Best Radiator Fans

[pommedeterror007]

So I was hoping to get some input as I am in the market for some new RAD fans for my system. As of now I have a H100i (original version) however I do plan on upgrading to a nicer kit (either a 280mm or 360mm loop either custom or AIO). My goal is to get some quiet fans that dont get loud at MAX RPM. I just need a pair of 120mm Fans right now but will get a second set for PUSH PULL. Thanks!

[Dodgeyou]

3 minutes ago, pommedeterror007 said:

So I was hoping to get some input as I am in the market for some new RAD fans for my system. As of now I have a H100i (original version) however I do plan on upgrading to a nicer kit (either a 280mm or 360mm loop either custom or AIO). My goal is to get some quiet fans that dont get loud at MAX RPM. I just need a pair of 120mm Fans right now but will get a second set for PUSH PULL. Thanks!

For a Rad you can't go wrong with Corsair SP fans, or even their new ML fans

[Klovnious]

Any thoughts on Noctua fans?

[pommedeterror007]

1 hour ago, Dodgeyou said:

For a Rad you can't go wrong with Corsair SP fans, or even their new ML fans

I Have one ML 120 Pro but I really dont like how noisy it gets as its max RPM is very high. As for the SP fans the same thing applies.

[pommedeterror007]

38 minutes ago, Klovnious said:

Any thoughts on Noctua fans?

I dont know which one is good, are the new (black) ones better than the old poop colored ones? I would prefer lower RPMs

[Leonard]

2 hours ago, pommedeterror007 said:

So I was hoping to get some input as I am in the market for some new RAD fans for my system. As of now I have a H100i (original version) however I do plan on upgrading to a nicer kit (either a 280mm or 360mm loop either custom or AIO). My goal is to get some quiet fans that dont get loud at MAX RPM. I just need a pair of 120mm Fans right now but will get a second set for PUSH PULL. Thanks!

If you want a radiator fan that is quiet at max RPM then you want the Akasa Apache or the same rebranded one from Rosewill. The 140mm version are less quiet at MAX RPM but push way more air then most 140mm fans.

[PrimeSonic]

2 hours ago, pommedeterror007 said:

I Have one ML 120 Pro but I really dont like how noisy it gets as its max RPM is very high. As for the SP fans the same thing applies.

Same here. The ML120s look cool but have a few downsides that sometimes make me regret my purchase.

1) The noise (from turbulence) they make at higher RPMs is louder than my SP120s (Quiet Edition) ever were.

2) The lights are driven on the same PWM signal that runs the fan speed, meaning that the light dims with the fan speed.
If you want the lights to be bright, you have to raise the fan speed, and then see point number 1 again.

 

 

[TheRedViper]

7 hours ago, pommedeterror007 said:

So I was hoping to get some input as I am in the market for some new RAD fans for my system. As of now I have a H100i (original version) however I do plan on upgrading to a nicer kit (either a 280mm or 360mm loop either custom or AIO). My goal is to get some quiet fans that dont get loud at MAX RPM. I just need a pair of 120mm Fans right now but will get a second set for PUSH PULL. Thanks!

For relatively quiet but still performing fans, you can look at Be Quiet! Silent wings 3:

http://www.bequiet.com/en/casefans/722

 

There's also Noiseblocker eLoop B12-PS:

http://www.blacknoise.com/site/en/products/noiseblocker-it-fans/nb-eloop-series/120x120x25mm.php#tab5

[VSG]

8 hours ago, PrimeSonic said:

Same here. The ML120s look cool but have a few downsides that sometimes make me regret my purchase.

1) The noise (from turbulence) they make at higher RPMs is louder than my SP120s (Quiet Edition) ever were.

2) The lights are driven on the same PWM signal that runs the fan speed, meaning that the light dims with the fan speed.
If you want the lights to be bright, you have to raise the fan speed, and then see point number 1 again.

 

 

1) That's because the SP120 QE maxed out at 1350 RPM, vs 2400 RPM for the ML120. Just slow the latter down.

2) Nope, the LEDs and the fan are both at 12 V and the LEDs should not dim at all. If they do you have a faulty fan.

[pommedeterror007]

23 minutes ago, VSG said:

1) That's because the SP120 QE maxed out at 1350 RPM, vs 2400 RPM for the ML120. Just slow the latter down.

2) Nope, the LEDs and the fan are both at 12 V and the LEDs should not dim at all. If they do you have a faulty fan.

No the LEDs do dim as I lower the speed. I bought 2 LED versions to make sure. 

[pommedeterror007]

5 hours ago, TheRedViper said:

For relatively quiet but still performing fans, you can look at Be Quiet! Silent wings 3:

http://www.bequiet.com/en/casefans/722

 

There's also Noiseblocker eLoop B12-PS:

http://www.blacknoise.com/site/en/products/noiseblocker-it-fans/nb-eloop-series/120x120x25mm.php#tab5

To me the Be Quiets dont seem to be a good option as their Static Pressure is a bit lower compared to the Vardar, Noctuas.

[TheRedViper]

3 minutes ago, pommedeterror007 said:

To me the Be Quiets dont seem to be a good option as their Static Pressure is a bit lower compared to the Vardar, Noctuas.

Vardar are some of the loudest fans on the market though

[VSG]

1 hour ago, pommedeterror007 said:

No the LEDs do dim as I lower the speed. I bought 2 LED versions to make sure. 

