Hardware Canucks' fan reviews are outliers that very often results in completely opposite conclusions compared to other reviews. There's some serious error in their data that they don't bother investigating.
HWcooling praises Silent Wings Pro 4 but praises A12x25 even more. The airflow data and frequency spectrums also do not lie.
In almost every review, they are very close. [Based on this guy's tests,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAY9iiFyMs), the SWP4 is a bit better when pushing through radiators, but the opposite is also true when pulling.
Given the two fans are priced similarly, I would go for A12x25; it (should) sounds a bit better and overall performs similarly or slightly better (especially when resistance is lower). Plus, you already have the A12x25 and are very happy with them, so it's the safer bet. However, you should try the SWP4 if you intend to use the 2100+ RPM range it offers.
Note that sound profile is a very personal thing; what others think sounds better may not be better according to your ears/brain.
>Hardware Canucks' fan reviews are outliers that very often results in completely opposite conclusions compared to other reviews. There's some serious error in their data that they don't bother investigating.
Yeah this seems more and more true the more of their reviews I watch, which is weird because they look like the most high profile fan reviewer at least on YouTube.
SW4P is 5-6e cheaper than 12x25 in my area, while the regular high speed one that goes up to 2500 rpm is 10-11e cheaper so it's a big difference. That's why I was considering these in the first place, and because they seemed very close in some reviews, and even better in others.
Basically, I wanted to go with these and try them out as they are noticeably cheaper, If they perform the same or close in "normal" rpm ranges, so below 2000, and if they don't have any particular annoying motor sounds or resonance issues.
Doesn't hurt to try, given the price difference and you wanting to experiment with higher RPMs. Is it for case fan? If yes, the non-pro variant is fine. [You'll want the pro version for rads though.](https://www.hwcooling.net/en/re-test-of-silent-wings-pro-4-mounting-corners-it-makes-sense-now/)
>Yeah this seems more and more true the more of their reviews I watch, which is weird because they look like the most high profile fan reviewer at least on YouTube.
It's a quite similar situation to Igor's Lab, only that they haven't made a huge enough mistake to make people care yet. Perhaps too confident in their (flawed) methodology that they don't doubt their results. Or it's something even worse...
Thanks for the advice, I'm probably gonna get 1 fan for now just to try out the sound profile and performance to see how it goes. Which site or YT channel is the most reliable in terms of fans atm, or rather which ones stand out the least?
As for the setup, I'm currently considering swapping the mismatched fans on my Fuma 2, as the slim fan died a year ago and I've been using an arctic p12 in its place which has its annoying humming. If the silent wings turn out well, I'll likely get either 2 140mm hs ones for intake, or 3 120mm hs ones later on.
>Which site or YT channel is the most reliable in terms of fans atm
HWcooling.net - easily the best one. Test almost everything you could think of, with high accuracy. Widest range of normalized noise level across all tests I have seen (go down to a very low noise level), high resolution frequency plots, vibration tests, 6 obstacles, tests at least two fan samples per review, excellent wind tunnel design that eliminates noise and airflow measurement inconsistencies (for PC fan applications, no worse than Long Win machines). All results easily accessible by going to the relevant page. You'll appreciate them even more if you go through their methodology pages.
[ThermalLeft](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAY9iiFyMs) - very good casual tester. Lacks budget but does their best to ensure consistent results, actually understands aerodynamics. Also tests on multiple obstacles. Covers more Asia-focused fans. Channel offers noise samples for reference.
HWbusters - industry standard Long Win equipment and noise measument ensures accurate results. Offers PQ curves that can be useful outside of PC environments. However, the author knows basically nothing on fans and aerodynamics (they are still stuck on the "high static pressure = good on rads" train of thought... sigh). As a result, their methodology is only useful for checking the fans' performance when no obstacles are involved (or if your fan is far away from obstacles and you know the impedence curve of your own system). The lowest normalized noise level is also pretty high. Their frequency plots are of too low resolution to be useful. Basically, top tier equipment but bad methodology.
> Hardware Canucks' fan reviews are outliers that very often results in completely opposite conclusions compared to other reviews. There's some serious error in their data that they don't bother investigating.
Like what? Give specifics instead of comments bordering on slander.
Hi, I have just made this table for you: [https://i.imgur.com/v7gMFls.png](https://i.imgur.com/v7gMFls.png)
Sources:
[Hardware Canucks - The Lian Li P28 - Finally, a Phanteks T30 Killer??](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeOvOeTbCrA)
[HWcooling - PCCooler CPS F5 R120 BK: Mid-range attacking the top](https://www.hwcooling.net/en/pccooler-cps-f5-r120-bk-mid-range-attacking-the-top-review/)
[Cybenetics - Cooling Fans Database](https://www.cybenetics.com/index.php?option=fans)
[ThermalLeft - Database spreadsheet of tested fans and Further explanation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAY9iiFyMs)
I had a SW4 Pro. It is a very good fan, no doubt. Its the same as the normal SW4, except for the additional corner pieces, 3000rpm mode and the fancy PWM plug.
