26 120mm Fans Tested and Compared

[Soulburner]

I don't have a problem with them. Just try to keep them vertical

[skuliaxe]

Thank vapor for all these tests...

I was so close on buying those Noctua fans because of the SSO-Bearing that was supposed to be quite (well I guess it is.... but we DO need some CFM as well).

I too am waiting for a final conclusion, but until then, what would be the best fan/s for a Radiator?
San Ace 1011 (for a 120x38mm) and/or Golfball (for a 120x25mm) ???

P.s.: Last 120x38mm fan I bought was HORRIBLE, but this thread has already said that Sunon fans are bad fans

[Ar3s]

Thanks vapor for all these results and answers to questions that has bother us all when purchasing fans.

iMac is using sunon fans so much for that...

[billdavis]

im starting a club called

color blind people against colored charts
were going to sue people because of our deficiency

but i cant sue you Vapor because you put symbols on your colored lines. so your safe bro

[iadstudio]

Thanks Vapor!!! Great work. 1

Just ordered 4 YL SL from Petra's. $16!!!!
I threw in one Silverstone just for kicks. great deal. I have a DD gts360 rad waiting for the Yate Loons. You definately took some of the guess work out of buying fans.

[Vapor]

The custom and squirrel-cage Sunons may be okay (both are what Apple uses)...but every KD series (what we can buy in retail) just blows. Though, from LOTS of personal experience, iMac's aren't exactly silent under load.

And yeah, Petra's Yates are GREAT, especially for the price.

Best fan for a radiator? I'd go with the San Ace, but the Zalman and S-Flex fans are close competitors if you want lower 12V RPMs. All of them beat the Sharkoon in my tests (IIRC....just going from memory at this point). Heck, direct-from-YL Yate Loons are very competitive too.

[Ar3s]

you can buy Yate Loons directly from them ??? I always wanted the yate loon ball bearing low speed fans. Why would you want to throw in a silverstone fan for kicks ? i own a silverstone casing and even i dislike their fans. Sad to hear from Quoc Ngo that Petra can't get anymore of those Panaflo Ultra High Speed fans.

Just like to share this.
From what i tested using the yate loon medium and the s-flex f series fan on a top exhaust you would get the same amount of air out of the MESH. the s-flex f series maybe better without the mesh in the way tho. I don't know that answer.

[iadstudio]

I have one Zalman already that I love. I though I'd try the Silverstone just to see how it stacks up at lower speeds. I have a feeling I'll end up with the 3 YL on my rad and 2 Zalman feeding the case with frash air.

[Vapor]

you can buy Yate Loons directly from them ??? I always wanted the yate loon ball bearing low speed fans. Why would you want to throw in a silverstone fan for kicks ? i own a silverstone casing and even i dislike their fans. Sad to hear from Quoc Ngo that Petra can't get anymore of those Panaflo Ultra High Speed fans.

Just like to share this.
From what i tested using the yate loon medium and the s-flex f series fan on a top exhaust you would get the same amount of air out of the MESH. the s-flex f series maybe better without the mesh in the way tho. I don't know that answer.

You can't get them directly from Yate Loon, but Petras does (only retailer I know that does, in fact). They're distinctly different fans....the D12BL-12 from jabtech wasn't so great either

What about the Silverstone? Keep in mind that I won't publish any data from them (or usually even test them) because I've had nothing but horrible experiences with all but the FN121 (which barely beat a 'non-Yate' Yate Loon).

FM123 - horrible, mine made a Sunon look good (really)
FN122 - quiet, really quiet, but pushes like NO air!
FM122 - least favorite fan from the first bunch....and so horribly overrated and believed Silverstone should tarred and feathered
FM121 - ditto from FM122, but even MORE overrated (but not quite as bad of a fan at least)

The airflow of the S-Flex F and D12SM-12 on restriction are very similar. In fact, the D12SM-12 only pushed like 55CFM at 12V in my testing...

[atlr]

And I can't wait to get the full gamut of graphs up soon....there's definitely a few winners in the bunch

Another thanks for all this work.

(Hoping the Antec TriCool is in your final report. )

[iadstudio]

Because so many people have tri-cools with their cases, it would be a good fan to test as a baseline for camparison.

[Vapor]

TriCool is in there.

[Ace-a-Rue]

You can't get them directly from Yate Loon, but Petras does (only retailer I know that does, in fact). They're distinctly different fans....the D12BL-12 from jabtech wasn't so great either

What about the Silverstone? Keep in mind that I won't publish any data from them (or usually even test them) because I've had nothing but horrible experiences with all but the FN121 (which barely beat a 'non-Yate' Yate Loon).

FM123 - horrible, mine made a Sunon look good (really)
FN122 - quiet, really quiet, but pushes like NO air!
FM122 - least favorite fan from the first bunch....and so horribly overrated and believed Silverstone should tarred and feathered
FM121 - ditto from FM122, but even MORE overrated (but not quite as bad of a fan at least)

The airflow of the S-Flex F and D12SM-12 on restriction are very similar. In fact, the D12SM-12 only pushed like 55CFM at 12V in my testing...

i couldn't disagree more with your evaluation of the silverstone FM121-b model...it puts out good cfm...whats your beef with this particular fan?

i bought 4 of those FN121 fans and never been more disappointed...i bought them because you made a favorable mention about them like you did in your above post.

