H80i v2 fans info - SP120L vs ML120

I am contemplating buying the ML120 fans to replace the stock SP120L fans on my H80i v2 cooler for better cooling performance at lower noise levels, since I came to know about the great performance of ML series fans from various sources.

But after checking the specs of both these fans in official products pages I doubt whether there will be any benefit to the cooling/noise as the ML fans have almost same specs as the SPL's. Below is a comparison of max specs of both set of fans.

Stock SP120L specs:- 2435 rpm, 70.69 CFM, 4.65 mm-H2O @ 37.7 dBA

ML120 specs:- 2400 rpm, 75 CFM, 4.2 mm-H2O @ 37 dBA

From the above comparison it can be seen that -- SPL has +35 rpm over ML; ML has +4.31 CFM over SPL; SPL has +0.45 mm-H2O over ML; ML has -0.7 dBA over SPL

From a pure specs perspective, ML has better CFM but SPL has better static pressure at almost same speeds and noise levels. But since specs may not necessarily translate into real-world performance so I am a bit confused whether the ML's are worth it to upgrade.

I have searched but couldn't find any user/reviewer stats comparing the two sets' performance on the H80i v2 specifically. So I am seeking info and advice from any fan experts and those users who have the H80i v2 stock replaced with ML fans and tested the performance difference before/after such an upgrade.

When the ML first came out, lots of people dropped the not so popular stock fans from the GTX/v2 generation of coolers for it. Most people were pretty pleased with the general quality of life improvement.

You are not going to see some huge swing in cooling, no matter what you do. A significant change would 1-2C and that is what you might get going from a weak to strong fan. Neither fan here is weak. Static pressure is the amount of negative pressure to reduce a fan’s speed to zero rpm. That makes it extremely RPM dependent. I little 40mm fan that runs at 6000 rpm will have a jealousy inducing value, but it will still only move 12cfm of air and that is what matters. Static pressure is a general indicator of how well is will do when faced with resistance. A 60 com fan does not move 60 com when in a radiator. But it is a general indicator and very rpm specific. P-Q curves are not usually linear for 120mm fans. There is a flattering uplift at the end. In reality, you’d like to know the airflow and pressure values at the rpm you normally run. For most people that will be in the 800-1500 rpm range. Most do not run their fans at 2000 rpm and ALL fans are loud in that territory. That said, the ML should be a clear sound and tone improvement at those middle speeds. I can’t remember anyone who was disappointed in that aspect and tone of the SP120L left a lot to be desired.

When the ML first came out, lots of people dropped the not so popular stock fans from the GTX/v2 generation of coolers for it. Most people were pretty pleased with the general quality of life improvement.

 

You are not going to see some huge swing in cooling, no matter what you do. A significant change would 1-2C and that is what you might get going from a weak to strong fan. Neither fan here is weak. Static pressure is the amount of negative pressure to reduce a fan’s speed to zero rpm. That makes it extremely RPM dependent. I little 40mm fan that runs at 6000 rpm will have a jealousy inducing value, but it will still only move 12cfm of air and that is what matters. Static pressure is a general indicator of how well is will do when faced with resistance. A 60 com fan does not move 60 com when in a radiator. But it is a general indicator and very rpm specific. P-Q curves are not usually linear for 120mm fans. There is a flattering uplift at the end. In reality, you’d like to know the airflow and pressure values at the rpm you normally run. For most people that will be in the 800-1500 rpm range. Most do not run their fans at 2000 rpm and ALL fans are loud in that territory. That said, the ML should be a clear sound and tone improvement at those middle speeds. I can’t remember anyone who was disappointed in that aspect and tone of the SP120L left a lot to be desired.

Thanks for the detailed explanation... I also need some advice on case fan configuration. I have a Cooler Master 'Masterbox 5 White' case which has a transparent 'DarkMirror' front panel without a mesh.

https://www.coolermaster.com/catalog/cases/mid-tower/masterbox-5-white/

It has several tiny slits/openings on the sides of the panel which means it has extremely restricted space for air intake. Although I am using 1 SP120 Led fan (57 CFM, 1.46 mm-H2O) and 1 Stock case fan as intake they are not enough for proper steady airflow to the system. This means the H80i v2 fans are exhausting at high rate but not getting the proper air intake as mentioned, probably creating a lot of negative case pressure.

