nFans are becoming more and more necessary for modern computers. They're used to simply move air through the computer or cool specific components. What more people should realize is that not all fans are the same, and it is a wise choice to select high quality fans that last long, fit your noise tolerance and provide enough airflow for your needs. In this thread I'll make recommendations on fans to choose from, but first lets go over some terms you should know.
Terms and Abbreviations RPM - Revolutions per minute. Measure of the complete rotations completed by the motor hub/fan blades. The higher the RPM, the more air movement but noise also increases. A more powerful motor is needed to achieve high RPM reliably, therefore motor noise might also increase.
CFM - Cubic feet per minute. Measure of the speed of air movement. Higher means more airflow, but increased RPM leads to increased CFM, therefore higher CFM fans will also be more noisy. The design and amount of fan blades affects CFM as well.
DBA - Decibels. Measure of noise. Higher is louder.
Here is a useful sound chart.
Static Pressure - Measured air pressure. Commonly overlooked. Higher static pressure means the fan can output air that can more easily overcome the resistance to airflow. High pressure fans are especially ideal for fans installed on heat sinks or radiators, since the air will be forced through the fins and heat pipes more easily.
Undervolting - Reducing voltage to the fan via a fan controller to lower fan speed. Fans that undervolt well emit a normal fan noise, while fans that don't undervolt well make odd sounds and pitches.
Sizes Computer fans come in a variety of sizes. The most used sizes include
40mm,
60mm,
80mm,
92mm and
120mm.
140mm fans are becoming more common as well, and some companies offer even larger fans such as
180mm,
200mm,
220mm,
230mm or
250mm. The thickness of most 60mm-140mm fans is
25mm, but some exceptions include the extra high pressure
38mm thick fans and there are some other rare exceptions. The larger fans tend to be slightly more thick.
Smaller fans have to spin faster in order to create more airflow, while larger fans can spin at a lower speed and still provide adequate airflow and much less noise. Over time you will have your own preferred fan sizes.
Bearings The bearings of a fan is also important. These affect motion between the moving parts inside of the fan. Here is an overview of commonly used bearings in computer fans. The following information has been taken from wikipedia, and I added my own modifications and information.
Sleeve Bearings - Features two surfaces lubricated with oil or grease as a friction contact. Sleeve bearings are less durable as the contact surfaces can become rough and/or the lubricant dry up, eventually leading to failure. Sleeve bearings may be more likely to fail at higher temperatures, and may perform poorly when mounted in any orientation other than vertical. The lifespan of a sleeve bearing fan may be around 40,000 hours at 40 °C. Fans that use sleeve bearings are generally cheaper than fans that use ball bearings, and are quieter at lower speeds early in their life, but can grow considerably noisier as they age.
Rifle Bearings - Similar to sleeve bearings, but are quieter and have almost as much lifespan as ball bearings. The bearing has a spiral groove in it that pumps fluid from a reservoir. This allows them to be safely mounted horizontally (unlike sleeve bearings), since the fluid being pumped lubricates the top of the shaft. The pumping also ensures sufficient lubricant on the shaft, reducing noise, and increasing lifespan.
Ball Bearings - Though generally more expensive, ball bearing fans do not suffer the same orientation limitations as sleeve bearing fans, are more durable especially at higher temperatures, and quieter than sleeve bearing fans at higher rotation speeds. The lifespan of a ball bearing fan may be around 63,000 hours at 40 °C. Some fans use one ball bearing, some use two and some use one ball and one sleeve. The latter is cheaper and less effective.
Fluid Dynamic Bearings - These have the advantages of near-silent operation and higher life expectancy than even ball bearing fans, due to the lack of contact with the shaft, bearing and thrust plate. However, these fans tend to be the most expensive.
Magnetic Bearings - The fan is repelled from the bearing by magnetism. Stabilizes the rotor axis. Noctua's Self-Stabilizing Oil Pressure Bearing (SSO Bearing) is a fluid dynamic bearing with a magnet.
Fan Blade Designs Many computer fans have a different fan blade design so I'll list the more noticeable ones. Different blade designs are not just done for aesthetic reasons or to be unique - the design of the fan blades can severely affect CFM, static pressure and even noise level to some extent.
You will see only a few things vary with different blade designs. The number of blades as well as the curve/direction of the blades. You will also see a difference in space between each blade. Adding more fan blades can result in more air movement, but if they're too close together you'll end up with less air movement. Thicker/wider blades are good at directing air straight forward, for better static pressure. This is also the reason most fan blades are curved.
