# Difference between different fan bearings ?



## Verbatim (May 16, 2018)

Hi, TechPowerUp forum!

Just a simple question which fan bearing is better *Hydraulic Bearing* or *Rifle Bearing*  and what is difference between them ?


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## RejZoR (May 16, 2018)

Go for FDB (Fluid Dynamic Bearing or Hydrodynamic) fans. They cost more, but are totally worth it. People don't know what they are missing when they opt for cheap crap fans.

Enermax is heavy on Rifle bearings, but I have mixed experience with them. Have the Enermax Twister Pressure which are good fans in terms of static pressure and convenience with RPM switch, but the bearing just isn't as smooth or quiet as the one found in Corsair FDB fans or BeQuiet SilentWings 3.


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## natr0n (May 16, 2018)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_fan

Look at Bearing types


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## Bill_Bright (May 16, 2018)

That's really a tough, if not impossible to answer question and RejZor hit on why. There are cheap crap fans, and quality fans. I'll take a professionally designed, top quality sleeve bearing fan over a cheap crap, poorly designed, poorly produced fluid or hydrodynamic fan any day.

Note it is not just about the type fan that sets it above others. It is how well and precise the machining of the bearings and the channels and/or shaft they run in or around. The aerodynamic design of the blades make a HUGE difference in the amount of air, and noise just moving the air makes.

I don't really look at bearing types that much any more. I look at CFM (cubic feet per minute) and dB/A (and of course size, voltage and type connector).


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## erocker (May 16, 2018)

So, look at warranty. Some bearings have good design some bad, some use cheap materials some don't. Crap-shoot considering the state of manufacturing. Go with the best warranty.


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## FreedomEclipse (May 16, 2018)

I want to add ML or Magnetic Levitation bearing to that list... Expensive Yes but well worth the money. Fluid or Hydrodynamic bearing are always a good choice too.


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## Hood (May 16, 2018)

Noctua's SSO bearing is a refined fluid-dynamic design that uses an extra magnet to center the spindle, reducing wear and noise.  My $20 NF-P14s PWM fans are quiet and effective,  the best fans I own.  But I like the idea of mag-lev fans, and I'll be buying some, if my Noctuas ever wear out.  I wasted a lot of cash over the years on cheap fans, and finally learned my lesson.  Buying fans locally at a retail store was never good, they were all terrible sleeve bearing junk that wouldn't blow out a wet match.  Find the good ones online at Newegg and Amazon, and consider the Noctua (redux and industrial), Corsair (mag-lev), and EKWB (Vardar).  These are the best, if you can afford them, and they'll outlast a whole drawer full of cheapies.


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## FordGT90Concept (May 16, 2018)

Rifle bearing is basically the same as sleeve bearing but there's rifling in the design that pulls lubricant from a reservoir and spreads it out across the friction surface.  Rifle bearing is better than sleeve.

Hydrodynamic bearings are like ball bearing but instead of using balls, they use pressurized liquid or gas.  Hydrodynamic bearings run quieter than ball but generally have to run at high RPMs to maintain pressure.  Ball would be better for low RPM fans.

Magnetic (jury still out on that one) > Hydrodynamic ~= Ball (depends on speed) > Rifle > Sleeve


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## Vario (May 17, 2018)

Dual ball last forever in any orientation and generate a lot of pressure.  Usually there is more motor noise as a tradeoff.


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## R-T-B (May 17, 2018)

The difference between rifle bearing and fluid dynamic bearing is actually a trademark issue.  Panasonic holds the patent on the "herringbone shaped groove" and no one can call a fan exactly a "fluid dynamic bearing" fan without that.  Hence workarounds like riflebearings and such.

Some reading:

https://www.hardwaresecrets.com/the-truth-about-fluid-dynamic-bearing-fdb-fans/


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## HTC (May 17, 2018)

Hood said:


> Noctua's SSO bearing is a refined fluid-dynamic design that uses an extra magnet to center the spindle, reducing wear and noise.  My $20 NF-P14s PWM fans are quiet and effective,  the best fans I own.  But I like the idea of mag-lev fans, and I'll be buying some, *if my Noctuas ever wear out.*  I wasted a lot of cash over the years on cheap fans, and finally learned my lesson.  Buying fans locally at a retail store was never good, they were all terrible sleeve bearing junk that wouldn't blow out a wet match.  Find the good ones online at Newegg and Amazon, and consider the Noctua (redux and industrial), Corsair (mag-lev), and EKWB (Vardar).  *These are the best, if you can afford them, and they'll outlast a whole drawer full of cheapies.*



I still have fully functioning Noctua fans that are closing in on 10 years. Have them on my sister's PC atm: 1 in the case as exaust and another on the CPU cooler (NHC12P).

