Computer Case Fans

[Judge]

A 140mm fan (Arctic P14 PWM) operating between 200 to 1700 RPM with a maximum airflow of 72.8 cubic feet per minute. But here's what I'm really wondering about. Noise quantitatively expressed not in decibels, but rather ".03 sones". Where those .03 sones translate into only 11 decibels. (To me anything below 21 decibels is desirable.)

When I look at most other 140mm fans (like the revered Noctua brand), they're operating at a lower RPM rate (avg. 1500) and producing far more noise (avg. 25 db or higher). Going to the manufacturer's website seemed pointless, as they didn't even appear to mention the noise level.

Should we believe their statistical data as posted on Amazon? Or should we just dismiss such discrepancies as questionable hype on the part of the retailer?

Allegedly that's a whole lot of air being pushed by a single fan at an absolute minimum of noise. (Noise is a huge deal to me and always has been. Always a challenge in attempting to maintain better overall performance.)

Amazon.com

 

[Angular Chap]

Interesting question, shame it would be difficult to verify the claims without a decibel meter.

I have an Arctic P12 here (the 120mm version of the P14). The box states 0.3 Sone on this as well, with smaller size, lower airflow and higher max RPM than the P14 PWM.

I use silicone anti-vibration mounts instead of screws to dampen fan vibration noise. Noctua have anti-vibration pads for their fans and you can get generic pads.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Noctua-NA-SAV4-Anti-Vibration-Silicon-Mount-Accessory/dp/B071W6KYCG

https://www.amazon.co.uk/noctua-Cromax-NA-SAVP1-Anti-Vibration-Pads/dp/B07SWRXT3D/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/PHENOFICE-Computer-Reducing-Absorption-Accessory/dp/B0DDF1D19V

 

[Judge]

Interesting question, shame it would be difficult to verify the claims without a decibel meter.

I have an Arctic P12 here (the 120mm version of the P14). The box states 0.3 Sone on this as well, with smaller size, lower airflow and higher max RPM than the P14 PWM.

View attachment 138936

I use silicone anti-vibration mounts instead of screws to dampen fan vibration noise. Noctua have anti-vibration pads for their fans and you can get generic pads.

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.co.uk

That damned .03 sone rating remains elusive to me, other than seeing multiple websites using essentially the same tables to convert them to the equivalent of 11 decibels.

But is it correct or misleading? Reminds me of the different metrics some monitors cite to make them appear superior to their competition. Which seems more often misleading than informative using certain non-standard metrics.

11 decibels at maximum of 1700 RPMs just doesn't sound right. Wondering of those 11 decibels (.03 sones) are actually indicative of the low end of RPMs of a PWM fan.

One the case I'm concerned with, my present frontal fan that comes with the case (180mm) is not a PWM fan, offering only 700 or 1500 RPMs at an uncomfortably noisy 34db. So I run it at 700 RPM where it's lower than 19db that I can hardly even hear. But the downside even then is the fan itself. Very difficult to clean because of it's design.

I'd much prefer another 180mm fan, but they aren't easy to find and most seem as noisy in comparison. So I'm looking to replace it with a smaller 140mm, but hoping for similar RPMs but at a much reduced noise rate yet with a decent airflow output.

I just wish everyone would stick to standardized metrics...including Noctua.

This is similar to the case fan I want to replace:

https://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-SST-AP181-Penetrator-Computer-Cooling/dp/B003S96Y7I?th=1

 

[AuAL]

The Arctic website quotes the P14 PWM PST as 0.3 sones. As a point of comparison, the P14 Silent (950 rpm, single speed) is quoted at 0.08 sones. I cannot find a 140 mm fan on the website with a spec sheet that quotes 0.03 sones. YMMV.

 

[Judge]

The Arctic website quotes the P14 PWM PST as 0.3 sones. As a point of comparison, the P14 Silent (950 rpm, single speed) is quoted at 0.08 sones. I cannot find a 140 mm fan on the website with a spec sheet that quotes 0.03 sones. YMMV.

Make that 0.3 sones. My bad. But that still translates to only 11 decibels. Should we trust such specifications? 11 db just doesn't sound right on the low end for a 140mm fan. The lower noise rating on the best Noctua 140mm fan was a little above 24db. (I do have a lower-end Noctua 140mm fan, but frankly didn't like it either.)

The noise rating on my 180mm Silverstone fan is in the 30s...too loud at it's maximum RPM rate. I also have a 140mm "Be Quiet!" PWM fan, allegedly with lower noise ratings, but it seemed noisier than it was rated.

