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 incase 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

Fan noise, or the lack thereof, is amazing. The Titan Dragonfly 4 is now the quietest cooler I have ever tested. Only hitting 40 dBA at maximum fan speed, its noise level is comparable to most coolers with fans set to 50%, which is simply amazing.

Fan Speeds

Looking at the fan's RPM readings at 25%, 50%, and 100%, it is easy to see that Titan's fan can drop its RPM extremely low. With a minimum of 150 and an average of 313 at 25%, it has the lowest RPM reading of any fan I have tested. At 50%, its RPM level is still absurdly low, which keeps noise to a minimum. It is not until the fan is pushed to 100% that it can be heard, and it is the quietest fan I have ever tested at 1485 RPM.

Overall RPM and dBA readings show that the PWM range of Titan's fan is fantastic, offering low noise levels until the cooling performance is truly needed, and it is still quiet even then. The fan Titan provided is impressive - it won't win awards for looks or insane airflow, but is a perfect fit for the Dragonfly 4 heatsink.