The warranty on those has expired quite a long time ago: it was *only* 6 years ... Expensive for sure, but worth the money IMHO.


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## FordGT90Concept (May 17, 2018)

R-T-B said:


> The difference between rifle bearing and fluid dynamic bearing is actually a trademark issue.  Panasonic holds the patent on the "herringbone shaped groove" and no one can call a fan exactly a "fluid dynamic bearing" fan without that.  Hence workarounds like riflebearings and such.
> 
> Some reading:
> 
> https://www.hardwaresecrets.com/the-truth-about-fluid-dynamic-bearing-fdb-fans/


You got me curious.  I have Rexus Panaflos here I just pulled out of my server (11 years of 24/7 use).  They're labeled Minebea-Matsushita. Got the PCB off of it so I can see the coils but having a bitch of a time trying to get the bearing to let go.


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## eidairaman1 (May 17, 2018)

Can't go wrong with either, same with ball bearing fans, only sleeve fans have 2 major disadvantages and that is fan orientation and temperature


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## R-T-B (May 17, 2018)

FordGT90Concept said:


> Matsushita



Another (less western) name for Panasonic, so I bet I know what's in there...


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## FordGT90Concept (May 17, 2018)

I got it apart: double ball bearing.


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## biffzinker (May 17, 2018)

At least it's double ball bearing. Yate Loon wink


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## eidairaman1 (May 17, 2018)

FordGT90Concept said:


> You got me curious.  I have Rexus Panaflos here I just pulled out of my server (11 years of 24/7 use).  They're labeled Minebea-Matsushita. Got the PCB off of it so I can see the coils but having a bitch of a time trying to get the bearing to let go.



Havent heard Matsushita in a Long Time


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## AsRock (May 17, 2018)

FordGT90Concept said:


> Rifle bearing is basically the same as sleeve bearing but there's rifling in the design that pulls lubricant from a reservoir and spreads it out across the friction surface.  Rifle bearing is better than sleeve.
> 
> Hydrodynamic bearings are like ball bearing but instead of using balls, they use pressurized liquid or gas.  Hydrodynamic bearings run quieter than ball but generally have to run at high RPMs to maintain pressure.  Ball would be better for low RPM fans.
> 
> Magnetic (jury still out on that one) > Hydrodynamic ~= Ball (depends on speed) > Rifle > Sleeve




Well sleeve i say keep away, they maybe silent for a while but will sooner rather than later whine.



FordGT90Concept said:


> I got it apart: double ball bearing.



Good but not the best as they should be sealed for better longevity.


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## FordGT90Concept (May 17, 2018)

Sleeve tends to be quiet but have a short life span relatively speaking.  Once the lubricant dries up, it's done for.


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## eidairaman1 (May 17, 2018)

AsRock said:


> Well sleeve i say keep away, they maybe silent for a while but will sooner rather than later whine.



Found in alot of cases, they get you by, I replace them on particular builds


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## AsRock (May 17, 2018)

eidairaman1 said:


> Found in alot of cases, they get you by, I replace them on particular builds



I got a bunch of Rosewill fans @ $7 each 8 years ago and still doing as good as day one as the4y are ball bearings, although about 4 years again i did take them apart to re lube them.

Not the best but for $7 a piece it's a none brainer u8nless you need absolute silence.


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## HTC (May 17, 2018)

FordGT90Concept said:


> I got it apart: double ball bearing.



Can you inspect the bearings for their designation? I ask because i work @ a ball bearing manufacturing company and i'd like to know if we make those or not, out of curiosity.


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## eidairaman1 (May 17, 2018)

AsRock said:


> I got a bunch of Rosewill fans @ $7 each 8 years ago and still doing as good as day one as the4y are ball bearings, although about 4 years again i did take them apart to re lube them.
> 
> Not the best but for $7 a piece it's a none brainer u8nless you need absolute silence.



