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The ambient noise for the current testing was 30 dBA. To measure noise levels that were softer than that, the sound pressure level was measured 10 cm from each fan. The sound pressure level was adjusted to 1 meter by subtracting 20 dB. The sound pressure meter was a Tenma 72-942. This fan tester has a microphone that is not accurate under 30 dBA. That means an adjusted measurement of 10 – 15 dBA is not accurate; the fan could easily be quieter than that. But this is the limit of all but the most expensive SPL meters. Test Stand The Blade Master family of fans by Cooler Master have been around for some years. They have a wavy blade, and they’re pretty quiet. The two specimens in our testing were obtained at retail. Too bad they’re sleeve bearing fans. I won’t trust sleeve bearing fans on a heatsink. FDB = Fluid Dynamic Bearing, a patented evolution of the sleeve bearing which causes the lubricating fluid to be recirculated within the bearing. Among computer enthusiasts, Scythe is a famous name. We have reviewed the Ninja 4 and the Fuma heatsinks here. We have also reviewed the Slip Stream DB fans here. Slip Stream and GlideStream fans focus on airflow, but they can push air through a rad. The Slip Stream PWM was part of a Mugen 2 that was bought retail. The Slip Stream DB fans were provided directly by Scythe. Only the PWM model is tested here. Noctua is a partnership between Rascom, an Austrian company, and Kolink International, a Taiwanese corporation. Noctua products are legendary, with heatsinks for enthusiasts and industry, and fans with diameters of 40 mm up through 140 mm, also for enthusiasts and industry. In this review, we are looking at a number of fans, two with Low Noise Adapters, which bring our total number of fan sets to 26.
There were two clear winners here, the Nidec Gentle Typhoon PWM and the Medium speed San Ace “Silent” PWM fans. It is too bad that these fans are among the hardest to get. First the fans were placed in a test stand, where their free air RPM was observed. Then the fans’ noise was assessed. The standard proxy for what you can hear is the Sound Pressure Level (SPL), measured in decibels and given a type A weighting (dBA). A silent room is about 30 dBA. The fans will be introduced, first, individually with descriptions and pictures. Next we see their specifications as a group. Then we shall look at their actual performance by comparing them with each other. So let’s get started. PWM Fans Arctic Cooling
They're The Same!?
SPL testing on a rad might be misleading because fans -- even when mounted on a rad -- can use the CFM box as a sounding board. I have thought about building a testing chamber out of something large and stiff, but I would have no place to put it . . . and there would still be no assurance that fans did not use it to make a sounding board. Think guitar or violin to get a notion. Moreover, the refined ninja-knife impeller design not only improves the laminar airflow, but it also lowers the noise level. Tested by hundreds of simulations, the results are significant, airflow is over 20% higher compared with a generic 7-blade case fan. Higher airflow / higher noise level
The Deepcool GF120 was a fine runner-up. Notice how much quieter the two winners were than their neighbors. They also pushed a lot more air through the restrictive rad than fans of similar unobstructed output. What made the Deepcool fan a runner-up and not one of the winners was the fact that it was a lot noisier than they were. The only other problem to consider is that occasionally, components immediately adjacent to the motherboard fan header can get in the way of the larger 4-pin fan connector, physically preventing connection. This problem also occurs if you try to use an in-line fan speed controller such as the one made by Gelid. PWM fans can be used with PWM splitters, where they all get their power directly from the PSU while tghey get speed control from the motherboard.
Features
Sleeve bearing = the fan shaft is held in place by a diaphragm. The lubricant is held in place by a plug or the label. See here for a photo essay. The PWM fan we are examining came from Tao Bao in China. The model number is D1225C12B6ZPA44, with a nominal speed of 2150 RPM. The Gentle Typhoon is known for several things. One is the low amount of airflow compared to its high RPM. Another is that the fan is very quiet for the air it moves. It is also known for its high static pressure. We will see how this all turns out. Nidec Gentle Typhoon Noctua Kolink International Corporation is a Taiwanese cooling specialist, one of their brands is called Coolink. Kolink says this about Coolink: “Kolink’s retail brand Coolink stands for an effective conjunction of no-frills performance, excellent quality and attractive pricing.” As of this writing it is unclear that Coolink still exists, but the fans are still for sale at various places. My, how time flies! Enermax released PWM fans with their three-position switches three years ago. We reviewed their fans then. I hauled two of those fans out of their case to compare them with other PWM fans. Although each of these fans has three speeds, we only test them with their switches in the H position, otherwise, I’d never get done.
Originally the house label for Newegg, Rosewill does offer their products for sale in other places these days. They produce a bewildering variety of fans. Not so bewildering are the Hyperborea fans, in 12 cm and 14 cm sizes. These have relatively low speeds as if the makers were aiming at their being used for case fans, as well as on heatsinks and rads. The two units here were obtained retail. Rosewill Hyperborea 12cm San Ace Answers to comments: SPL I can measure and put numbers to. The "tone" of a fan is highly subjective. Ask Noctua and Nidec. The Deepcool UF120 has been around since 2009. It is still for sale. This fan’s claim to fame is its rubber coating which attenuates vibrations. Further, it comes with four silicon vibration isolators. I have used most vibration isolators, and these are the best kind. Other accessories include a PWM-style 12-volt power tap (a so-called Molex adapter) and wires that shunt 12 volts and 5 volts together to get you a 7 volt Molex adapter. Both the GF120 and the UF120 were supplied by Deepcool. I thought I would never do it again, but soon I expect to see non-PWM voltage-controlled 120mm fans for review. It seems that OEM's still make them.Well, I got my Noctua NF-S12A fans tested, with their various resistor wires. Next come the Scythe Slip Stream 120DB's, the San Ace 9S fans, and a variety of oldies but goodies. I really didn't know I had so many! Conceived for industrial heavy duty applications that require enhanced cooling performance and advanced ingress protection, Noctua’s industrialPPC (Protected Performance Cooling) line comprises ruggedized high-speed versions of the company’s award-winning retail models.The NF-F12’s, the NF-F12 industrialPPC’s, and the NF-P12 were provided by Noctua. Noctua NF-P12 Rosewill The first picture shows you an NF-F12. This fan has relatively high static pressure compared to its nominal output. It should. It was invented to be a radiator fan. But then it entered a new life. It became an industrial fan, the NF-F12 industrialPPC. Noctua tells us: Noctua’s industrialPPC line also uses a 3-phase motor. Most motors you see have four poles inside. These have six. An older fan among the Noctua lineup is the NF-P12 PWM. It was designed to have higher static pressure than the S12 line. It provides a middle ground between the higher static pressure of the NF-F12 and the airflow-focused NF-S12A. All sorts of products from heatsinks to fans are made by Deepcool. Their GF120 fans have special airflow channels. We can only speculate what they might do for unrestricted airflow, but as you will see below these fans are surprisingly good at pushing air through a rad.
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