Case fan help!

[Chaos_Sorcerer]

After lowering my CPU fan speeds in the BIOS, my CPU seems to be very quiet, even under load (BTW, thanks again, @WoodenMarker). But my graphics card is pretty loud, I've noticed. I've tried lowering fan speeds in Afterburner, and that settles the noise issue, but it makes my temps go up a whole lot. So I've been considering adding some case fans lately. And I'm really not sure what I should do.

 

Are there specific case fan models that are better for intake, and some that are better for exhaust? Should I really replace my exhaust fan (there's only one slot, and my Fractal fan seems to be doing OK)? What are some good, affordable case fans (please no no-names)? I've been looking at the SP lineup from Corsair, the Silent Wings lineup from Be Quiet!, and the Venturi stuff from Fractal. 

 

Any suggestions? Do I even need more case fans? You might think that more case fans will increase the noise, but I'm planning on having lots of fans running at low speeds. 

 

[deleted_member_030719]

Corsair SP120s are great.

[TheProfessionalAmateurs]

If you want quiet fans, I would recommend a noctua fan, or something like corsair's newly released magnet-levitation bearing fan series.

[Chaos_Sorcerer]

5 minutes ago, TheProfessionalAmateurs said:

If you want quiet fans, I would recommend a noctua fan, or something like corsair's newly released magnet-levitation bearing fan series.

Are the Noctua fans worth it at that price? I want two more case fans, and I don't wanna have to drop $60 CAD for them. I also can't stand the look...are they really that great?

[Enderman]

 

[Geoffrey]

Dont get too many fans in the case like i did. Now i have to keep one of my outtake fans at a low rpm to keep a positive pressure but the led is good

[DrM]

is your case the r5 with or without the window? a side mounted fan would be optimal to increase airflow to the gpu,

[Chaos_Sorcerer]

16 minutes ago, DrM said:

is your case the r5 with or without the window? a side mounted fan would be optimal to increase airflow to the gpu,

It's a solid side panel. Are there certain requirements for the side-mounted fan? 

[SpaceGhostC2C]

41 minutes ago, Chaos_Sorcerer said:

But my graphics card is pretty loud, I've noticed. I've tried lowering fan speeds in Afterburner, and that settles the noise issue, but it makes my temps go up a whole lot. So I've been considering adding some case fans lately. And I'm really not sure what I should do.

 

Honestly, all you can do is move a degree up or down here and there. The only true escape from the noise-temperature trade-off you currently face is by replacing the GPU cooler. Think of it by analogy to CPU cooling: while a fan here or there can make some difference, the only way around stock cooler noise and stock cooler temps is replacing the cooler altogether.

 

44 minutes ago, Chaos_Sorcerer said:

Any suggestions? Do I even need more case fans? You might think that more case fans will increase the noise, but I'm planning on having lots of fans running at low speeds. 

That would mean they serve mainly for decoration  

[DrM]

2 minutes ago, Chaos_Sorcerer said:

It's a solid side panel. Are there certain requirements for the side-mounted fan? 

no, as long as your gpu isnt too wide that it blocks the fan. just adding a single fan on the side should drop gpu temps significantly.

[Chaos_Sorcerer]

1 hour ago, SpaceGhostC2C said:

Honestly, all you can do is move a degree up or down here and there. The only true escape from the noise-temperature trade-off you currently face is by replacing the GPU cooler. Think of it by analogy to CPU cooling: while a fan here or there can make some difference, the only way around stock cooler noise and stock cooler temps is replacing the cooler altogether.

 

That would mean they serve mainly for decoration  

I can't replace the cooler, really. It's a Windforce card, so it's got a custom PCB. I guess you're right. But I can definitely add some more case fans for the GPU cooler that I can't add. 

[WoodenMarker]

What fans curve are you using for the graphics card and what are your load temps?

[Chaos_Sorcerer]

13 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

What fans curve are you using for the graphics card and what are your load temps?

Fans curve? Sorry, I'm not familiar with that term.

 

My load temps are like 80 degrees, when I have the fan speeds on auto. When I have the speeds turned down, I reach pretty dangerous temperatures, so I can only lower the speeds so much. 

 

Remember, it's an AMD card 

[WoodenMarker]

1 hour ago, Chaos_Sorcerer said:

Fans curve? Sorry, I'm not familiar with that term.

My load temps are like 80 degrees, when I have the fan speeds on auto. When I have the speeds turned down, I reach pretty dangerous temperatures, so I can only lower the speeds so much. 

Remember, it's an AMD card 

In the Msi Afterburner settings > Fan, you can set a custom fan curve that has the speed respond to the temps instead of just a static fan speed. 

Have you tried undervolting or lowering the power limit? Doing so can lower temps. 

[Chaos_Sorcerer]

1 hour ago, WoodenMarker said:

In the Msi Afterburner settings > Fan, you can set a custom fan curve that has the speed respond to the temps instead of just a static fan speed. 

Have you tried undervolting or lowering the power limit? Doing so can lower temps. 

Thank you so much! I'll try that right now.

 

By the way, if you're wondering why your post was marked "funny", it's because I hit that button by accident.