Need some help with 120mm fans

Jfan

Jfan

Jfan

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Joined
22 Aug 2005
Posts
542
Hi there

Got a bit of a problem

Lately I have been trying to quieten down my computer, I have tried several different 120 fans

Including: Akasa apache, Gentle typhoon 1450 rpm, and Fractal design 120mm

the problem is with the case that I have (silverstone ft02), it means I have to have the fans horizontally with the airflow blowing upwards

I dont think these fans have been designed with this in mind, as when I put the fans in this position, you get an annoying clicking noise, bearing noise I think

the akasa apache's are the worst for it, the fractal design didnt start clicking till about 2 weeks after install, and the gentle typhoon 1450 it is only very slight, and I have these installed atm, but they are a bit louder than the other 2 in general

The akasa apache would be best out of these 3 by quite a margin, air flow and noise wise, but the noise they make when I have them blowing upwards, makes them unusable, they are the camo brown and green ones, I did want the black ones when I purchased, non in stock though

So basically I need a reccomendation for 120mm fans that are as quiet and give as much airflow as the apaches, but will not make bearing noise when horizontally blowing upwards, maybe I could get lower speed Gentle Typhoons, but all this fan testing is costing me a fortune

thanks in advance
 
Taken from wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_fan should help you pick a fan bearing type for your orientation.

# Sleeve bearing fans use two surfaces lubricated with oil or grease as a friction contact. Sleeve bearings are less durable as the contact surfaces can become rough and/or the lubricant dry up, eventually leading to failure. Sleeve bearings may be more likely to fail at higher temperatures, and may perform poorly when mounted in any orientation other than vertical. The lifespan of a sleeve bearing fan may be around 40,000 hours at 50 °C. Fans that use sleeve bearings are generally cheaper than fans that use ball bearings, and are quieter at lower speeds early in their life, but can grow considerably noisier as they age.[3]

# Rifle bearing fans are similar to sleeve bearing, but are quieter and have almost as much lifespan as ball bearings. The bearing has a spiral groove in it that pumps fluid from a reservoir. This allows them to be safely mounted horizontally (unlike sleeve bearings), since the fluid being pumped lubricates the top of the shaft.[4] The pumping also ensures sufficient lubricant on the shaft, reducing noise, and increasing lifespan.

# Ball bearing fans use ball bearings. Though generally more expensive, ball bearing fans do not suffer the same orientation limitations as sleeve bearing fans, are more durable especially at higher temperatures, and quieter than sleeve bearing fans at higher rotation speeds. The lifespan of a ball bearing fan may be around 63,000 hours at 50 °C.[3]

# Fluid bearing fans have the advantages of near-silent operation and high life expectancy (comparable to ball bearing fans). However, these fans tend to be the most expensive. The enter bearing fan is a variation of the fluid bearing fan, developed by Everflow
 
I have a few apaches, they do not work as well when you mount them horizontally, changing power options in bios as well as making sure the fan isnt making something else vibrate are good ideas though. :P
 
Thanks for the reply's

really is a shame about the apache's they are nice fans, they where making sume awful noises when I had them horizontally though, I was running them at full speed in the bios

Think I'll try out the noctua, but also going to get a fan controller
 
Jfan said:
Thanks for the reply's

really is a shame about the apache's they are nice fans, they where making sume awful noises when I had them horizontally though, I was running them at full speed in the bios
Click to expand...

I have the same case and an apache when they first came out. I am running it at full speed in the bios.

I have not noise at all.
 
Scythe S-Flex are good for horizontal mounting. I have one in my PSU and it's been going well for 6 months, they undervolt well too.
 
Hmm, maybe its the apaches that I have, they are the brown/greenish camo coloured ones

Its defo bearing noise when they are blowing upwards, maybe I just got a couple from a bad batch

Think I might try ordering a couple of apache black

will take a look @ the S-flex aswell

thanks
 
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