changing CPU cooler fan

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I'll happily accept some 80mm case fans are relatively quiet, as they are. however you're after a cpu cooler. the case fans are generally unobstructed, as with most fans, it's not the fan itself which makes the noise, it's the movement of the air through and over objects. CPU coolers are generally very complex objects, lots of fins to disturb the air and, you guessed it, create noise. The cooler manufacturers make a lot of effort to ensure that everything works together well, and, generally there is a premium to be paid for silence, I don't expect a £5 CPU cooler to perform as well either audibly or thermodynamically as a £50 one, from my limited experience I no longer buy cheap CPU coolers as I just don't like the noise, or unreliability (though I concede there are very good ones for far less than £50)
By all means shove an 80mm case fan onto your CPU cooler, but don't be surprised when you find it isn't as quiet as you'd expect, and your CPU temps increase.

My personal preference, Noctua for premuim cooling, xilence redwing for budget.

esuhl

I have a Corsair H50 (factory-sealed liquid cooling unit for CPU only) that is really quiet and very effective at cooling. It comes with a block to mount in place of the usual HSF, and this is attached to a radiator that you mount behind a 120mm case fan.

Probably a bit pricey (~£55 last time I looked) if you were just hoping to replace the fan and keep the existing heatsink, however.

Richie-from-the-Boro

spaceboy wrote: »

Actually some 80mm fans are very quiet. See this list:

http://www.quietpc.com/gb-en-gbp/products/80mmfans

They can be quieter than bigger fans.

Now if anyone can explain how I get around the 4 wire/pin problem that would be great.

I accept that some 80mm fans are very quiet.
The list you gave compares 80mm with 80mm, not 80mm with 92 /120mm at comparable throughput.
The 80mm quiet are not quieter at the same CFM as a quiet 92 / 120mm.
Only a badly designed 92/120mm diagonal / blade / bearing / shroud would be noisier than a well designed 80mm.

Pull the extra wire [ not the yellow ] make it a three, or
Run your existing fan off a 7volt MOLEX [ if it spins up it will run safe - more amps at spinup than run ]

Most CPU manufacturer issued fan units are quiet, and in most cases quieter than aftermarket fans. Its winter / radiators / no open widows / no airflow.

The third wire on a 3 wire [ usually but not always yellow ] sends the RPM signal the fourth wire on a [ PWM Pulse Width Modulation] 4 wire [ usually but not always blue ] is there to reduce the overall system acoustics.

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