Ball bearing units are good


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## AsRock (May 17, 2018)

eidairaman1 said:


> Ball bearing units are good



Yup, but some do twist the truth and use plastic bearings so watch out.


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## FordGT90Concept (May 17, 2018)

HTC said:


> Can you inspect the bearings for their designation? I ask because i work @ a ball bearing manufacturing company and i'd like to know if we make those or not, out of curiosity.


I didn't see anything on them.


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## jboydgolfer (May 17, 2018)

These have never failed me (yet)

Scythe , Kaze or Grand Flex are good, FDB.  They used to be really expensive sometimes more than Noctua, but a few weeks back I saw them for $15 or less/each.  I still have the Stocks fans that came in an Antec Lanboy , im not super picky


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## HTC (May 17, 2018)

FordGT90Concept said:


> I didn't see anything on them.



Here's an example of a bearing's markings:



From the pic you posted, i can't judge the size so it may be smaller than those we make. The markings may also be on the outer ring (instead of the inner ring, like in the pic) or even on the outside of the outer ring.

Currently, i'm making the inner and outer rings (IR.6004-2Z-8101 and AU.6004-2Z-8101) for 6004 NGC bearings.

Sorry for the off topic.


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## erocker (May 17, 2018)

FordGT90Concept said:


> I got it apart: double ball bearing.


Best part is, they can be replaced with something just as good, if not better. Old fans are the best fans.


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## Athlonite (May 17, 2018)

out of all the fans I've had over the years the Riffle bearing was the absolute worst so here's the list from top performer to worst 
1: Magnetic levitation
2: Hydro-Dynamic / Fluid 
3: Double Ball bearing
4: Single Ball bearing
5: Riffle / Sleeve bearing (these are the bottom of the barrel)


Then all that remains in choosing your fan is Size, RPM, CFM for plain case fans and or Pressure (mm/H20) for radiator fans then Warranty and Cost I tend to stay well away from cheap n cheerful and LED at all costs if I can


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## FordGT90Concept (May 17, 2018)

HTC said:


> Here's an example of a bearing's markings:
> 
> View attachment 101080
> 
> ...


They're about 1cm across.


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## HTC (May 17, 2018)

FordGT90Concept said:


> They're about 1cm across.



We used to make 624 and 625 bearings but both of those are bigger then those you describe so i'm guessing it's not one of ours.

For comparison, i currently make rings for 6004, which is quite allot bigger.

Biggest bearing i ever made rings for was S6310, which is the stainless steel version of 6310 (notice the weight of it): it took over 4 minutes to grind 1 outer ring and it had to go to super-finish afterwards, which took much much longer (but made 3 for each machine cicle: still took longer, though).

Enough OT: sorry, all.


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## biffzinker (May 17, 2018)

FordGT90Concept said:


> Once the lubricant dries up, it's done for.


The stock scythe kotetsu fan says no way, still going strong (sleeve bearing.)


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## R-T-B (May 17, 2018)

eidairaman1 said:


> Havent heard Matsushita in a Long Time



They branded their dvd-roms with that name in firmware way longer than they probably should have.


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## Verbatim (May 18, 2018)

So basically Noctua has the best fans in market ? What about Thermalright looks very similar to Noctua.


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## eidairaman1 (May 18, 2018)

Verbatim said:


> So basically Noctua has the best fans in market ? What about Thermalright looks very similar to Noctua.



Thermalright are still a contender. Pretty good. However its what bearings fans use, if they are sleeve, they are the bottom barrel fans, rifles are a step above etc etc.

I see noctua fans as obnoxious because of how freaking ugly they are.


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## Verbatim (May 18, 2018)

eidairaman1 said:


> However its what bearings fans use, if they are sleeve, they are the bottom barrel fans, rifles are a step above etc etc.


Noctua uses SSO2 Bearings, Thermalright uses Enhanced Hyper-Flow Bearings.


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## eidairaman1 (May 18, 2018)

Verbatim said:


> Noctua uses SSO2 Bearings, Thermalright uses Enhanced Hyper-Flow Bearings.



