Fan Curve Settings (What fan speeds at what temps?)

[sauce-c]

Hey all,

 

Still fairly new to the world of PC's, I have had my build up for a few months and am wondering if I can bring the noise level down from my fans without negatively affecting temps (I cant afford to buy new, quieter fans right now). I'm assuming this would be done by adjusting the fan curve for the CPU fan speed % for different temps. Any suggestions on ideal settings for this would be wonderful, the program I would most likely be using is the AsRock A-Tuning Utility which allows for me to adjust the curve for CPU and Chassis fans. Below is my build along with fan placement:

 

CPU: i5 7500 w/ stock intel cooler, plan on upgrading to a 212 EVO in the near future

MOBO: AsRock H270 Pro4

GPU: XFX Radeon RS RX480 8gb

RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2x4

PSU: EVGA 600B

Storage: Crucial MX300 275GB | WD Blue 1TB

Fans: 120mm Intake fan at front, 120mm exhaust fan top middle, 120mm exhaust fan back of case.

 

Please note: My temperatures right now are perfectly fine, I just want to see if I can lower the fan noise a bit. Any help is greatly appreciated! 

Thanks for any input

[WoodenMarker]

Why replace the stock cooler? 

What are your load temps?

Have you identified which fans are too loud?

[JoostinOnline]

The stock cooler is fine.  Even if you were overclocking (which you can't because of both the CPU and motherboard), the Hyper 212 Evo isn't that good.  It's also really ugly.  Consider spending that money on some especially quiet fans instead.

[sauce-c]

17 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

Why replace the stock cooler? 

What are your load temps?

Have you identified which fans are too loud?

 

16 minutes ago, JoostinOnline said:

The stock cooler is fine.  Even if you were overclocking (which you can't because of both the CPU and motherboard), the Hyper 212 Evo isn't that good.  It's also really ugly.  Consider spending that money on some especially quiet fans instead.

I was going to get a new cooler 1. For aesthetics 2. This stock one has a little bit of coil whine. What program should I use to test load temps? So far I have really only monitored temps with idle/light use and during gaming. I don't really want to purchase AIDA64. Just buying quieter fans down the road may be the best option, the body fans seem to be what are really the loudest.

 

Also I will knowledge that the 212 EVO may not be the best choice, I will surely shop around more first.

 

The AsRock A-Tuning Utility has all fans running at 65% until 50C+ 

[WoodenMarker]

1 minute ago, sauce-c said:

I was going to get a new cooler 1. For aesthetics 2. This stock one has a little bit of coil whine. What program should I use to test load temps? So far I have really only monitored temps with idle/light use and during gaming. I don't really want to purchase AIDA64. Just buying quieter fans down the road may be the best option, the body fans seem to be what are really the loudest.

The AsRock A-Tuning Utility has all fans running at 65% until 50C+ 

I personally use OCCT.

The PR Slim is a better option for noise reduction: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/hyQRsY/be-quiet-pure-rock-slim-351-cfm-cpu-cooler-bk008

By 'body fans', you mean the case fans, right? If so, what case and fans are they?

[JoostinOnline]

Just now, sauce-c said:

 

I was going to get a new cooler 1. For aesthetics 2. This stock one has a little bit of coil whine. What program should I use to test load temps? So far I have really only monitored temps with idle/light use and during gaming. I don't really want to purchase AIDA64. Just buying quieter fans down the road may be the best option, the body fans seem to be what are really the loudest.

 

The AsRock A-Tuning Utility has all fans running at 65% until 50C+ 

I can tell you from personal experience that the Hyper 212 Evo is hideous, and it's louder than the stock cooler.  It's a giant-ass cooler with a giant-ass fan though.  I immediately replaced it.  If you're set against replacing the stock fans with magnetic bearing ones (zero friction) and want something that looks good, then you might consider the Cryorig C7.

[sauce-c]

1 minute ago, WoodenMarker said:

I personally use OCCT.

The PR Slim is a better option for noise reduction: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/hyQRsY/be-quiet-pure-rock-slim-351-cfm-cpu-cooler-bk008

By 'body fans', you mean the case fans, right? If so, what case and fans are they?

Case fans, sorry, also studying for an exam right now, brain is fried lol. 

