I'm in the process of building a custom wooden PC case focusing on good airflow and quiet operation. The case design allows for 200mm fans at the front and bottom. Currently, I'm using a dual-tower air cooler for my CPU (i7-13700K), but I'm considering upgrading to a 420mm AIO for the top. I've been looking at the 200mm NF-A20 fans, but after comparing the specs to the 140mm NF-A14x25 G2 fans, it seems like using 3 of the NF-A14s might offer better performance than just 2 NF-A20s. However, I'm curious about how they would perform in terms of noise, especially since I aim for a near-silent setup. I plan to use a mesh filter in front of the fans. Additionally, I'll have 3 Deepcool 140mm fans as bottom intakes and a 120mm fan as exhaust in the back. What do you think: should I go for 3x NF-A14x25 G2s or 2x NF-A20s for the front intake?
1 Answer
If you're planning to use a 420mm AIO, the loudest components will likely be the GPU or the pump. Therefore, the type of fans might matter less since you'll want to focus on optimizing the overall noise level. Smaller fans might give you more space flexibility too.
I totally get the concern about pump noise! I'm also considering a beQuiet Silent Loop 3 for its low noise, particularly at lower speeds. My GPU fans are pretty quiet at lower RPMs, and as long as the airflow is good, everything should stay cool. My case has ample space for the 200mm fans, so I’m not stressed about that!