120mm Fan Testing on an MCR120 Radiator Round 6

[Vampiyer]

WoW... Martin has been productive lately.

I'm wondering how the new Thermalright TY-140 fan would compare, but the Sanyo Silent series vs Scythe GT has my interest for now.

That, as well as the 120-140mm adapter tests. I'm wondering if perhaps I should just go with a 140.3 radiator as opposed to a 120.4 (would save me money on fans).

[Church]

Vampiyer: how do you intend to mount TY-140 on 140mm rads, if it has 120mm mounting holes, and one of dimensions was 160mm IIRC? +If you manage to mount it good thing to do would be also to close corners because of round shape of it, to not loose air pressure of fan.

[Vampiyer]

I don't actually own the TY-140, but I was thinking about picking up a couple at SVC because they're having a 15% off coupon (green15) through this thursday, and they already have the lowest price.

As for mounting - I'd probably use a double-sided gasket tape of some sort. I haven't really thought that through... just wondering how it compares because I'll try to make anything work.

Edit: I just ordered 3 of the TY-140 fans. I intend to use them as case-fans, but I have AP-15's and H1011R's to compare against, subjectively.

Edit 2: I'm wondering if it'd be worthwhile to send one of my TY-140 fans to Martin (I also have H1011R Sanyo's). I'll see how difficult it is to mount - it may not fit the parameters of Martin's tests due to the awkward 140x160 size with 120mm mounting holes. Anyone (Martin?) interested in these 2 fans?

[the finisher]

the finisher: those san aces look fine as powerful fans .. but will they be as good noise/airflow/pressure wise as GTs at 800-1200 range as well? Imho their blades are more optimized to be most efficient for higher (&noisier) range.

Perhaps your right, that's why i like the testing that Martin is doing. These tests prove that more money spent, doesn't necessarily yield better results. Although the higher quality fans should last longer. And some of us buy fans for aesthetics, as well as performance. I have a ton of Enermax fans for this reason.(Glad to see the Magma did OK, I made the same observations that Martin did. Not as quiet as others but an agreeable sound.] That said, I like the industrial looks of San Ace, and other similar fans. GT included. Just that San Ace usually perform better, not always.

Looking forward to the Silent Series against the GT's, I see there is a H speed model up as well These are probably more comparable than any 38mm fan.

It's so nice to have some objective numbers to see on so many fans I've never believed the marketing crap on the box of retail fans.

Martin is awesome

Because I don't actually have any 109P1412M101 $73 min of 20. The even more desirable 109L1214M101 $96 min. of 24! Plus you have to wait for over 3mo
I guess the best way to partially get a handle on this is to barrow out 1 of my 140L's for testing. It's not going to be a fair test, as these are H speed 24v fans. But I've never run them @ 24v. For me they are great @12v and down. Also These have no tach sender, so I'm guessing 1300 rpm @12v w/80cfm free air They start and undervolt to the bottom of a Sycthe fan controller. And subjectively they are very quiet subtracting the 80 cfm of air Also the dam things are near unobtainable, I've found you can get most San Ace 140's they come at a huge cost These were $25 and I only could get 3. As much as I like them I'd love to have more, probably 12v M speed.

Anyway I only have 1-PA120.3 All The rest of my rads are Pa160's and 140's. I have a huge interest in 140's. I have a several other 140's I'll also send samples of the ones I'm not using, if they are not on the list.

Just found out I'm going back to San Francisco, like soon

I'm rounding 140's up now

[Utnorris]

Hey Martin,
Not sure if the San Ace I sent is the same as the ones you already have, hopefully not as it will give a wider view of the San Ace line up. I do not think you have the Pabst already that I included, so hopefully another canidate to toss in the mix. You should get the box today or tomorrow.

[the finisher]

No way I can do this today. I'll do it when I get back, next week.

I'll follow along as much as possible

[guilleguillaume]

More toys came to the door, thanks to Seeing Red and RatDog...

I'll be setup for good 140mm rad based testing now, HWlabs SR1 is ready for service...

Also have some additional 120mm contestants. Xbit had the NB S3 on top for their open air test, and the San Ace 9S1212H4011 seems like another high end high speed fan that needs a closer look.

I'd better process the last round, I've got more work to do..

That's actually fantastic!

I own a SR-1 140mm too and I was wondering before finishing my loop which 140mm fan will be the best choice. I thought about a NB-BlackSilentPro PK-2 but I will wait to see your results and then decide before purchasing.

Are you thinking about testing the Be Quiet Silent Wings 120mm-140mm?

Anyway did you receive The Triebwerk TK-22? I have one new in box that have not been opened. Maybe I can send you this for testing but I'm from Europe and don't really now the how expensive the shipping taxes will be to send it to you LOL. I will ask to receive information about that if necessary.

[the finisher]

That's actually fantastic!

I own a SR-1 140mm too and I was wondering before finishing my loop which 140mm fan will be the best choice. I thought about a NB-BlackSilentPro PK-2 but I will wait to see your results and then decide before purchasing.

