My TP-Link TL-ST1008 10 GbE switch is noisy. Well, it was. I've just replaced the Sunon ef40201bx-q18c-f99 40mm 28.5 dB fan inside with a Noctua NF-A4x20 FLX at 18 dB. But I'm having second thoughts, because after double-checking I found that the Sunon pushes 10.8 cfm and the Noctua only a little over half that. If I want a quiet fan inside my switch with the same air flow rate as the Sunon, which fan should I use? I don't stress the switch.
Replacing a Sunon ef40201bx-q18c-f99 fan in my switch
Don
There isn't one.
At 40mm there simply isn't the surface area to do much in the way of fancy fan blade design to improve airflow - the only options are deeper fans (which both the Sunon and Noctua are 20mm deep already) - or to spin them faster (which obviously adds more noise).
In theory your Noctua should be fine - the stock fan (assuming it runs at a fixed speed) will be designed for absolutely worst case performance - warmer than UK climates, with poor air flow in a rack full of other equipment. As long as you aren't running it to that extreme, it should be fine with a bit less airflow.
If a 38mm deep fan fits that could be another option, but generally they are all industrial fans like your Sunon, Delta or San-ace, so probably just as noisy unless you use a low noise adapter or similar on them
Presumably you could also try the Noctua Low Noise Adapter on your Sunon? might quiet it just enough but leave it producing more airflow than the Noctua
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Ah well. This switch is going to spend its life in a cool room with plenty of air. So it seems I need not worry. Thanks.
Sadly not.