Looking to replace my radiator/case fan for one with PWM

[LRFLEW]

Ok, so here's my setup. I'm using an Cooler Master Elite 110 case, which has a 120mm fan in the front. I'm using the Corsair H55 AIO cooler for my CPU, putting the radiator at the front of the case (which is the one 120mm mounting spot on the case). Right now I'm using the fan that came with the radiator, but it's a 3-pin fan. Because this PC is being used as an HTPC, idle noise is a concern. Under load, the GPU fan is certainly the noisiest part of the build (which is expected), but because there's no speed control on the front fan, it becomes the loudest part of the build when idle. I'm thinking about replacing it now with one with a 4-pin connector so that it can ramp up and down with the system load. However, I'm not entirely sure what to look for. Right now, the Noctua NF-F12 iPPC-2000 PWM seems like a good choice (it has the PWM control, and has the power to actually push air through the cramped case) at $23 on amazon. Is there another fan I should consider? Is it even worth it to replace the fan?

[Tac127]

Wait for the next round of ltt fans lol

[Laputacake]

Noise blocker make some good fans and the enermax twisters are good. If you can afford the noctua you're not gonna get much better fans.

[Riv]

I did a test about this myself, and if your GPU temps are an issue I would maybe avoid doing it. I upgraded my front mounted H110 from stock fans to noctuas and I saw immediately a 5-10 degree increase in my GPU, as all the hot air has to go somewhere.... I would go with something at a low-medium RPM, it might make your CPU hotter but it will allow your GPU to get more leeway in overclocking.

[LRFLEW]

Noise blocker make some good fans and the enermax twisters are good. If you can afford the noctua you're not gonna get much better fans.

 

I couldn't find Noise Blockers with any decent amount of availability, so the prices weren't really better than Noctua's. However, the Enermax Twister UCTP12P seems fairly comparable to the Noctua for $8 less. Is there any reason not to go with it over the Noctua?

 

 

I did a test about this myself, and if your GPU temps are an issue I would maybe avoid doing it. I upgraded my front mounted H110 from stock fans to noctuas and I saw immediately a 5-10 degree increase in my GPU, as all the hot air has to go somewhere.... I would go with something at a low-medium RPM, it might make your CPU hotter but it will allow your GPU to get more leeway in overclocking.

 

The GPU temps aren't a huge issue (being an mITX form factor, the temps are pretty much going to be a limit no matter what), but general case airflow is. Being such a small case, it doesn't need a lot of airflow, but being the only case fan, it's important to get it to work well. I'm not sure how much of an impact swapping the fan will have, but I am keeping it in mind, and will certainly increase the base-line rpm in the BIOS if I'm seeing performance degrade too much.

[Riv]

-snip-

If you say so, always remember that with a front mounted radiator, the more effecient it is at pushing air away from the CPU, the more it will heat up your motherboard/GPU.