Question The Fan Results Are in - Which Do You Think Is Best for Exhaust and Intake?

[ReveurGAM]

Before I share the results, I want to see if anyone can guess which fans do the best at sucking air in (intake) and which do the best at pushing air out (exhaust) from the following:

Phanteks T30

Noctua NF-A12x25

Corsair ML120

Corsair SP120 (RGB Elite)



Wildcard (no data yet):

Noctua NF-A14 iPPC-3000



All fans are PWM. The iPPCs and T30 can go up to 3,000 RPM.

Please respond by indicating which you think do better for the two functions. I hope to get lots of responses...

 

[Zerk2012]

No case is listed so just moving air the A14 has 158 CFM

 

[Phaaze88]

What case, or none?
Which location in the case, and what are the immediate obstacles(filters, radiators, drive cage, grille, etc) present to the fan?
What fan speeds were compared?
Any noise normalized(to your comfort zone) comparisons done?

 

[Darkbreeze]

And how exactly is it do you think that you were able to measure these results? Do you own airflow and pressure testing equipment? If so, what models do you own? If not, then any "results" you have are simply guesswork and conjecture.

You can't, not even remotely, measure, test or even guesstimate the static pressure, CFM or applied pressure differential results for any of these, or any other fans, without having purpose built equipment such as an anemometers or air flow meter, a manometer or pressure gauge designed for testing static pressure or various tools designed for specifically measuring pressure differences between the outside and case internals AND in most cases you need purpose built enclosures for testing them.

Since the manufacturers have already provided at least loosely accurate specifications for CFM, static pressure, sound pressure levels and more, there is really no need to guess at any of these since anybody can simply look at the specs and be within margin of error as to which of them does each specific task better. Given that the case does not change whether one fan has higher static pressure or higher CFM but a lower static pressure, it is not difficult to simply determine which of them does each task better based on each fans already tested specifications.

Anything else, without the required specific equipment, is simply opinion or configuration. Are your results noise normalized? Are they full PWM or full DC thermal results. Are the curves or preset profiles the exact same for each fan in each position and if so, how can that matter since not all of these fans are even the same size with some being 120mm and some being 140mm?

 

[USAFRet]

which fans do the best at sucking air in (intake) and which do the best at pushing air out (exhaust)

How have YOU determined this?

(and anything with blinken lights goes to the bottom of my list, just because)

 

[Darkbreeze]

How have YOU determined this?

(and anything with blinken lights goes to the bottom of my list, just because)

Any fan with "blinkin' lights or RGB generally falls down the list simply because it is well known that fans with RGB or ARGB capabilities generally have poor performance and everything else about them is usually lower quality if for no other reason than because it's difficult to include a better, larger motor, bearing and other components such as PWM hardware, while also fitting the hardware required for the lighting, on the same fan. It can be done, but it still generally doesn't result in a fan with the kind of performance results we see from fans without it AND if you get a fan with even halfway decent specs AND lighting, they are usually quite expensive by comparison.

 

[ReveurGAM]

What case, or none?
Which location in the case, and what are the immediate obstacles(filters, radiators, drive cage, grille, etc) present to the fan?
What fan speeds were compared?
Any noise normalized(to your comfort zone) comparisons done?

This is inside a Corsair 5000x with a Noctua U12A providing the barrier to airflow by mounting it on the left or right, with the air then passing to another Noctua A12x25 mounted at the rear.

All case fans are set to minimum no matter what the temperature is.

As I have already indicated, the iPPC was not tested, hence "wildcard". They're just on the case as front intake (top and bottom).

Fans on the cooler are connected to the mobo CPU headers of the Asus TG H670-Pro wifi D4, two sticks of DDR4, 3 M.2 SSDs, 1 XFX Speedster Swft319 Rx 6800 XT CORE GC, Corsair RM850x PSU, Those fans are set to the default turbo mode in BIOS.

Ambient temperature is recorded in Celsius for each test and deducted from the results to get delta.

Temperatures recorded aside from that are: CPU , CPU Package, motherboard, VRM thermistor, and graphics card (except the 1st test as BIOS doesn't show that), including minimums and maximums, and variance. The average is calculated, as is the temperature range.

There are 3 tests per configuration of 1 or 2 fans, although this poll is only relevant to the positioning of the 4 types of fans.
1, BIOS results (control to suggest lowest possible temperatures achievable while on). Again, this doesn't include the GC as that is not monitored by my mobo.

1. Windows 11, with Corsair iCUE open and on the dashboard, Asus Armoury Crate (default), and HWInfo64 to simulate a light load.
2. Windows 11, with HWInfo64 and FutureMark's 3DMark Speed Way Benchmark run to simulate a heavy load.

*Of course, startup items are also resident in 2 and 3.

I also did two control scenarios in which the left glass panel was left off, one with both A12x25s, the other with an A12x25 on the left (intake) and T30 on the right (exhaust) because I also wanted to see how pairs work differently on a single tower.