Triple Blade Design - Used on nearly every house fan or non computer fan, but some computer fans use it too such as Delta EEB fans and their 120mm x 76mm fan. To be honest, I couldn't tell you why this design is ever used. The three blades are usually curved a lot so that they can actually move a decent amount of air in a more straight path. But these three blades obviously have to revolve faster to be as effective as a fan with more blades, so these are more noisy and have limited performance. Skip fans with this blade design.
Delta EEB fan with a triple blade design.
- Many computer fans have seven blades but are widespread so that there is less of a gap in between them. You can see this design used on most Sanyo Denki and Panaflo fans. This design allows for greater static pressure and doesn't limit airflow much so it's a great design.
San Ace H1011 with its wide blade design.
- Every now and then you'll come across a computer fan with wavy blades. Cooler Master's BladeMaster fans use this design, and so do Enermax fans. This design forces air in a straight pattern, improving static pressure, and due to the gap between the blades a good amount of air is being moved as well. Overall it is a good design.
Cooler Master's stock fan included with the V6 GT cooler. A BladeMaster design with wavy blades.
- Some fans have integrated grills attached to the back of them, behind the fan blades. The most effective ones are known as directional fan blades - these are counter-spun to the fan blades, directing the air straight forward. Delta and Nidec were probably the first manufacturers to offer computer fans with this design. Silverstone has a slightly altered design on their Air Penetrator fans.
Most fans with this design have more directional fan blades than fan blades, but this can limit airflow. Delta introduced the PFB series which offer 11 fan blades and 9 directional fan blades. These happen to be their best fans, offering the highest static pressure and CFM. Airflow is less restricted since there are more fan blades than directional fan blades, and the added fan blades improved static pressure compared to their older fans.
Silverstone's Air Penetrator fans have seven fan blades and a very dense integrated grill which is counter-spun to the fan blades. As a result, there is an improvement in air direction. Air is moved more straight than other fans. But the grill is awfully restricted so CFM takes a big hit. This isn't as much of an issue on the AP181 and AP141 due to their larger size and RPM. But the AP121 suffers from this, judging by its 36 CFM rating. Most people are better off skipping the AP121, but the AP141 and AP181 are very useful fans.
Silverstone AP181 - seven fan blades with a counter-spun grill.
Delta PFB series fan. Eleven fan blades that are pretty much straight. The nine directional fan blades improve the direction of the airflow.
Silverstone's AP121 demonstration.
Putting fans in random spots in your computer is not going to help. You want fans to intake air from somewhere, preferably outside of the case and from other fans that intake air from outside of the case. You also want fans that exhaust air out of the case. For more information on preferred airflow methods, please have a look at my
Airflow Guide.
I will go over different types of air pressures encountered in computers, although my airflow guide also goes over them.
Negative Air Pressure - Negative air pressure is probably the most common. It should really be avoided. In order to have negative air pressure, you must have more exhaust power than intake power. As a result, air is passively drawn in through open slots and ventilation. This would bring in more dust, and make it harder for video cards to exhaust air since the flow of air is going against it.
Positive Air Pressure - Positive air pressure is not as common in computer cases, but it is a preferred method of cooling. In a positive air pressure system, you must have more intake power than exhaust power. As a result, air passively leaves the case through open slots and ventilation. This reduces the amount of dust in the case, and it makes it easier for video cards to exhaust air since the flow of air is going with it.
Neutral Air Pressure - Neutral air pressure means you have equal intake power and exhaust power. In a neutral air pressure system, there is less air passively moving into and out of the case. This causes a lack of air movement in some areas of the case, sometimes causing
hot spots, or places where heat builds up.
Brand Names Some brand names offer a large selection of high quality fans, earning them a recommendation and a spot on the following list.
Delta - Best choice for ridiculously awesome cooling with no noise tolerance. High end server grade fans.
Nidec - They manufacture Scythe GentleTyphoons and other great fans that can be found on some power supplies (Antec Signature series). They manufacture very high end server grade fans.
Noctua - A tad overpriced, but excellent quality fans with one of the best bearing designs around.
Panaflo - Great mix of airflow, pressure and low noise with very good quality.
Sanyo Denki - Known for great undervolting and low noise compared to others in the price range. Very high end, server grade.
