SilenXcase fans

[Stu Wilson]

I hope I am not beating this subject to death. Any opinions on this SilenX
fan? The specs say Noise Level: 11.8/14.4 dBA. Would that mean it is
apt to be quieter than the Panaflo recommended, or not necessarily?

http://www.silenx.com/productcart/pc/configurePrdz.asp?idcategory=3&idproduct=9

 

[kony]

I hope I am not beating this subject to death. Any opinions on this SilenX
fan? The specs say Noise Level: 11.8/14.4 dBA. Would that mean it is
apt to be quieter than the Panaflo recommended, or not necessarily?

http://www.silenx.com/productcart/pc/configurePrdz.asp?idcategory=3&idproduct=9

Not necessarily... noise levels might be taken in same testing
environment but might not be. Overall it looks like a lower
quality fan with rubber plugs. Rubber plugs can be bought
separately but perhaps higher total cost? Then again the Panaflo
would probably last longer, but difference might not matter for a
case intake or exhaust opposed to heatsink or power supply
exhaust (higher air temp).

Odds are your first fan was just defective, that either would do
fine yet the SilentX will be quieter at it's lower RPM value, but
of course that means lower flow rate too. Determination of
minimal acceptable flow rate per application may be needed....
or you could just undervolt the Panaflo. Panaflo L1A at 7V is
barely audible (inaudible in some environments) and most consider
it silent at 5V... at 5V it should be quieter than the silentX,
but likewise the SilentX could be undervolted for lower noise and
flow rate, but possibly not all the way down to 5V, some fans
won't spin up at 5V.

 

[Stu Wilson]

ct=9

Not necessarily... noise levels might be taken in same testing
environment but might not be. Overall it looks like a lower
quality fan with rubber plugs. Rubber plugs can be bought
separately but perhaps higher total cost? Then again the Panaflo
would probably last longer, but difference might not matter for a
case intake or exhaust opposed to heatsink or power supply
exhaust (higher air temp).

Odds are your first fan was just defective, that either would do
fine yet the SilentX will be quieter at it's lower RPM value, but
of course that means lower flow rate too. Determination of
minimal acceptable flow rate per application may be needed....
or you could just undervolt the Panaflo. Panaflo L1A at 7V is
barely audible (inaudible in some environments) and most consider
it silent at 5V... at 5V it should be quieter than the silentX,
but likewise the SilentX could be undervolted for lower noise and
flow rate, but possibly not all the way down to 5V, some fans
won't spin up at 5V.

How do you "undervolt" the fan?

 

[kony]

How do you "undervolt" the fan?

- Some motherboards have this feature

- Use 4-pin power supply plug adapter and swap the fan's ground
wire with 5V for a (12-5) 7V potential difference. Remember NOT
to use the other 4-pin end of the adapter to power anything else
(like a drive)

http://www.svcompucycle.com/3pinto4pinad.html

- Use same or similar 4-pin power supply plug adapter and swap
the fan's 12V power wire with 5V, for 5V operation of course. If
both 4-pin ends of the adapter are swapped (so correct voltages
are still maintained at correct pin-positions, adapter could then
still be used to power another device. This is a popular cheap
way to do it and Googling "7 volt fan mod" should find a bunch of
detailed descriptions.

- cut/solder/shrink-wrap a series of diodes (in series with) fan
power wire

- cut/solder/shrink-wrap a fixed or variable resistor in
series...

- Make your own variable voltage supply out of a linear
regulator like an LM317 or similar

- Make your own fixed voltage supply out of linear regulator

- Make your own PWM controller, or switching type... "make your
own" schematics aren't too hard to find for variable low-voltage
control circuits, google search them (though of course they may
take most time and $ if you don't already have misc. parts).

- Disasemble fan and substitute different fixed resistor or
replace with variable resistor in 1-2 spots on fan PCB (usually
hard to do with small, compression-fit fan hubs but easier with
large fans)

- Ready-made fan controller on the adapter, ex: Zalman

- Ready-made fan controller front bay panel, ex:
http://www.svcompucycle.com/fanandtemman.html



I'm sure there are some other ways to do it too, but one of the
above should suffice. The quick-n-dirty fan adapter is the
cheapest using std. ground shipping, and SVC (among others) also
sells panaflos. http://www.svcompucycle.com/3pinto4pinad.html

 

[Paul Murphy]

I hope I am not beating this subject to death. Any opinions on this SilenX
fan? The specs say Noise Level: 11.8/14.4 dBA. Would that mean it is
apt to be quieter than the Panaflo recommended, or not necessarily?

http://www.silenx.com/productcart/pc/configurePrdz.asp?idcategory=3&idproduct=9

I recently bought a SilenX fan but sent it straight back after I realised
its shortcomings when it arrived. It didn't have the look of a quality fan
but rather that of a cheap generic one complete with much marketing hype -
the moulding was a little scruffy/rough around the edges in places and the
specs sticker looked to have been stuck on without any care to get it
central at all. I wonder what rebranding had gone on since it rolled off the
production line (somewhere in China?). Another sign it wasn't up to par in
the quality stakes was although it had a 3 pin motherboard style Molex
connector, only 2 of the pins were used ie it didn't support motherboard
speed sensing (was a 60 mm model - different to the one in the link above).
When your paying the sort of cash I did for this (it wasn't cheap), tacho
sensing should be the norm throughout (can still connect a fan with tacho
sensing up via a 4 pin adaper or to a mobo that doesn't support speed
sensing). I never ran it so had no opportunity to gauge the noise level but
I must admit, having seen the fan that arrived at my place, I'm *extremely
sceptical* as to whether it provides a lower noise level for a given flow
than say a Papst or Panaflow fan (both established, top quality brands). My
advise would be to go with either of these 2 brands where possible and they
will likely outlive the SilenX as well as provide a much greater range of
sizes and speeds (without having to use one of those speed reduction
resistors to get ideal noise levels).

Paul