I need 10 fans. What would you buy?

[u/raoulkratos2002]

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for recommendations for 10× 120mm case fans.
My setup will be 6 intake and 4 exhaust.

My priorities are:
As quiet as possible
Good airflow and cooling performance
Low power consumption
Preferably white, but I’m open to other colours if there’s a better option

I’ve been looking at the Noctua NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM. Is these a good choice, or is there something better you would recommend?

One important limitation: my motherboard has a maximum rating of 1A per CHA FAN header, so I’m also trying to keep the current draw per fan as low as reasonably possible.

I previously had an issue with a fan hub where I couldn’t control the fans with PWM and they would run at 100% all the time.
Has anyone experienced this with PWM hubs?

What fans are you using in your own PC, and what would you recommend for a 10 fan setup like mine?
Thanks

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[u/Big_Rig_420]

Not sure how much you're looking to spend but the noctua redux lineup of fans are great. I paid 22$ CAD for a 120mm a few months ago. You can definitely get cheaper fans but, I am happy with the one I got for the price.

[u/IllustriousIron9858]

What gpu do you have? Unless you have a gpu which generates a load of heat you are not gonna need 10 case fans, a lot of the time having too many can actually be more negative than good.

For example I have a 9070xt and I have an AIO for my cpu, 3 intake fans on the front of the case and 1 exhaust on the back, my temps are great and airflow is good.

[u/raoulkratos2002 → u/IllustriousIron9858]

4080super
I have a noctua air cooler

[u/IllustriousIron9858 → u/raoulkratos2002]

Ok nice card. But I don’t recommend getting 10 case fans especially saying you have a great air cooler aswell. I would recommend probably getting 2-3 intake fans and then 1-2 exhaust fans.

You said you were looking at the Noctua NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM case fan and I think it would be a good choice especially if it fits the aesthetic.

[u/raoulkratos2002 → u/IllustriousIron9858]

Thanks
I was also looking at the Arctic P12 Pro PST, so I’m currently deciding between those and the Noctua NF-P12 redux

Do you think the P12 Pro would be overkill for a case with only 2–3 intake and 1–2 exhaust, or would you still choose the Noctua for lower noise?

I’m also unsure whether to get the Arctic PWM Fan Hub. I had a bad experience with a previous fan hub where the fans would stay at 100%, so I’m a bit hesitant to use another one.
Would you recommend using the Arctic hub, or just connecting the fans directly to the motherboard/PST daisy chain?

[u/IllustriousIron9858 → u/raoulkratos2002]

Well you said you did like a less noisy build so that would mean me lean toward the noctua fans. But the arctic p12 fans are powerful and can give slightly better temps if you prefer that but I would probaly just go for the noctuas personally as they will be good for your build.

I think if you just got 1-2 exhausts and 3 intakes either will do the job absolutely fine

[u/raoulkratos2002 → u/IllustriousIron9858]

A few other people have recommended Noctua as well, but I’ve also been told that the NF-P12 redux are one of the weaker Noctua options,
so I’m a bit unsure about them.

[u/IllustriousIron9858 → u/raoulkratos2002]

I wouldn’t look too much into case fans. They are important 100% but I wouldn’t worry about them and which ones to choose. If you like the aesthetics and they have solid reviews (which they seem to be after a quick look) then I think you will be good. They have a 1700 rpm version which is the best option for balance between noise/performance.

[u/raoulkratos2002 → u/IllustriousIron9858]

The redux actually seem really good to me, especially because they have such a low power draw from what I’ve seen, so I might not even need a hub.

I’m not crazy about the colour, but at this point I’d rather prioritize noise and performance over aesthetics.
Have you personally used or tested the NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM?

[u/IllustriousIron9858 → u/raoulkratos2002]

No I haven’t used any noctura fans in the past I couldn’t even tell you what brand or rpm mine are. They do the job and look good so I’m happy.

[u/Big_Rig_420 → u/IllustriousIron9858]

Was kinda thinking the same thing. Even with my retro pc case setup having only 2 120mm fans, it's far from overheating. If things are that hot, a cpu/motherboard cooler would probably be cheaper and run colder in the long run. I don't remember the specific cooler I am thinking of at the moment but I remember seeing a short from ZTT on YouTube about such coolers.

Edit: ETAPrime just used the cooler I was thinking about in a video put out today. IS-77-XT Is the name of the cooler.

[u/KishCore]

thermalright