One of my case fans is getting quite noisy. I cleaned it and it became okay for sometime but now is starting to get loud again. Since those things are quite cheap, I'll probably just be buying a new one. But since I never bought any of those fans before but always went with what came with the casing I could use your advice with what to buy. Is there any particular brand that is good or anything that I should avoid? I'm looking for something cheap nothing fancy just so long as it is reasonably quiet. It's a standard 80mmx80mm fan. TIA.

[ 05-24-2007, 12:46 PM: Message edited by: ZFR ]

Well there are some high end brands... such as SilenX that make very good, silent fans... but you probably don't need anything that expensive. You'll be fine with whatever you buy. Only people really looking for the quietest computer they can get need buy the high-end models.

How loud is 20dB?

First off, all sound measurements include a distance factor. Typically it's taken at 18" through 36", but since it's not a one to one relationship, twice as far away is probably one tenth the full effect.

TBOMK, 20 dB is less than the base sound of a basic PC's combination of sounds from CPU cooler, drives, and PSU fan.

Lastly, and not for the OP, but for the rest of the readers, I was thinking I recalled a forum here where PC hardware technical talk was the subject, but I seem to be wrong. Unless it got so little message traffic that it was killed during one of my less active periods.

<font color=8fbc8f>WOW! [img]graemlins/wow.gif[/img] Kiwi, good stuff there. Have not seen that style since I left the over-clockers club a couple years back! We have had some good threads here, but not a dedicated forum, just mainly here in the GD.

20db is not obtrusive to a normal case, which it seems that is what you have. However, a 20db fan mounted in the front with an air restriction will create more noise to the user than the advertised 20db. Additionally, if the case is mounted high on the desk with a bottom mounted fan, again it will be louder to the user. If it's mounted in the back, has no obstructions, and blows out like an exhaust and has at least 10" before it hits a solid surface it will be quite.

Sadly a lot of people never consider placement of the case in relation to the overall noise displacement and more importantly, the airflow considerations. Restricted airflow is the major factor that most users do not consider when troubleshooting hot, loud, or noisy PCs.

Just a local shop with a standard 80mm fan will be just fine.

FYI: The body of a fan has a label side, and an open side. The label side is the push or exhaust side. The open side is the pull or intake side. Usually front, side and low mounted fans are intake. Rear, high or top out (blow hole) fans are exhaust (label visible).</font>

You said it yourself....those things are quite cheap lately, which is true. So why don't you go for the highest priced one?

Whatever you choose, go for the ball-bearing type. They last longer and are generally more quiet.