Personal computing discussed

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Rakhmaninov3
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Noise vs. Airflow

Sun Feb 02, 2003 4:36 am

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 :D) 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 :o 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!
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etilena
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Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2002 7:43 am
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Sun Feb 02, 2003 5:02 am

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. :wink:
*yawn*
 
pattouk2001
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Location: Birmingham, UK.
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Zalman Flower

Sun Feb 02, 2003 7:00 am

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
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Location: The Heart of Dixie

Sun Feb 02, 2003 7:58 am

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
Graphmaster Gerbil
Topic Author
Posts: 1282
Joined: Thu Jun 13, 2002 2:10 am
Location: Murphysboro, IL

Sun Feb 02, 2003 3:22 pm

Thanks for all the help!
GO CARDINALS!

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