[Vapor]

FM121 problem? It's rated at 110CFM and doesn't come anywhere close (87CFM IIRC). Heck, expecting more than 95CFM out of a 2400RPM is expecting A LOT (almost too much, you have to sacrifice a lot in your design to do that....and it's rated at nearly 16% above THAT).

Silverstone is no better than SilenX at CFM ratings for the FM121/122 and FN122. But unlike the SilenX ratings, people actually believe the Silverstone ratings. On top of that, it's only an okay fan at best. I am also partial against non-linear scaling (where at like 8.5V it sudden goes from 1800RPM to 800RPM)....that can sorta be forgiven because of the included rheostat design though.

My FN121 is a mixed bag...it was a very quiet fan and was silent at 7V (really...neither my dBA meter nor my ear could pick it up) while still pushing decent air. But unfortunately all I had to compare it to was a Yate Loon SL and the Scythe Infinity's stock fan. The Scythe fan is a budget fan that did fairly well in my roundup (but compared to those two). I learned later that my Yate Loon was one of the many fakes. Using that as a baseline, both the FN121 and the stock Scythe seem mediocre at best.

I'm also starting to think there's a MAJOR quality control issue at Silverstone with their fans. Some people have gotten GREAT FN121s that never make a peep (mine is among this...the noise profile was the best of all my round 1 fans), others hate them. This would also explain the various hate I have for their other fans.

Round 2 fans really lay a smack down to the Round 1 fans though....so it's all okay now.

Out of curiosity, what was wrong with your FN121s?


(btw, no graphs today like I thought I would....bigger and more xtreme stuff to do )

[Ace-a-Rue]

FM121 problem? It's rated at 110CFM and doesn't come anywhere close (87CFM IIRC). Heck, expecting more than 95CFM out of a 2400RPM is expecting A LOT (almost too much, you have to sacrifice a lot in your design to do that....and it's rated at nearly 16% above THAT).

i just did the back hand check for the FM121-B compared to the panaflo 1BX (2.5K rpm--105 cfm)...obviously not scientific but the back of the hand is way more sensitive to air flow than most other parts of the body...

the silverstone is by far putting out the most concentrated flow of air at good cfm's compared to the Panaflo or even SilenX...i just don't see your claim about silverstone being a poor cfm and overrated fan.

Silverstone is no better than SilenX at CFM ratings for the FM121/122 and FN122. But unlike the SilenX ratings, people actually believe the Silverstone ratings. On top of that, it's only an okay fan at best. I am also partial against non-linear scaling (where at like 8.5V it sudden goes from 1800RPM to 800RPM)....that can sorta be forgiven because of the included rheostat design though.

i have the SilenX and it is overrated...the cfm rating for SilenX is a joke at 90 cfm!...it is beaten, IMO, by the silverstone FM121-B; hands down...SilenX is being sold by newegg at 150% over a silverstone FM121-B which is 110 cfm...the construction of SilenX is atrocious...it has a flimsy plastic housing that you can actually depress from the side and it will hit the rotating blade fan tip.......the SilenX is sub-par IMO!...and...for you to compare the SilenX and silverstone as being equally poor in the same sentence just astounds me.

My FN121 is a mixed bag...it was a very quiet fan and was silent at 7V (really...neither my dBA meter nor my ear could pick it up) while still pushing decent air. But unfortunately all I had to compare it to was a Yate Loon SL and the Scythe Infinity's stock fan. The Scythe fan is a budget fan that did fairly well in my roundup (but compared to those two). I learned later that my Yate Loon was one of the many fakes. Using that as a baseline, both the FN121 and the stock Scythe seem mediocre at best.

here is where we agree...SHEW!

the FN121 is quiet but i was expecting better output...NOW...this is where the SilenX beats the FN121...both are relatively quiet but the Silenx puts out better cfm since it is turning out a higher rpm...silenX gets to about 1600+ RPM and FN121 gets to about 1200 RPM....there is a definite difference in flow between the two fans....BUT, a-ha, the price difference here is like 240% between a SilenX and a FN121.

I'm also starting to think there's a MAJOR quality control issue at Silverstone with their fans. Some people have gotten GREAT FN121s that never make a peep (mine is among this...the noise profile was the best of all my round 1 fans), others hate them. This would also explain the various hate I have for their other fans.

the only issue that i have with silverstons so far is one of two purchased 92mm silverstone fans had a bad controller...other than that, i like the housing design...very strong and looks extremely durable....the only negative that i can really point out about silverstone fans is the "ribbed" design...i do not like that!

for the Silverstone FM121-B model.

for the Silverstone FN121 model.
for the SilenX fan.

[Vapor]

Ehh, I've empirically tested the FM121, it's nothing near its specs nor should it be. A 120x25mm 2400RPM fan will not come anywhere close to 100CFM, let alone the rated 110.03CFM.

