Best PWM radiator fans?

HEY long time no thread



My old trusty SP120 fan that I use on my H75 is on its way out after 3ish years and two sweaty CPUS pumping out heat. I need to replace it however I'm pretty much out of the loop when it comes to fans nowadays..

So what I need-
-PWM, as I can't run a single 120 fan at a fixed voltage on my rig without deafening myself/overheating. Also it'll get left to render things out for hours on end without me being there to keep an eye on temperatures.
- As quiet as possible, both at low and at high RPMS. Currently the SP120 does this pretty well until it gets so slow it starts vibrating and making a ticking noise.
-Noctua (or similar) build quality. As above, my current fan isn't helping and the noctua that is used as a case intake is doing a much better job of not falling apart.
-No LEDs. It'll clash with the cathode case lights I'm planning on grabbing

Cost isn't an issue as its the only other fan in my rig. Ideally I'd like it to be a sutble color but at the end of the day you can't really see the fan unless you REALLY look.

Any suggestions welcome

Id go for - be quiet! SilentWings 3. Just replaced my Noctua industrial pwm fans with these. Same temps and way less sound. Plus just like you i dont like leds and these look very stealthy.

EK vardars! Totally recommended, also not as expensive as noctuas and quite silent I might say

The F4 EK Vardars are great I have 2 120's on my rad and cant hear them

Ive been using the ML120s lately and they are pretty decent. They appear to perform better than the Vardars that I have been using when at lower speeds.

I too like the EK Vardars got 4 on my H110i GT and can say they are quiet whilst moving a fair amount of air

Vardars for me. I had tried the ML120 and returned them being disappointed with the noise. Good performers though.

Fractal Design Venturi or Vardars and no stupid RGB or LED lights

I find the motor noise on the vardars very noticable.

If youre clued up to set them up right the ML's are going to be the quietest performers.

tinytomlogan said:

I find the motor noise on the vardars very noticable.

If you're clued up to set them up right the ML's are going to be the quietest performers.

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Could you share what that setup might be oh knowledgeable one?

SuB said:

Could you share what that setup might be oh knowledgeable one?

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Well 100% fans youre going to get wind noise. The ML bit basically eradicates any motor noise, it doesnt make them 100% silent which is a common misconception.

Ive got Vardars in RRR and the ML's in the GPU bench rig so Ive done a side by side and the ML's are quieter while delivering the same cooling performance.

tinytomlogan said:

Well 100% fans youre going to get wind noise. The ML bit basically eradicates any motor noise, it doesnt make them 100% silent which is a common misconception.

Ive got Vardars in RRR and the ML's in the GPU bench rig so Ive done a side by side and the ML's are quieter while delivering the same cooling performance.

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interesting definitely gonna give them a try when I next rebuild and need fans

Ok so it looks like EK Vadars or these new ML fans. I've really not had the best experience with my SP fans but seeing how everyone says they're much better built I probably should atleast consider them. I run dual reference cards in a case with little airflow so I can put up with a bit of noise under load..

barnsley said:

Ok so it looks like EK Vadars or these new ML fans. I've really not had the best experience with my SP fans but seeing how everyone says they're much better built I probably should atleast consider them. I run dual reference cards in a case with little airflow so I can put up with a bit of noise under load..

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Just keep the RPMs low, after a certain point, it just makes more noise that its performance is worth. I like mine at ~1000RPM.