Build Advice Looking for opinions on case fans

[NaSMaX]

Choosing between be quiet! Silent Wings 4 120mm PWM and ARCTIC P12 Max. The Arctic is about $10 on amazon and the be quiet is $18 (I'm getting 3 of each). I been reading reviews and looking at vids all night (thank you insomnia) and I've narrowed it down to these two (Noctura is just too out of my way budget wise) so I'm coming here for a little advice. A LOT of people give grace to Arctic but also a lot of reviewers give to be quiet. I'm running a 7900 xtx so I know its going to be louder on both but I'm trying to measure performance in comparison to noise. ANY advice would be appreciated, going to try to go back to sleep now.

 

[Eximo]

I would lean towards the Arctic, about the cheapest ball bearing fan on the market.

Thermalright TL-B12 is slightly cheaper, but has a little less airflow potential and likely wouldn't last quite as long.

 

[NaSMaX]

I would lean towards the Arctic, about the cheapest ball bearing fan on the market.

Thermalright TL-B12 is slightly cheaper, but has a little less airflow potential and likely wouldn't last quite as long.

Ball bearing is important? Sorry I legit do not know.

 

[Eximo]

Sleeve bearing, basically just a shaft in a hole with some lubricant. These are the cheap ones. They perform worse in the vertical installation, which is common in PCs.

Ball bearing, dual ball bearing means the shaft has no effective load on it, the weight of the fan rides on the ball bearings. These can last a good while before failure.

Fluid Dynamic bearing, an advanced sleeve bearing. Grooves in the shaft/casing create a pumping action which pressurizes the lubricant and prevents the shaft from coming in contact with the casing. Only real wear and tear comes when the fan stops and the early start up.

(That Thermalright fan uses that, but not sure they are the best quality. They are basically fighting a price war with the world and winning)

Magnetic bearings basically is a contact less system. Theoretically could last forever. Haven't seen one in a while though. I think RGB and fan controllers have mostly taken over the high end fan market.

 

[coperlio]

I would lean towards the Arctic, about the cheapest ball bearing fan on the market.

Thermalright TL-B12 is slightly cheaper, but has a little less airflow potential and likely wouldn't last quite as long.

While ball bearings are generally quieter, some Arctic models might be louder than the TL-B12. Check reviews for specific noise levels (dB).

 

[CountMike]

No, ball bearings are not quieter, often bearings itself make some noise. Quietest bearings are magnetic and oil filled, rifle sleeved.

 

[coperlio]

Oh, thanks for this, i thought ball bearings are quieter.

 

[geofelt]

Noise comes from fans running at higher RPM.
Can you describe a bit more about your setup and where you might place these fans.