First WC Loop - PWM Fans / Splitter PCBs and more!

[Brian18741]

Hey Guys, I'm new!

I'm going to put this here;

----tl;dr----Best fans for quiet watercooling set up and how to controll them without 5.25" fan controller?!


Anyhoo. Planning my first loop at the moment. Have it pretty much speced out but need help with the fans.

Vital statistics:

• 3570k and R9 290 crossfire.
  
• XSPC Raystorm and two EK FC gpu waterblocks.
  
• EK-D5 Vario X-RES 140 pump/res combo.
  
• Tubing will be acrylic, unsure about diameter and fittings, something like 1012mm ID/OD and Bitspower Black Sparkle.
  
• Aplhacool XT45 360mm rad push/pull and ST30 240mm rad push config.
  
• 8 SP120 quiet edition*
  

Now, how to control the fans? Before we get too into it, I will have no 5.25" bays so no option for 3rd party fan controllers.

Can I connect all fans to something like a Swiftech 8 way PWM fan controller PCB and have all fans PWM controlled by the CPU? The Swiftech PCB takes power from a molex connector so that should take the load off of the CPU fan header and eliminate the risk of the header burning a hole in the motherboard, correct?

But is it ok to have the fans PWM controlled my the CPU temps when there will be two GPUs in the loop as well? Will the GPUs suffer as a result as their load may be a lot higher than the CPUs.

Or is the fact the GPUs will be connected to a 45mm thick 360 rad and a 30mm thick 240 rad mean they are going to be substantially cooler regardless as long as the CPU is being cooled?


-----OR-----


I have an NZXT Phantom 410 with inbuilt fan controller. If I use something like a Molex powered Mod My Toys fan splitter PCB, can I regulate the voltage with the inbuilt fan controller in the case? This PCB is also power by molex so how could I use that in conjunction with the inbuilt fan controller? Realistically I would only need two steps, low and high.



-----FINALLY-----


About the fans. I've heard of problems with PWM SP120s when several are used, see quote:

The reason not to use the Corsairs, is that they do not conform to the Intel PWM standard, and once you have more than a few of them on a mobo CPU header, they loose lower speed control, and with enough of them, they just ran at max no matter what the pulse width percentage is.

If not SP120s, what fan to use? I was also looking at eloquently named Noiseblocker Eloop B12-PS or the Alpenföhn Wing Boost Plus PWM.

Noctua NF-F12 PWM 120mm Focused Flow PWM and the Sythe Gentle Typhoon AP15 (PWN version?) are regularly recommended but that will require painting them as I'm going for a black and white theme. So I'll do it if I have but would like to cut down the work load a bit as I'll be making all custom cables, an acrylic PSU cover, not to mention the acrylic loop and modding the bejeebus out of the Phantom 410 to get everything to fit in!

Thanks for your help in advance!

 

[Mr. Smith]

Hey Guys, I'm new!

I'm going to put this here;

----tl;dr----Best fans for quiet watercooling set up and how to controll them without 5.25" fan controller?!


Anyhoo. Planning my first loop at the moment. Have it pretty much speced out but need help with the fans.

Vital statistics:

• 
  
• 3570k and R9 290 crossfire.
  
• XSPC Raystorm and two EK FC gpu waterblocks.
  
• EK-D5 Vario X-RES 140 pump/res combo.
  
• Tubing will be acrylic, unsure about diameter and fittings, something like 1012mm ID/OD and Bitspower Black Sparkle.
  
• Aplhacool XT45 360mm rad push/pull and ST30 240mm rad push config.
  
• 8 SP120 quiet edition*
  

Now, how to control the fans? Before we get too into it, I will have no 5.25" bays so no option for 3rd party fan controllers.

Can I connect all fans to something like a Swiftech 8 way PWM fan controller PCB and have all fans PWM controlled by the CPU? The Swiftech PCB takes power from a molex connector so that should take the load off of the CPU fan header and eliminate the risk of the header burning a hole in the motherboard, correct?

But is it ok to have the fans PWM controlled my the CPU temps when there will be two GPUs in the loop as well? Will the GPUs suffer as a result as their load may be a lot higher than the CPUs.

