Silent 120mm fan.

Siders77 · 29 Jan 2006 at 16:45

Hey.

At the moment I have a Vantec Stealth fan on my rad but it's not very quiet at all. Maybe it's because I'm running it off of the MOBO fan header?

I have a little relay box for my pump which has a fan connector on there. I'm not sure if I should use that or not? :confused:

So I'm looking for a new silent fan. I mean hardly any noise because I'm a light sleeper and can hardly get to sleep with this fan on.

So, any ideas what I can get?

WJA96 · 29 Jan 2006 at 17:24

Akasa Amber, Thermaltake Thunderblade 120mm, SilenX 120mm, AC Ryan 120mm Blackfire. All are pretty quiet. Anything under 20dB is going to be hard to hear.

DanMc07 · 29 Jan 2006 at 17:28

Search button comes in handy

had a few of these threads in the past week

Mark A · 30 Jan 2006 at 01:12

if your running your fan @ 12v any fan you buy wont be silent, even the Ambers, try running your stealth at 5 or 7volt.

http://www.dslwebserver.com/main/fr_index.html?/main/5-7-adapter.html

check out this website, it shows you how to make a 5v and 7v converter to make your fan quieter, i have made 2 x 5v converters and am currently running 2 ambers @5v, they are still audiable but very quiet, it takes no time at all to do and works a treat, much cheaper than buying a new fan or a fan controller.

HTH

Mark

Siders77 · 30 Jan 2006 at 08:09

Ooo, cheers for that. That's awesome! I'll have a go at that tonight.

Cheers lads!

alexakasloth · 30 Jan 2006 at 08:34

Or you can try some software like speed fan (you said you were running it off the mobo header). It let's you control fans which are powered through your motherboard.

DaveMac · 30 Jan 2006 at 10:24

The 120mm 'Stealths' are noisy fans even at reduced voltages, but certainly worth trying it.

For use with a rad you'd be better off with a 38mm thick fan for the increased pressure, look for Panaflo / NMB-MAT FB-120-M1A or L1A fans.

pcoltrane · 30 Jan 2006 at 12:10

I will add my obligatory mention of the nexus 120mm (quietest fan out there)

Insomniak · 30 Jan 2006 at 13:15

Just to back up marcs comment.
I installed a nexus on a SI 120 at the weekend and it is hardly audible. I very much doubt you can get a quieter fan than this.

Rhys · 30 Jan 2006 at 17:43

Rhys · 30 Jan 2006 at 17:43

Siders77 · 30 Jan 2006 at 18:25

Rhys said:

Haha. No need for those now!

Just did that mod thing that Mark A posted and it's worked. It wouldn't spin up at 5V so it's on 7V. Nothing worng with the temps either, only at 26C idle.

Cheers

Reiver · 30 Jan 2006 at 18:47

The quietest fans i've had (and when i say this i speak with a pile of 5 discarded fans inc. acoustifans, Nexus and akasa ambers) have been the antec tricool ones that came with my p180. The amount of air moved to noise ratio is superb.

Drazic · 1 Feb 2006 at 22:51

Sid i been looking for some ready for my water cooling and the Silent X 38mm 78cfm and nice 14DBA looks uber cool. All you gotta do then is find out about that grinding of ya pump and mod it and silent it and job done...oh and let me fit it all and make your case look pimp or buy my current case when i move intothe coffin not long to go hehe

pcoltrane · 2 Feb 2006 at 09:14

There is a way you can get the nexus working at 5volts. I've built a small fan controller that on start up supplies the fan with 12volts to get it spinning, but then after a configurable 0.5-5secs, switches to 5v. It's just that initial starting resistance the fan needs to overcome, it will run happily after that at 5v.

If anyone wants to build themselves one of these let me know. It's just a modified off the shelf electronics kit costing £4

Marc

Drazic · 2 Feb 2006 at 17:43

Intresting dude, might have that off ya for my coffin, got laods of trick shiz'll going in there etc