Fan setup suggestions for the HAF 922

[CluelessBloke]

Hi,

I have a Coolermaster HAF 912 case, and my computer specs are as follows:

• Asrock N68C-S mobo
• AMD Athlon II X4 640
• Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 pro
• 8GB (2x4GB) Corsair Vengeance DDR3 RAM
• PowerColor HD 6870 1GB GPU
• Coolermaster GX 650w PSU
• Running Win7 Ultimate

I also have 7x HDD's in the case (soon to be 6x HDD's and an SSD for the OS when I get time to install it). Anyway that's the spec..

The case had two stock fans- front (160mm x 180mm?), and rear 120mm x 120mm.

The rear case fan wasn't very quiet however, so I went ahead and purchased a 'Sharkoon silent eagle' (120mm). This isn't actually as 'silent' as its name suggests, but it does seem to create better airflow and it has reduced noise levels slightly.

What I'd like help with, is finding an ideal fan setup for my case which will keep it as quiet as possible, but also keep it cool (I use the computer for gaming/ using resource-hungry programs like the Adobe suite). I know there's going to need to be a compromise, and I'm fine with that, but I think I'd prefer it to be more geared towards the silent side, rather than performance.

My questions are:

• Do I need a side or top fan? If so what sizes do I need and should they blow air in to the case or suck it out?
• Should the rear fan be sucking air into the case or blowing it out?
• Can I replace the fan on the Arctic Cooling Freezer to a Sharkoon (because the freezer fan is the noisiest of the lot!)
• What is the actual size of the front case fan? (I'd like to replace this as this isn't very quiet either)

I'm open to any suggestions as I am clueless when it comes to building computers, I just know how to use them

Thanks
Tom

 

[Leeky]

Lol, lovely username Tom.

I don't think you're going to get the case as quiet as I know you'd like, but as I've said before, maybe your best option is a fan controller, so you can turn down the noise when your working and then increase the fans for when your gaming to provide additional cooling performance.

If a controller isn't an option, I'd probably pip for Noctua NF-S12B FLX Ultra Quiet 120mm fans (one in top, one in side and one in the rear -- all as exhaust) as 60CFM @ 18dB is about the best you'll get for "silent" fans. Not cheap though, but will last years and years.

Combined with the intake fan at the front of the case and the other three all running as exhaust will cause the case to run negative air pressure, which is exactly how I ran my HAF 912+ -- The downside is the case will get dusty inside faster, but it will suck out heat much faster and run the computer cooler in my experience.

 

[slh28]

You realise HAF stands for "high air flow" right? Hence they're not really known for being quiet...

I agree with Leeky, by far the best thing you can do is to buy a fan controller, and turn the fans down when you're not gaming or stressing the PC. Aftermarket fans will be a bit quieter but not silent if you're running them at max speed all the time.

Looking at some pictures of your Freezer 7 Pro I don't think you can fit a different fan on there because it seems you need to have a clip on the fan.

The best aftermarket fans I've used are the Scythe Gentle Tyhpoons, I've got 1850rpm ones in my case and radiator. Again, they're not silent running at the full 1850rpm but turn them down to 700-800rpm and they're inaudible while still pushing a good amount of air. By the way ignore all the claimed CFM and dB ratings on fans, they are often laughably incorrect (some manufacturers more than others).

 

[CluelessBloke]

Lol, lovely username Tom.

I don't think you're going to get the case as quiet as I know you'd like, but as I've said before, maybe your best option is a fan controller, so you can turn down the noise when your working and then increase the fans for when your gaming to provide additional cooling performance.

If a controller isn't an option, I'd probably pip for Noctua NF-S12B FLX Ultra Quiet 120mm fans (one in top, one in side and one in the rear -- all as exhaust) as 60CFM @ 18dB is about the best you'll get for "silent" fans. Not cheap though, but will last years and years.

Combined with the intake fan at the front of the case and the other three all running as exhaust will cause the case to run negative air pressure, which is exactly how I ran my HAF 912+ -- The downside is the case will get dusty inside faster, but it will suck out heat much faster and run the computer cooler in my experience.

You know me Lee, this hardware stuff's way over my head, ha!

I'm open to all options, if you think a fan controller would be good for me, recommend away. I've also been looking at water-cooling kits but from what I can gather, that would only replace the Cooler Freezer I have, which means I still need to keep the other fans?

Looking at those fans you've recommended, and given the price - would I be as well getting these? (I also get free next day shipping with Prime): http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007RESFR2/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_3?ie=UTF8&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

You realise HAF stands for "high air flow" right? Hence they're not really known for being quiet...

I agree with Leeky, by far the best thing you can do is to buy a fan controller, and turn the fans down when you're not gaming or stressing the PC. Aftermarket fans will be a bit quieter but not silent if you're running them at max speed all the time.

Looking at some pictures of your Freezer 7 Pro I don't think you can fit a different fan on there because it seems you need to have a clip on the fan.

The best aftermarket fans I've used are the Scythe Gentle Tyhpoons, I've got 1850rpm ones in my case and radiator. Again, they're not silent running at the full 1850rpm but turn them down to 700-800rpm and they're inaudible while still pushing a good amount of air. By the way ignore all the claimed CFM and dB ratings on fans, they are often laughably incorrect (some manufacturers more than others).

Actually I never knew that's what HAF stands for, ha! The case was recommended by Leeky. More than happy with it, I just wish I could quieten things down a bit.

It's looking like I'll be taking both your advice and buying a fan controller

Thanks for your input

 

[Leeky]

You and your Prime delivery with Amazon, Tom! lol.

To be honest I really don't know anything about those fans. I know Corsair launched a boat load (literally!) of computer stuff in recent months -- though if the build is like the rest of the gear they've built their reputation on they should be good.

I think you really should be looking at something like this (or this) to go with the fans you get, especially if you're serious about Crossfire in the future.

 

[CluelessBloke]

You and your Prime delivery with Amazon, Tom! lol.

To be honest I really don't know anything about those fans. I know Corsair launched a boat load (literally!) of computer stuff in recent months -- though if the build is like the rest of the gear they've built their reputation on they should be good.

I think you really should be looking at something like this (or this) to go with the fans you get, especially if you're serious about Crossfire in the future.

Ha, yeah I pay my yearly subsciption with them so like to get my monies-worth (y)

I like the look of this.. didn't realise they were so cheap, was actually expecting this to hit my pocket hard lol. I'll order one. Do I need any cabling to go with it?

Also think I might give those Corsair fans a go. There's not much feedback there but what is there is all good. Do they all need to be 120mm fans (for top, side and rear)? What about this funny-shaped front fan, can I replace that?

 

[slh28]

Don't buy that NZXT Sentry II, had one on a build and the LCD failed after a year. Also the viewing angles are bad so if you have your computer on the floor they'll just display 88's. If you want a fan controller with an LCD readout I'd recommend one of the Scythe or Lamptron ones.

I'd recommend you get the fan controller first to see if that solves your noise issue. If you want to buy aftermarket fans go for either the Scythe GTs or Noctuas. Those Corsair SP 120's are only marginally better (in terms of airflow/noise ratio) than the stock ones which come with the H80/H100 kits, and they are very loud. When you get your hands on a Scythe GT you'll see why people recommend them - they are chunky, weighty and have superior bearings.

I wouldn't spend money on an AIO watercooling kit or any aftermarket fans though, looking at your setup there's other things which could do with an upgrade with that money.