Can't go wrong with either. I use Glidestream 140s on my CPU and Spectre Pro LED 140 and 230s in my case.


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## biffzinker (May 18, 2018)

The Cougar Vortex Fans I'm using have Hydro-Dynamic Bearing. There coming up on 5 years without any issues.


I see on the newer CFD series they've switched the name to Hydraulic-Bearing.


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## eidairaman1 (May 18, 2018)

biffzinker said:


> The Cougar Vortex Fans I'm using have Hydro-Dynamic Bearing. There coming up on 5 years without any issues.
> View attachment 101217
> 
> I see on the newer CFD series they've switched the name to Hydraulic-Bearing.
> View attachment 101218



Shorter name


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## John Naylor (May 18, 2018)

It's much less about what it's called than how well it's made.  I have purchased over 100 Phanteks PH-140SP's since 2013..... no failures to date, ... one of them was noisy on a radiator ... sent in in for RAM replacement, note said ship back old one in same box. w/ provided mailing label ... when opened box, there were 2 fans inside , not said "for ya trouble" and no label ... calle  up and they said dont bother to shup back,,, so I installed it vertically, no noise stopped and still running.

$10 each and when ya take the fans off a Noctua Cooler and put these on ... at same rpm temps drop 6C
http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/phenteks_f140/3.htm


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## Hood (May 19, 2018)

Verbatim said:


> So basically Noctua has the best fans in market ? What about Thermalright looks very similar to Noctua.


I never had a Thermalright or a Phanteks.  I tend to stick with Noctua, because you know what you're getting.  If the brown/tan colors put you off, get the redux (gray/dark gray) or the industrial series (black).


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## Octopuss (May 21, 2018)

Am I the last and only weirdo on the planet who doesn't give a sh.. about Noctua colours?  I mean the damn fans are inside a case that's under the table.


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## Vario (May 21, 2018)

Hood said:


> I never had a Thermalright or a Phanteks.  I tend to stick with Noctua, because you know what you're getting.  If the brown/tan colors put you off, get the redux (gray/dark gray) or the industrial series (black).


Thermalright and Phanteks are both good, though some of the Phanteks are better than others.  Be Quiet is also a good brand.


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## FordGT90Concept (May 21, 2018)

Verbatim said:


> So basically Noctua has the best fans in market ? What about Thermalright looks very similar to Noctua.


No, they're basically sleeve bearing with added magnets to stabilize it:






Let me break it down real simple:
a) quiet and five year life span: sleeve
b) loud and ten year life span: double ball
c) between a and b: pretty much everything else

OEMs like to put cheap sleeve fans on cases because if they fail, meh.  They're also relatively quiet so they won't contribute much sound to the room the system is in; conversely, OEMs like cheap heatsinks which means if the fan dies sitting on top of the heatsink, performance dives, so they use ball bearings.  Reference GPU HSFs with blower type fans use ball bearings just like the cheap heatsinks AMD and Intel put in CPU boxes have ball bearings.  These fans are intended to remove 65+ watts of heat for the lifetime of the product (10+ years).  Additionally, these fans are buried in the system where you won't hear it.

Now look at OEM server systems: they have ball bearing fans *everywhere*.  They're loud, they last 10+ years, and they keep everything cool.

OEMs tend to not bother with any other bearing types because there's too much legalese involved which contributes to higher shipping costs than going with sleeve or ball.  It's not really worth it.


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## Bill_Bright (May 21, 2018)

Octopuss said:


> Am I the last and only weirdo on the planet who doesn't give a sh.. about Noctua colours?  I mean the damn fans are inside a case that's under the table.


You are definitely not the last. I am a firm believer cases should sit quietly and discreetly off to the side and NOT draw attention to themselves. So I don't go for fancy facades and flashy lights. I do like side panel windows but only because they are great for visual inspections to look for dust build-up and to make sure all fans are spinning. Other than that, I tend to pay attention to what's on my monitors.


FordGT90Concept said:


> Now look at OEM server systems: they have ball bearing fans *everywhere*. They're loud, they last 10+ years, and they keep everything cool.


As noted way above in post #4, 





Bill_Bright said:


> There are cheap crap fans, and quality fans. I'll take a professionally designed, top quality sleeve bearing fan over a cheap crap, poorly designed, poorly produced fluid or hydrodynamic fan any day.


