No, you can put whatever fan you like in there, (assuming it fits of course). You get a PCI slot thing to use as a fan controller so you can adjust it to taste, bear in mind though that some low rpm fans stall when turned down. I put mine on a Zalman multi fan thing at the front in a 5.25 bay. The stock fan's loud on full, too loud for my taste, but than I also changed the stock Tri-cools out for Noctua's...as Joe42 said though, silence is very much a personal thing.