Scythe - GentleTyphoon series are their best but the S-Flex and similar fans are also good. Avoid their "Kaze" and "Slipstream" fans - see below for reasons.
Thermalright - FDB series = rebranded Scythe S-Flex so they're good.
Xigmatek - Good budget fans
Yate Loon - Good budget fans
Of course there are exceptions, but the above brand names are some of the best either in quality or price to performance, some of those rock both of those worlds.
Recommended Websites You're most likely going to order your fans online, but visiting your local Fry's or Microcenter is a good idea. The following websites have a nice selection of fans (among other products) and don't scam you.
CrazyPC FrozenCPU Newegg Performance-PCs PetrasTechShop - If you want Yate Loons, come here first
Sidewinder Computers Of course there are other good sites to choose from, but these are the sites I mainly use.
Fan Recommendations Now that the basic information is covered, I can now make a list of fans I recommend in the given sizes and price ranges. Also, the fans listed here are actually easy to find. Remember - 38mm thick fans are mostly recommended for heat sinks and radiators. Lets work our way up.
40mm Fans Delta EFB0412HA - 40mm x 40mm x 10mm, 6000 RPM/6.92 CFM/28.5 DBA, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Delta AFB0412LB - 40mm x 40mm x 15mm, 5000 RPM/6.5 CFM/18.5 DBA, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Delta FFB0412MN - 40mm x 40mm x 28mm, 5000 RPM/8.05 CFM/23.9 DBA, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Delta FFB0412VHN - 40mm x 40mm x 28mm, 9500 RPM/15.79 CFM/41.9 DBA, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Delta FFB0412SHN - 40mm x 40mm x 28mm, 13000 RPM/24 CFM/51.5 DBA, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Delta GFB0412EHS - 40mm x 40mm x 56mm, 16200 RPM/26.92 CFM/62.5 DBA, 3-pin power connector, dual ball bearings.
Panaflo FBK04F12U - 40mm x 40mm x 20mm, 9500 RPM/9.2 CFM/42 DBA, 3-pin power connector, hydro wave bearing.
60mm Fans Delta AFB0612HH - 60mm x 60mm x 25mm, 5000 RPM/27.55 CFM/40 DBA, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Delta AFB0612SH - 60mm x 60mm x 25mm, 6000 RPM/34.15 CFM/44.5 DBA, 10.73 mmH20 static pressure, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Delta AFB0612EH - 60mm x 60mm x 25mm, 6800 RPM/36.35 CFM/46.5 DBA, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Panaflo L1 Ultra Quiet FBA06A12L - 60mm x 60mm x 25mm, 3200 RPM/14.1 CFM/24 DBA, 3-pin power connector, hydro wave bearing.
Panaflo HL High Performance FBA06A12H - 60mm x 60mm x 25mm, 4200 RPM/19.1 CFM/32 DBA, 3-pin power connector, hydro wave bearing.
80mm x 80mm x 25mm Fans Panaflo L1 Ultra Quiet FBA08A12L - 1900 RPM/24 CFM/21 DBA, 3-pin power connector, hydro wave bearing.
Panaflo M1 Performance FBA08A12M - 2450 RPM/32.1 CFM/28 DBA, 3-pin power connector, hydro wave bearing.
Panaflo H1 High Performance FBA08A12H - 2950 RPM/39.6 CFM/32 DBA, 3-pin power connector, hydro wave bearing.
Panaflo U1 Ultra Performance FBA08A12U - 3450 RPM/46.9 CFM/38.2 DBA, 3-pin power connector, hydro wave bearing.
Scythe Kama Flow2 SP0825FDB12L - 1400 RPM/18.97 CFM/14 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, fluid dynamic bearing.
Scythe Kama Flow2 SP0825FDB12M - 2200 RPM/30.67 CFM/25.9 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, fluid dynamic bearing.
Scythe Kama Flow2 SP0825FDB12H - 2900 RPM/39.96 CFM/32.2 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, fluid dynamic bearing.
Scythe S-Flex SFF80B - 1500 RPM/21.5 CFM/12.2 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, fluid dynamic bearing.
Scythe S-Flex SFF80C - 2000 RPM/28.7 CFM/20 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, fluid dynamic bearing.
Scythe S-Flex SFF80D - 2800 RPM/40.2 CFM/32.4 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, fluid dynamic bearing.
Yate Loon Low Speed D80SL-12 - 2000 RPM/25 CFM/26 DBA, 3-pin power connector, sleeve bearings. Great cheap fan.