Data is recorded from HWInfo64 for 2 and 3. I turned on logs for the 5 data points and recorded the mins and maxes from each chart.

Data, including variance, was entered into OpenOffice Calc on 3 sheets. Again, average temps and the temperature range for each sensor was calculated by formula. For BIOS, both C and F degrees were recorded as it showed both, but HWInfo64 only showed Celsius, so I had a formula calculate it.

To achieve scores and ranking, I sorted each sheet by each Celsius and averaged result and filled in the rank column. If multiple fans achieved the same temperature, they were given the same rank. Once all ranks were determined, the ranks for CPU and CPU Package were added together to get the CPU score, and the ranks for the mobo, VRM and GC were added together with the CPU Score to get the overall score. Scores were then colored with the best being purple and the worst being white (after red). Sheets were sorted by the CPU score to determine which works best in each position.

My goal is to determine best function (in or out), not noise levels, so I'm not testing noise in any way, nor am I considering fan speeds, wattage, etc. This is purely about pushing and pulling air through a barrier. Thus, my goal is different from all the fan videos I've watched.

I realize this is methodology not ideal, as I don't have any special equipment, but one works with what one has. I have to start somewhere, and that means using what I've got. As long as I test everything consistently with the same methodology, the results will be fairly useful. If some people feel that these results are inadequate, that is understandable as they weren't achieved under laboratory conditions but, again, I don't have those resources. I'm not rich like Linus, nor do I have a massive number of subscribers and donors. Thus, consistently performing the tests in the same way is very important.

I plan to test other fans, and also test a twin-tower cooler (Peerless Assassin) because the results I got when I put two of the fans on the U12A were sometimes surprising. This is more than conjecture and opinions (your answers in the poll will be that, even if you look at SP and AF) because it is backed by data acquired in a consistent manner, albeit under imperfect conditions that Steve @GN would stick his nose up at. ;P Finally, I am not motivated by getting rich (although it'd be nice) and, if companies send me hardware directly I'll be happy to accept it but I won't use it for testing because some companies are unethical and will send "special" units to foil the testing. I also will not be influenced by donations from private or public sources - my results will be the only arbiter of the ranking and will be uninfluenced by the requests of sponsors, companies and individuals to "help" a company by falsifying the results and declaring a product to be of a greater or more special quality than it really is. That is my guarantee, my oath, to everyone. I'd rather shut down entirely than become a con artist influencer like the ones that Coffeezilla and others expose.

Eventually, I will design and build custom equipment to measure airflow and static pressure, dB(A), and temperature, but that will take resources I don't yet have.

It is funny that @USAFRet said "bottom of the list". You'll see why after enough people do the poll.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Eventually, I will design and build custom equipment to measure airflow and static pressure, dB(A), and temperature, but that will take resources I don't yet have.

Sounds good. Let us know when that happens.

 

[ReveurGAM]

Sounds good. Let us know when that happens.

Thanks for the positive support.

 

[Karadjgne]

Phanteks T30. Hands down winner. Been tested professionally and 'semi' by several ppl. All the other fans are 25mm, the T30 is 30mm and that gives it a distinct advantage in blade pitch and blade area. Combined with its 3000± rpm capabilities, there's nothing in comparable sizes of 120mm or 140mm versions that can keep up.

 

[ReveurGAM]

Thanks to those who participated in the poll!

I'm going to provide a summary here rather than the details that will be in my videos.

The temperatures indicated below delta, and are based on the average of the CPU and CPU package sensor temperature readings during the Speed Way benchmark. The difference is between each successive fan, not from the top one.

For intake, the Phanteks T30 is top of the heap.
1.65 degrees Celsius below that is Corsair ML120.
2.6 degrees lower is the Noctua A12x25.
1.9 degrees lower is, of course, the Corsair SP120.

For exhaust, the Phanteks again was in the lead, but the next two were pretty close by.
.25 degrees lower, the Noctua was breathing down its neck.
The ML120 wasn't far behind at .65 degrees behind.
The SP120 lagged 2.2 degrees behind it.

I wasn't surprised that the T30 came out on top, although I thought perhaps that the Noctua might do better on one side. This, however, was because my previous test had been flawed by problems with Armoury Crate and other issues. I found it interesting that the ML120 did so much better for intake, and was basically neck-and-neck for exhaust.

Since a Corsair support person had told me the SP120s weren't very good, I wasn't really surprised by them ranking last. Is it worth it to swap them out if they come in a case? Not unless you're running hot all the time, I'd say.

Obviously, the max temperature gap between best and worst (I: 6.15, E: 3.1) only becomes significant when you get to throttling, which I never did. Is the $40ish cost worth it for the T30? Is the $20ish for the ML120 worth it? Certainly not the $20+ for the SP120, which is inferior to the others.

