Noise Levels & Fan Speeds

Testing Procedure

Fan noise testing is done at 25%, 50%, and 100% fan speed, with the dBA level being recorded by a Pyle PSPL25 sound pressure level meter at a distance of 30 cm. The fan(s) RPM results are taken at the same 25%, 50%, and 100% settings. The selected speeds are handled by MSI's Command Center software, and a Lamptron FC6 fan controller is also used as a secondary method of confirming RPM and dBA readings in case MSI's Command Center cannot control the fan(s), which ensures that proper results can still be obtained if the software fails. To give users the noise profile of the tested CPU cooler, testing is done using fan speed percentages instead of various load levels.

Noise Levels

The Scythe Ninja 4 is very quiet overall, inaudible with its fan at 25% and 50% RPM. It is not until the fan is set to spin at its maximum RPM that it becomes audible, and even then only barely so. Keep in mind that the fan has a switch to limit its maximum RPM to 800, 1150, or 1500. So if 43 dBA is too loud for you, it can certainly be made to quieten down. That said, I highly doubt you'll need to limit the fan's RPM since it's just that quiet.

Fan Speeds

After looking at its RPM readings at 25%, 50%, and 100%, it becomes obvious that the fan included with the Ninja 4 has a great RPM range that starts at 300 and maxes out at 1500. Such a broad range allows it to remain silent at low loads, with enough push to keep the CPU cool when overclocked.