120mm Fan question

pc-guy

pc-guy

pc-guy

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I need to replace my fans on my rads. they do push a lot of air but i run them fair low RPM for quietness

So I need something that can push a decent amount of air at low RPM and be very effiicient, also I plan on doing push and pull configuration to ensure the air flow is good going into the case as the rads are front mounted.

Noctua AF12x25 is unfortunately out of my budget, can't justify spending £100 on fans.

what are the alternatives? I have been looking at Corsair ML series - reason, one of the existing fan's bearing seems to be going as it is clicking.
 
Noctua NF-F12 is usually the choice for radiators, as a good balance between noise and performance.
I actually switched from them to ML120s* myself, but that was to better match a low FPI set of rads.
Black Noise NB E-loop fans are pretty decent, too.

A lot of people on here rate Arctic fans, mainly for being very cheap.
Vardars perform well with some rads, but tend toward the noisier end of things.


*Original non-RGB versions have higher performance and come in twin packs.
 
Very pleased with the Arctic P12s I've just put on my BeQuiet AIO they significantly outperform the bundled PureWings 2 in airflow and noise. Don't think you can beat them for value especially if you get the 5 pack.
 
If you want quiet, Phanteks F120MP

If you want Good performance and decent noise, ML120 (the original, twin pack).

The Noctua you mentioned are the best however.
 
ttaskmaster said:
Noctua NF-F12 is usually the choice for radiators, as a good balance between noise and performance.
I actually switched from them to ML120s* myself, but that was to better match a low FPI set of rads.
Black Noise NB E-loop fans are pretty decent, too.

A lot of people on here rate Arctic fans, mainly for being very cheap.
Vardars perform well with some rads, but tend toward the noisier end of things.


*Original non-RGB versions have higher performance and come in twin packs.
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How does ML120 do with low RPM say around 800-1000? In terms of noise?
 
I had the ML120 fans on my rad and as case fans as well, and they are ok at low revs. But at high revs they sound terrible and don't move much air at the lower end (in my experience).

I replaced them with noctua fans and saw a reduction in temps at the same revs, and the noise is so much better with them
 
ML120 looks weak at low revs

I am gonna give Noiseblocker fans a go....£17 a pop still a but expensive :( compared with £22 for a pair of ML fans
 
pc-guy said:
ML120 looks weak at low revs

I am gonna give Noiseblocker fans a go....£17 a pop still a but expensive :( compared with £22 for a pair of ML fans
Click to expand...
got noiseblockers on one of my rads
i only run my fans 700--1000rpm max so they are fine
around 1200rpm you start to hear them
though what one person considers loud another may not
at 1500rpm they are definitely louder than i like
would be ok if gaming but for normal use i like very quiet
the artic fans mentioned are considered great for the price
especially if need a lot of fans
and they can be daisy chained too i think
saves a lot of cable clutter
 
pc-guy said:
How does ML120 do with low RPM say around 800-1000? In terms of noise?
Click to expand...
Dunno... I can't hear them over the noise of my pump and hard drive! :D
TBF, most fans will be pretty quiet below 1,000rpm anyway.

I did actually put them to 700rpm during a RealBench run last night and water temps didn't even hit 33ºC... That's a 5960X @4.6GHz with a 30mm 240 rad and a 60mm 360 rad cooling it, both high FPI. It beats my Gentle Typhoons.
Dialling them down to 810rpm right now, my SmartTools sound meter app says they're 31dB when I hold the phone mic about 3" away from the air intake, but again that is through an intake grille, mesh filter and a high FPI radiator. I don't have professional sound monitoring kit or anything, though.
 
ttaskmaster said:
Dunno... I can't hear them over the noise of my pump and hard drive! :D
TBF, most fans will be pretty quiet below 1,000rpm anyway.

I did actually put them to 700rpm during a RealBench run last night and water temps didn't even hit 33ºC... That's a 5960X @4.6GHz with a 30mm 240 rad and a 60mm 360 rad cooling it, both high FPI. It beats my Gentle Typhoons.
Dialling them down to 810rpm right now, my SmartTools sound meter app says they're 31dB when I hold the phone mic about 3" away from the air intake, but again that is through an intake grille, mesh filter and a high FPI radiator. I don't have professional sound monitoring kit or anything, though.
Click to expand...
Tbh I am more concerned about airflow than AIO temps. Cos my case location (under the desk) I want the case to have decent amount of air in so the exhaust fans don’t “choke”. Also I want to keep positive air pressure inside the case so to keep dust out.

temps wise 1 or 2 degrees is not going to make me wince.

silence, longevity is the game.
 
pc-guy said:
Tbh I am more concerned about airflow than AIO temps.
Click to expand...
Mine is a custom loop, not an AIO. Five intake fans, one exhaust.
However, since I don't have professional airflow testing equipment either, I instead look at how well it maintains low temperatures at low rpm.

Generally, more fans at low RPM will push more air than fewer fans at high rpm. So long as you have a fairly unrestricted air path, or the static pressure to push through the restriction, that is a bigger factor than simply how much air a single fan can push.

Incidentally, Noctuas are only expensive if you buy them new. I had a set of them 2nd hand for £6 each, and you can usually find the Industrial NF-F12 for under a tenner.
 
Noctua also have a Noctua Redux range - slightly cheaper and in dark grey - but still a large selection of different types - available from £11 to £14 new.
 
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