I can point to the testing by Hardware Canucks that showed that the T30 is king, and so did Major Hardware (and others). The Arctic P12 Max is almost as good as the T30, and only costs about $13, compared to $30 and up for the other top ones. Are some fans really that inferior? Yes, either because they can't cool effectively enough or because they just don't last.

The other info I can share is that if you want to get the best out of your U12A and are running hot or not, then you'd probably want 2 T30s (although I didn't test this, I can say it because of the comparative performance of the T30 and the 2 A12x25s), but is that worth the price tag? Only for those who want to get the lowest temps with your cooler.

Otherwise...

If it's usually running hot, put the T30 on the right with the A12 on the left. There's a gap between that and the performance of the stock config, and a smaller gap if you use just the T30 on the right, and another small gap if you use the A12 on the left and ML on the right.

If it's not, just use one T30 on the right. The second best by a few degrees is the mixture above and then another gap before the stock config, with the next best of ML120 on the left and T30 on the right being very close to it.

Of course, if you want to use the T30 where there's not 30mm of clearance, you're out of luck unless you want to cut your case.

Naturally, the two scenarios with the left panel off had the best results and the most dust.

Just for that oddball request for which does best overall for the mobo and CPU:
Heavy:
1. T30 on the right, A12x25 on the left
(medium gap)
2. stock
(big gap)
3. T30 on the right
(little gap)
4. ML120 on the right, A12x25 on the left
(medium gap)

Light:
1. T30 on the right
(big gap)
2. T30 on the right, A12x25 on the left
(big gap)
3. A12x25 on the left
(big gap)
4. A12x25 on the right
(medium gap)

What about the iPPC, you ask? Well, I have an idea on how to compare it to the T30. I suspect it may not be quiet as good as the T30, but that'll have to wait for now. I know that the T30 beat the 120mm version. Not surprising, giving the extra 10mm of depth. I wonder if there are other 120x30mm fans?

 

[Karadjgne]

Your testing is slightly flawed in one respect. Variance. Your tests were all at 100%. Stats you get from manufacturers also only state max. The difference is not at max but in between. The T30 depth and blade advantage becomes particularly more advantageous at lower rpms vs the competition. The Noctua won't be that far behind, but fans like the Corsair's and even the Arctic start to lose ground in a hurry when the speed starts dropping.

Rerun the same tests at 30,50,70% because that's a rough estimation of normal users experience, idle-light-heavy temps.

Also SP plays a major role, balanced against CFM and SP changes drastically between fan speeds and blade designs. I'd rather pay more for a quiet quality fan that gets the air to my parts, than $13 for a fan that won't unless running it almost max

 

[USAFRet]

So if I'm reading this right, there was a max 2.6C difference between best and worst?

That is not enough to worry about.
Much like differences in thermal paste.

 

[Karadjgne]

For intake, the Phanteks T30 is top of the heap.
1.65 degrees Celsius below that is Corsair ML120.
2.6 degrees lower is the Noctua A12x25.
1.9 degrees lower is, of course, the Corsair SP120.

6.15°C difference used as intake.
2.9°C difference used as exhaust.
Used together would be @ 7.5-8.0°C difference. Add good paste vs crappy paste (@ 5°C difference) and you could ostensibly see a 10°C+ difference. Might not be noticeable on an intel, but could be a cause for better boosts from a Ryzen.

Individually, they are chump change, but in combination even pennies can still add upto a $1.

 

[ReveurGAM]

Your testing is slightly flawed in one respect. Variance. Your tests were all at 100%. Stats you get from manufacturers also only state max. The difference is not at max but in between. The T30 depth and blade advantage becomes particularly more advantageous at lower rpms vs the competition. The Noctua won't be that far behind, but fans like the Corsair's and even the Arctic start to lose ground in a hurry when the speed starts dropping.

Rerun the same tests at 30,50,70% because that's a rough estimation of normal users experience, idle-light-heavy temps.

Also SP plays a major role, balanced against CFM and SP changes drastically between fan speeds and blade designs. I'd rather pay more for a quiet quality fan that gets the air to my parts, than $13 for a fan that won't unless running it almost max

Please reread the information I provided about my methodology. Here, I am only sharing SOME of my data, some from heavy and some from light. I have no idea how you came to the conclusion of 100% since I have repeatedly stated that I'm not running anything at max. The CPU cooler fans are on TURBO, not MAX, and the case fans are all on MINIMUM no matter what the temperature until it reaches 100%.

Yes, I'm aware that SP and AF produce different results. I am going to test noise separately, which I may not have stated yet here.

 

[ReveurGAM]

So if I'm reading this right, there was a max 2.6C difference between best and worst?

That is not enough to worry about.
Much like differences in thermal paste.

Totally agree with you. The truth is that a lot of tests of different components are the same - small differences that look big but don't make much, or any, difference in most real-world use cases.