Same applies to ball bearing fans. "Precision" ball bearing fans (and the channels they run in) can be very quiet. 

But just as important, if not more so than the bearing design when it comes to CFM and fan noise is the design/shape of the fan blades. Remember, these are tiny propellers subject to the properties of aero (or fluid) dynamics or propeller dynamics. 

A poorly designed fan blade can make a lot of noise "chopping" through the air drowning out any bearing noise, while moving only a small amount of air. A superior designed fan blade can "slice" through the air, scope up and push massive amounts of air, in near silence, like a nuclear submarine slipping silently through the water at 30+ knots 600 feet below the surface.

Everyone can argue all day long about which "type" bearing is the best. But the point is moot unless the quality of manufacturing and assembly of those bearings AND the quality of design and the characteristics of the fan blades are factored in too. A silent fan motor coupled with bad design fan blade may still be noisy, and may move little air.

Of course fan rotation speed must be factored in too. If you have to run your case fans at full speed to get enough air moving through the case, you need better and/or larger fans, and/or more fans, or a better case.


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## EsaT (May 21, 2018)

Verbatim said:


> So basically Noctua has the best fans in market ? What about Thermalright looks very similar to Noctua.


NF-P12 and NF-F12 fans I've had come with (expensive) Noctua heatsinks have been rather lousy for the premium.
While maybe fooling dB-meter P12's acoustic signature has quirks.
And in case of F12 is never any calm/smooth...
Likely because of those truts nearly parallel to trailing edge of fan blades causing bigger "bumps" to airflow separating from blade.
I mean just blow air from your mouth and then move finger or pen sideways back and forth through that airflow...
You'll get lot more noise.

Even worser is vibration.
They were like some darn vibrating rollers when held in hand and when on table it would amplify noise.
Should be easy to deduct what such vibration does, when you attach fan to case!


At the same time original sleeve bearing Scythe Slipstreams costing third of those hype Noctuas are free of vibration and have very smooth sound profile, with noise coming only from airflow.
(and they move more air per RPM than most fans in low/ish impedance use because of blades covering bigger percentage of fan diameter)

Also ball bearing Scythe Gentle Typhoons have very smooth rotation and no real bearing sounds.
Really shame paths of Scythe and Nidec-Servo separated.

Well, Scythe Kaze Flex looks really good geometry wise with Slipstream like design and should have good life span, unlike Slipstream.



Bill_Bright said:


> I do like side panel windows but only because they are great for visual inspections to look for dust build-up and to make sure all fans are spinning. Other than that, I tend to pay attention to what's on my monitors.
> 
> 
> Everyone can argue all day long about which "type" bearing is the best. But the point is moot unless the quality of manufacturing and assembly of those bearings AND the quality of design and the characteristics of the fan blades are factored in too. A silent fan motor coupled with bad design fan blade may still be noisy, and may move little air.


That's indeed only really useful function for side window.
Though I guess some like staring more parts of their computer than actually using it.
Btw, once when assembling new PC with Seagate Barracuda ATA IV drive actually opened the case to check that I had truly connected it, because at the time pretty much all other drives made lots of noise. 


Even good bearing and design isn't enough if materials are bad and easily resonating.

_The fancy "metallic" plastic used for the frame may look   flashy, but it's terrible for sound. Lightweight and brittle, the material picks   up fan vibration easily and audibly, giving the fan a highly resonant character.   At slower speeds, the resonance manifests itself as a deep buzz or growl, while   at higher speeds it's more like a pure tone. _
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article739-page3.html#silenx

_The acoustic difference between the opaque Globe fan and the transparent AcoustiFan   was quite remarkable. We've often said that transparent plastic is unsuitable   for use in quiet computers, and listening to the two fans side-by-side demonstrated   why. Both fans demonstrated the same underlying growl that increased in pitch   and volume as the speed increased, but the transparent AcoustiFan also had a   ringing overtone: The sound of the brittle transparent plastic resonating. _
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article739-page5.html#acoustifan

Though I've met few translucent Nanoxias which seemed to avoid resonance problems.


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## Bill_Bright (May 21, 2018)

Verbatim said:


> So basically Noctua has the best fans in market ?


