Sleeve bearings and horizontal orientation

[ManWithBeard1990]

I've decided my pc isn't quiet enough and I think buying a couple of Cooler Master Sickle Flows will solve that problem. Problem is though some are exhausts that should go horizontally, blowing down through the bottom of the case.

I read on the internet that using fans with sleeve bearings in that way will shorten the lifespan of the fan significantly. How much though, is my question? Will I need to replace them after a year, two years maybe? Or will they last five or more?

 

Also, if you can recommend affordable alternatives, that'd be great.

[KamiKatze]

I'd recommend to break them in vertically for a few days before you mount them on the bottom of the case. What fans are you replacing? What's your budget? you could go with other bearing types to avoid that issue.

[ManWithBeard1990]

I'd recommend to break them in vertically for a few days before you mount them on the bottom of the case. What fans are you replacing? What's your budget? you could go with other bearing types to avoid that issue.

Budget was reasonable, but the thing is I need 9 of them to make it work. Replacing cheap LYF fans I bought for a pound each because they're not very good. They have sleeve bearings too but the bottom ones aren't powered at all now. They will be once I get a proper GPU.

[KamiKatze]

Bitfenix Spectre Pros are okay priced. Still 9 of them are going to be a huge amount of money for fans. They have fluid dynamic bearings which should, once broken in, run for a long time even horizontally. I just wouldn't recommend the PWM verion of these because they produce PWM clicking.

 

For something a bit more budget oriented i can recommend arctic F series fans, they too have FDBs.

[ManWithBeard1990]

Bitfenix Spectre Pros are okay priced. Still 9 of them are going to be a huge amount of money for fans. They have fluid dynamic bearings which should, once broken in, run for a long time even horizontally. I just wouldn't recommend the PWM verion of these because they produce PWM clicking.

 

For something a bit more budget oriented i can recommend arctic F series fans, they too have FDBs.

Thanks mate, that's useful advice. I've built my own analog fan controller, so no PWM clicking here

[Majestic]

Just get fans with FDB/Hydro or Rifle/"Twister" bearings... They aren't that much more expensive.

If you want alternatives, you need to set some rules/boundaries and provide a budget.

 

@, And how exactly does one 'break-in' a bearing. They either work in their designed operation, or they don't. Conventional sleeve bearings will never function properly in horizontal position.

Deterioration goes pretty quickly. I've had bearings starting to squeak after 6 months. Especially those crappy PowerLogic fans MSI persists on using on their TwinFrozr blocks.

[KamiKatze]

Just get fans with FDB/Hydro or Rifle/"Twister" bearings... They aren't that much more expensive.

If you want alternatives, you need to set some rules/boundaries and provide a budget.

@, And how exactly does one 'break-in' a bearing. They either work in their designed operation, or they don't. Conventional sleeve bearings will never function properly in horizontal position.

Deterioration goes pretty quickly. I've had bearings starting to squeak after 6 months. Especially those crappy PowerLogic fans MSI persists on using on their TwinFrozr blocks.

By breaking in i mean letting them run vertically for a day so they get lubricated evenly. Not all fan manufacturers test their fans before shipping them.

[LogicalDrm]

Bit off topic but why would you want to exhaust from bottom? Hot air rises, bottom should be used as intake if any.

[ManWithBeard1990]

Bit off topic but why would you want to exhaust from bottom? Hot air rises, bottom should be used as intake if any.

Because there's 4 intake fans on the front and 4 exhaust fans, one of which is the top-mounted PSU and one the rear fan, both of which extract hot air from the fansink, and then the two on the bottom will take hot air away from the GPU when I get one. I know it's a bit of an unusual setup but that's why I like it. That wooden case in my profile pic is bigger than a 900D because I designed it myself and all the intakes and exhausts have specially designed mufflers on them and I thought I'd get away with using cheap fans. I did, mostly. But if I had bought some that weren't very loud in the first place it'd be so much better still. Also, that insignificant little bit of convection that counteracts the fan blowing down is worth it if it means you can have a top panel that looks like this:

 

[DigitalHermit]

Bit off topic but why would you want to exhaust from bottom? Hot air rises, bottom should be used as intake if any.

 

I'd do it to blow the dust away from the bottom of the case while pulling some hot air from the graphics card...

[Majestic]

By breaking in i mean letting them run vertically for a day so they get lubricated evenly. Not all fan manufacturers test their fans before shipping them.

 

That still doesn't prevent the fan from basicly only spinning on the retentionring instead of the bearing in horizontal position. They just simply do not function.

[ManWithBeard1990]

That still doesn't prevent the fan from basicly only spinning on the retentionring instead of the bearing in horizontal position. They just simply do not function.

But spinning on the retention ring happens when the fan is blowing up, right? I want it blowing down.

[Majestic]

It's really easy. Anything other than vertical and it doesn't work, and wear down very quickly.

[KamiKatze]

It's really easy. Anything other than vertical and it doesn't work, and wear down very quickly.

 

I think fan manufactureres have thought about this. Have you had a quality fan running vertically next to the same fan running horizontaly and the horizontal one failed quickly?

 

Also nobody uses ball bearing fans which would solve the problem, at least i haven't encountered any yet.

[ManWithBeard1990]

I think fan manufactureres have thought about this. Have you had a quality fan running vertically next to the same fan running horizontaly and the horizontal one failed quickly?

 

Also nobody uses ball bearing fans which would solve the problem, at least i haven't encountered any yet.

Power supply fans are usually ball bearing fans, aren't they? Anyway, having seen a picture of a disassembled one it appears as though Cooler Master's 'long life sleeve' bearing is actually a rifle bearing. That'd work, right?

[KamiKatze]

Power supply fans are usually ball bearing fans, aren't they? Anyway, having seen a picture of a disassembled one it appears as though Cooler Master's 'long life sleeve' bearing is actually a rifle bearing. That'd work, right?

 

I am running out of ideas, sorry. I demand a TechQuickie or something like that about horizontal fan mounting. Maybe our lord and saviour Linus himself can clear up all the myths.

[Dimwitted]

Your airflow is going to be crap and the case is going to be hot. Irrespective of what fans you buy the flow is more important.

[ManWithBeard1990]

Your airflow is going to be crap and the case is going to be hot. Irrespective of what fans you buy the flow is more important.

My CPU has never gone above 60 degrees using the cheapest 120 mm fans I could find. I think I'm doing pretty good when it comes to airflow management.

[Majestic]

I think fan manufactureres have thought about this. Have you had a quality fan running vertically next to the same fan running horizontaly and the horizontal one failed quickly?

 

Also nobody uses ball bearing fans which would solve the problem, at least i haven't encountered any yet.

 

They use ball bearings, or FDB/Rifle bearings. All are able to function in hor. and vert. mounting positions