140mm case fans to replace Pure Wings 2?

RatmanGB

RatmanGB

RatmanGB

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I've currently got six 140mm Pure Wings 2 fans in a Silent Base 801 (with the mesh front panel from the 802) running through the case's fan controller. They're quiet enough at low RPM but get quite a lot louder when they spin up - and they top out at 1000rpm so they're not going THAT fast.

I'm considering replacing the three in the top with a 360mm AIO (Liquid Freezer II possibly) when I upgrade my CPU, but I'm wondering if there are better options for the other three (or possibly four, there's room for a third in the front).

Quiet operation is a must, any suggestions?
 
Used the Pure Wings before and wasn't impressed.
Not bad fans, only average. The main issue is price, as there's cheaper fans which perform better, like the P14, or much better fans that are only slightly more expensive.
Most fans will be quiet at lower rpm.
The main issue is how efficient the fan is moving air at certain speed, as the fan which can move more air at the lower or same rpm will possibly be quieter. Not a rule, but applies quite often.
The Arctic, if your case allows the P14 to perform as needed under 1000 rpm, they're a good option. Going faster the hum will certainly annoy you, as you are clearly looking for a silent solution. But at 800rpm they're acceptable yet moving quite a lot of air.
The pure Wings are very quiet fans, but at 20ish quid a piece, there's other interesting options from Noctua or spending a bit more, the Phanteks. But the issue here is that there isn't a magic bullet. Those fans will be quieter, more efficient, but at high rpm will be noticeable. The main difference from a cheaper fan, like the Arctic one, is the noise signature, as those fans will pretty much hide any motor noise, and the whole noise will be a more pleasant tune, if that makes sense.
 
P14 if you can accept their acoustics in your individual use scenario, as in the individual circumstances of your case design and material, distance from your ear, any obstacles in between, your own strength of hearing and sensitivity, as well as how good or bad P14s you get (they aren't always consistent).

If you have room for 40mm thick fans, I would look at the new Phanteks fans, whatever they are called. Static pressure is always a priority with any sort of obstacle, especially both case mesh and dust filter.

Don't be too shy about using 12cm fans instead of 14cm. They sometimes end up offering better pressure for lower noise and consequently performing overall better than 14cm fans in the same 14cm fan slots. NF-A12 and Fluctus (Silentium) fans are good candidates for that. Eloops (NoiseBlocker) are also good if they don't produce an ugly whine in your mounting scenario. IIRC from some test results, NB fans are better than your average fan at becoming quieter from distance, as in the same number of decibels at 30cm away as the other fans becomes much less at 100cm away. I keep my case at least 200cm away (thinking about longer distance) just to stop being able to hear small but annoying sounds. With more distance, the fans blend into the ambient more, so what you hear is more of an aggregate mass of sound rather than a number of discernible individual sounds (more distracting and disconcerting).
 
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