What are some good 140mm case fans for pulling through a dust filter?

[cassini_huygens]

Hello!

I'm having a problem where too much hot air builds up around the GPUs and isn't properly exhausted which is causing hotter temperatures, so I wanted to see how my front fans were contributing to the airflow. Turns out the stock fans don't really pull much through the dust filter, so I'm looking for 2 replacement 140mm intake fans.

I would prefer that the fans didn't behave like jet engines (sound-wise). I would prefer function over form in this case because the intake fans are somewhat hard to notice behind the intake grills anyway (color schemes, mustard cables). Finally, PWM is preferred, but not a necessity.

Case: Zalman Z9 Neo
Default Front Intake: ZA1225ASL (2x120mm by default, but the case supports 2x140mm intakes)

Thank you for any and all suggestions!

 

[scout_03]

check these they made 120mm or 140 mm good cfm low db sound at full speed https://cougargaming.com/us/products/fans/

 

[Paperdoc]

Three suggestions

1. Check front intake dust filters to ensure they are clean (maybe obvious, but said it anyway)
2. For this application you do NOT need the "high pressure" fans. You need ones optimized for air flow. Dust filters are NOT big restrictions to air flow.
3. Many people love Noctua fans. They are very reliable with 6-year warranties, and generally give high air flow at low noise levels. They have several lines at different price points and air flow ratings, each in many sizes, and both 3-pin and 4-pin models. Look closely at the wires from your existing fans - are they 3-pin (3 wires from motor to connector), or 4-pin (4 wires)? Replace with the same type. Hint: some Noctua's (and some others) come with "low noise adapters" which are little modules you insert into the fan wiring connections. They are used to reduce the speeds (and hence the noise) of the fan. But the should be used ONLY when the fan is connected to a fixed voltage source that cannot control fan speed. Do NOT use these when your fans are plugged into a mobo fan header that DOES its own speed control.

 

[velocityg4]

I built a mining rig with five Arctic F12 PWM. They pulled air through a MERV 12 HEPA filter and kept 5 GPU cool.

I since redesigned and built a new case. Needed to house more GPU and figured out design improvements to fully enclose the rig. Now I just use two Noctua NF-F14 IPPC 3000. They pull air through the same HEPA filter. They keep 9 GPU cool in a very hot garage during the summer.

The Arctic are much quieter. They have good static pressure and air flow. They are also quieter than most of the big names per CFM.

 

[cassini_huygens]

Thank you all for the responses!

Three suggestions

1. Check front intake dust filters to ensure they are clean (maybe obvious, but said it anyway)
2. For this application you do NOT need the "high pressure" fans. You need ones optimized for air flow. Dust filters are NOT big restrictions to air flow.
3. Many people love Noctua fans. They are very reliable with 6-year warranties, and generally give high air flow at low noise levels. They have several lines at different price points and air flow ratings, each in many sizes, and both 3-pin and 4-pin models. Look closely at the wires from your existing fans - are they 3-pin (3 wires from motor to connector), or 4-pin (4 wires)? Replace with the same type. Hint: some Noctua's (and some others) come with "low noise adapters" which are little modules you insert into the fan wiring connections. They are used to reduce the speeds (and hence the noise) of the fan. But the should be used ONLY when the fan is connected to a fixed voltage source that cannot control fan speed. Do NOT use these when your fans are plugged into a mobo fan header that DOES its own speed control.

Is there a way I could make the 3/4 pin fans run at a fixed speed (independent from motherboard control) without the use of a fan controller/fan hub? Gigabyte Z77 boards don't seem to offer the best capabilities for fan control in their BIOS afaik.

I built a mining rig with five Arctic F12 PWM. They pulled air through a MERV 12 HEPA filter and kept 5 GPU cool.

I since redesigned and built a new case. Needed to house more GPU and figured out design improvements to fully enclose the rig. Now I just use two Noctua NF-F14 IPPC 3000. They pull air through the same HEPA filter. They keep 9 GPU cool in a very hot garage during the summer.

The Arctic are much quieter. They have good static pressure and air flow. They are also quieter than most of the big names per CFM.

How loud are the 3000 RPM ones? I was considering the Noctua 2000-3000 RPM versions, but I wasn't sold on the noise since I sit close to the computer and don't always wear headphones.

 

[Paperdoc]

Fixed speeds, probably yes. First item is, the ONLY way to set speeds less than full speed is to ensure that the mobo header CAN use the proper Mode of control for the fan type you have. If you have 3-pin fans they can be controlled ONLY if the mobo header can be configured to use the older Voltage Control Mode (aka DC Mode); PWM Mode cannot control such fans. If you have 4-pin fans, either Mode can control them, but PWM Mode is preferred. If your mobo allows you to specify control Mode, set it to match the fan type you plug in. If you can do that, then the custom configuration tools for each fan header should allow what you want. Beyond the "normal" automatic control you also usually have options for constant full speeds, constant low speed for quieter operation, or a custom set of settings. Under the custom option you could tell it basically to use the same fixed speed setting for virtually all temperatures. As an aside, personally I don't know why you would do this. The normal automatic control system will run your fans slowly and with low noise if the system temperature is low (that's the normal situation) and only speed up when your system gets hotter from heavier workload, when more cooling is NECESSARY for your system.

