Question Fractal Design Torrent case - - - configuration of fans ?

[Kalik212]

I love the design and airflow of the Fractal Design Torrent case and am planning on getting it for my new build...my question is which is better as far as airflow, noise and cooling:

1) the included default 2 Dynamic X2 GP-18 180mm PWM fans in front and 3 Dynamic GP-14 140mm PWM fans at the bottom

2) 2 Dynamic X2 GP-18 180mm PWM fans in front and 3 Noctua NF-A14 140mm PWM fans at the bottom

3) 3 Noctua NF-A14 140mm PWM fans in front and 3 Noctua NF-A14 140mm PWM fans at the bottom

 

[Phaaze88]

I love the design and airflow of the Fractal Design Torrent case and am planning on getting it for my new build...my question is which is better as far as airflow, noise and cooling:

1) the included default 2 Dynamic X2 GP-18 180mm PWM fans in front and 3 Dynamic GP-14 140mm PWM fans at the bottom

2) 2 Dynamic X2 GP-18 180mm PWM fans in front and 3 Noctua NF-A14 140mm PWM fans at the bottom

3) 3 Noctua NF-A14 140mm PWM fans in front and 3 Noctua NF-A14 140mm PWM fans at the bottom

This requires you, to get the answer to that... running the fans with custom curves tailored to YOUR comfort zone, and comparing the results. If anyone else's curves are used, then the result isn't valid, especially if you end up making any personal adjustments to them.

If it's too much trouble to buy and test all that, then leave the case as is, or add a few to the bottom, and think no more about it.

 

[Lafong]

"better as far as airflow, noise, and cooling".

Not likely you'll get optimal on all 3 variables. You'll need to compromise sooner or later.

Unless you are indifferent to expense..........

I'd use the default fans in various configurations/locations/speeds and evaluate. If unhappy, buy different fans.

You might be unhappy with default fans for noise reasons alone. I have no idea.

Noctuas are excellent for low noise, but not world beaters if you want to move a lot of air.

I have no idea how nervous you are about temps. Some people would tolerate the noise of a lawnmower in the name of temps.

Other people can hear a pin drop at 50 feet and be highly annoyed.

If you are indifferent to expense, go buy a bunch of Noctuas or others and settle in for lots of experiments.

 

[Kalik212]

You might be unhappy with default fans for noise reasons alone. I have no idea.

Noctuas are excellent for low noise, but not world beaters if you want to move a lot of air

I've always been a fan of Noctua fans as I heard they were the best as far as temps and noise...which is why I was thinking about replacing the default Fractal front 180mm fans...they are also very well built and can last for years

I think I will end up keeping the front Fractal 180mm but replace the bottom 3 Fractal 140mm fans with Noctua 140mm ones...I wish Noctua made 180mm fans, then it would be an easy decision (Noctua makes 200mm fans)

 

[35below0]

Will it make any difference if you build the PC and run it with stock fans first? Because the Torrent is pretty much made for airflow, so any changes between 1) and 2) are likely to be marginal. 3) is a more substantial change because you're replacing larger (and quieter) fans with smaller ones.

Cooling should not be an issue Noise might be, esp. if fans sometimes cause audible resonance.

It would be fun to experiment, so by all means go for it.

 

[Kalik212]

Will it make any difference if you build the PC and run it with stock fans first? Because the Torrent is pretty much made for airflow, so any changes between 1) and 2) are likely to be marginal. 3) is a more substantial change because you're replacing larger (and quieter) fans with smaller ones.

Cooling should not be an issue Noise might be, esp. if fans sometimes cause audible resonance.

It would be fun to experiment, so by all means go for it.

yeah I agree with your assessment...as far as #3, I was thinking that maybe replacing 2 larger 180mm fans with 3 140mm fans would make up the difference...meaning 3 fans in front would be just as good or better...you're saying the 2 180mm Fractal fans will be quieter?...I thought Noctua fans were known for their class leading low noise

 

[35below0]

It's not the maker of fans but the size. Both FD and Noctua are reputable brands, so there's little fear of cheaply made, noisy fans. The 180mm size fans need lower RPM than 140mm for the same target temperature. So they are less likely to be loud, and the noise they make is deeper in comparison. Esp. when compared to 90mm fans.

2 x 180mm vs 3 140mm... On paper 3 140mm fans can move more air. But i suspect in practise both setups end up working out exactly the same:
- fans will have their RPM set based on how much air they need to move.
- that is itself going to depend on what a temperature sensor reads, so both setups will have the same target.
- the 3 140mm together can move more air, so they won't need to spin very fast.
- 2 180mm fans are less noisy to begin with, so when they spin up it kinda evens out.

3 140mm fans is the superior setup when you need maximum intake air, but not normal conditions in a normal temperature room.

Long story short, bigger fans are quieter*.

But what is noise? Does it even bother you if fans spin up? Maybe it's not the kind of noise that bothers you. Or maybe even when fans get really loud, you're playing a game with headphones on.
Even at low RPM, fans can sometimes sync up and create a weird humming noise that isn't loud but can be very annoying.

Every PC is different and sits in a different enviroment. So my suggestion was to build and run your PC first, and then see if you want to make fan changes. You probably will because you have a case made for tinkering with fans, but i thought you'd have a better idea of what to aim for if you've already tested your PC.

In my personal experience, my new PC is never so quiet as to be 100% unnoticeable. Yet even if i force max RPM, it isn't truly loud.

As for whether to go with GP-14 or A-14 for the bottom fans, i honestly have no idea which is better. Seems they're about equal in every way but looks. You do get the GP-14s included with the case so. No need to spend anything, that's one difference.

 

[Kalik212]

I read some posts online about the Fractal 180mm front fans making a clicking noise...some folks are recommending swapping them out for the 180mm Silverstone Air Penetrator 183 (AP183)

 

[Phaaze88]

I read some posts online about the Fractal 180mm front fans making a clicking noise...some folks are recommending swapping them out for the 180mm Silverstone Air Penetrator 183 (AP183)

You don't even have the case yet, and it provides 5 fans... try them out first, and see what happens, before you potentially throw extra money at something you may not have a problem with.

About noise. Fans have different acoustical signatures based on frequency and amplitude. They don't emit a sine wave at one frequency. The end result is that some fans are more annoying than others even if the noise levels are the same; the dBa measurement doesn't tell everything.

To make things more complex, we don't all share the same sensitivities.