Extra case fans: Corsair ML140 vs Noctua NF-A14 5V PWM

[DJRWolf]

Country: United States

Case: https://www.ebay.com/itm/234566706800

 

Looking to add a couple of 140mm case fans to do top exhaust on my new build and I wondering if I should go for the Corsair ML 140 or the Noctua NF-A14 5V PWM fans. I will need two what will deliver reliable and quiet operation. Since it will be living below my desk looks does not matter.

 

I will be upgrading the three 120mm front fans down the road when I do a couple of other upgrades.

[Sjaakie]

Can't go wrong with Noctua. Why the 5v though? Standard for pc is 12v.

[Motifator]

13 minutes ago, Sjaakie said:

Can't go wrong with Noctua. Why the 5v though? Standard for pc is 12v.

Your wallet can.

Go with Phanteks or Arctic.

[OddOod]

32 minutes ago, Motifator said:

Your wallet can.

Corsair is 20$, Noctua is 23$. For the sound reduction and life extension, Noctua is worth 3$ IMO. And oh look, the good bearing fans from Phanteks are also 20$

[Motifator]

19 minutes ago, OddOod said:

Corsair is 20$, Noctua is 23$. For the sound reduction and life extension, Noctua is worth 3$ IMO. And oh look, the good bearing fans from Phanteks are also 20$

Because Corsair fans are overpriced and shitty.

There was a test where phanteks 25mm older models outperformed anything else, Noctua also looks like shit physically.

[Queen Chrysalis]

You're overthinking it.  Just go with the group and get Arctic  P14s.  5 packs are $35.  You won't be able to hear them and they move a ton of air.  It's not worth getting into cfms and dbs, your a human not a measuring instrument, I promise you'd never be able to tell the difference. The noise of air moving past components in your case is louder than the fans.

[DJRWolf]

4 hours ago, Sjaakie said:

Can't go wrong with Noctua. Why the 5v though? Standard for pc is 12v.

Checking I found the Noctua NF-A14 PWM that is 12v and is the same price so I consider those what I will go for instead of the 5v ones.

2 hours ago, Motifator said:

...Noctua also looks like shit physically.

As I said in my original posting it will be living under my desk where no one will see it.

 

1 hour ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

You're overthinking it.  Just go with the group and get Arctic  P14s.  5 packs are $35.  You won't be able to hear them and they move a ton of air.  It's not worth getting into cfms and dbs, your a human not a measuring instrument, I promise you'd never be able to tell the difference. The noise of air moving past components in your case is louder than the fans.

A 5 pack of 140mm fans will leave me with 2 extra 140mm fans if I also replace the current rear 140mm fan as well as adding the two to the top that current do not have fans. But how much better are they over a stock Rosewill 140mm?

[Queen Chrysalis]

7 minutes ago, DJRWolf said:

Checking I found the Noctua NF-A14 PWM that is 12v and is the same price so I consider those what I will go for instead of the 5v ones.

As I said in my original posting it will be living under my desk where no one will see it.

 

A 5 pack of 140mm fans will leave me with 2 extra 140mm fans if I also replace the current rear 140mm fan as well as adding the two to the top that current do not have fans. But how much better are they over a stock Rosewill 140mm?

A little, bu tthe rosewill ones are fine too.  Really, fans are not a thing that are ever really better.  They either work quietly, work loud, or don't.   My friends stock rosewill fans are fine, I don't hear them on his case.

[DJRWolf]

4 hours ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

Really, fans are not a thing that are ever really better.  They either work quietly, work loud, or don't.

Maybe a good topic for the LTT labs to look into?

[Queen Chrysalis]

10 hours ago, DJRWolf said:

Maybe a good topic for the LTT labs to look into?

Not really.  Like I said, you can get numbers on noise level and air pressure/speed, but its really not worth it it when the end product has no meaningful effect on performance.  Any case fan will get the job done about as good as any other, and none of them are loud anymore.

[Dogzilla07]

38 minutes ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

Any case fan will get the job done about as good as any other, and none of them are loud anymore.

GamersNexus and Aris (HardwareBusters) disagree with that, with their new many thousands of euros Lonwgin testing machines xD. If Linus wants LAB32 to compete he's gonna have to get a Longwin as well.

