Fan Noise & Performance test. Corsair, Cooler Master, Enermax & Fractal

[SEBAR]

This is a fan noise and performance test I did to compare several fans I have.

The test is not conducted with scientific precision and calibrated measuring tools however I tried to make the test as scientific as I could using what I have.

The noise tests were conducted late in the evening to minimize the amount of noise in the room. I am using a free version of a sound meter app I downloaded on my phone.

The app is called Sound Meter Lite and I calibrated it to -10 on my HTC Incredible.

For the noise test I conducted 3 separate tests
1. 6 inches from mic
2. 3 inches from mic
3. 0 inches from mic

Ambient Noise in the room: 44 dB
Fans Tested are:

Enermax Magma UCMA12

Fractal FD-FAN-120

T.B. Silence UCTB12N

Noctua NF-P12

Corsair SP-120

Cooler Master A12025-12CB-3BN-F1
I also tested an 80mm Cooler Master heat sink fan just to see the noise difference.

Next up is the performance test.
Fans used in the performance test are:
Enermax Magma UCMA12
Fractal FD-FAN-120
T.B. Silence UCTB12N
Corsair SP-120
Cooler Master A12025-12CB-3BN-F1
Unfortunately I only have the one Noctua NF-P12 fan and was unable to include the Noctua into the performance test.
The performance test was conducted in an open case using two fans pushing air thru an XSPC EX240 radiator connected to a fan controller set to max. The CPU used in this test is an Intel Core Two Quad Q6600 running at 3GHz, 1.325 volts.
First up is the Cooler Master A12025-12CB-3BN-F1 (Note Temp in this Picture show degrees Fahrenheit, all other show degrees Celsius.)

Next is the Corsair SP-120

Next is the Enermax Magma

Next is the Fractal FD-FAN-120

Finally the T.B. Silence UCTB12N

I took the average core temps and subtracted the ambient temperature to come up with the delta temperatures.
Fan Performance Test
Q6600 @ 3GHz
30 Minutes Prime 95 Large FFT

This chart shows delta temperatures in degrees Celsius and delta noise in decibels

Observations
As expected as the average temperatures decreased the noise increased. The best performer of the group was the Enermax Magma fans but they were also the loudest fans.
The Corsair and TB Silence fans performed similar in the temperature test but the Corsair fans where quieter.
A surprise to me was how well the Fractal fans performed in the test.

 

[seumasbeathan]

Really nice test mate

 

[SEBAR]

Thanks, I have got some Scythe SLIP STREAM SLIM in and will be putting them thru the test to see how they perform. These are very slim fans at only 12 mm thick. I will get the get the performance tests up soon.

 

[yassarikhan786]

Thanks for putting the time and effort in to the review. From the results there are no major differences in temps, but it does give a good idea of which fan has the best noise to performance ratio. The app may not be the most accurate at measuring sound, but you did the best with what you had at hand, so well done

 

[jamesriley94]

I dont think tests are accurate at all in actually determining fan noise.

No offense to Sebar intended - and thanks for doing it anyway...

But, I find people say the Scythe GTs are really quiet but in my use they just whine at you. I honestly dont believe you can decide on a fan without testing a few yourself personally and deciding which are the quietest for your situation. Even if it means you losing a few quid by reselling them on ebay - if you're really that fussy about noise and performance, that money's worth it IMO

 

[SEBAR]

Thanks for putting the time and effort in to the review. From the results there are no major differences in temps, but it does give a good idea of which fan has the best noise to performance ratio. The app may not be the most accurate at measuring sound, but you did the best with what you had at hand, so well done

I dont think tests are accurate at all in actually determining fan noise.

No offense to Sebar intended - and thanks for doing it anyway...

But, I find people say the Scythe GTs are really quiet but in my use they just whine at you. I honestly dont believe you can decide on a fan without testing a few yourself personally and deciding which are the quietest for your situation. Even if it means you losing a few quid by reselling them on ebay - if you're really that fussy about noise and performance, that money's worth it IMO

Thanks for the comments guys. I know that this is not a scientific test and should not be thought of as such. I do not own precision testing equipment for measuring sound and the temperature meter I am using is a cheapo $8 Walmart special. I think the test can still be useful for people looking at different fans to compare the performance and noise. An initial result of the Scythe Slim fans shows that they are similar to the noise level of the SP120 in noise test 1 but the performance is much less in terms of CPU temps.

Any suggestions on how I can make my test more useful or relevant will be appreciated.