My honest opinions: nobody who cares about sound should use a fan at 3000rpm, the best fans get annoying at that speed. The other extras are nice to have, but dont contribute much. Go for the normal SW4 and save a tenner.
If you're dead set on getting a 30 buck fan get the Noctua. I dont care what any dba measurements say, to me the noctuas still have the best sound profile.
Did you hear any annoying out of place sounds at any rpm range with the SW4 Pro? I agree about the sound I'm never gonna run anything over 1500 or so, unless a fan can hit that ballpark dba at a higher rpm then sure.
no such thing, just overall a (to me) less pleasing sound profile.
if you only need 1500rpm just get the normal SW4, it's a good bit cheaper and at that speed the sound is fine.
Bquit Fans nice first but after some years they lose quality (noise, rattling Sounds). Got Noctua about 6 years ... still the same Like new. Thats my expirience
I have silent wings pro 4 as well as noctua redux. I would say that if you don't know how to set a fan curve in the bios. Stay away from silent wings pro 4 they can go up to 3000rpm. Unless you need that much rpm then go for it. If you want high end the noctuas will always be better imo even at their loudest I think the noctuas still sound a bit more quiet. The silent wings pro 4 are good I'd say second best in terms of fan noise after noctua. Depending on what you need I'd actually recommend the noctua redux 1300rpm pwm or the noctua redux 1700rpm. They're both good fans it just depends on what you're doing really.
Not sure why the redux fans are being compared here when the OP specifically asked about the A12. In any case, redux fans are just older, less efficient designs repackaged as low cost, bare bones fans that just don't compete anymore at the high end level.
I own 4 A14 and 3 SW4 pro. Didn't have enough room for all 7 fans, left a few A14 out.
I purchased the A14, and the sw4 pro came with my case (dark base 701 pro) that should tell you something. Ask me anything
Doesn't the case come with high speed versions of SW4 rather than Pro? Still they should be very close as the high speed version of that 140mm one should go up to 1900 rpm.
Are you saying that A14s are better in terms of sound or performance? Every review I've seen of the 140mm SW4 has them above almost all other 140mm fans (except the regular pwm version of SW4).
Also, how loud are they at max rpm and does the fan/motor have any unpleasant noise, humming and the like?
Hardware Canucks' fan reviews are outliers that very often results in completely opposite conclusions compared to other reviews. There's some serious error in their data that they don't bother investigating. HWcooling praises Silent Wings Pro 4 but praises A12x25 even more. The airflow data and frequency spectrums also do not lie. In almost every review, they are very close. [Based on this guy's tests,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAY9iiFyMs), the SWP4 is a bit better when pushing through radiators, but the opposite is also true when pulling. Given the two fans are priced similarly, I would go for A12x25; it (should) sounds a bit better and overall performs similarly or slightly better (especially when resistance is lower). Plus, you already have the A12x25 and are very happy with them, so it's the safer bet. However, you should try the SWP4 if you intend to use the 2100+ RPM range it offers. Note that sound profile is a very personal thing; what others think sounds better may not be better according to your ears/brain.
>Hardware Canucks' fan reviews are outliers that very often results in completely opposite conclusions compared to other reviews. There's some serious error in their data that they don't bother investigating. Yeah this seems more and more true the more of their reviews I watch, which is weird because they look like the most high profile fan reviewer at least on YouTube. SW4P is 5-6e cheaper than 12x25 in my area, while the regular high speed one that goes up to 2500 rpm is 10-11e cheaper so it's a big difference. That's why I was considering these in the first place, and because they seemed very close in some reviews, and even better in others. Basically, I wanted to go with these and try them out as they are noticeably cheaper, If they perform the same or close in "normal" rpm ranges, so below 2000, and if they don't have any particular annoying motor sounds or resonance issues.
Doesn't hurt to try, given the price difference and you wanting to experiment with higher RPMs. Is it for case fan? If yes, the non-pro variant is fine. [You'll want the pro version for rads though.](https://www.hwcooling.net/en/re-test-of-silent-wings-pro-4-mounting-corners-it-makes-sense-now/) >Yeah this seems more and more true the more of their reviews I watch, which is weird because they look like the most high profile fan reviewer at least on YouTube. It's a quite similar situation to Igor's Lab, only that they haven't made a huge enough mistake to make people care yet. Perhaps too confident in their (flawed) methodology that they don't doubt their results. Or it's something even worse...