Yate Loon Medium Speed D80SM-12 - 2200 RPM/27 CFM/29 DBA, 3-pin power connector, sleeve bearings. Great cheap fan.
80mm x 80mm x 38mm Fans Delta TFB0812UHE - 8000 RPM/106.26 CFM/65 DBA, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Delta PFB0812UHE - 7500 RPM/107.30 CFM/61 DBA, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Vantec TD8038H - 5700 RPM/84.1 CFM/55.2 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, dual ball bearings.
92mm x 92mm x 25mm Fans Delta AFB0912L - 1800 RPM/37.25 CFM/25 DBA, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Delta AFB0912SH - 4800 RPM/102.59 CFM/53 DBA, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Delta FFB0912SH - 4100 RPM/90.02 CFM/50 DBA, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Noctua NF-B9 - 1600 RPM/37.8 CFM/19.8 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, SSO bearing.
Panaflo Ultra Quiet FBA09A12L1BX - 2100 RPM/42.7 CFM/27 DBA, 3-pin power connector, hydro wave bearing.
Panaflo Medium Speed FBA09A12M1BX - 2450 RPM/48 CFM/30 DBA, 3-pin power connector, hydro wave bearing.
Panaflo High Speed FBA09A12H1BX - 2850 RPM/56.8 CFM/35 DBA, 3-pin power connector, hydro wave bearing.
Sanyo Denki San Ace 109P0912M401 - 2100 RPM/36.7 CFM/27 DBA, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Scythe GentleTyphoon D0925C12B1AP-12 - 1700 RPM/25 CFM/13 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, dual ball bearings.
Scythe GentleTyphoon D0925C12B1AP-13 - 2150 RPM/34 CFM/20 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, dual ball bearings.
Scythe GentleTyphoon D0925C12B1AP-14 - 2650 RPM/41 CFM/26 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, dual ball bearings.
Scythe Kama Flow2 SP0925FDB12L - 1200 RPM/21.39 CFM/16.9 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, fluid dynamic bearing.
Scythe Kama Flow2 SP0925FDB12M - 1700 RPM/30.31 CFM/24.4 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, fluid dynamic bearing.
Scythe Kama Flow2 SP0925FDB12H - 2200 RPM/40.32 CFM/29.5 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, fluid dynamic bearing.
Scythe S-Flex SFF92A - 1000 RPM/21.6 CFM/9.4 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, fluid dynamic bearing.
Scythe S-Flex SFF92B - 1500 RPM/32.4 CFM/17.4 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, fluid dynamic bearing.
Scythe S-Flex SFF92C - 2000 RPM/43.2 CFM/25.3 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, fluid dynamic bearing.
Scythe S-Flex SFF92D - 2500 RPM/54 CFM/33.3 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, fluid dynamic bearing.
92mm x 92mm x 38mm Fans Delta TFB0912GHE - 5400 RPM/126.48 CFM/59.2 DBA, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Delta TFB0912UHE - 6000 RPM/142.20 CFM/62 DBA, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Delta PFB0912DHE - 8000 RPM/175.03 CFM/66.5 DBA, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Vantec TD9238H - 4800 RPM/119 CFM/56.4 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, dual ball bearings.
120mm x 120mm x 25mm Fans Delta FFB1212EH - 4000 RPM/150.33 CFM/56.4 DBA, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Noctua NF-P12 - 1300 RPM/54.3 CFM/19.8 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, SSO bearing (magnetic fluid bearing).
Noctua NF-F12 - 1500 RPM/55 CFM/22.4 DBA, 2.61 mmH2O static pressure, 4-pin PWM connector, SSO2 bearing (magnetic fluid bearing)
Sanyo Denki San Ace 9S1212H4011 - 2700 RPM/86.5 CFM/36 DBA, 4.572 mmH20 static pressure, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Sanyo Denki San Ace 9G1212H4011 - 2850 RPM/88 CFM/40 DBA, 6.5278 mmH20 static pressure, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Scythe GentleTyphoon D1225C12B1AP-11 - 500 RPM/18 CFM/5 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, dual ball bearings.
Scythe GentleTyphoon D1225C12B2AP-12 - 800 RPM/28 CFM/9 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, dual ball bearings.
Scythe GentleTyphoon D1225C12B2AP-13 - 1150 RPM/37 CFM/16 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, dual ball bearings.
