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Philldoe
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2017 "Tidbits" update - Case/Fans

Tue Nov 22, 2016 11:28 pm

I'm gearing up for my 2017 "Tidbits" build update. So far it's looking to only be a new case and fans until later in the year when I decide what SSD I want to get. I've gathered a list of Cases but I keep eyeing the Phanteks P400s

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811854031&cm_re=Phanteks_P400s-_-11-854-031-_-Product

It's getting hard to find a case without a side window and without the gaudy looks so many brands push (Cougar, Thermaltake...I'm looking at you.) I'm really not digging the lack of atleast 1 5.25" bay for an optical drive but I suppose I'll manage. My only real concern about the case is the front intake. I can choose to run 3x 120mm fans or 2x 140mm fans but the actual air intake looks to be rather small for such a fan setup. If you look at the pictures on newegg there is a strip on the top and bottom of the front panel that allows air in and I'm wondering if it's going to restrict the air supply for those front fans.

On the note of the front intake... I can't tell from the pictures on the product page but purportedly the bottom fan does not push any air into the 3.5" HDD bay. I have a Toshiba (Mass Storage of Media and backups) and a Seagate(Game installs) HDD that I will transfer into this case and I want to ensure they get the airflow they require.

Next up on the list are new fans. I haven't bought new fans in a very long time and it's time to change that. I'll be getting a Noctua NF-F12 PWM to go along with the one I already have to slap onto my Corsair H80i.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608026&ignorebbr=1

Now for the 2x top fans. I'm eyeing the Noctua Redux fans, the NF-P14s 1500rpm model to be exact. It's on sale cheaper than the 1200rpm model oddly enough.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608065&ignorebbr=1

Now we come to the front fans. I can either stick the H80i on the rear of the case and use 2 more NF-P14s fans on the front, or I can stick the H80i on the top front slot as an intake with 2 other NF-F12 fans. taking up the other 120mm fan slots. Problem is, I don't think the F12 is the proper fan for a basic case intake and I don't know Noctuas fan lineup well enough to know what would be a better buy.

Last up is an inexpensive External enclosure for the SATA Optical DVD combo drive I currently have. I know I can buy a USB optical drive, but I'd like to not accumulate any more crap. The closet is full gentlemen, I can't fit any more junk in it. On the off chance that there are no good drive bays to be had, I will take suggestions on a good external drives.

That should cover everything... should.
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HERETIC
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Re: 2017 "Tidbits" update - Case/Fans

Wed Nov 23, 2016 4:18 am

It's a annoying trend with cases this year-
Must be able to fit 3 radiators,at the expense of-You don't need optical or HDD's/maybe a couple of 3.5"
and a couple of really skinny vents in front,forcing one into a negative pressure system...........................
 
Chrispy_
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Re: 2017 "Tidbits" update - Case/Fans

Wed Nov 23, 2016 8:44 am

Yeah, 2016 has been the year of vanity builds that compromise everything to look clean internally and provide maximum RGB disco effect.

Phanteks and NZXT were on my shortlist, Phanteks looking especially strong if you must have optical bays.

Also, don't get the Noctua Redux fans, they're far too cheap compared to the normal Noctua fans. Not worth $5 IMO.
My favourite fans of 2016 are unquestionably Alpenfoehn's WingBoost2 fans. They're priced similarly to the Noctuas but they're genuinely higher quality, they look better, and their blade design makes them excellent for locations that require static pressure such as filtered intake vents, radiators and heatsinks. And they come in colours but you won't care because you don't want a window, which is a decision I can wholeheartedly respect. They are, thankfully, free of the RGBLED plague at least.
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Philldoe
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Re: 2017 "Tidbits" update - Case/Fans

Sun Nov 27, 2016 3:30 am

Chrispy_ wrote:
My favourite fans of 2016 are unquestionably Alpenfoehn's WingBoost2 fans.


I looked into this brand and unfortunatly none of the part sellers I'm willing to order from carry them. Any other suggestions?
Fastfreak39: I feel like they should change the phrase "jumping on the band wagon" to "sailing on the pirate ship"
 
Chrispy_
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Re: 2017 "Tidbits" update - Case/Fans

Sun Nov 27, 2016 7:44 pm

The Noctua non-redux fans are great general purpose fans, if a little pricey. They're second to none for heatsinks but that also means they're never top of the performance/noise charts for either case fans or radiators.