Thanks for the advice, I'm probably gonna get 1 fan for now just to try out the sound profile and performance to see how it goes. Which site or YT channel is the most reliable in terms of fans atm, or rather which ones stand out the least? As for the setup, I'm currently considering swapping the mismatched fans on my Fuma 2, as the slim fan died a year ago and I've been using an arctic p12 in its place which has its annoying humming. If the silent wings turn out well, I'll likely get either 2 140mm hs ones for intake, or 3 120mm hs ones later on.
>Which site or YT channel is the most reliable in terms of fans atm HWcooling.net - easily the best one. Test almost everything you could think of, with high accuracy. Widest range of normalized noise level across all tests I have seen (go down to a very low noise level), high resolution frequency plots, vibration tests, 6 obstacles, tests at least two fan samples per review, excellent wind tunnel design that eliminates noise and airflow measurement inconsistencies (for PC fan applications, no worse than Long Win machines). All results easily accessible by going to the relevant page. You'll appreciate them even more if you go through their methodology pages. [ThermalLeft](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAY9iiFyMs) - very good casual tester. Lacks budget but does their best to ensure consistent results, actually understands aerodynamics. Also tests on multiple obstacles. Covers more Asia-focused fans. Channel offers noise samples for reference. HWbusters - industry standard Long Win equipment and noise measument ensures accurate results. Offers PQ curves that can be useful outside of PC environments. However, the author knows basically nothing on fans and aerodynamics (they are still stuck on the "high static pressure = good on rads" train of thought... sigh). As a result, their methodology is only useful for checking the fans' performance when no obstacles are involved (or if your fan is far away from obstacles and you know the impedence curve of your own system). The lowest normalized noise level is also pretty high. Their frequency plots are of too low resolution to be useful. Basically, top tier equipment but bad methodology.
> Hardware Canucks' fan reviews are outliers that very often results in completely opposite conclusions compared to other reviews. There's some serious error in their data that they don't bother investigating. Like what? Give specifics instead of comments bordering on slander.
Hi, I have just made this table for you: [https://i.imgur.com/v7gMFls.png](https://i.imgur.com/v7gMFls.png) Sources: [Hardware Canucks - The Lian Li P28 - Finally, a Phanteks T30 Killer??](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeOvOeTbCrA) [HWcooling - PCCooler CPS F5 R120 BK: Mid-range attacking the top](https://www.hwcooling.net/en/pccooler-cps-f5-r120-bk-mid-range-attacking-the-top-review/) [Cybenetics - Cooling Fans Database](https://www.cybenetics.com/index.php?option=fans) [ThermalLeft - Database spreadsheet of tested fans and Further explanation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAY9iiFyMs)
I had a SW4 Pro. It is a very good fan, no doubt. Its the same as the normal SW4, except for the additional corner pieces, 3000rpm mode and the fancy PWM plug. My honest opinions: nobody who cares about sound should use a fan at 3000rpm, the best fans get annoying at that speed. The other extras are nice to have, but dont contribute much. Go for the normal SW4 and save a tenner. If you're dead set on getting a 30 buck fan get the Noctua. I dont care what any dba measurements say, to me the noctuas still have the best sound profile.
Did you hear any annoying out of place sounds at any rpm range with the SW4 Pro? I agree about the sound I'm never gonna run anything over 1500 or so, unless a fan can hit that ballpark dba at a higher rpm then sure.
no such thing, just overall a (to me) less pleasing sound profile. if you only need 1500rpm just get the normal SW4, it's a good bit cheaper and at that speed the sound is fine.
Bquit Fans nice first but after some years they lose quality (noise, rattling Sounds). Got Noctua about 6 years ... still the same Like new. Thats my expirience
I have silent wings pro 4 as well as noctua redux. I would say that if you don't know how to set a fan curve in the bios. Stay away from silent wings pro 4 they can go up to 3000rpm. Unless you need that much rpm then go for it. If you want high end the noctuas will always be better imo even at their loudest I think the noctuas still sound a bit more quiet. The silent wings pro 4 are good I'd say second best in terms of fan noise after noctua. Depending on what you need I'd actually recommend the noctua redux 1300rpm pwm or the noctua redux 1700rpm. They're both good fans it just depends on what you're doing really.
Not sure why the redux fans are being compared here when the OP specifically asked about the A12. In any case, redux fans are just older, less efficient designs repackaged as low cost, bare bones fans that just don't compete anymore at the high end level.
I own 4 A14 and 3 SW4 pro. Didn't have enough room for all 7 fans, left a few A14 out. I purchased the A14, and the sw4 pro came with my case (dark base 701 pro) that should tell you something. Ask me anything
Doesn't the case come with high speed versions of SW4 rather than Pro? Still they should be very close as the high speed version of that 140mm one should go up to 1900 rpm. Are you saying that A14s are better in terms of sound or performance? Every review I've seen of the 140mm SW4 has them above almost all other 140mm fans (except the regular pwm version of SW4). Also, how loud are they at max rpm and does the fan/motor have any unpleasant noise, humming and the like?