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The Quest for Quiet Computing with Air Cooling
Date: Thursday, January 8, 2004
Author: Rbreb13
Provided By: None
Page: 5 of 5
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Test 6:
This test was conducted with the Vantec Stealth fans attached to a standard molex connector. Running at full power the system seemed quieter than with the stock fan again. I can only guess that the dual ball bearings have something to do with it. I've been using Stealth fans for some time and have always been impressed by the construction and quiet (cfm to dBA ratio). As we can see from the temperatures there's not much difference between this setup and Test 4. The system does seem a bit quieter but the difference is negligible at best. It's a matter of perception more than anything. What I hear and what you would hear could be completely different.
Ambient Temperature: 23°c
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Conclusion:
After all the testing I would have to say my Quest was successful. I have a much quieter computer with only a slight increase in temperatures. Overall the tests turned out about as I expected. I'm surprised at just how quiet the 120mm fans are when running on full power. Since I'm inside my computer's guts all the time fiddling with stuff I think I'm probably going to run my system at different levels of fans for each season. I think 1-2 fans in winter on the "Fan Only" connectors will work well. Then when summer rolls around and it gets hot switch to the 2 fans at full power. This should suit my needs just fine. At this time I'm also going to leave the Vantec Stealth fans installed as my fan of choice.
I think my choice of case had a lot to do with the test results and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a quiet solution to cooling. I know using an Intel system that usually runs cooler than an AMD system has a lot to do with it too. But if you're running an AMD system in this case I would guess the temperature results would be 10°-15°c above what I got. Maybe in the future I can test this setup with an AMD rig to find out.
That’s all for now I hope you enjoyed the article as much I did making it. I just love this kind of stuff!
Addendum:
I recently changed the configuration of my Antec Sonata case again. I'm just never satisfied I guess. With the coming of summer and temperatures already rising, I just wasn't happy with the temps I was seeing.
So, I replaced my Vantec Stealth fans with some thermally controlled ones from pcToys.
pcToys 120mm ThermoMaxx (thermally controlled)
ThermoFlow case fan with the temperature control sensor adjusts the fan speed automatically. Keep the noise level at the lowest while changing the speed. Minimize power consumption and maximize cooling performance.
aka Vantec Thermoflow fan
Power Input: 2.04 ~ 3.36W
Rated Voltage: 12 VDC
Fan Speed: 1300 ~ 2200 RPM
Air Delivery: 54.3 ~ 92.0CFM
Noise Level: 29 ~ 39dB(A)
Bearing Type: Double Ball Bearing
Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 25mm
Temperatures have remained pretty much the same as before. But when it gets hotter in my computer room the fans kick it up a notch to help keep things cooler. The noise level is a little louder than with the Stealth fans but not really too noticeable as I usually have the TV on. Overall, these are very nice fans. They have never gone to maximum rpm's and usually run at the slowest speed. When it's cool in my room they are barely discernible over the normal household noises. You really have to focus on listening for them to actually hear them. I thought going with a less expensive brand might be trouble but they've been running for a few weeks with no problems at all. I would recommend these to anyone.
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