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Best Case Fan (this should be fun)
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31. October 2009 @ 19:45 |
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I am looking to stock up on a bunch of replacement case fans for my four CM-690 cases. I am looking for the best combination of quietness and air flow. I am not looking for high-pressure processor cooling fans, but low-pressure case fans (different designs depending on whether you are trying to push air through tightly-spaced cooling fins or trying to push lots of air into a case).
My standard of reference (and the fans I am replacing) is the common CoolerMaster R4-S2S-12AK-GP. In a nutshell, it's a common 12 cm 20 dBA 40 CFM case fan. I don't want my replacements to be a whole lot noisier than these, but I want them to push a lot more air.
My 12 cm candidates:
XIGMATEK XSF-F1251
Scythe SY1225SL12M
My 14 cm candidates:
XIGMATEK XLF-F1455
Scythe SY1425SL12M
I was also looking at Noctua, but their new fans appear to be designed for high-pressure (processor cooling) applications.
The XIGMATIC fans look very good on paper, but the Scythe fans have an excellent reputation. How do these fans hold up and compare in the real world?
Dick
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AfterDawn Addict
1 product review
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2. November 2009 @ 03:14 |
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I like the new Sharkoon fans a lot...but they are a pain in the *** to get unless you live in Germany or Austria.
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2. November 2009 @ 12:40 |
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Originally posted by KillerBug:
I like the new Sharkoon fans a lot...but they are a pain in the *** to get unless you live in Germany or Austria.
Apparently Amazon.co.uk has them in stock. So far I haven't found any in NA.
Dick
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3. November 2009 @ 04:49 |
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Originally posted by k7vc:
Originally posted by KillerBug:
I like the new Sharkoon fans a lot...but they are a pain in the *** to get unless you live in Germany or Austria.
Apparently Amazon.co.uk has them in stock. So far I haven't found any in NA.
Dick
Yeah...I'm thinking of buying a few of them and having them shipped over...the old version of the fan was great, and they claim the new ones are both quieter and more powerfull. The only things keeping me from making the order are:
1.) I hate amazon, and feel guilty about buying anything from them.
2.) My old SilentX fans are still running strong & quiet...I think they have actually gotten quieter since they were new.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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5. November 2009 @ 10:15 |
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Originally posted by KillerBug:
I like the new Sharkoon fans a lot...but they are a pain in the *** to get unless you live in Germany or Austria.
Or the UK. But don't bother. I had a Sharkoon case fan, and the bearings lasted all of six weeks before degrading. The Antec tricools I bought suffered the same issue. Every scythe fan I've ever owned (and that's quite a few) have been perfect and some are approaching a couple of years old.
Noctua's fans are pretty dire really, they have a design flaw in the bearings that means they become twice as loud after 4-5 days of use. Noctua don't seem to have noticed.
Overall I'd always vote for Scythe. Expensive, but worth the money.
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5. November 2009 @ 22:12 |
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I had asked for some advice some time ago and Sam had the same opinion about the Scythe.
I agreed and currently have 2 Scythe SFF21F(1600rpm) as optional Case fans (Antec Twelve Hundred) and 2 Scythe SFF21G(1900rpm)on my BRUTAL heatsink (Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme) .
I have to say, they are A1!
*Intel® Core?2 Quad Processor Q9450 (12M Cache, 2.66 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB) laid with Shinetsu Microsis Thermal Paste***** Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme with 2 x Scythe "S-FLEX?" S-FDB 120mm Quiet FAN (SFF21G)(1900 RPM)***** GigaByte EX38-DS4 with F6C AHCI BIOS***** OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 2x2 GB***** 2 x MSI R3870X2-T2D1G in Crossfire Mode***** Antec Twelve Hundred with 2 x Scythe "S-FLEX?" S-FDB 120mm Quiet FAN (SFF21F)(1600 RPM)as optional fans***** PSU Coolermaster Real Power Pro 1250W (RS-C50-EMBA-D2)***** 5 x Samsung Spinpoint 1TB (HD103UJ)(3 on RAID 5 Win 7 X64 and 2 on RAID 0 Win XP X64)***** Pioneer DVR-215D***** Monitor 1 Hannspree Verona 22" Widescreen Monitor (1680x1050)***** Monitor 2 Sony Bravia KDL-46W4500 46" (1920x1080)* |
AfterDawn Addict
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5. November 2009 @ 22:14 |
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Mmhmm, S-Flexes are pretty amazing for pressured airflow. Overall, the Slipstreams seem to be better by specification. I should have some arriving tomorrow or Saturday so I will let you know how good they are (I bought 6 :P)
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5. November 2009 @ 22:29 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
Mmhmm, S-Flexes are pretty amazing for pressured airflow. Overall, the Slipstreams seem to be better by specification. I should have some arriving tomorrow or Saturday so I will let you know how good they are (I bought 6 :P)
I'll be waiting for your view into those.
At least 2 things about PC's are not that expensive:
Thermal Paste and Fans!