Regarding the Noctua iPPC fan line, as you see there are two versions depending on max speed. Not surprisingly, the higher-speed fans make more noise and move a lot more air WHEN the are at MAX speed. BUT if you allow your mobo to control them with the "normal" automatic controls, those fans will be run much slower according to the actual temperature of your system. In other words, the more powerful design will be run at lower speeds (and less noise) to deliver the same air flow as the less-powerful design. The result will be less air flow and much less noise than the max specs. Unfortunately we don't really have full specs of air flow and noise values for a range of fan speeds, so it is hard to tell you which of the two Noctua fan designs will be quieter at the SAME air FLOW value. And that's what the automatic control system will do. It changes the fan speed to ensure a TEMPERATURE target is met at a sensor on the mobo, which really means that it will make the fans it has deliver the AIR FLOW needed to maintain that temperature. Similarly, it's pretty much impossible to compare the noise of one Noctua design to the noise of a competitor's fan at the same air flow value.

The main advantage of the 3000 rpm line by Noctua is that it CAN deliver much higher air flows than others when that is needed by a system that generates a lot of heat. But if your system never will need that much cooling, you can use fans with lower MAX capacity and just let them deliver the air flow required.

 

[cassini_huygens]

Fixed speeds, probably yes. First item is, the ONLY way to set speeds less than full speed is to ensure that the mobo header CAN use the proper Mode of control for the fan type you have. If you have 3-pin fans they can be controlled ONLY if the mobo header can be configured to use the older Voltage Control Mode (aka DC Mode); PWM Mode cannot control such fans. If you have 4-pin fans, either Mode can control them, but PWM Mode is preferred. If your mobo allows you to specify control Mode, set it to match the fan type you plug in. If you can do that, then the custom configuration tools for each fan header should allow what you want. Beyond the "normal" automatic control you also usually have options for constant full speeds, constant low speed for quieter operation, or a custom set of settings. Under the custom option you could tell it basically to use the same fixed speed setting for virtually all temperatures. As an aside, personally I don't know why you would do this. The normal automatic control system will run your fans slowly and with low noise if the system temperature is low (that's the normal situation) and only speed up when your system gets hotter from heavier workload, when more cooling is NECESSARY for your system.

Regarding the Noctua iPPC fan line, as you see there are two versions depending on max speed. Not surprisingly, the higher-speed fans make more noise and move a lot more air WHEN the are at MAX speed. BUT if you allow your mobo to control them with the "normal" automatic controls, those fans will be run much slower according to the actual temperature of your system. In other words, the more powerful design will be run at lower speeds (and less noise) to deliver the same air flow as the less-powerful design. The result will be less air flow and much less noise than the max specs. Unfortunately we don't really have full specs of air flow and noise values for a range of fan speeds, so it is hard to tell you which of the two Noctua fan designs will be quieter at the SAME air FLOW value. And that's what the automatic control system will do. It changes the fan speed to ensure a TEMPERATURE target is met at a sensor on the mobo, which really means that it will make the fans it has deliver the AIR FLOW needed to maintain that temperature. Similarly, it's pretty much impossible to compare the noise of one Noctua design to the noise of a competitor's fan at the same air flow value.

The main advantage of the 3000 rpm line by Noctua is that it CAN deliver much higher air flows than others when that is needed by a system that generates a lot of heat. But if your system never will need that much cooling, you can use fans with lower MAX capacity and just let them deliver the air flow required.

While my priority for finding a new fan is the increased airflow, I know that the two industrial Noctua fans are quite loud at their max speeds (which is understandable, but undesirable since I use this as my desktop PC). The slope values for my motherboard are in PWM/Celsius, but it doesn't say which temperature sensor it is referencing, so I assume it's the CPU.

 

[velocityg4]

How loud are the 3000 RPM ones? I was considering the Noctua 2000-3000 RPM versions, but I wasn't sold on the noise since I sit close to the computer and don't always wear headphones.

I wouldn't recommend those if you want quiet. Get the Arctic F12 PWM for that. They are excellent. I've got two of them in my gaming computer. They keep an overclocked GTX 970 and overclocked i5-3570K cool.

The Noctua IPPC 3000 I think are the loudest consumer fans on the market. You only get louder using blower or industrial fans used in servers and ant miners.