Case is a Corsair 270 R, all the fans are cheap Corsair AF120's and the stock intel CPU cooler. I'm sure I could just be ignorant and failed to recognize the fact that these fans just wont be quiet. 

[sauce-c]

2 minutes ago, JoostinOnline said:

I can tell you from personal experience that the Hyper 212 Evo is hideous, and it's louder than the stock cooler.  It's a giant-ass cooler with a giant-ass fan though.  I immediately replaced it.  If you're set against replacing the stock fans with magnetic bearing ones (zero friction) and want something that looks good, then you might consider the Cryorig C7.

I am definitely not opposed to changing all the case fans, I just didn't have the money at the time of the build and wanted to make sure I had enough cooling. So the magnetic bearing ones are significantly quieter eh?

 

Also, point taken, that is much better eye candy. lol

[WoodenMarker]

13 minutes ago, sauce-c said:

Case fans, sorry, also studying for an exam right now, brain is fried lol. 

Case is a Corsair 270 R, all the fans are cheap Corsair AF120's and the stock intel CPU cooler. I'm sure I could just be ignorant and failed to recognize the fact that these fans just wont be quiet. 

How slow have you tried running the stock fans? They should be more bearable around ~40% rpm.

11 minutes ago, sauce-c said:

So the magnetic bearing ones are significantly quieter eh?

If you're referring to ML120*'s, they're not very quiet fans.

14 minutes ago, JoostinOnline said:

I can tell you from personal experience that the Hyper 212 Evo is hideous, and it's louder than the stock cooler.  It's a giant-ass cooler with a giant-ass fan though.  I immediately replaced it.  If you're set against replacing the stock fans with magnetic bearing ones (zero friction) and want something that looks good, then you might consider the Cryorig C7.

Looks are subjective. I don't think the 212 Evo looks that bad especially when the top fin is painted.

It's not louder than the stock cooler. If it is, you're running the fan at too high rpm.

[JoostinOnline]

7 minutes ago, sauce-c said:

I am definitely not opposed to changing all the case fans, I just didn't have the money at the time of the build and wanted to make sure I had enough cooling. So the magnetic bearing ones are significantly quieter eh?

 

Also, point taken, that is much better eye candy. lol

Instead of using a sleeve it just floats there.  You still get noise from the air itself, but nothing from the fan.  If the cooler fan definitely sounds louder than the case fans, then I can understand wanting a new one.  I kind of default to telling people to keep the stock cooler because it usually means they think 40C is just way too hot for a CPU.

 

3 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

Looks are subjective. I don't think the 212 Evo looks that bad especially when the top fin is painted.

It's not louder than the stock cooler. If it is, you're running the fan at too high rpm.

The top fin doesn't come painted though.  If you go out and buy some high-temp paint, I'm sure it looks better, but that's more money and more work.  I agree it's the top that looks the worst by far.

3 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

If you're referring to HD120's, they're not very quiet fans.

We're talking about these.

[WoodenMarker]

Just now, JoostinOnline said:

Instead of using a sleeve it just floats there.  You still get noise from the air itself, but nothing from the fan. 

Both the motor and bearing still make noise. Maglev fans are usually higher rpm as well and not usually that quiet if acoustics are the primary goal.

[sauce-c]

2 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

How slow have you tried running the stock fans? They should be more bearable around ~40% rpm.

If you're referring to HD120's, they're not very quiet fans.

Looks are subjective. I don't think the 212 Evo looks that bad especially when the top fin is painted.

It's not louder than the stock cooler. If it is, you're running the fan at too high rpm.

I have not tried running them at a lower % yet because I did not know what the ideal fan % at certain temps would be. Should I try moving them all to 40% until they hit 50c?

I wasn't referencing a particular fan, just the technology JoostinOnline mentioned. 

4 minutes ago, JoostinOnline said:

Instead of using a sleeve it just floats there.  You still get noise from the air itself, but nothing from the fan.  If the cooler fan definitely sounds louder than the case fans, then I can understand wanting a new one.  I kind of default to telling people to keep the stock cooler because it usually means they think 40C is just way too hot for a CPU.

I know my temps are fine right now lol, really just seeing if I can run my fans at slower speeds without adverse affects to bring noise down. 