Although I have been running this setup for almost 3 years now and at the building time I didn't put much focus on good case selection for the build having increased airflow. I have only realized now that good intake of airflow is crucial for a system with a hot chip like the 7700K. I feel the temps on the 7700K may have been suffering a lot because of the restricted intake, in spite of having a capable cooler like H80i v2.

So that is why I am thinking of buying 2 ML120's and putting them on the cooler and then switch the stock cooler SP120L's over to the intake positions. Will this create a much balanced airflow than the current intake setup and help manage the CPU temps as well as temps of other system components, especially my OC'ed RAM sticks? With 4.65 mm-H2O max pressure I think the SP120L's will have no problem pulling in big volume of fresh air even through the restricted panel of the case. What are your suggestions?

Ok I think I shall keep the stock fans on the cooler and use the ML's as intake fans as per your suggestion. At this point of time, I am already accustomed to the noise output of the SPL's and since the cooling improvement of using the ML's on the radiator may not be significant, so I shall continue as before.

My remaining concern now is the highest possible intake of cool air through the restricted panel. So I have decided to use the ML's as intakes but I found that these are also available in 140mm size.

ML140 specs:- 2000 rpm, 97 CFM, 3 mm-H2O @ 37 dBA

Comparing the 140 and 120 options -- The 140s spin 400 rpm slower producing same noise level. There is a big advantage of +22 CFM over the 120s but they are also have 1.2 mm-H2O lesser than the 120s.

In short the 140s have much Higher CFM but with Lower pressure than the 120s. So please give me a final advice whether to opt for High CFM with 140s or High pressure with 120s to get maximum airflow coming into the case through the restricted panel. Which option can pull more air volume into the case according to you considering the CFM and pressure differences?

And that's why you have to be careful with static pressure numbers. It is extremely RPM dependent and does not represent air flow volume. Remember the 40x40mm fan that has a 5.0 mm H20 pressure value, but only moves 11 cfm. You don't want two of those. Any fan at 2000 rpm isn't going to have a pressure issue. The one that moves the most air wins at higher speeds.

I like 140mm fans and I find their tone less buzzy than a 120mm. I don't think their would be a lot of change between 2x120 and 2x140, but I usually opt for the largest size available so I have the option of running slower (and quieter) if possible. If you were trying to maximize results, the 2x140 moves more air. The only other thing to watch out for is some cases have a "combo 120/140" front rail. It has slots for both sizes, but it's really 120mm wide. This means when you bolt on a 140, part of the fan is blocked by the frame rail. That both reduces the advantage and creates unpleasant noise. I don't know if you have has that construction or not, but it is always a disappointment to put on a 140mm and run into that.

If you don't dream of bashing the SP120L with a hammer, then you have a decent tolerance and may be more interested in the front rail volume. Getting 140s does mean you can't swap, but that might not be the largest concern. I will tell you that at identical speeds, -1C coolant temp is all you would get from the ML, but with a pleasant drop in tonal noise.

If you were trying to maximize results, the 2x140 moves more air. The only other thing to watch out for is some cases have a "combo 120/140" front rail. It has slots for both sizes, but it's really 120mm wide. This means when you bolt on a 140, part of the fan is blocked by the frame rail. That both reduces the advantage and creates unpleasant noise. I don't know if you have has that construction or not, but it is always a disappointment to put on a 140mm and run into that.

Since you wanted to know about the construction of my case to see whether it has a combo rail, I am providing a set of images of my case showing the 140mm fan mount slots and some obstructions by the frame rail if fan is to be mounted there.

https://imgur.com/a/JSKr60A Could you please check the images and figure out whether the construction of the rail is bad and will these blockages in the path of a 140mm fan be enough to create the problem of reduced performance and bad noise as you had mentioned?

Looking at your pic and online images, it appears to be the usual 'flanges' I was referring to. You might be better off with 2x120. It looks like the 140 will have its blade whipping by each corner flange 2000 times per minute x 4 flanges.

I am seeing multiple version of the CM Master Box 5 online. Some of them appear to take 3x120. If you can do that, it beats 2x140 every day of the week regardless of fan choice.