I have all of them here, did a review for the 120 and 140 mm sizes and never noticed any LED dimming. Let me double check and also confirm with Corsair, but this seems very weird. Just to confirm- your motherboard/controller is applying true PWM control, right?

[pommedeterror007]

11 minutes ago, VSG said:

I have all of them here, did a review for the 120 and 140 mm sizes and never noticed any LED dimming. Let me double check and also confirm with Corsair, but this seems very weird. Just to confirm- your motherboard/controller is applying true PWM control, right?

I tried using both my gigabyte z170x UD5 and Asus ROG Strix Z270I board aswell with a few older boards and all did the same thing for me (sorry for assuming that dim always happens)

[pommedeterror007]

1 hour ago, TheRedViper said:

Vardar are some of the loudest fans on the market though

Which ones have you tried? because the Noctuas I had previously were very loud (at max rpm) and there are the Vardar 120mm ones @1150 RPM (I just ordered a pair and ill be testing them and writing back here)

[TheRedViper]

8 minutes ago, pommedeterror007 said:

Which ones have you tried? because the Noctuas I had previously were very loud (at max rpm) and there are the Vardar 120mm ones @1150 RPM (I just ordered a pair and ill be testing them and writing back here)

I had the FF5 to be honest, but even at low RPM they were louder than most. Personally, ive been running aerocool DS both 120 and 140mm in my current build after trying lots of fan, but im using them for airflow and aesthetic. For my current radiator I have the noiseblocker e-loop B12-PS but im still not satisfied with overall DB levels.

 

The never ending quest for fans!

[pommedeterror007]

13 minutes ago, TheRedViper said:

I had the FF5 to be honest, but even at low RPM they were louder than most. Personally, ive been running aerocool DS both 120 and 140mm in my current build after trying lots of fan, but im using them for airflow and aesthetic. For my current radiator I have the noiseblocker e-loop B12-PS but im still not satisfied with overall DB levels.

 

The never ending quest for fans!

Very true haha, as for the vardar fans, you happened to get the highest RPM ones @ 3000 RPM Max so it says they will only go as low as ~1200 RPM. No wonder you didnt like the noise output haha.

[PrimeSonic]

2 hours ago, VSG said:

1) That's because the SP120 QE maxed out at 1350 RPM, vs 2400 RPM for the ML120. Just slow the latter down.

2) Nope, the LEDs and the fan are both at 12 V and the LEDs should not dim at all. If they do you have a faulty fan.

Yes, you can turn them down, but then they go dim.

Price to pay, I guess.

57 minutes ago, VSG said:

I have all of them here, did a review for the 120 and 140 mm sizes and never noticed any LED dimming. Let me double check and also confirm with Corsair, but this seems very weird. Just to confirm- your motherboard/controller is applying true PWM control, right?

I bought and used 6 different ML120s. They all have their LEDs synced with their RPM.

All of them controled via PWM on the motherboard. It's a high end board so they wouldn't be cheapening out on the fan control.

 

Anyways, if you want quiet fans, there's better options than the MagLevs. They're even thicker than most other fans which could cause clearance issues you wouldn't get with near any other fan.

[VSG]

Not sure what better options there are. For the money? Sure. But the ML twin pack are good there too.

 

Just confirmed with Corsair engineer- the LEDs are NOT supposed to dim with PWM fan control. Double check there is no voltage change going on, and if not time to file a ticket.

[pommedeterror007]

Just now, VSG said:

Not sure what better options there are. For the money? Sure. But the ML twin pack are good there too.

 

Just confirmed with Corsair engineer- the LEDs are NOT supposed to dim with PWM fan control. Double check there is no voltage change going on, and if not time to file a ticket.

Hmm odd. Not sure if im doing something wrong or its the MOBO. Thanks for checking in!

[Corsair Blake]

Hell there! Just wanted to chime in. The ML series fan LEDs do not dim when you lower the RPM, unless they're being controlled through voltage. If being powered and controlled through a PWM signal, the LEDs will stay at 100% brightness, all while at 450 RPM.

 

To answer the initial post, I prefer the ML series fans, even outside the company. I followed VSG's review and was able to achieve similar results. I especially enjoy the fact that they have a sub 800 RPM floor for optimum silence, all while keeping a CPU and GPU cool off of a single 240mm radiator. Yes, they are loud at 2400 RPM, but honestly, what fan isn't? These fans are definitely directed to the best of both worlds, having 600~ RPM while dissipating the same amount of heat from an 800 RPM fan. 

[pommedeterror007]

2 minutes ago, Corsair Blake said:

Hell there! Just wanted to chime in. The ML series fan LEDs do not dim when you lower the RPM, unless they're being controlled through voltage. If being powered and controlled through a PWM signal, the LEDs will stay at 100% brightness, all while at 450 RPM.

 

To answer the initial post, I prefer the ML series fans, even outside the company. I followed VSG's review and was able to achieve similar results. I especially enjoy the fact that they have a sub 800 RPM floor for optimum silence, all while keeping a CPU and GPU cool off of a single 240mm radiator. Yes, they are loud at 2400 RPM, but honestly, what fan isn't? These fans are definitely directed to the best of both worlds, having 600~ RPM while dissipating the same amount of heat from an 800 RPM fan. 

I agree with what your saying, I wasnt stating that some fans arent loud at 2400RPM, i meant that I prefer to have some fans that have a lower MAX RPM such as the Vardar ones I just ordered to test out as they cap at 1150 RPM or so. I will come back once theyve been tested.