Fans For CPU Cooler

[SirHolmes]

I want to acquire the best compatible option from the below fans to use on a Noctua NH-D14 cpu cooler.  The on cooler fan configuration would be, going from right to left with left as the back of the case, a push (120mm fan over the ram for height compatibility reasons) pull, pull 140mm attached on the middle and end directed toward the back of the case. For those who are not familiar with the NH-D14 specs it can hold up 140mm fans but the metal clips that attach to the Heatsink from the fan require 120mm mounting holes on the fan otherwise it will not stay attached. Simply that means the fan needs to be in a more round or hex shape design or it will not mount. I am looking to maximize the performance so the price is negligible to me and the fan noise I would like below 40dBA.  The following info is the "perfect/max" possible airflow and static pressure possible acquired from the manufacture’s website.  I know the “max” is not what the fans would realistically achieve but if it is less, the reduction will be on a curve so "theoretically“ any fan’s performance should decline with similar percentages in a real world environment.

 

Please do not suggest water cooling because I already have the current air cooler and when talking about closed loop vs air my air cooler can go toe to toe with the likes of a corsair H100.  When talking about custom loops vs air that is a different story with custom crushing air but that is not a current consideration for me.

 

The following fans are all 140mm with PWM:

1.  Noctua NF-P14 FLX  at 64.96 CFM (110.3 m3/h) with Static Pressure of 1.29 mmH2O

2.  Noctua NF-A15 PWM  at 68 CFM      (115.53 m3/h) with Static Pressure of 1.51 mmH2O

3.  Corsair Air Series AF140 67.8 CFM      (115 m3/h) with Static Pressure of 0.84 mmH2O             Would compare to Corsair Air Series SP120 but it is not in the 140mm size

4.  Cougar CF-V14HP        at 70.5 CFM   (119.8 m3/h) with Static Pressure of 1.38 mmH2O

5.  Phanteks PH-F140HP   at 88.6 CFM   (151 m3/h) with Static Pressure of 1.64 mmH2O

6.  XIGMATEK XAF-F1452  at 90.3 CFM (153 m3/h) with Static Pressure of 1.08 mmH2O

7.  Prolimatech PRO-USV14   at 98 CFM   (167 m3/h) with Static Pressure of 0.9 mmH2O

 

Which specification is more important providing a larger benefit for better cooling through a cpu Heatsink:

 

High static pressure with Low CFM, making CFM differences negligible

OR

Low static pressure with High CFM, making static pressure variations trivial?

OR

Does one feature offset the other in this situation?

 

Even though the last 2 fans have lower static pressure and higher CFM, are they pulling/moving air through the cpu cooler as good as or any better than the ones with higher static pressure and low CFM?

 

Specifically would the NF-P14 FLX provide better cooling then the Xigmatek because it has higher pressure or would the Xigmatek be better cooling because it has substantially better CFM and marginally lower pressure?

 

Would it be better to go with the Phanteks over the Xigmatek or Prolimatech?

 

Since we don’t live in a perfect world where I can have both high CFM and HIGH Static pressure, I am looking to maximize what I can.  I know this was long but I appreciate the read and thank you for the help

Edited November 4, 2013 by SirHolmes

[Altecice]

Might want to look into Corsair SP120's

[Ryan Leech]

I would go with the Cougar fans myself

[Havoc]

I think Linus did a video that covers most of your questions.

[SirHolmes]

I think Linus did a video that covers most of your questions.

 

No mostly all he ever says is "Use Noctuas NF-F12" so no he did not address the specifics of my questions nor compare multiple fans.  He did a cpu cooler/heatsink comparison but that was standardized with the NF-F12 fans he love.  Come back when you can prove he has addressed my specific question with links.

[Havoc]

No mostly all he ever says is "Use Noctuas NF-F12" so no he did not address the specifics of my questions nor compare multiple fans.  He did a cpu cooler/heatsink comparison but that was standardized with the NF-F12 fans he love.  Come back when you can prove he has addressed my specific question with links.

 

Ok chillout dude. But he must say Use Noctua NF-F12's for a reason, don't you think.

 

EDIT: Pretty sure he did, a fan video somewhere... they had a fancy machine that measured, cfm and static pressure, amongst other things. I vaguely remember he covered Cougar, Silverstone and others.

 

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1PSGh26Ne0XcG01LU5LaU9XX2M/edit?usp=sharing

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uUXt7mE6Qg

[SirHolmes]

Ok chillout dude. But he must say Use Noctua NF-F12's for a reason, don't you think.

 

2 reasons he says that because he is partally a fanboy (guilty of doing that myself for cpus intell powerhouse all the way) and two is they are generally better then most stock fans but with this I have taken empirical data and compared the fans with as much as possible biased removed.

[Havoc]

2 reasons he says that because he is partally a fanboy (guilty of doing that myself for cpus intell powerhouse all the way) and two is they are generally better then most stock fans but with this I have taken empirical data and compared the fans with as much as possible biased removed.

 

See edited above, Video and Graphs. May give you some assistance on your questions.

[SirHolmes]

See edited above, Video and Graphs. May give you some assistance on your questions.

 

In those above pictures at the 12volt the corsair outperformed anything else and at the 7volt it was yate followed closely by the corsair.  Now on that note those were all 120mm not the 140mm I am compareing and none of them are the current ones I am looking at.  Good info with very scientific measurements and would be quite useful and made me need to go add corsair to my list but stil not the sizes or specific ones i am looking at.

[SirHolmes]

Might want to look into Corsair SP120's

"Generally" 140mm fans create better environments both accusticly and airflow wise then 120s also in my specfic instance it would cool better on the heatsink for less noise anyway.

[SirHolmes]

I want to claryify things I have nothing against Noctuas fans in fact if i thought they performed better then anything else i would use them hands down no questions asked no matter the price i would pay $50 a fan but i do not think the data truely suggests that.  Also to everyone still talking about noctuas 120mm (NF-F12 PWM 2.61 mmH2O 55 CFM) fan for pressure and cfm check out the cooler master jetflow (2.72 mmH2O and 95 CFM).  It does run loud and loses on that front to noctuas but for cfm and pressure you can not get better.

[WoodenMarker]

Might want to look into Corsair SP120's

They're pretty loud.