Are you thinking about testing the Be Quiet Silent Wings 120mm-140mm?

Anyway did you receive The Triebwerk TK-22? I have one new in box that have not been opened. Maybe I can send you this for testing but I'm from Europe and don't really now the how expensive the shipping taxes will be to send it to you LOL. I will ask to receive information about that if necessary.

I also have a TK-122, if you don't get one before next week I can send, much cheaper I'm sure

I have a Evercool Red Scorpion 140 I can send.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...LTD-_-35119096

I have some 140 Scythe 1900rpm, I really like, but no fit on a 140 rad, 120 holes I use for case/air cooling.

[Martinm210]

I don't actually own the TY-140, but I was thinking about picking up a couple at SVC because they're having a 15% off coupon (green15) through this thursday, and they already have the lowest price.

As for mounting - I'd probably use a double-sided gasket tape of some sort. I haven't really thought that through... just wondering how it compares because I'll try to make anything work.

Edit: I just ordered 3 of the TY-140 fans. I intend to use them as case-fans, but I have AP-15's and H1011R's to compare against, subjectively.

Edit 2: I'm wondering if it'd be worthwhile to send one of my TY-140 fans to Martin (I also have H1011R Sanyo's). I'll see how difficult it is to mount - it may not fit the parameters of Martin's tests due to the awkward 140x160 size with 120mm mounting holes. Anyone (Martin?) interested in these 2 fans?

Let me get caught up with the recent packages that came in, I had 4 boxes sitting on my doorstep just a bit ago.

Hey Martin,
Not sure if the San Ace I sent is the same as the ones you already have, hopefully not as it will give a wider view of the San Ace line up. I do not think you have the Pabst already that I included, so hopefully another canidate to toss in the mix. You should get the box today or tomorrow.

I got your today. I think it is the same model that Vapor sent, but I think it's always good to have a few samples. I plan to test everything, and any duplicate samples will just give some additional detail on that particular fan which is always good.

That's actually fantastic!

I own a SR-1 140mm too and I was wondering before finishing my loop which 140mm fan will be the best choice. I thought about a NB-BlackSilentPro PK-2 but I will wait to see your results and then decide before purchasing.

Are you thinking about testing the Be Quiet Silent Wings 120mm-140mm?

Anyway did you receive The Triebwerk TK-22? I have one new in box that have not been opened. Maybe I can send you this for testing but I'm from Europe and don't really now the how expensive the shipping taxes will be to send it to you LOL. I will ask to receive information about that if necessary.

I have one package at the post office. I need to run down there and pick it up.

I also have a TK-122, if you don't get one before next week I can send, much cheaper I'm sure

I have a Evercool Red Scorpion 140 I can send.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...LTD-_-35119096

I have some 140 Scythe 1900rpm, I really like, but no fit on a 140 rad, 120 holes I use for case/air cooling.

I think some more 140s would be good, but let me get all caught up with the list. I'll work to update that by tomorrow.

[Martinm210]

Wow...no less than 5 packages today, special thanks to everyone for the fans and candy!











Wow.!!

[Church]

That's not free candy, it's bribery!

[Martinm210]

That's not free candy, it's bribery!

Haha! How did he know I like gummys..

Can't say I've ever had candy direct from Holland before. It's cool looking at the packaging...

[Martinm210]

Corsair H50 Fan

Special thanks to Vapor for another fan to test..

The Corsair H50 and H70 are fairly popular, so it's nice to have this fan run so folks that are looking to change out the fan for this kit have an idea how it compares.

PWM
The fan is a 4 pin PWM fan which is a nice feature.

NOISE LEVEL
Relative to the yate loon SM, it was similar at lower RPMs, but a bit higher at the higher speed. Relative to the current fans tested I would call it about avereage for lower RPMs and louder than average for high RPM.

NOISE QUALITY
I'm not sure if it's just this sample, but the fan "Squeeked". It's not something you hear in the context of a normal room ambient noise level as I didn't notice this when playing with my PWM controller near my computer, but under ultra silent room testing conditions with an extremely sensetive microphone, it has a bit of a squeek to the motor. This seems to smooth out a little at higher speeds. The fan blade chop seems about average. In general, not quite good noise quality, I'd say less than average to average.

RANGE
500RPM to 1800RPM, not bad and seems usable in all areas, may be better with PWM control. I'll plan to do some PWM controlled testing later. The range is good.

EFFICIENCY
Very good, only used about 1 watt and better than the yate loon per CFM at higher RPMs by a fair amount.

OVERALL
Louder than average noise level, less than average to average noise quality, good range, and PWM features.

VIDEO LINK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA:banana::banana::banana:sbzofM







COMPARED TO ALL FANS TESTED SO FAR

[Martinm210]

Nidec Servo Gentle Typhoon AP-15 New Batch Sample A

Special thanks to Vapor for sponsoring this fan..