Scythe GentleTyphoon D1225C12B2AP-14 - 1450 RPM/50 CFM/21 DBA, 1.2954 mmH20 static pressure, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, dual ball bearings.
Scythe Webpage Scythe GentleTyphoon D1225C12B2AP-15 - 1850 RPM/57 CFM/28 DBA, 2.0574 mmH20 static pressure, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, dual ball bearings.
Scythe Webpage Scythe GentleTyphoon D1225C12B6AP-0A - 2150 RPM/69 CFM/30 DBA, 2.8702 mmH20 static pressure
Scythe GentleTyphoon D1225C12B7AP-29 - 3000 RPM/83 CFM/36.5 DBA, 5.08 mmH20 static pressure, 4-pin PWM connector, dual ball bearings.
Scythe GentleTyphoon D1225C12B9AP-30 - 4250 RPM/116.5 CFM/44 DBA, 9.652 mmH20 static pressure, 4-pin PWM connector, dual ball bearings.
Scythe GentleTyphoon D1225C12BBAP-31 - 5400 RPM/150 CFM/50.5 DBA, 15.24 mmH20 static pressure, 4-pin PWM connector, dual ball bearings.
Thermalright TR-FDB-800 - 800 RPM/30.5 CFM/13.1 DBA, 3-pin power connector, fluid dynamic bearing.
Thermalright TR-FDB-1000 - 1000 RPM/38.9 CFM/15.8 DBA, 3-pin power connector, fluid dynamic bearing.
Thermalright TR-FDB-1300 - 1300 RPM/50 CFM/24.1 DBA, 3-pin power connector, fluid dynamic bearing.
Thermalright TR-FDB-1600 - 1600 RPM/63.7 CFM/28 DBA, 3-pin power connector, fluid dynamic bearing.
Thermalright TR-FDB-2000 - 2000 RPM/80.5 CFM/37 DBA, 3-pin power connector, fluid dynamic bearing.
Xigmatek XSF-F1251 - 1800 RPM/72 CFM/24 DBA, 3-pin power connector, one ball bearing and one sleeve bearing. Good cheap fan.
Yate Loon Low Speed D12SL-12 - 1350 RPM/47 CFM/28 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, sleeve bearings. Good cheap fan.
Yate Loon Medium Speed D12SM-12 - 1650 RPM/70.5 CFM/33 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, sleeve bearings. Good cheap fan.
Yate Loon High Speed D12SH-12 - 2200 RPM/88 CFM/40 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, sleeve bearings. Good cheap fan.
120mm x 120mm x 38mm Fans Delta FFB1212EHE - 4000 RPM/190 CFM/59 DBA, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Delta TFB1212GHE - 4600 RPM/220.01 CFM/65 DBA, 26.44 mmH20 static pressure, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Delta PFB1212GHE - 4800 RPM/217.8 CFM/62 DBA, 27.308 mmH20 static pressure, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Delta PFB1212UHE - 5500 RPM/252.85 CFM/66.5 DBA, 35.877 mmH20 static pressure, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
Panaflo L1 Low Noise FBA12G12L - 1700 RPM/68.9 CFM/30 DBA, 3-pin power connector, hydro wave bearing.
Panaflo M1 Medium Volume FBA12G12M-1BX - 2100 RPM/86.5 CFM/35 DBA, 3-pin power connector, hydro wave bearing.
Panaflo H1 High Speed FBA12G12H1BX - 2500 RPM/103.8 CFM/41.5 DBA, 3-pin power connector, hydro wave bearing.
Panaflo U1 Ultra High Speed FBA12G12U - 2705 RPM/114.7 CFM/45.5 DBA, 3-pin power connector, hydro wave bearing.
Sanyo Denki San Ace 9G1212H1011 - 2600 RPM/99 CFM/39 DBA, 7.1882 mmH20 static pressure, 3-pin power connector, ball bearing.
140mm Fans The only fans here are 140mm x 140mm x 25mm fans, with one exception. This is because it's almost impossible to obtain 140mm x 140mm x 38mm fans. So obviously 120mm fans are better for high performance cooling, and overall there are more high end 120mm fans than there are 140mm fans.
Noctua NF-A14 - 140mm x 140mm x 25mm square fan, 1500 RPM/82.5 CFM/24.6 DBA, 2.08 mmH2O static pressure, SSO2 bearing (magnetic fluid bearing).
