120mm Fan Testing on an MCR120 Radiator Round 6

[NaeKuh]

Martin i know it wouldnt be fair for the san ace, but they really change when placed in a shroud.

Have you tried them with shrouds?

I noticed the noise level is the first one variable that changes noticable.

OR are my fans just tripping out?

[Martinm210]

OK ... I've been through all the data, looked at the charts, listened to the recordings, and trying to figure out what it all means

It's easy enough to point people to this thread for detailed info - but knowing there are folks who won't go through all the data, I've been thinking about how to explain this stuff in simple terms (and how I will use it myself).

Bear with me while I think as I type here - just wanting to make sure I'm on the right path.


Assuming I'm using a Swiftech MCR radiator with a fan controller. I want "good" performance, and I'm not looking for extremely high (or low) speed fans ... I've got a number of fans in mind, because I've used them and heard about others. So how do I use this data to help me decide? I've picked these out to examine -

1) Gentle Typhoons ... GT13, GT14, or GT 15 - to be determined (tbd)

2) Noise Blocker - but which one ... tbd

3) Zalman ZM-F3 - never used these, but they have previously received a lot of good feedback

4) Yate Loon - specific one tbd (have used them, and their price can't be beat)

5) Scythe S-Flex (picked these because I've used them and liked them)

6) Enermax Magma - have used them, and one of the few "red" fans without LEDs

7) Noctua - I like them on a heatsink - what about on a radiator?


Okay, 7 brands are more than enough for me to consider.

My next question: How much air do I need to move with these fans? After using the eXtreme PSU calculator, and some other estimator spreadsheets, I figure out I should be okay if I can run in the 1200 RPM range. Not too scientific, but my previous experience tells me this will work for me. But wait, I just read 15 pages about fans, and they aren't ranked by RPM. Ahhh ... I guess I should be more concerned about CFM. Looks like my previous fans have been in the 20 to 30 CFM range, so I'll start with that. Hey - I thought these fans were pushing 50 - 70 CFM

Sometimes I might want more airflow, and sometimes less, so I'd also like fans with a decent range.

And, noise - my hearing isn't what it used to be, so absolute silence isn't critical. But, I tend to use a lot of fans, so quieter is better. I wear headphones when gaming, so louder fans on occasion is also okay.

I'm going to start by looking at the chart that shows min and max CFM for my candidate fans:


Gentle Typhoons (minCFM - Max CFM) all readings rounded, since this isn't rocket science

GT13......................9 - 24
GT14......................8 - 28
GT15.....................13 - 35


Noiseblocker
M12-S3.................18 - 32
PL-2......................13 - 25


Zalman
ZM-F3....................15 - 37
ZMSF3....................16 - 30


Yate Loon
SL Petra...................15 - 30
SM Petra..................18 - 37


Scythe S-Flex
S-FlexF.....................9 - 31
KFlexH.....................12 - 38


Enermax
Magma.....................15 - 30


Noctua
P12...........................17 - 25
S12B.........................15 - 26


Not a lot of difference, but I'll rule out the ones that are below 30 on the high end of their CFM range, just because I want to have a little more flexibility at the high end, and I'm pretty sure airflow in a case environment is going to be less than in the test procedure. (edit ... just realized I should have kept the Yate Medium in for the next pass, but won't go back and add it now)


That Scythe KFlexH looks interesting (*goes back and reads the individual review) ... thumbs up from Martin, they're available from Amazon with prime shipping (just checking availability). I'll take this fan to the next round.

The Scythe GT 15 looks good ... on to the next round.

Same for Noiseblocker Multiframe M12-S1. Looks a little weird, but let's keep it under consideration.

And the ZM-F3 deserves another look,just because I've heard so much about it.


Now I've picked four fans to check out further. You can tell I'm biased to getting a "medium" speed fan that has more potential at the higher end. Simply preference on my part ... not meant to imply any real significant difference in performance.