This is one of the newer batch fans with a slightly different rear frame with openings near the PCB for what appears to be improved air cooling to the electrical parts.

PACKAGE
About average to less than average. No wire sleeving, comes in a clear plastic box with a molex adapter and some case screws, fairly minimalist style.

NOISE LEVEL
Nothing short of exemplary, this is the one area where this fan rules so far. It's particularly unique in that the typical fan air noise you normally hear is nearly gone completely. I suspect this is due to the very forward sweeping fan blades and high number of blades. Also the leading edge of the fan blades is more rounded and perhaps more shaped like a wing profile rather than a knife edge. Whatever it is...it works and works amazingly well in this test condition mounted on a radiator. Compared to the yate loon SM12 at 12V (32CFM), the GT is able to produce the same CFM level at nearly 9dbA lower levels. At the lower end near 16CFM, the difference reduces to about a 1-2dbA difference which is within the (3dBA barely perceptible range). This fan is really strong in noise level particularly at it's maximum RPM range

NOISE QUALITY
Variable, some good some not so good. There are certain volts and RPM where the noise quality is very good, there is very little motor noise and the ultra low level is overall a very good match. However, there are other voltage levels that resonate very slightly and create a bit of a whine. This particular sample resonated very slightly at 7V and a bit more at 8V, then pretty much gone from 9-12V. I'll see how Sample B does in this area.

RANGE
575-1800RPM is very good although you'll need to listen and pick your voltage somewhat carefully for optimal sound quality.

EFFICIENCY
This fan is exceptionally efficient, only 1 watt at maximum RPM is really amazing.

COST
Average to high. I've seen it sell anywhere from $14 to $20 a fan, so it's not a budget fan and it's not coming with a pile of features...not even sleeved wiring.

OVERALL
This is the fan to beat at the 35 CFM level for minimal noise level, but also it's noise quality is fairly good in some voltage ranges. It is not perfect though, it seems to have a very minor amount of resonance at 7 and 8V. Range is good, efficiency is excellent, and cost is ok to expensive. Overall, I suspect most people would be fairly impressed with this fan's noise level and tone, although the tone and sound is different and may not be for everyone. I suggest listening closely to the videos and make your own judgement. Better yet, buy one of your own and give it a good test before committing to a bunch more.

This fan gets another thumbs up for it's amazing CFM/NOISE ratio at 12V, it really separates itself from the rest in this particular area.

VIDEO LINK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6vHPwmfBlc







SAMPLE A COMPARED TO ALL FANS TESTED SO FAR


UPDATE 11-17-2010

Vapor sent me not one, but two new samples to try, and this is what I got...pretty much the same thing. If anything I'd say maybe a bit more noise/grit at the 4-5V range, but actually a little smoother (less resonance) at the 7-8V range. Pretty much the same thing when you consider 3dBA the amount needed for "Barely Perceptible".



SAMPLE B COMPARED TO ALL FANS TESTED SO FAR

[Hondacity]

old one was thailand right?

[Martinm210]

old one was thailand right?

GT15old is the original GT15 from batch one without the frame openings. Do I spy one of the mystery fans you are sending?..

[Boulard83]

One again ..... Great work Martin !

[Hondacity]

yeah

maybe someone will recognize it

[Vapor]

GTs continue to impress....

Great stuff, Martin

[avddreamr]

@martin:
They must of started manufacturing the batches earlier this year, I purchased my fans 2 from hondacity, and another 3 from a forum member on the H in april.

I have samples of both batches. For me the acoustic problems don't start until 1000 rpm or so, but I chucked that up to air turbulence hitting the fan motor. I wonder when the "new" batch was actually made.

I'm debating switching them for ap-14s, since I never run them about 1250.
I'm always amazed when people say they are quiet at full rpm. Makes me think that I either have bad examples, or they have full ears, or possibly they haven't mounted them on anything that has restriction.

Oh, heh, almost forgot. No sleeving on non of the fans.

[Church]

Vapor: they continue impress, yeah .. but i somehow anticipated a bit more drama at top. GTs been lone undethroned leader for so long, why competitors keep idle with improvements that long?

avddreamr: i'm guessing it's their ears. For each acceptable noise levels/definition of quiet are different. But even if AP15 at full rpm being quiet is arguable, i've heard often stated that they are relatively quieter then competitors - as in GTs @1850 are like noiseblockers @1400 and alike ..

[somethingclever]

I'm most interested in seeing if the battle-hardened GT-15 with 140 adapter can hang with the noiseblocker pk series and x-silent 140's on the SR1.

Somehow I wouldn't be surprised if it wins the 140mm CFM/dB crown as well...

[pcaddict]

You need to get akasa apache also!

[Manicdan]

would someone like to risk blowing up one of their own GT AP-15s by overvolting it up to 24v and see what happens at over 3000rpms?

[AceBaran]

Great Glad you like the dutch candy