 

@DJRWolfAt the best fan testing available so far here's how both of the fans did:

 

https://web.archive.org/web/20170620105821/http://thermalbench.com/2016/07/29/corsair-ml140-pro-140-mm-fan/3/

https://web.archive.org/web/20180124072600/http://thermalbench.com/2015/08/17/noctua-nf-a14-flx-140mm-fan/3

 

36 dBA at 250FPM for the Noctua (at around a bit more than 1000 RPM (pic below)

And about just under 35 dBA for the ML140 at the same 250 FPM (picture below)

 

They're very similar, so it comes down to your ears, which motor, you like more (especially at lower speeds). But do note that neither are that good noise wise at higher speeds (there's better options). Having said that, ~1000 RPM is like a sweet-spot, upper sweet spot for 140mm fans). So yeah, both are good options.

 

but the Corsair doesn't have the cleanest sound color/sound profile (they seem to have fixed it with the the Elite versions), so if u can find a Corsair ML140 LED Elite for similar price, I'd get the new ML Elite. Otherwise the Noctua.

 

[Queen Chrysalis]

3 minutes ago, Dogzilla07 said:

GamersNexus and Aris (HardwareBusters) disagree with that, with their new many thousands of euros Lonwgin testing machines xD

Yeah and what was the end result of that testing?  What is the advantage of spending triple the cost of a basic fan?  Would either of them actually recommend spending $25 on a case fan to replace a stock one?  It's such a simple product.  Blade shape and bearing design are not industry secrets, everyone uses either sleeve or FD bearings, even the cheapest fans you can get.

[Dogzilla07]

28 minutes ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

It's such a simple product

Agree to disagree

28 minutes ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

Blade shape and bearing design are not industry secrets, everyone uses either sleeve or FD bearings, even the cheapest fans you can get.

There is much more difference between cheapest fans and other. And it's not that simple on the bearing part (Corsair uses maglev on ML140 which is not sleeve, and Noctua A14 uses a Matsushita-based rifled bearing with some extra stuff). They're both incredible quiet. 

 

There's only 3 types of motors/bearings:

 

1. Sleeve (FD, FDB, Fluid, HDB, Hydro, Loop Dynamic, Magnetic-assisted, are all based on sleeve and with big practical/tangible differences between them)

2. Maglev

3. Ball-bearing (DBB, Double-ball bearing)

 

there's nice additions to the first one which can make it match the 2nd and 3rd in their strengths. So basic sleeve in cheap fans is horrible, but better sleeve is quite good. FD/Hydro are not actual true bearings/motors, just marketing speak for rifled bearings (Either Matsushita [which is rifled outside and inside to combat gravity in horizontal orientation, in which basic sleeve suffers], or just rifled on one side, which is a worse cheap imitation). Matsushita patent makes Sleeve godly and beat Ball bearing on everything but raw high temp longevity (~10 years timelines). the patent expired, so everyone is free to use it, but some still use the inferior single side rifled, they used while the Patent existed, to circumvent it, and cause it's cheaper

 

Unfortunately at least one fan seller has used the Hydro/Fluid inter-changeable for either of the 2 types of rifled bearings.

 

It is all, though mostly relevant at lower speeds, and double so for people with sensitive hearing, PCs on the table close to ears. There's also additional unpleasant noises that can show on medium-higher speeds other than motor/bearing problems, and they don't show on dBA measurements, only noise spectrum frequency analysis that hwcooling and expreview do and that GamersNexus will do.

 

@Queen Chrysalis I'm glad you personally haven't had the pleasure of various causes of annoying fan noise, but I've unfortunately had the pleasure , and hundreds upon hundreds of people over the past 10 years as well (that I've talked to, and about fans on various forums and IRL).

[Dogzilla07]

@DJRWolf The new ML140 Elite (Single blue color) are <$20 on Amazon currently:

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/xjFbt6/corsair-ml140-led-elite-blue-premium-829-cfm-120-mm-fan-co-9050131-ww

[OddOod]

On 9/17/2022 at 8:01 AM, Queen Chrysalis said:

What is the advantage of spending triple the cost of a basic fan?

Durability and noise.

Look, if you don't agree, that's fine, but the statistics don't support that stance. If you're game to have a loud machine with higher maintenance requirements, that's fine, but giving bad advice is never a good look.