"0.3 sones = 11 decibels -Sound of a pin dropping": Sones Ratings and Charts

I'm just beginning to feel this is another spec that hardware manufacturers may not be entirely honest about. My OCD runs high when it comes to attaining a quiet, yet cool-running computer when both factors can be mutually exclusive.

 

[AuAL]

The P14 Silent at 0.08 sones sounds impressive (sorry about the pun) but you’d need to check the CFM rating fits your needs. Arctic do make a big thing out of their motor technology, claiming the motor has only a fraction of the noise of others.

 

[Judge]

The P14 Silent at 0.08 sones sounds impressive (sorry about the pun) but you’d need to check the CFM rating fits your needs. Arctic do make a big thing out of their motor technology, claiming the motor has only a fraction of the noise of others.

That sounds more realistic, though it still sounds comparable to what Noctua's best 140mm PWM fan can provide. At least that's what the specs bear. But then go figure- Noctua doesn't post CFM specs. They use a different airflow metric that frankly confuses me.

For me personally, the "sweet spot" for any fan is around 21db. Though in this instance, the case on my other system can also only accomodate a 140mm or preferably a 180mm fan.

The thing is with Arctic, their specs - and cost look intriguing, and more importantly they remain the one major brand I've never tried before. I've had pretty good luck with Thermalright products, but I'd be working with 26db with their 140mm fan, but 74.3 cfm airflow.

Decisions, decisions....stuff most people wouldn't give a crap about. Makes me one picky geek!

Noise bothers me and always has. But for my older case, positive airflow matters every bit as well when it comes to one large frontal fan. A tiny, but cleverly designed computer case I love:

https://www.silverstonetek.com/upload/sstedm/tj08-e/EN-TJ08-E-EDM.pdf

Otherwise the only thing I can do is consider a completely different case, which is already a concern with my primary computer.

 

[Judge]

At least I was finally able to match Amazon's description of a particular Arctic 140mm fan with the manufacturer's display of the same fan on their site. Seems you have to be very careful in matching what Amazon shows versus what Arctic actually has.

Amazon source: Amazon.com

Arctic source: ARCTIC | Cooling, Mounts, Equipment | The Cooler Way | Cooler than ever

The specifications still look superior compared to all the other 140mm fans. But are they real? For $9.59 (Amazon) it's an easy risk to take. Though frankly 0.3 sones seems much more indicative of the fan operating at the outset of 200 RPMs and not 1700 RPM max.

Specifications as posted by Arctic:

RPM range: 200 to 1700 RPMs (4-pin PWM Fan)
Noise rating: 0.3 Sones (11 decibels- very low noise presumably at the max 1700 RPMs)
Airflow: 72.80 Cfm (Very high air output)

Seems the only other alternative is to use Be Quiet's 140mm Pure Wings 3 fan, which I already have. LOL...I don't even recall why I uninstalled it. Might have been the airflow rating at 57.4 Cfm which is good, but may not be as high as the default 180mm Silverstone fan that I think outputs more air even at only 700 RPMs. Which might be why I reinstalled the original fan. But what remains problematic is how difficult it is to clean that damn fan, let alone disassemble the case with so many metal screws just to service the front fan.

Though the Be Quiet fan allows for a max. noise rating around 22db, which is even more silent than the Noctua 140mm fan I also tried but thought was too noisy at 26db.

With my older computer, the motherboard has only a single case fan header. Forcing me to split the line to both the front fan in question, and my rear 120mm PWM Noctua fan. But when I actually have to split those two fans, can both receive PWM performance, or do they default to maximum RPMs at the outset?

I discovered going through the motherboard manual that it appears that I do have an option that would make use of a PWM fan. Though whether it can be split with a DC fan and still function as a PWM fan is still a question. Sad to think how many fancy cases are sold that still provide DC fans as a cheap, cost-cutting measure. (DC fans running at maximum RPM and noisy the second you boot up your computer.)

Ironic to think of the possibility that by going from the default 180mm fan to a quieter but efficient 140mm fan, I may be sabotaging Silverstone's assertion that this is a positive-pressure airflow case. But as I mentioned, cleaning that 180mm fan is a real PITA. And living in the desert leaves me with options about having to periodically clean all my computers. But then is positive airflow really the big deal some folks tout it as? I've never really pushed my systems to any thermal limits as I'm not a gamer. If I don't really push this system, none of this probably matters. Meanwhile my CPU temp presently bounces around a paltry 29 to 34 degrees celcius. Whoopie-doo.

For all my ramblings here, you just may simply be seeing the mindset of someone with OCD. My apologies....

https://www.silverstonetek.com/upload/sstedm/tj08-e/EN-TJ08-E-EDM.pdf