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Replacing fan in Mec with silent one [message #109398]

Wed, 25 October 2017 18:53

RGPJ

Messages: 15
Registered: October 2017

Junior Member

Hello Paris users!! Cool

I was wondering if anyone has ever replaced the fan in the Mec, and if so, what might you recommend?

Or perhaps just disable it? It's too loud. I only have one card, an 8 in. (Would like an 8 out but those are hard to come by I guess).

Thank you!!

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Re: Replacing fan in Mec with silent one [message #109400 is a reply to message #109398]

Mon, 30 October 2017 19:11

SummingStrange

Messages: 43
Registered: April 2017
Location: Downunder

Member

I will probably be doing this with my MEC pretty soon.

If you pull out the stock fan you can probably get a part number and brand name to google the specs which will help in choosing a replacement.

I would recommend Noctua fans, as they seem to be a bit quieter than everything else. In your case (and mine too - not a lot of cards in my MEC) it probably isn't critical and you could go for a less powerful and therefore quieter fan than the stock one. I like the Noctua fans with the rubber corners on them (not the cheaper Redux versions). These are supposed to help reduce the noise from vibrations.

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Re: Replacing fan in Mec with silent one [message #109401 is a reply to message #109400]

Mon, 06 November 2017 23:07

RGPJ

Messages: 15
Registered: October 2017

Junior Member

Hello SummingStrange, thanks for the reply!!!

I haven't taken out the fan completely yet, but loosened it to see if I could see anything...and I couldn't really, other than it's 80mm and it's got 2 wires.

I am wondering if this would basically do the trick?

https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NF-A8-PWM-Premium-Computer/dp/ B00NEMG62M/ref=pd_sim_147_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00NE MG62M&pd_rd_r=2BNNW85RGJ1TCENRVVBW&pd_rd_w=Wndor& ;pd_rd_wg=shtaY&psc=1&refRID=2BNNW85RGJ1TCENRVVBW

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Re: Replacing fan in Mec with silent one [message #109402 is a reply to message #109401]

Tue, 07 November 2017 05:14

SummingStrange

Messages: 43
Registered: April 2017
Location: Downunder

Member

If the MEC stock fan has only two wires then it is the simplest type of fan there is (runs at full speed with no speed control, which makes sense).

The Noctua 80mm fan in your link would work, but you don't need a fan that is capable of PWM control, so I would get the Noctua NF-A8 FLX version. This is exactly the same fan but without PWM.

These fans come with a low noise adapter (LNA), so you can try the fan without it first and see how loud it is, then if you want to make it a bit quieter you can use the LNA. Basically the LNA is a short cable that you connect in between the fan and the power header on the PCB and it steps the fan's voltage down to a lower level so the it's quieter.

The only thing you need to figure out is which pins on the fan connector are the ones that use the plus and minus 12V and make sure they connect to the two pins on the header. Two pin fans are not common these days but a 3 pin fan is the same as a 2 pin fan but it has an extra wire to send an RPM signal back to whatever is controlling it, as most computer motherboards can control fan speed either by controlling the voltage sent to the fan (or by PWM if it's a 4 pin fan). Fan headers and plugs are standardised for computers to enable a 3 or pin fan to be plugged in to either 3 pin or 4 pin headers without getting the pins wrong - the connector will only fit onto the header one way. Not sure what the header looks like in the MEC, but I will try to have a look at my one. However, I'm sure the Noctua NF-A8 FLX fan will work.

[Updated on: Tue, 07 November 2017 05:15]

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Re: Replacing fan in Mec with silent one [message #109403 is a reply to message #109398]

Tue, 07 November 2017 16:34

RGPJ

Messages: 15
Registered: October 2017

Junior Member

Great, thank you very much, I have ordered the Noctua NF-A8 FLX!

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Re: Replacing fan in Mec with silent one [message #109432 is a reply to message #109398]

Wed, 17 January 2018 22:13

Will The Weirdo

Messages: 190
Registered: December 2009
Location: On The Lake

Senior Member

How did this fan replacement turn out?

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Re: Replacing fan in Mec with silent one [message #109437 is a reply to message #109432]

Fri, 19 January 2018 16:33

RGPJ

Messages: 15
Registered: October 2017

Junior Member

Will The Weirdo wrote on Wed, 17 January 2018 22:13

How did this fan replacement turn out?

Good. Was sort of difficult...the screws were hard to reach without unhooking the whole panel the fan connects to.

The Noctua fan is quieter, though I think it would be very very quiet without the little screen that goes over it...I think that contributes slightly to some noise.

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Re: Replacing fan in Mec with silent one [message #109444 is a reply to message #109398]

Sat, 20 January 2018 05:39

Kim W.

Messages: 189
Registered: January 2010
Location: Australia

Senior Member

It's funny.
I always marveled at how my two mecs were so quiet.
Perhaps Ensoniq/Emu used louder fans in the latter years.

