Fans

During the course of the last 36 issues, Custom PC has regularly produced in-depth and innovative Labs tests focused on making your PC cooler and quieter, including CPU HSFs and the first-ever scientific Labs tests of PSUs and cases. This issue, we're completing the set with the UK's first scientific group test of chassis fans.

While it might seem obvious which fans are good by looking at the performance numbers on the packaging or company website, as always, it isn't wise to take a manufacturer's claims at face value. For example, many of the fans we tested claim to produce just 14dBA of noise, and one claims to produce 9dBA, which is well below the ambient noise level that you'd be able measure almost anywhere on the planet. These figures are even less credible when the manufacturers don't explain how they measured the noise level, since distance, angle and the type of equipment used will have a huge effect on the reading.

The same is true of airflow, which is the other important characteristic of a case fan. Each manufacturer claims that its fans provide a certain amount of airflow, but how do you know that these claims aren't exaggerated?

For this reason, we rounded up a staggering 55 fans, split across the three most common sizes: 80mm, 92mm and 120mm, and scientifically measured each fan's airflow and noise. You can read about how we tested on p86.

So, whether you're looking to improve the airflow through your case to prevent your PC from overheating and crashing during the hot summer weather, upgrade the fan on your CPU HSF or simply reduce the noise output of your PC, you'll find the right fan for you on the following pages. As we tested so many fans, we divided the reviews by manufacturer, with the airflow and noise test results graphed separately.