Forgot to comment on this. The answer is a resounding, "no". No one company makes the best across their entire line. 

And of course, "best" means different things to different people. When talking 140mm fans for example, "best" may mean the most CFM to one person. "Best" may mean the quietest to some one else. And "best" may mean longest lasting to another, or most energy efficient yet another person.  No fan, or fan maker, makes the "best" in all categories - especially across their entire line of offerings. 

Frankly, I really like Fractal Design fans - including those included in their better cases. The only way I can they are spinning is to look, or put my ear to back of the case to "feel" the air blowing on my ear. They don't make noise and they don't vibrate.


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## John Naylor (May 21, 2018)

Octopuss said:


> Am I the last and only weirdo on the planet who doesn't give a sh.. about Noctua colours?  I mean the damn fans are inside a case that's under the table.



Not for the folks that invest in windowed cases, custom water cooling, cable sleeving etc. ... and dare i say. the LED fad which seems to not to wanna go away.

Still, for me, an acknowledged hardware whore with no brand loyalties, it's all about the numbers ... and Noctua doesn't have them anymore so color doesn't matter anyway, tho I am hoping their new stiff bladed fan with reduced blade / frame gap brings them up on top again.   Noc lost the title in 2013 - 2014 when ya could drop temps 6C at same rpm by by replacing the fans on Noctua's own coolers, get reduced sound and pay haf the price to boot.  I still haven't seen a face off between the Phanteks and the Silent Wings 3 but, as I said before, base dupon the new Noc design w/ rigid blades allowing reduced clerance, performance should improve and noise should drop

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/phenteks_f140/3.htm
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1345-page7.html

And want to reiterate ... if buying a fan based upon advertised specs is a fool's errand.   They are not real.  Cougar advertises this fan as 70 cfm and 0.084 " H2O.  I can not meet that spec.  In actuality, it winds up being  34 cfm (less than half advertised) @ 0.040 inches H2O (again less than half) ... and of ya picked it over the 58 cfm @ 0.080 inches H2O Typhoon, you made a mistake as installed the Typhoon deliver more air and more SP.






When reading box or advertised specs... remember when politicians and marketing professionals go to college they minor in "deceiving the public"


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## Octopuss (May 21, 2018)

The problem is that there are SO friggin many fans out there it's impossible to find any up to date test that would cover even fraction of useful ones, so you have no easy way to choose anyway.
I just buy Noctua. It might not be the absolute best performance, but I know what I'm getting. And I don't want to experiment.


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## Bill_Bright (May 21, 2018)

I am not brand loyal but I do pick brands I am familiar with. But that does not ensure quality. Antec, for example, makes some excellent fans. But they also make (or rebrand) some really cheap ones too. 

The reality is, you don't have to spend a fortune. You should avoid the budget models, but no need to buy the most expensive either.


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## EsaT (May 21, 2018)

Octopuss said:


> I just buy Noctua. It might not be the absolute best performance, but I know what I'm getting. And I don't want to experiment.


Noctua is lots of expensive marketing hype.
Their original entry to fans was so quiet only because it could move air only to "downwind" with slightest impedance bringing airflow crashing down.
With design having been pretty much custom made to fool impeller anemometers into giving completely inflated numbers:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article734-page1.html

And while following NF-P12 and NF-F12 are actually capable to moving air against impedance those have bad vibration problems causing noise when attaching them to case.
Unless they pick up the worst, discarded in end of manufacturing line, individuals to bundle with heatsinks.
Basically haven't had any other fan having as bad vibrations as those two.



John Naylor said:


> When reading box or advertised specs... remember when politicians and marketing professionals go to college they minor*major* in "deceiving the public"


You had typo in there...
Only trustworthy thing in fan specs is size and rough RPM.




Bill_Bright said:


> The reality is, you don't have to spend a fortune. You should avoid the budget models, but no need to buy the most expensive either.


If noise/performance per noise isn't important then really any fan works.
Some just need to be run at higher RPM to have same airflow...


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## Athlonite (May 22, 2018)

mukalo said:


> Rifle bearing fans are quieter and have longer  lifespan. The bearing has a spiral groove in it that pumps fluid from a reservoir. This allows them to be safely mounted horizontally, since the fluid being pumped lubricates the top of the shaft. The pumping also ensures sufficient lubricant on the shaft, reducing noise, and increasing lifespan.  on the other hand,
> Fluid bearing fans runs more-silent operation and high life expectancy. However, these fans tend to be the most expensive.