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Re: Replacing fan in Mec with silent one [message #109454 is a reply to message #109398]

Mon, 22 January 2018 21:32

SummingStrange

Messages: 43
Registered: April 2017
Location: Downunder

Member

Good to hear that you got the new fan installed, and it's working well.

I will probably end up replacing my fans - they're pretty old now.

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Re: Replacing fan in Mec with silent one [message #109462 is a reply to message #109454]

Wed, 24 January 2018 13:25

RGPJ

Messages: 15
Registered: October 2017

Junior Member

SummingStrange wrote on Mon, 22 January 2018 21:32

Good to hear that you got the new fan installed, and it's working well.

I will probably end up replacing my fans - they're pretty old now.

Thanks again for the help with that! Smile

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Re: Replacing fan in Mec with silent one [message #109472 is a reply to message #109398]

Mon, 12 February 2018 12:59

damien

Messages: 36
Registered: October 2008

Member

I've just unplugged the fan.
only a 8in and 8our in the MEC.
it has been working like a charm for hundreds of hours.

it maybe not the best advice on earth though.
cheers

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Re: Replacing fan in Mec with silent one [message #109490 is a reply to message #109472]

Fri, 30 March 2018 15:28

RGPJ

Messages: 15
Registered: October 2017

Junior Member

damien wrote on Mon, 12 February 2018 12:59

I've just unplugged the fan.
only a 8in and 8our in the MEC.
it has been working like a charm for hundreds of hours.

it maybe not the best advice on earth though.
cheers

Thanks, I may try that! I only have one card...how hot could that be?

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Re: Replacing fan in Mec with silent one [message #109837 is a reply to message #109490]

Tue, 07 April 2020 21:05

Rich.Kelley

Messages: 98
Registered: August 2009

Member

MEC Fan Details and Replacement Suggestions

I just pulled out the fan in my spare MEC. The fan and the vents are all located on the same side of the MEC as the power switch and the plug. The power supply is located here too.
The air flow is all going to happen in this local area, so I think the fan's primary purpose is for cooling the power supply. I don't see how it would move much air from the internal part of the MEC where the cards are located.

Here's some info on the MEC fan:

Panaflo DC Brushless
Model: FBA08A12L
80mm fan
12V - originally 3 wire but it appears Ensoniq removed the RPM wire.

From a web search, the critical performance specs are:
- 24 CFM
- 21 dBA

Picture of my old fan:
index.php?t=getfile&id=1166&private=0

Full specs from Newegg:
index.php?t=getfile&id=1163&private=0

Replacement Fans
If you do want to put in a replacement fan, the Noctua's are a good bet because you can get the same air flow with lower noise, and based on what damien wrote it's not clear you need much airflow anyway. I put 120 mm Noctua FLX fans in my Magma.

Specific model numbers:

Noctua NF-A8 FLX
-3 flow/noise levels:
-30 cfm - 16.1 dBA
-24 cfm - 12.9 dBA
-17 cfm - 7.9 dBA (this is close to inaudible)

Noctua NF-A8 ULN
-2 flow/noise levels:
-20 cfm - 10.4 dBA
-15 cfm - 6.5 dBA (this is even closer to inaudible)

Attachment: Panaflo FBA08A12L Specs.JPG
(Size: 34.68KB, Downloaded 4402 times)
Attachment: 20200407_201307_resized.jpg
(Size: 52.63KB, Downloaded 4399 times)

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Re: Replacing fan in Mec with silent one [message #109838 is a reply to message #109398]

Tue, 07 April 2020 22:45

SummingStrange

Messages: 43
Registered: April 2017
Location: Downunder

Member

Great stuff, definitive fan info.
I know I was bigging up Noctua, but that was because fans are their specialty and they keep developing them. They are expensive but the specs on noise vs airflow show why.

Those Panaflo fans were good reliable fans, but the design is decades old now.

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Re: Replacing fan in Mec with silent one [message #109840 is a reply to message #109398]

Wed, 15 April 2020 08:15

Rich.Kelley

Messages: 98
Registered: August 2009

Member

I put the Noctua NF-A8 ULN fan, with the ULN adapter cable, into my two MECs. Per the table a couple of posts above, that would be 15 cfm @ 6.5 dBA. I couldn't get the Noctua rubber mounts to work well, so I used the original screws. I couldn't hear a difference in noise between the rubber mounts and the screws.

My thinking is that any air flow is probably better than none (i.e. no fan), and the MEC is still essentially silent. Unless you're recording snowflake impacts right next to the MEC, the fan noise should be a non-issue.

index.php?t=getfile&id=1169&private=0

Attachment: 20200414_094655.jpg
(Size: 57.04KB, Downloaded 4331 times)

[Updated on: Wed, 15 April 2020 08:34]

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