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Case fan speeds for best noise/cooling ratio

trace6x
By trace6x
in Cooling
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Would I notice much of a difference in temperatures setting the front intake case fans to vary with the CPU temperatures?

My front 2 Noctua fans are pretty loud at high RPM so I'm wondering if it's just worth setting them at the lowest RPM with the least noise (which is about 50%) or if the extra noise is worth the higher fan speed.

 

My other question is I have a third case fan which I could put as a front intake or as a bottom mounted intake next to the CPU, worth it or should I just leave it out?

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2 minutes ago, it_dont_work said:

I use speed fan and just have the case fans ramp up with the gpu. It's not so much a temp thing as a noise annoyance thing.

uhh ok but that didn't answer any of my questions

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Depends. Technically the Noctua iPPC fans are the best noise to temp ratio due to their high airflow and pressure. But they're loud as hell. 

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Only way to know for sure is to test out. I have done it with my GPU fan for example. After 80% fan is just making more noise and cooling performance stays. Same has happened with my CPU fan(s) (A15s), which has led to conclusion that all fans top at 80% of rpm. After that its just noise.

 

5 hours ago, trace6x said:

My other question is I have a third case fan which I could put as a front intake or as a bottom mounted intake next to the CPU, worth it or should I just leave it out?

 

Whats the overall setup aka how many fans and where? If you only have intakes, you need to add exhaust.

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Case fans don't usually make much of a difference once you have sufficient airflow. It's pretty easy to enter the realm of diminishing returns.

What are your specs and what fans do you have?

If you ever need help with a build, read the following before posting: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/3061-build-plan-thread-recommendations-please-read-before-posting/
Also, make sure to quote a post or tag a member when replying or else they won't get a notification that you replied to them.

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18 hours ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

Only way to know for sure is to test out. I have done it with my GPU fan for example. After 80% fan is just making more noise and cooling performance stays. Same has happened with my CPU fan(s) (A15s), which has led to conclusion that all fans top at 80% of rpm. After that its just noise.

 

 

Whats the overall setup aka how many fans and where? If you only have intakes, you need to add exhaust.

I've got three front intake fans, one back exhaust fan and a cpu fan.

 

16 hours ago, WoodenMarker said:

Case fans don't usually make much of a difference once you have sufficient airflow. It's pretty easy to enter the realm of diminishing returns.

What are your specs and what fans do you have?

I've got an overclock i7 2700k 

Noctua nh-u14s

GTX 970

bunch of hard drives

 

4 case fans overall, one rear exhaust and three front intake. I've set them up so the rear and front bottom fans run at a constant 800rpm and the top 2 front intakes I can adjust with speedfan. Guess I'm just wondering if I should move the bottom front intake to next to the power supply or if I should even bother messing around with increasing the speeds if it's not going to make much difference.

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3 hours ago, trace6x said:

4 case fans overall, one rear exhaust and three front intake. I've set them up so the rear and front bottom fans run at a constant 800rpm and the top 2 front intakes I can adjust with speedfan. Guess I'm just wondering if I should move the bottom front intake to next to the power supply or if I should even bother messing around with increasing the speeds if it's not going to make much difference.

Unless your GPU is overheating, there won't be any significant change in performance.

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10 hours ago, trace6x said:

I've got three front intake fans, one back exhaust fan and a cpu fan.

I've got an overclock i7 2700k 

Noctua nh-u14s

GTX 970

bunch of hard drives

4 case fans overall, one rear exhaust and three front intake. I've set them up so the rear and front bottom fans run at a constant 800rpm and the top 2 front intakes I can adjust with speedfan. Guess I'm just wondering if I should move the bottom front intake to next to the power supply or if I should even bother messing around with increasing the speeds if it's not going to make much difference.

What case do you have? Unless it's particularly restrictive, you should have plenty of airflow already. 

What are your temps? It's likely that you have ample headroom to lower your fan speeds if you think they're too noisy. I personally run the noctuas in my system between 250-600rpm.

If you ever need help with a build, read the following before posting: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/3061-build-plan-thread-recommendations-please-read-before-posting/
Also, make sure to quote a post or tag a member when replying or else they won't get a notification that you replied to them.

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