Let's look at noise for my 4 picks to see if I can rule any out based on noise:


I looked at the summary chart in Post 1, and the bar graphs showing dbA @ 20CFM and at 30CFM. The dbA data at 20CFM and 30CFM, followed by Martin's subjective noise rating, shows the following:


KFlexH....................39 - 49 dbA, 8.5

GT15.......................35 - 43 dbA, 7.5

NB M12-S3..............39 - 49 dbA, 9.0

ZM-F3......................39 - 50 dbA, 8.3


I think any of these would work - now my choice is based on other factors like pricing, availability, and power. All else being equal, I'd go with the GT15s at this point - given the discernible difference to the human ear is about 3 dbA (as mentioned earlier by Martin).


But, I'd like to know if there are any big differences in Power requirements ... rather than looking up the specs (which may, or may not, be correct) I'm going to pick a number off of Martin's "CFM vs. Watts" chart. I'll pick 30 CFM as my comparison point:


KFlexH.........................0.70W

GT15...........................0.60 W

M12-S3.......................1.50 W

ZM-F3.........................1.10 W


Kind of interesting. I knew the GTs had low power consumption numbers, as I'm using them in a current build, and was surprised when I was doing my calculations for how many could fit on my fan controller.

When you have 12+ fans in a build, power consumption is worth considering.

A quick look at pricing (admittedly,this hasn't been my top criterion - but it's become more important since I've reached the age of living on a fixed income ):

The KFlexH is $12-14, the GT15 is about $16 when you can find it. The Noiseblocker is $20+, and the ZM-F3 can be had for less than $10.

(I still don't think you can beat the Yates for lower speed fans if you're looking for a bargain).

Some of us are particular about how a fan looks. For a quiet no-frills black fan, I'd be inclined to give the KFlexH a go. I might choose the Noiseblockers if the color combination fit with my build.

So ... that's how I'd use the data to pick a fan. Of course, I didn't have to do all of that, did I? The GT15 turns out to be my top choice, and I could have picked that up from the first chart.

But ... I had no idea the KFlexH even existed, so good learning there. I also now know to check my power setup if I pick up some Noiseblockers. And, I also understand where my existing Scythe S-Flex, Yates, and Enermax fans fit in terms of noise and CFM performance.

Whew ... I'm tired now. Good thing it's tail hour in Florida!

to Martin for all his hard work.

I like your workflow, that's a great decision process and example..

I tend to use the "Listen blindly by matching up FPM only" video approach as well. In the end if you're deciding between a few fans, just get a couple of windows going on the videos and match up similar air flow levels and pause each video. Then simply play each video back and forth and simply listen blindly (close your eyes) and go back and forth between fans. I tend to be one that doesn't trust meters or instruments very well. Noise level is one thing we can quantify with a tool, yet it doesn't at all fit what is annoying, etc. The good ole...trust your ears first...forget the numbers for a bit method..

Martin i know it wouldnt be fair for the san ace, but they really change when placed in a shroud.

Have you tried them with shrouds?

I noticed the noise level is the first one variable that changes noticable.

OR are my fans just tripping out?

No, I only tinkered a little with shrouds, but I plan to do some of that after I get all the main shroudless testing done. I suppose I could try a San Ace if that's what you guys want.

I only did one quick shroud vs. no shroud test with the yate, and couldn't really see any difference, but there are a few ways you could make a shroud. Do you bolt all the way through, or do you bolt the shroud to the rad, then the fan to the shroud to help isolate vibrations. Do you use grommets, or certain gaskets. The options are endless, and figured I'd save some of those tinker tests for last.

[penguins]

I tend to be one that doesn't trust meters or instruments very well.

This is Hilarious : )

@Shazza, what's a Bananas Tail? : )

and that's what I've been doing to figure out these fans. minus any sort of organization or thought process like you though lol.

this is coming along!!!

that scythe looks loud..

[Creekin]

@Shazza, what's a Bananas Tail? : )

@ censorship

[NaeKuh]

I only did one quick shroud vs. no shroud test with the yate, and couldn't really see any difference, but there are a few ways you could make a shroud. Do you bolt all the way through, or do you bolt the shroud to the rad, then the fan to the shroud to help isolate vibrations. Do you use grommets, or certain gaskets. The options are endless, and figured I'd save some of those tinker tests for last.

Anything to space the fan out a bit so you get the full vortex of the blades.

I noticed spacing them out, you dont hear that whine noise they make @ 7v.

Also i noticed a lot more air going though.