Airflow pattern should be (and is) different from a Panaflo, but cooling potential is mostly proportional to CFM through a radiator considering our radiators (both WC and aircooling) are even pattern type.

I've empirically tested the SilenX higher speed fans as well (both 38mm thick and the 25mm thick)....the FN121 beats them in terms of CFM v. dBA (they're really not good, lol). But yeah, at stock speeds (1500RPM and 1200RPM, there's no competition for airflow [or noise, heh]).

What Silverstone does with their ratings is worse than what SilenX does. Not only do they lie by a massive proportion (more than ~5% begs to ask a few questions...26% is just flat out lying), but they spec the dBA at something plausible and add a decimal point or two of accuracy and therefore everyone believes the specs. This makes them worse than SilenX, IMO.

If I told you I was going to give you a free HR-03+...you might believe me. (afterall, at only $50, it's PLAUSIBLE)...but if I told you I was going to give you a free QX6850...you'd have to be a SilenX fanboy to believe me.

Silverstone will not get another dollar from me after knowing what I know about their fans....

[Ace-a-Rue]

i know that it is what is for me and you know what it is for you...we differ on opinion, at least, with your tested and my subjective evaluation of the FM121-B fan model.

you tell me what fan puts out actual 110 cfm or within your 5% guideline and i will buy it to do a back hand comparison with the silverstone FM121-B...stick with one that is 120 x 25mm so the hub diameter is not in play with my evaluation.

on another note; why don't you write (email) silverstone headquarters with your results so they know of their blatant, misleading specifications since you did the technical testing on these fans....use your position as a long time Xtreme poster to show them that you are telling folks, like me, to avoid buying their fans....you have clout or standing here in Xtreme!.

i would bet that you get a rise out of them!...they will either write back to defend their specifications or avoid discussing the subject if they don't want to bring light upon their short fallings in their fan product line.

come on, take them on since you have strong convictions about your testing methods and results!

[Ar3s]

he'll still be sending out email by the time school restarts if he does that.

i have tested the FM122 vs the Panaflo H1BX and the Panaflo H1BX wins in my view. If the graphs in the first page are still true then i take it then my testing was right. I tried the backhand method and the Panaflo H1BX slide away from my hand...
Noise levels is too subjective without a meter so thats not what i'm going to say.

[Vapor]

I'll consider writing Silverstone....

As for fans that push 110CFM +-5%:
San Ace 1011 (yes, it's rated at 103, all four of mine pulled between 112.1 and 114.5)
Panaflo U1A (rated for 114.7, one pulled 113.0 and the other 112.7)
anything that Delta rates at 110CFM +-5% (even their 220CFM beast got to within like 1CFM of rating....our data corroborates on every fan so far--I trust their CFM and dBA numbers completely)
anything else that NMB-MAT rates at 110CFM +-5% (the Scythe Minebea series was tested to within .5CFM on all models in my testing....and the Panaflo NMB-MAT fans are also within 3CFM on all 10 I've tested)

[Ace-a-Rue]

he'll still be sending out email by the time school restarts if he does that.

i have tested the FM122 vs the Panaflo H1BX and the Panaflo H1BX wins in my view. If the graphs in the first page are still true then i take it then my testing was right. I tried the backhand method and the Panaflo H1BX slide away from my hand...
Noise levels is too subjective without a meter so thats not what i'm going to say.

do you have a FM121-B model...that is what i have and i can hardly tell any difference between the cfm's between 121-B and the 1BX...the panaflo pushes away from the hub/core while the silverstone is concentrated since it has a smaller hub.

[Ace-a-Rue]

I'll consider writing Silverstone....

As for fans that push 110CFM +-5%:
San Ace 1011 (yes, it's rated at 103, all four of mine pulled between 112.1 and 114.5)
Panaflo U1A (rated for 114.7, one pulled 113.0 and the other 112.7)
anything that Delta rates at 110CFM +-5% (even their 220CFM beast got to within like 1CFM of rating....our data corroborates on every fan so far--I trust their CFM and dBA numbers completely)
anything else that NMB-MAT rates at 110CFM +-5% (the Scythe Minebea series was tested to within .5CFM on all models in my testing....and the Panaflo NMB-MAT fans are also within 3CFM on all 10 I've tested)

is the San Ace that you cite above a 25mm or 38mm?

[Vapor]

120x120x38 for both the Panaflo and San Ace.

[Ace-a-Rue]

well then...can't really get a good test going according to you if the san ace has a big hub like the panaflo has.

[Vapor]

Yeah, the San Ace is similar to the Panaflo...different bearings and a MUCH weaker blade structure (really, they break way too easily). The design also has higher CFM/RPM efficiency (but takes a hit on radiator CFM because of this).

This leads me to my next point: the high-speed 120x120x25mm market is ripe for the taking. Why lie about it when you can just do it?

[Ar3s]

scythe japan just released their own 38mm thick "ultra" fans...
High speed 120x120x25mm fans would go to delta if i'm not wrong.

silverstone first used cooljag everflow now the newer series goes to some galemotor company... relabelling at its worse.