*Intel® Core?2 Quad Processor Q9450 (12M Cache, 2.66 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB) laid with Shinetsu Microsis Thermal Paste***** Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme with 2 x Scythe "S-FLEX?" S-FDB 120mm Quiet FAN (SFF21G)(1900 RPM)***** GigaByte EX38-DS4 with F6C AHCI BIOS***** OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 2x2 GB***** 2 x MSI R3870X2-T2D1G in Crossfire Mode***** Antec Twelve Hundred with 2 x Scythe "S-FLEX?" S-FDB 120mm Quiet FAN (SFF21F)(1600 RPM)as optional fans***** PSU Coolermaster Real Power Pro 1250W (RS-C50-EMBA-D2)***** 5 x Samsung Spinpoint 1TB (HD103UJ)(3 on RAID 5 Win 7 X64 and 2 on RAID 0 Win XP X64)***** Pioneer DVR-215D***** Monitor 1 Hannspree Verona 22" Widescreen Monitor (1680x1050)***** Monitor 2 Sony Bravia KDL-46W4500 46" (1920x1080)* |
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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5. November 2009 @ 22:48 |
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Actually, these six fans cost me £47 for the set, they're not especially cheap.
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5. November 2009 @ 22:58 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
Actually, these six fans cost me £47 for the set, they're not especially cheap.
That's about 8 quid each.
Imagine 6 of any other component....
*Intel® Core?2 Quad Processor Q9450 (12M Cache, 2.66 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB) laid with Shinetsu Microsis Thermal Paste***** Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme with 2 x Scythe "S-FLEX?" S-FDB 120mm Quiet FAN (SFF21G)(1900 RPM)***** GigaByte EX38-DS4 with F6C AHCI BIOS***** OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 2x2 GB***** 2 x MSI R3870X2-T2D1G in Crossfire Mode***** Antec Twelve Hundred with 2 x Scythe "S-FLEX?" S-FDB 120mm Quiet FAN (SFF21F)(1600 RPM)as optional fans***** PSU Coolermaster Real Power Pro 1250W (RS-C50-EMBA-D2)***** 5 x Samsung Spinpoint 1TB (HD103UJ)(3 on RAID 5 Win 7 X64 and 2 on RAID 0 Win XP X64)***** Pioneer DVR-215D***** Monitor 1 Hannspree Verona 22" Widescreen Monitor (1680x1050)***** Monitor 2 Sony Bravia KDL-46W4500 46" (1920x1080)* |
AfterDawn Addict
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5. November 2009 @ 22:58 |
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Very true. My S-Flexes cost me £37 just for 3, back in the 'good old days'.
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5. November 2009 @ 23:00 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
Very true. My S-Flexes cost me £37 just for 3, back in the 'good old days'.
Bargain mate! Mine were about £44.
I need to improve my "shopping around"!
*Intel® Core?2 Quad Processor Q9450 (12M Cache, 2.66 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB) laid with Shinetsu Microsis Thermal Paste***** Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme with 2 x Scythe "S-FLEX?" S-FDB 120mm Quiet FAN (SFF21G)(1900 RPM)***** GigaByte EX38-DS4 with F6C AHCI BIOS***** OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 2x2 GB***** 2 x MSI R3870X2-T2D1G in Crossfire Mode***** Antec Twelve Hundred with 2 x Scythe "S-FLEX?" S-FDB 120mm Quiet FAN (SFF21F)(1600 RPM)as optional fans***** PSU Coolermaster Real Power Pro 1250W (RS-C50-EMBA-D2)***** 5 x Samsung Spinpoint 1TB (HD103UJ)(3 on RAID 5 Win 7 X64 and 2 on RAID 0 Win XP X64)***** Pioneer DVR-215D***** Monitor 1 Hannspree Verona 22" Widescreen Monitor (1680x1050)***** Monitor 2 Sony Bravia KDL-46W4500 46" (1920x1080)* |
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5. November 2009 @ 23:02 |
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Originally posted by floss313:
Originally posted by sammorris:
Very true. My S-Flexes cost me £37 just for 3, back in the 'good old days'.
Bargain mate! Mine were about £44.
I need to improve my "shopping around"!
Ooops!
Mine was for 4.
OK. you need to imrove your "shopping around" skills. :)
*Intel® Core?2 Quad Processor Q9450 (12M Cache, 2.66 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB) laid with Shinetsu Microsis Thermal Paste***** Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme with 2 x Scythe "S-FLEX?" S-FDB 120mm Quiet FAN (SFF21G)(1900 RPM)***** GigaByte EX38-DS4 with F6C AHCI BIOS***** OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 2x2 GB***** 2 x MSI R3870X2-T2D1G in Crossfire Mode***** Antec Twelve Hundred with 2 x Scythe "S-FLEX?" S-FDB 120mm Quiet FAN (SFF21F)(1600 RPM)as optional fans***** PSU Coolermaster Real Power Pro 1250W (RS-C50-EMBA-D2)***** 5 x Samsung Spinpoint 1TB (HD103UJ)(3 on RAID 5 Win 7 X64 and 2 on RAID 0 Win XP X64)***** Pioneer DVR-215D***** Monitor 1 Hannspree Verona 22" Widescreen Monitor (1680x1050)***** Monitor 2 Sony Bravia KDL-46W4500 46" (1920x1080)* |
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6. November 2009 @ 00:36 |
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Originally posted by floss313:
Imagine 6 of any other component....
