Looking for fans thinner than 25mm

[attacus]

I've installed a Noctua NH-D14 in a Bitfenix Prodigy. However, apart from the middle fan, I can't fit a fan on it. The DVD drive blocks having a fan on the front and while the gap between the back of the case and the cooler is exactly 25mm, in reality it's slightly too narrow to fit a fan. The motherboard can't be screwed in properly if I mount a fan there

Most fans are 25mm, but the thinner they are, the less airflow and more noise they generate. I am looking for anything at or below 24mm thickness.

 

[Gam3r01]

15mm http://www.coolermaster.com/cooling/case-fan/xtraflo-120-slim/

 

[attacus]

Do they sell these in the UK?

 

[Gam3r01]

Last I checked CM has an EU site. http://www.cmstore.eu/cooling/fans/xtraflo-120-slim/
You can see if they will ship to the UK from there. I will check for other options.

EDIT: Another option from amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scythe-Slip-Stream-Case-1200/dp/B002A97IIG/ref=sr_1_3?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1403891127&sr=1-3&keywords=120mm+slim+fan

 

[attacus]

I heard the slipstreams are loud, though. Any truth to this?

 

[Gam3r01]

They require higher fan speeds to push more air, due to a thinner blade. They are louder, but not much.

The slip stream runs at a sound level ~10dBA less than that of the Corsair SP120 fans, but push ~1/3 the amount of air.

 

[attacus]

OK. What would you say is the best 'thin fan'? Also, are they all sleeve bearings?

 

[Gam3r01]

Most that I have seen are, mainly because fluid bearings take up extra space.

Most if not all of the thin fans perform the same, at the same noise level.

 

[attacus]

Thanks for the info so far. How does the Noctua NF-A9X14 compare to the fans you mentioned? It's only 92mm but it's Noctua.

 

[Gam3r01]

It pushes a bit more air, and isnt any louder.

However, a smaller fan mean higher speeds, and less air across the heatsink. With the NH-d14, I would stick to 120mm