Which fan should I pick?

Hi guys,

I'm in the process of making a custom notebook cooler (probably something similar to this one:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=300297

So far I got basically every material ready except for the fans.... And here's the problem.

What kind of Fan(s) should I choose for the cooler?

My laptop is a HP 8710p, with one large fan in the top left corner...

I'm really stumped on this one, seeing as noone seems to discuss the size/speed of the fans.

PS. I'll most likely be using a 12v adapter with it/them

 

Hey Sephael,

Good choice in making your own cooling fan. While I'm not too sure about voltage compatibility, I can suggest a few fans based on cooling performance and usability. It seems as if tornbacchus just used some normal PC case fans, but it worked fine for cooling his Toshiba x300.

I suggest getting either two, or three (depending on how much surface area needs to be cooled), 120mm case fans. If you're going for some LED lit-design, you can probably go for the Antec Tricool Blue LED or Thermaltake A2018 which both have LEDs.

If you just want to go simple without the flashy LEDs, you can check out Antec Tricool w/out LED or the Scythe S-Flex SFF21F. While there are many other case fan brands out there, or you can even just buy generic; I've read pretty good reviews on Antec, Thermaltake, and Scythe and their performance will justify their price. In fact, you can even see how wasupdog modified his Cryo LX using 1 Antec and 2 Scythe fans on this thread.

Good luck building your cooler and hope you post some pics when you're done...

 

I'm really liking those Antecs, thanks to the RPM switch (which I believe is still usable when you change the connector switch to connect it to a 12v adapter, right?).

If not, how can I control the RPM ?

EDIT: I've just read few comments on that Antec..supposedly it's very loud, and seeing as I'm building that cooler mainly because I play alot my laptop, I'm guessing that the fans will have to be set at highest RPM...Wouldn't that make them really loud (seeing as there'll be 2 or so of them..).

 

Like I said, I'm not quite certain on voltage compatibility and whether 12V will affect the RPM switch. You may want to consult someone who has done the entire procedure. However, I saw this link which you may find helpful. A guy pretty much modded his Antec fans and there are detailed pics on how he did it.

And if you've read reviews of the Antec fans being quite loud, you may just want to go with Scythe or Thermaltake as there are more reviews of them being silent.

 

Yes Tri-cools sound like a jet engine when set to Hi. Its medium and low speeds are still pretty loud compared to others. Get something like this with an adjustable knob where you can mount somewhere like in the side of the pad.

If you really want a good cooler and make it a project. Buy yourself a mATX PSU for dedicated power instead of running it from the USB. You can plug in what ever fans you want plus other 12v accessories.

 

I decided to browse through all the available options...and damn me if there isn't a load of fans for sale :/


What should I be looking for in terms of:

- bearing (no idea)
- RPM (1000+?)
- loudness ( <21dBA?)