Or is the fact the GPUs will be connected to a 45mm thick 360 rad and a 30mm thick 240 rad mean they are going to be substantially cooler regardless as long as the CPU is being cooled?


-----OR-----


I have an NZXT Phantom 410 with inbuilt fan controller. If I use something like a Molex powered Mod My Toys fan splitter PCB, can I regulate the voltage with the inbuilt fan controller in the case? This PCB is also power by molex so how could I use that in conjunction with the inbuilt fan controller? Realistically I would only need two steps, low and high.



-----FINALLY-----


About the fans. I've heard of problems with PWM SP120s when several are used, see quote:



If not SP120s, what fan to use? I was also looking at eloquently named Noiseblocker Eloop B12-PS or the Alpenföhn Wing Boost Plus PWM.

Noctua NF-F12 PWM 120mm Focused Flow PWM and the Sythe Gentle Typhoon AP15 (PWN version?) are regularly recommended but that will require painting them as I'm going for a black and white theme. So I'll do it if I have but would like to cut down the work load a bit as I'll be making all custom cables, an acrylic PSU cover, not to mention the acrylic loop and modding the bejeebus out of the Phantom 410 to get everything to fit in!

Thanks for your help in advance!

Pick whichever option you like best. I vote for the swiftech style pwm controller and the skythe GTs - best fans available.

 

[KING_OF_SAND]

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1...Dynamic_Bearings_AK-FN059.html?tl=g36c365s936

This fan is a much better RAD fan than the one you picked. Almost 2x better spec wise.

 

[Mr. Smith]

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1...Dynamic_Bearings_AK-FN059.html?tl=g36c365s936

This fan is a much better RAD fan than the one you picked. Almost 2x better spec wise.

Specs on paper are meaningless

 

[KING_OF_SAND]

Specs on paper are meaningless

Specs on paper is about all you have to go by. Also I have personally tested both the 120mm and 140mm version of this fan and they are AMAZING! On my H55 cooler I got about a 15 degree drop over stock and on my H90 about a 10 degree drop. And the fans are dead quiet. My Corsair SP fans sadly never did better and were significantly louder to produce the same results. And I have a metric crap ton of the SP fans lol. And the Noctua Radiator fans just suck. They are quiet but have terrible performance from my experience.

 

[Mr. Smith]

Specs on paper is about all you have to go by. Also I have personally tested both the 120mm and 140mm version of this fan and they are AMAZING! On my H55 cooler I got about a 15 degree drop over stock and on my H90 about a 10 degree drop. And the fans are dead quiet. My Corsair SP fans sadly never did better and were significantly louder to produce the same results. And I have a metric crap ton of the SP fans lol. And the Noctua Radiator fans just suck. They are quiet but have terrible performance from my experience.

Did you read the link? You can easily find websites such as the one I linked which specialise in watercooling testing. These aren't some rubbish tests with free standing fans and dodgy phone apps to measure noise/pressure etc.

Honestly, really informative site; the guy knows his fans!

From memory I think the fans you like are on the list of decent fans, but the GT is by far the best and the current 'champ'.

 

[paulstung]

I'm running both the 120mm and the 140mm Vipers in my build all @ 7v, and are very quiet, my pump is louder ( PMP500 ) but I like that, I recently had 2 D5's fail, so it is nice to be able to hear the pump.

I haven't got much go go on with hat to compare them to, performance wise, but I'm very happy with my temps.

 

[Brian18741]

Thanks guys. I have since decided on the Swiftech PWM controller.

Is there a PWM version of Gentle Typhoons ? I haven't seen one and they are hard to find now a days also.

I was looking at the Enermax T.B.Silence PWM or the Akasa Apache Super Silent PWM

I also found the Swiftech Helix 120 PWM which looks very similar to a GT and was marketed as the fan to knock GT's off their pedestal but I can't find any solid reviews or a European e-tailer.

Overall though I think I'm leaning towards the Akasa fans.

I would like to paint them though, leave the frames black and paint the impellers white. Reading mixed reviews about painting fan blades, anyone any experience?