You'd expect that would be the case but unfortunately it just isn't so all the time,  I've had several different riffle bearing fans fail within 6 months of being bought 2 of which were on HIS Video cards so now I use all gentle Typhoons where 120mm fans are required they're rated for 1850rpm so give good perf / noise performance and until I can find replacements for the 3 x 180mm Silverstone case fans they'll remain where they are pushing 300cfm up into my case the only problem with them is they're a shit to clean as they're the Air Penetrator variety so have an air guide grill on them really good fans but shit when it came time to clean em


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## agent_x007 (May 22, 2018)

I exchanged all my case fans (4x 120mm + 2x 140mm), to "Nanoflux" bearing ones (magnetic) few years back.
All fans work fine (Phobya/Gelid).
One fan that got me worried was Enermax UCTB (oldest magnetic type I own, and bought used even before rest).
It started to rattle a lot after cpu heated up (mounted in my sisters PC).
I guess you have to lubricate shaft's tip at some point or else it's metal on metal action...
After that fan worked fine, and does so to this day.
PS. I had bad experience when dust killed two of my case fans.
That's when I decided to go magnetic on case fans (easy bearing cleaning is easy ).
For my CPU cooling, I use Push-Pull with Delta FFC1212DE and AFB1212SHE (both are double ball bearing, apparently).


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## Octopuss (May 27, 2018)

Why did you buy them first and asked afterwards?


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## maxab19 (Nov 19, 2021)

Are rifle bearing fans more reliable than double ball bearing fans?


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## Athlonite (Nov 19, 2021)

maxab19 said:


> Are rifle bearing fans more reliable than double ball bearing fans?


no they are not


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## Shrek (Nov 19, 2021)

For interests sake, not to start an argument: I seem to recall sleeve fans can last longer when the fan is vertical (the bearing horizontal)

The Basics of Case Fan Bearings - Which Bearing is Best? | GamersNexus - Gaming PC Builds & Hardware Benchmarks
"Sleeve fans will 'live' significantly longer when mounted vertically due to their internal lubrication system"

In my experience, those bearing I could get to seems not to have much lubricant, so I flood them with fully synthetic engine oil (10W-30)

Now it might be argued

Engine oil is too thick
One should use an oil without detergents
but I am happy with this solution.


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## Ferrum Master (Nov 19, 2021)

Andy Shiekh said:


> For interests sake, not to start an argument: I seem to recall sleeve fans can last longer when the fan is vertical (the bearing horizontal)
> 
> The Basics of Case Fan Bearings - Which Bearing is Best? | GamersNexus - Gaming PC Builds & Hardware Benchmarks
> "Sleeve fans will 'live' significantly longer when mounted vertically due to their internal lubrication system"
> ...



Prf...

Are you aware of dry lubricants, do you?


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## Shrek (Nov 19, 2021)

The fan manufacturers don't seem to use dry lubricants.


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## Ferrum Master (Nov 19, 2021)

Andy Shiekh said:


> The fan manufacturers don't seem to use dry lubricants.



How do you know?


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## Bill_Bright (Nov 19, 2021)

FTR, this is thread that was dormant for 3 1/2 years and was just suspiciously necroed from the deep by a new poster making a single post. 

Also for the record, like just about everything else in life, not all are equal. 

I don't mean bearings in general. I mean specific bearings. That is, there are poor quality sleeve bearings and there are very high quality, high precision sleeve bearings. Just as there are poorly made ball bearings, and there are precision ball bearings. 

It makes no sense whatsoever to buy a fan just because it has a certain type of bearing. Other very significant factors include noise and CFM. 

To be sure, I hate fan noise. I mean I REALLY HATE fan noise. So do I buy the quietest fans around? Nope! Why? Because I never ever spin my fans at maximum speeds - therefore, they never ever produce maximum noise. If I need to push my fans to maximum speeds to achieve sufficient CFM to reach desired cooling, I either bought the wrong fans or I need to install more fans. 

I also buy quality cases which (1) provide for lots of fan options and (2) suppress fan noise.


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