Noise vs. Airflow

[Rakhmaninov3]

Alright. I've currently got 3 case fans in my box made by a company called "Power Logic." They push 39 cfm @ 32dBa, sleeve bearing. One intake, two exhausts.

They're loud.

But they push a lot of air.

Right now, my dorm room is routinely between 76 and 80 degeees Fahrenheit (according to my Galilean thermometer, which is only accurate to 4 degrees, but it's cool-looking ) and this setup keeps the case at 36C under full load, and the proc. at about 52C (have the Antec "Solution" HSF on the proc--http://www.antec-inc.com/pro_details_cooling.php?ProdID=77049#)

I've been considering replacing them with the Vantec Stealth fans, because my room is very small and the noise is slowly driving me crazy Stealths are only 21 dBa, but they only push 27 cfm. They are also expensive.

What would you guys/ladies suggest? This computer seems to like to lock up when the proc pushes 60C, so a further increase in temps isn't desired. Would 12 fewer cfm (well, 12 in, 24 out) matter that much vis-a-vis the amount of noise it would save me? I wish I could test some out w/out spending ~$25.

I'll probably wind up just buying and testing them out, but if you have any experiences I'd appreciate your suggestions! Thanks a lot!

[etilena]

Have you ever thought of getting a Rheobus? They're probably cheaper than getting 3 new fans. This page has some fan controllers (towards the bottom half) you might want to take a look at.

http://pccasegear.com/category18_1.htm

The site is Australian, so you might have to hunt a bit to get some of the parts. Basically you can control the fan speeds by reducing the current to the fans, hence reducing noise. Hope this helps.

[pattouk2001]

Hi. Why don't you have the best of both worlds and get yourself a Zalman Flower CNPS-6000cu? Keeps my AthlonXP 2600+ @ 2.17ghz at 45*c on full load (I fold), and a nice 39*c on idle, and thats also in my tiny "Desktop" ATX case too, and it's 92mm 1600-2500rpm fan is near silent at 2500rpm, and silent at 1600rpm. It weighs 462g, it's made of pure copper and has a surface area of around 2600cm/2, compared to your average 1500cm/2 from a CoolerMaster AAC-001. The only thing that's a little off putting is it's asking price of £35 (£39.96 after shipping from Dabs.com), but the rewards are well worth it though.

[JustAnEngineer]

The Vantec Stealth fans have very low differential pressure. They are actually likely to produce less air flow than stated.

I have been quite pleased with the ThermalTake SmartFan2 so far. At full speed (4800 rpm), it is quite loud, but the air flow is very impressive. I usually run mine around 3200 rpm. At lower speeds, it is nearly silent.

Try this variable-speed Y.S. Tech 80mm fan available here, here or here.

At just $23 for 5 fans, this Everflow 80mm fan is a bargain that moves a decent amount of air without too much noise.

[Rakhmaninov3]

Thanks for all the help!