I don't know what's available in your region but known good fans for low-noise case airflow with the static pressure requirements of a radiator and filtered intakes are:

  • Noiseblocker eLoops
  • BeQuiet! SilentWings 2
  • Corsair SP series
  • Enermax Twister Pressure

uk.hardware.info have a huge fans database, worth a read if you want to compare different models but they don't cover all the fans on the market, not by a long shot. I use the Corsair SP series or BeQuiet SW2 models if I can't get Alpenfoehn.
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juzz86
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Re: 2017 "Tidbits" update - Case/Fans

Sun Nov 27, 2016 8:09 pm

Can't go wrong with Phanteks, any of their cases are great. I've built in a P400S, Enthoo Pro, Enthoo Primo, Enthoo Luke, EVOLV and EVOLV ATX - they make good gear.

Phanteks also get my votes for fans, at least in the 140mm category. The PH-F140SP is my current 'go to' for both cases and radiators. I got annoyed at the signature from the Noctua Redux ones I had installed, the Corsairs were rubbish, the Phanteks fits well for me and is worth consideration, as are the Cougar HDB 140mm models.
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Redocbew
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Re: 2017 "Tidbits" update - Case/Fans

Sun Nov 27, 2016 8:54 pm

I may be wrong here since I don't know German very well, but doesn't "Alpenföhn" mean "alpine hairdryer"?   :lol:  I imagine they were thinking of the foehn wind when they named it.

Noiseblockers used to be my go-to for super-quiet fans, but when I got the Node 304 I actually kept the fans which came with the case.  Turns out Fractal Design does a pretty good job of making a quiet fan also.
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Philldoe
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Re: 2017 "Tidbits" update - Case/Fans

Mon Nov 28, 2016 2:01 am

I'm not really looking for static pressure fans, I just need one more NF-F12 for my radiator, the other fans are strictly general airflow. The F-12 I have right now has been a great fan. Silent even at full spin. I actually chose it over a Corsair fan about a year ago because of noise concerns and frankly the SP120's that came with my H80i are so annoyingly loud I threw them in a box and stuck a single F-12 to the Radiator, which I've been happy with. Between the noise and terrible lower RPM% (40% for those SP120s) I'll likely not be touching a corsair fan.
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Philldoe
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Re: 2017 "Tidbits" update - Case/Fans

Wed Nov 30, 2016 7:21 am

Well, newegg just threw a giant discount wrench into my plans. I grabbed a Define R5 Silent Titanium for $70 and 3 extra fans to go along with the ones included in the case. After the discounts I got the 3 fans for free. The Wishlist I had for te Phanteks build was running above $160 and I was going to be missing out on my Optical drive and would have had to order a couple of HDD racks for a down the road storage upgrade.

Image

I'm pretty happy with the purchase, and I'm sure my brother will be happy to have my (not so) old 400R and the case fans already in it. I'm sure he's tired of that Antec P180 I bought way back in 2007. I can't believe the fans in it still work.
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Chrispy_
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Re: 2017 "Tidbits" update - Case/Fans

Wed Nov 30, 2016 9:01 am

Redocbew wrote:
I may be wrong here since I don't know German very well, but doesn't "Alpenföhn" mean "alpine hairdryer"?   

Literally, yes.
This is German, though - one of their compound words for "door knocker" literally translates to "the thing on the door that you ring to come in"
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DPete27
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Re: 2017 "Tidbits" update - Case/Fans

Wed Nov 30, 2016 9:42 am

Chrispy_ wrote:
Enermax Twister Pressure

I have a 120mm Twister Pressure on my CPU right now and am not overly happy with it.  It replaced an Enermax TB Silence (obviously not great for static pressure) but is noticeably louder and I honestly don't think my CPU temps changed much at equal fan RPMs.  I know those are all completely subjective opinions of a sample size of 1, but....
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Chrispy_
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Re: 2017 "Tidbits" update - Case/Fans

Wed Nov 30, 2016 12:59 pm

It's really important to understand what type of fan is suited to what type of scenario.

There are airflow fans which are quiet for unimpeded routes working in a case with barely any pressure difference, and there are static pressure fans for working against pressure differences and/or obstructions. Of the static pressure fans, there are two types - performance and efficiency - and using a performance fan when you want low noise is as useless as using an efficient design when you want maximum cooling.

Sadly, fan characteristics are woefully complex; What works well at one speed in one situation will not necessarily be as good or as quiet as another design at a different speed or situation.

As a rule of thumb:

  • Airflow fans for unimpeded exhausts and intakes where there's no dust filter.
  • High static pressure - efficiency - for filtered intakes, open-fin heatsinks, intakes in an unimpeded cases with lots of positive pressure, or for quiet radiator cooling at low performance
  • High static pressure - performance - for dense-fin heatsinks, and better noise profiles when running at higher performance

Fan blades are like aircraft wings. Some shapes provide a lot of lift but cause way too much drag and turbulence to be useful at high speeds. Others are fantastic for smooth high-speed cruising but offer lower lift and stall far more easily. If you pick the wrong fan for the wrong scenario it doesn't matter how high-quality the fan is, it will either be ineffective or too noisy.
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