This pages has charts rating 25 fans. The three charts are the same just sorted by CFM through radiator, free air CFM and noise (SPL). The Arctic are among the quietest but their airflow through a radiator is 40CFM. If they can handle a radiator they can handle a filter. Fans that cost twice as much are noisier and have similar airflow. The iPPC-3000 are quite loud as you'll see and those aren't the 140mm models.
http://www.overclockers.com/pwm-fan-roundup-twenty-four-120-mm-case-fans-tested/

Now at 40 CFM per fan. With two fans you'll get about 80 CFM. That'll probably circulate air through an average mid tower case every two seconds. Which should be plenty. I just use them in an intake configuration in my gaming case. I also seal them with aluminum duct tape and around the interior of the front to ensure they do not waste any of their capacity recirculating hot air. They pull cool air in and push hot air out the back. I also converted a PowerMac G5 case given it's excellent airflow characteristics. Having a hole filled front and rear. I also tweaked the fan curves to balance the fan speeds of the GPU, CPU and case. As case fans work off CPU temp not GPU temp. You need a more aggressive case fan curve to keep the GPU quiet.

 

[Paperdoc]

If the BOOS Setup screen to configure the fan header you are using for the case fans does not specify a sensor, there may be no choice available. BUT that does not mean it is the one inside the CPU chip. Normally, there are ate least two fan control systems. One controls the CPU_FAN header (and maybe a related one) and always uses the sensor inside the CPU. The other(s) controls any SYS_FAN or CHA_FAN header(s), and normally is guided by a different sensor on the mobo. SOME mobos have more than one sensor and allow you to make a choice, but some only have one on the mobo.

If you post the maker and exact model number of your mobo, we can advise further details, particularly about whether or not your header(s) can be used with both 3 - and 4-pin fans.

 

[cassini_huygens]

If the BOOS Setup screen to configure the fan header you are using for the case fans does not specify a sensor, there may be no choice available. BUT that does not mean it is the one inside the CPU chip. Normally, there are ate least two fan control systems. One controls the CPU_FAN header (and maybe a related one) and always uses the sensor inside the CPU. The other(s) controls any SYS_FAN or CHA_FAN header(s), and normally is guided by a different sensor on the mobo. SOME mobos have more than one sensor and allow you to make a choice, but some only have one on the mobo.

If you post the maker and exact model number of your mobo, we can advise further details, particularly about whether or not your header(s) can be used with both 3 - and 4-pin fans.

I have a GA-Z77-D3H (1.1), and I believe all the fan headers are 4-pin and are labeled SYS_FAN (besides the CPU fan).

 

[Paperdoc]

Thanks for that info. According to the pinout labels for the SYS_FAN headers (manual p. 23) there are two different versions of them. For all three the manual (p. 44) gives no details of configuration options, so I assume they all are guided solely by a single mobo temperature sensor. What is different is the Mode of control they can exercise. According to pinout labels on p. 23, the SYS_FAN1 and CPU_FAN headers each can do either PWM Mode suited to 4-pin fans, or Voltage Control Mode (aka DC Mode) necessary for 3-pin fans. However, SYS_FAN 2 and 3 apparently lack the older Voltage Control Mode and can do only PWM Mode. Thus, IF you have any 3-pin fans for case ventilation, you must connect them to SYS_FAN1 and configure it for Voltage Control Mode. Any of the headers can handle 4-pin fans correctly.

 

[cassini_huygens]

Thanks for that info. According to the pinout labels for the SYS_FAN headers (manual p. 23) there are two different versions of them. For all three the manual (p. 44) gives no details of configuration options, so I assume they all are guided solely by a single mobo temperature sensor. What is different is the Mode of control they can exercise. According to pinout labels on p. 23, the SYS_FAN1 and CPU_FAN headers each can do either PWM Mode suited to 4-pin fans, or Voltage Control Mode (aka DC Mode) necessary for 3-pin fans. However, SYS_FAN 2 and 3 apparently lack the older Voltage Control Mode and can do only PWM Mode. Thus, IF you have any 3-pin fans for case ventilation, you must connect them to SYS_FAN1 and configure it for Voltage Control Mode. Any of the headers can handle 4-pin fans correctly.

Thank you for that, as it would be a serious bummer to get 3-pin fans only to find out I need to buy an additional splitter (or that I couldn't use them ).

I'm deciding between a select few fans, like Noctua A14 PWMs, Cougar Vortex 140 PWM, Corsair ML140 Pro, or be quiet Silent Wings 3 High Speed (and some others that I am forgetting to mention at the moment). Which of those would you say is the best for good airflow through a dust filter, while also not sounding extremely loud?

Also, it seems like Gigabyte motherboards (at least my version) don't have good fan controls. Are there any software fan controllers that you would recommend?

Edit: Specified ML140 version

 

[velocityg4]

I’d take the ML140. Providing they are the non RGB models. The RGB have crap static pressure for some reason.

 

[cassini_huygens]

Sorry for necroing my own post, but I wanted to as least a sort of 'review' for the ML140s. They move a good amount of air through a dust filter, no issues there. However, there is a pretty audible motor noise at speeds beyond 1100-1300RPM (to be expected, just wanted to make that clear). I think buying them was a good decision, and would recommend them to others.

 

[Paperdoc]

Good of you to post that update. Glad it's working.