I just picked up a Dark Rock Pro 5 cooler for my new PC build because it was advertised as being almost silent. However, I'm finding that it idles at around 45°C with the fan running at 700 RPM, and the noise level is anything but quiet. I can hear it constantly, and it's pretty distracting. I've watched reviews praising how quiet it is, so I'm wondering if mine is malfunctioning. The manufacturer's site lists decibel levels of 8.9 dB at 50%, 16.3 dB at 75%, and 23.3 dB at 100%, but my fan is over 30 dB at only 40%. What gives?
2 Answers
You might want to adjust your fan curve settings. I keep my Noctua D15 fans running at about 450 RPM until the CPU hits around 70°C, which helps keep things quieter.
Are the decibel measurements taken right up against the fan or installed in the case? That could change how loud it sounds. What kind of noise does your fan make? Is it a smooth whoosh, or does it sound like it's squeaking or grinding?
It's more of a clean whoosh sound, similar to any normal fan. I used an app on my phone for the db reading from about 3 feet away, so it might not be super accurate. I also have a sound-dampening case to help with noise, which makes it weirder that I can still hear it so well.
Do your fans get noticeably loud when they're at around 700 RPM?