How about ramsinks or SATA cables...these are cheap too.
I actualy liked my Scythe fan (other than the speed controler and the wiring). However, one of their crummy heatsinks damaged one of my mainboards and they refused even to replace the defective heatsink, let alone the board (the plate behind the mainboard had a plastic-like part that melted (chip temp was under 40C), causing the metal part to short the board). Ever since, I have not been able to trust them. I still like my SilentX fans more anyway.
I guess I got lucky with my Sharkoon...it has been working fine for me for about two years of running 24/7 other than upgrades.
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6. November 2009 @ 00:53 |
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Originally posted by KillerBug:
Originally posted by floss313:
Imagine 6 of any other component....
How about ramsinks or SATA cables...these are cheap too.
quote]Cammon' guys. Let's just leave it at 2 cheap components or else people might actually think this VERY EXPENSIVE hobby is actually very reasonable. :)
*Intel® Core?2 Quad Processor Q9450 (12M Cache, 2.66 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB) laid with Shinetsu Microsis Thermal Paste***** Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme with 2 x Scythe "S-FLEX?" S-FDB 120mm Quiet FAN (SFF21G)(1900 RPM)***** GigaByte EX38-DS4 with F6C AHCI BIOS***** OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 2x2 GB***** 2 x MSI R3870X2-T2D1G in Crossfire Mode***** Antec Twelve Hundred with 2 x Scythe "S-FLEX?" S-FDB 120mm Quiet FAN (SFF21F)(1600 RPM)as optional fans***** PSU Coolermaster Real Power Pro 1250W (RS-C50-EMBA-D2)***** 5 x Samsung Spinpoint 1TB (HD103UJ)(3 on RAID 5 Win 7 X64 and 2 on RAID 0 Win XP X64)***** Pioneer DVR-215D***** Monitor 1 Hannspree Verona 22" Widescreen Monitor (1680x1050)***** Monitor 2 Sony Bravia KDL-46W4500 46" (1920x1080)* |
AfterDawn Addict
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6. November 2009 @ 07:36 |
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I don't really like Scythe's heatsinks, for mainly the reason they described. Their fans however, are top notch. I would never buy SilenX as all their recent products are absolute crap.
So far so good with the Slipstreams, they seem rather prone to speed changes at full speed, but they're so noisy at full speed anyway that you wouldn't really care. At low speed they seem pretty stable. The amount of air they move is vast.
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28. November 2009 @ 21:42 |
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Originally posted by KillerBug:
I like the new Sharkoon fans a lot...but they are a pain in the *** to get unless you live in Germany or Austria.
I just received the following response from Sharkoon:
Quote:
Dear Dick,
We are Sharkoon's exclusive distributor in USA. SE series fans will be available mid December in USA. I will contact you once it is available.
Eunice Huang <euniceh@duramicro.com>
Dick
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Xplorer4
Senior Member
4 product reviews
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29. November 2009 @ 14:33 |
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I just go my Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F the other day and it is amazing! Its quiet and moves alot more air then my stock Thermaltake Mozart TX case fans do. The stock fans barley move a piece of paper but the Scythe bends it in half.
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AfterDawn Addict
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29. November 2009 @ 15:31 |
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Yeah stock Thermaltake fans are terrible.
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29. November 2009 @ 23:32 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
Yeah stock Thermaltake fans are terrible.
They are not good at electronics and moving parts.
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Xplorer4
Senior Member
4 product reviews
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30. November 2009 @ 01:34 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
Yeah stock Thermaltake fans are terrible.
Even there aftermarket fans suck.
The only thing I need to decide now is weather to put the SFF21E or the SFF21F in my case. Im using the 21F on the CPU Cooler but 21Es are cheaper.
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30. November 2009 @ 02:06 |
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Originally posted by Xplorer4:
The only thing I need to decide now is weather to put the SFF21E or the SFF21F in my case. Im using the 21F on the CPU Cooler but 21Es are cheaper.
From what I've been reading elsewhere, put in the 21F. If they turn out to be too noisy, replace them with the 21Es. Otherwise, leave them in. NewEgg is offering them with free shipping.
Dick
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30. November 2009 @ 08:21 |
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Quote:
Even there aftermarket fans suck.
That's because they're the same as their stock fans :P
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Xplorer4
Senior Member
4 product reviews
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30. November 2009 @ 15:36 |
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Well the aftermarkets pump out alot more air but there alot more noiser to!
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1. December 2009 @ 02:47 |
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Originally posted by Xplorer4:
Well the aftermarkets pump out alot more air but there alot more noiser to!
The fan in a ps2 pumps out almost as much air as a stock thermaltake fan!
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