quietest fans (8-14dB) (10-64cfm)

[jonjan]

Hi, I'm building a 3.8Ghz OC machine and I want it silent... I'm not asking for advice (but I always am thankful to hear ideas). I'm just here to share what I found... People at a different thread and forums helped me a lot (saved me from getting electrocuted), so I'd appreciate to return the help to all of them... 'pay it forward'


The quietest fan numbers 'advertised' online are...

8dB, 10cfm - SilenX 60mm

8.7dB, 33cfm - Scythe 120mm 800rpm

9dB, 20cfm - SilenX 92mm
9dB, 18cfm - SilenX 80mm
9dB, 18cfm - Sharkoon Eagle 1000, 80mm

11dB, 48cfm - SilenX 120mm
11dB, 28cfm - SilenX 92mm
11dB, 22cfm - SilenX 80mm

12dB, 14cfm - SilenX 60mm

the next loudness is 14dB, and there are a lot of SilenX (64cfm) and other brand fans at that level.

http://www.silenx.com/fan_pro_74.asp is the best link for all their fans. the Scythe, Sharkoon, and "14db" are easy to find with google.

I can say that the Scythe 8.7dB is silent, from 3-4 feet away, with a ~0dB ambient. If the ambient has any sound, then it's silent at much closer distances.
I'll soon have the SilenX 9dB and 8dB and be able to test them..


wishes for your peace and freedom to explore
Jon
my site
my system being built so far...

[BigDov]

Not a dig or anything like that, but I don't think you're going to get a whole lot of OC'ing with such minimal airflow......

[jonjan]

Hello BigDov (i like your name. peace related?)

thanks for your thought.. I think most ideas around say that cooling a socket LGA, and especially an OC 3.8Ghz, requires either great amounts of air flow, or water or some other more powerful cooling method.

but there way be some other alternatives..
my previous system had a P4 3.6 a stock speed, cooled adequedately by the stock heatsink and a single 40cfm
120mm fan. And this worked even though dell had used such an excess of thermal paste that large amounts were squeezed out the sides.
One thing that helped for sure was that the mobo was laying in the opon air, which dissipates heat much better than being in a case.

I think a OC 3.8 is possible because of a few changes:
the new mobo is a ASUS P5WDG2-WS, which has:
StackCool 2 - effectively transfers heat generated by the critical components to the other side of the specially designed PCB (printed circuit board) for effective heat dissipation. The result is a temperature decrease of up to 20 degrees celsius! It may not decrease temps by
20*C, but it will likely decrease them some.
8-Phase Power Design provides highly efficient operation to generate less heat (at least 15°C (36°F)) than other conventional power solutions. Again it may not drop temps by 15*C, but one person who compared a 4phase asus with an 8 phase asus found the 8 phase allowed him to OC another 200mhz

Also, compared to the 3.6, this new set-up has a much more efficient heatsink and an amount of thermal paste that is much closer to optimal. I'm also planning to orient the mobo vertically with airspace on both sides..

it's still unknown how it will work until i get it all set up..