[JoostinOnline]

1 minute ago, WoodenMarker said:

Both the motor and bearing still make noise. Maglev fans are usually higher rpm as well and not usually that quiet if acoustics are the primary goal.

You control the RPM, and the entire point of magnetic bearings is to limit noise.  You can run them at the same speed for less noise.

[WoodenMarker]

5 minutes ago, JoostinOnline said:

The top fin doesn't come painted though.  If you go out and buy some high-temp paint, I'm sure it looks better, but that's more money and more work.  I agree it's the top that looks the worst by far.
We're talking about these.

You don't need high-temp paint. The heatsink shouldn't be getting that hot in the first place.

Yeah, I made a typo when I was originally referring to ML120's--they aren't that quiet.

1 minute ago, sauce-c said:

I have not tried running them at a lower % yet because I did not know what the ideal fan % at certain temps would be. Should I try moving them all to 40% until they hit 50c?

50c is fine if you're referring to cpu temps. I would personally just pin them at a low static speed.

[JoostinOnline]

1 minute ago, WoodenMarker said:

You don't need high-temp paint. The heatsink shouldn't be getting that hot in the first place.

Have you ever painted a heat sink with regular spraypaint?

[sauce-c]

 

2 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

You don't need high-temp paint. The heatsink shouldn't be getting that hot in the first place.

Yeah, I made a typo when I was originally referring to ML120's--they aren't that quiet.

50c is fine if you're referring to cpu temps. I would personally just pin them at a low static speed.

Pin temps at a low static speed? As in just one constant low speed at all temps? 

[WoodenMarker]

1 minute ago, JoostinOnline said:

Have you ever painted a heat sink with regular spraypaint?

Yeah, it works fine. I usually use Rustoleum although my friends have used Plastidip and that seems to work fine as well.

1 minute ago, sauce-c said:

Pin temps at a low static speed? As in just one constant low speed at all temps? 

Yep. I often use a quick 5v mod with molex adapters when I want a low hassle and quiet fan setup for someone's build.

[sauce-c]

1 minute ago, WoodenMarker said:

Yeah, it works fine. I usually use Rustoleum although my friends have used Plastidip and that seems to work fine as well.

Yep. I often use a quick 5v mod with molex adapters when I want a hassle-free and quiet fan setup for someone's build.

I will certainly try this out and play around with different speeds then see if I have any negative affects on system temperatures.

 

Thanks to both of you for the replies and help! There's certainly a learning curve with details like this. 

[JoostinOnline]

1 minute ago, WoodenMarker said:

Yeah, it works fine. I usually use Rustoleum although my friends have used Plastidip and that seems to work fine as well.

That's actually what I meant by high temp paint.  Sorry if I wasn't clear.  Both those brands are designed to not bubble or run at higher temperatures.  I was speaking as opposed to something you'd pick up at Dollar General.

[WoodenMarker]

Just now, JoostinOnline said:

That's actually what I meant by high temp paint.  Sorry if I wasn't clear.  Both those brands are designed to not bubble or run at higher temperatures.  I was speaking as opposed to something you'd pick up at Dollar General.

High heat paints are usually fine up to 1200f (650c) but that's not what I use. It's not expensive though. https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-7778830-Enamel-Bar-B-Que-12-Ounce/dp/B0010O0C94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492655407&sr=8-1&keywords=spray+paint+rustoleum+high+temp

I'm not sure what spray paint you're referring to but most cans I see are fine up to 200f (93c). Even if we're referring to the cheapest of paints, it should be fine considering most cpu heatsinks are cool enough to safely touch so <50c or so.

[JoostinOnline]

Just now, WoodenMarker said:

High heat paints are usually fine up to 1200f (650c) but that's not what I use. It's not expensive though. https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-7778830-Enamel-Bar-B-Que-12-Ounce/dp/B0010O0C94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492655407&sr=8-1&keywords=spray+paint+rustoleum+high+temp

I'm not sure what spray paint you're referring to but most cans I see are fine up to 200f (93c). Even if we're referring to the cheapest of paints, it should be fine considering most cpu heatsinks are cool enough to safely touch so <50c or so.

The spray paint I used in high school projects was pretty cheap stuff.  The sun would make it start to run.  I got it at a hobby store.

 

Anyway, my mistake on using the incorrect term.