Noctua NF-A15 - 150mm x 140mm x 25mm round fan, 1200 RPM/68 CFM/19.2 DBA, 1.51 mmH2O static pressure, SSO2 bearing (magnetic fluid bearing)
Thermalright TY-141 - 152mm x 140mm x 26.5mm round fan, 1300 RPM/73.6 CFM/21 DBA, dual ball bearing
Thermalright TY-143 - 152mm x 140mm x 26.5mm round fan, 2500 RPM/130 CFM/45 DBA (PWM, can go down as low as 600 RPM), 45 DBA
Thermalright TY-147 - 152mm x 140mm x 26.5mm round fan, 1300 RPM/73.6 CFM/21 DBA, enhanced hyper-flow bearing (high quality fluid bearing)
Thermalright TY-150 - 160mm x 140mm x 26.5mm round fan, 1100 RPM/84.2 CFM/34 DBA, dual ball bearing
Silverstone AP-141 - 140mm x 140mm x 25mm square fan, 1500 RPM/64.34 CFM/30.1 DBA, 1.55 mmH2O static pressure, fluid bearing
Yate Loon D14SL-12 - 1000 RPM/46.9 CFM/25 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, sleeve bearings. Good cheap fan.
Yate Loon D14SM-12 - 1400 RPM/62 CFM/29 DBA, 3-pin power connector w/ 4-pin adapter, sleeve bearings. Good cheap fan.
How To Acquire Delta, Nidec and Sanyo Denki Fans Delta, Nidec and Sanyo Denki are some of the very best fan manufacturers and the best choices for extremely powerful cooling. You can find some of their fans at the websites listed above, but for high prices and it's still a limited selection. So how do you go about acquiring these fans? You will have to buy them from industrial suppliers instead. They sell a wide variety of Delta, Nidec and Sanyo Denki fans for lower prices than you'd expect. They're the best choices for bulk orders. The downsides? No connectors are typically present. Just the sheathed wires so you'll have to add the connectors yourself.
- OnlineComponents - Excellent supplier for Delta fans.
- MPJA - Variety of rare fans, best site I've found for Nidec fans.
- Newark - They have tons of Sanyo Denki fans. To simplify and shorten your search, click here for a list of 120mm x 25mm fans, here are their 120mm x 38mm fans, here are their 140mm fans and you can find other, odd sized Sanyo Denki fans such as 150mm and 172mm.
So there you have it. If you have a case with those large 200+mm fans, you're better off swapping them out for multiple 120mm fans or even 140mm fans. Doing this will not only provide better airflow, but also remain just as silent if you choose your fans wisely, and improve lifespan since there are no high quality 200+mm fans. Silverstone 180mm fans are pretty good - particularly the FM-181 which is the only one with ball bearings. But their AP181 fan is even better despite using sleeve bearings. The sleeve bearings are modified so that they don't perform badly in a horizontal position. Their air penetrator fans have a grill on them to direct air. This impedes air movement drastically but improves direction.
Here is a review on the AP181 fans.
Why You Should Avoid Scythe Slipstreams and Scythe Ultra Kazes These fans are popular due to their low price and high CFM rating. But they're cheap for a reason. SlipStreams are just terrible fans. Why? Here is a list.
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Sleeve Bearings - You can see the downsides to these at the top of the post.
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Poor Static Pressure - Making it a poor choice for heat sinks and radiators. Yate Loon 120mm high speeds do a much better job at cooling, as you'll see in the links below. And Yate Loons cost even less.
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Cheap Build Quality - The motor is designed for 80mm fans. This contributes to a short lifespan. The motor will crap out before the sleeve bearings will.
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Horrible Undervolting - When undervolted, they'll make loud clicking noises and/or whining which is just annoying, and they don't stay within RPM specification.
The Ultra Kazes have the same issues, minus the build quality issues. They're not horribly built. But they undervolt terribly, have sleeve bearings and poor pressure of only about 3 mmH20 (San Ace 120mm x 25mm fans have more pressure at a lower RPM).
Here are some links you should look at, even after looking at this guide.
"The Well Dressed Megahalems - A test of 65 fans and 112 fan setups on a Prolimatech Megahalems heat sink.
Jab Tech Yates vs Petras Yates Fan Testing XtremeSystems Fan Review My Airflow Guide List of Recommended Cases My CPU Air Cooling Guide Anatomy of the Silent Fan Special thanks to Yerbuddy for making me realize a thread like this should be made.