklist assistant.Originally Posted by panozy
First of all, thank you for your reply. I think that you have commented more than once on my questions and you have been always helpful. Now, i know that almost all aio wc are not even close to custom loop, that is why i am going to make the jump and make a custom loop in the very near future. In the meantime though, i want to buy a nice set of fans, which will deliver good performance and as silent as possible, not only for the h100i but also on the custom loop ( i will buy the first set and depending on the case i will move into, i will buy more, not really a fan of spending 40euros for a set of fans i will not use again ). So, if it was yours the h100i which fan vetween the 2 would you choose minding that you will upgrade soon? Also, if you can reconmend anything else, i am all ears![smile.gif]()
Wait! You didn't ask him about the proposed rads and platinum plated barbs. I've already lost the assistant intern position, haven't I?Originally Posted by ciarlatano
Between those two, I can say that the Vardar are top tier. I would not hesitate to use them myself. I haven't used the Akasa, so I really can't weigh in on them.
You do a perfect job for helping me out with my situation. I plan on using the ek rads, most of them at different 120mm capacities, mainly 360 and 480. I cannot find the darkside fans here, so my options are limited to ek, noiseblocker, akasa and noctua. Besides from noctua, the rest have almost idenitcal prices, not many fluctuations. I am asking for akasa, mainly cause they seem to deliver so much more for less noise and at the same price. I was originally planning on buying the vardars, but went for a trip to italy and postponed it until i returned. In the meantime i found the akasa and now i do not know what to do. Everyone on the forums etc have the best opinions about the vardars, but i can find nothing about the apache.Originally Posted by MicroCat
I'm not @ciarlatano and can't even do a very good impression on the internet. But, just pretend I'm his pre-checklist assistant.
What rad(s) do you plan to use? 240? 360? If cool temps and low noise, you might consider going with 280 or 420 rads with 140mm fans. In which case buying some 120mm may not be the best long term value.
The GTs/Vardar/eLoops are the best 120mm rad fans. I would suggest the Darkside 1850rpm PWM or Vardar F4ER models. Being PWM gives you more rpm range to worth with. The new Fractal HP-12 got a decent review here - if it's not any cheaper where you live, then the Vardar/GTs are the safer choice. Where I live the eLoops are feakishly expensive and the GTs are the best value.
Anyhow, the Magicbuster will arrive to soon to complete the interrogation, uh...the questioning.![biggrin.gif]()
Thank you for your insight on the subject, vardars are at the top on my list, but i am still not sure cause i want to make the right choice.Originally Posted by ciarlatano
Between those two, I can say that the Vardar are top tier. I would not hesitate to use them myself. I haven't used the Akasa, so I really can't weigh in on them.
"we get to pick the best compromises for ourselves", thats a nice quote, i will definetely use it in the futureOriginally Posted by MicroCat
The Apache is an older design (2009), so have to look in the review archives. ;-) Here's a comparo from 2012 at vortez. In that test it performs slightly worse (3c) and is 3dB louder than a 1450rpm GT.
That's my experience as well. It's not quite as good as the GTs/Vardars and is a bit noisier. However, where I live it's also less than half the cost. So I've happily used it in budget-driven builds.
Also, the thing that fan tests on the internet don't reveal is the sonic noise profile of fans. The Youtube reviews are a total fail as most are amateur recordings that make all sound hideous and generally are tested free-air, not in situ.
What I'm hinting at is that the perfect fan for me, may not be the perfect fan for you. And that's why real enthusiasts (or idiots) have a closet full of unused fans.![biggrin.gif]()
There is no perfect fan. It's a mechanical noise-generating air-moving device. We get to pick the best compromises for ourselves.
That's the fun of it tho. We make the best semi-educated choices we can from the sometimes conflicting info on the internet. Then we can test in our own systems and make our own choices. It just costs a little (a lot) more.![tongue.gif]()
Thanks for the chart, its nice to make comparisons with numbers. As i said above, i will probably head towards the vardars. If however you have another suggestion, i more than happy to hear itOriginally Posted by doyll
While the Apache is not a terrible fan, it is not as good as many similar priced fans.
I edited ehumes 2012 fan review down to just a few fans. TY-140 is a 140mm fan for comparison.
If i could buy it in europe i would have started with it and not with h100i, however i will not buy another aio wc, i want a dedicated pump and res, but thanks for leaving your commentOriginally Posted by Sp33d Junki3
If you want to start on watercooling you can look to replace with Swiftech H220-X2 or H240-X2
These rads are low fpi of 12. The stock fans can run at lower speed to help with silence, plus give you good temps.
You can expand later on too add another rad, gpu block.
