Tropic Blaze Quad T5 Fan Noise

[jcarlsen]

So I just got the T5 Quad fixture from LYR and it seems updated from the review on here a few years ago (mentioned having 3 plugs and mine has 1, plus newer looking connectors for the bulb). The only thing so far that's bugging me, and I know this is nitpicky, is the fan in the fixture has this kind of high pitched, electric current noise to it. Does anyone's quad do the same thing, has your fan quieted down with more use, or has anyone replaced the fan with a quieter one, maybe a tiny fan that a PC builder would use for low noise?

I plan to email Todd about it after this weekend, but just figured I'd ask other owners/users as well.

Thanks!

 

[nightanole]

If you feel froggy you can try to snap a pic of the fan. If it is a dc fan, yes its an easily replaceable "pc" fan. All you would need is the same air flow. So that could be as easy as getting a fan that is 2x thicker, but spins at 2/3 the speed. Unfortunately its not half speed = half output.

The other idea is if it has a nice ballbearing fan, you can replace it with a much quieter (but much shorter life span) sleeve bearing.


But these 2 fans have the same "size", but as you can see one is much thicker and puts out much more air. It can put out much more air spinning slower than the high pitched thin one.

 

[jcarlsen]

If you feel froggy you can try to snap a pic of the fan. If it is a dc fan, yes its an easily replaceable "pc" fan. All you would need is the same air flow. So that could be as easy as getting a fan that is 2x thicker, but spins at 2/3 the speed. Unfortunately its not half speed = half output.

The other idea is if it has a nice ballbearing fan, you can replace it with a much quieter (but much shorter life span) sleeve bearing.


But these 2 fans have the same "size", but as you can see one is much thicker and puts out much more air. It can put out much more air spinning slower than the high pitched thin one.


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Thank you! Todd also got back to me with some ideas to try including greasing it up a bit with some WD40 if it’s still high pitched after a few days.

 

[nightanole]

Thank you! Todd also got back to me with some ideas to try including greasing it up a bit with some WD40 if it’s still high pitched after a few days.

never wd40 a fan. The bushings/bearing have a life time supply of lube. wd40 will turn into a thin honey after 6 months or so. If you wanted to lube, use a dry graphite lube.

 

[cyberlocc]

Throw that fan out and buy a Noctua.

You will thank me

Noctua, always Noctua, nothing but Noctua .


I have a 1U (tiny Fans) with a Xeon, running my Pfsense box with Suricata IDS and IPS, and taking care of all my 40 clients, the thing runs hot and heavy and is whisper quiet, and cool. The secret? Noctua . Porbally no one, but maybe @snitz427 will understand what I just said, so if you dont just remember, Noctua. Hopefully Snitz, will chime in and Say Noctua!

 

[jcarlsen]

Throw that fan out and buy a Noctua.

You will thank me

Noctua, always Noctua, nothing but Noctua .


I have a 1U (tiny Fans) with a Xeon, running my Pfsense box with Suricata IDS and IPS, and taking care of all my 40 clients, the thing runs hot and heavy and is whisper quiet, and cool. The secret? Noctua . Porbally no one, but maybe @snitz427 will understand what I just said, so if you dont just remember, Noctua. Hopefully Snitz, will chime in and Say Noctua!

Exactly the brand I was looking at lmao

 

[nightanole]

Throw that fan out and buy a Noctua.

You will thank me

Noctua, always Noctua, nothing but Noctua .


I have a 1U (tiny Fans) with a Xeon, running my Pfsense box with Suricata IDS and IPS, and taking care of all my 40 clients, the thing runs hot and heavy and is whisper quiet, and cool. The secret? Noctua . Porbally no one, but maybe @snitz427 will understand what I just said, so if you dont just remember, Noctua. Hopefully Snitz, will chime in and Say Noctua!

But but the color scheme...

 

[cyberlocc]

But but the color scheme...

Ya it's terrible. There is the industrial version for the large models. That's black, but on something like this, will you even see the fan?

Airflow to noise, in smaller and and less common sizes. Noctua is the best. Be quiet is also good though, if the fan will be visible.

Noctua started out never caring about looks. Mostly server market ect. So they chose colors no one else would use, so you could always spot a Noctua. Then the server people complained they wanted black so industrial line became a thing, and better suited to server needs.

Now redux to add some color variance and reduce price (cheaper materials in redux) and they are starting to add colors other than Doo Doo to their normal lines.


High airflow, Low Noise, High reliability, Poop color. Is what it is lol. Now if we were taking things where looks matter, or where you need more static pressure than rather than air flow (like heatsinks, Water cooling Radiators). My suggestion would change, and we could be here all day. I use to semi competitively overclock, and have a IT background so I can go on all day about this .

I fell out of the overclocking community though, too old, too tired, and it's too expensive.

My last stint, I posted a few weeks ago. I got 68th in 3rd mark. To do that, I used a Rampage VI Omega, a i9 9960x, 2 EVGA 2080tis, a 1tb 970 pro, a 2tb Intel 660p, and about 3,000 in water cooling. It was about 10k dollars all in (though some of the stuff I had already).

So I sold that rig, got out The hobby and replaced my desktop with a Razer Blade 2019 advanced with a 2080. And got a new stereo, and speakers, and such for our Epson 3700. Got a Denon 6500h, and a full set of Klipsch Reference Premier (new ones, with the copper trim ring).

I know Night is into HT, so probably thinks that was a good trade off lol.

 

[jcarlsen]

That's black, but on something like this, will you even see the fan?

Nope, it's inside the top of the fixture which I can only see if I'm a few steps above. I'd gladly throw that brown/tan fan in there for a little peace and quiet. I'm gonna let the stock fan run for a few days and see if it quiets down any, then I'm gonna open it up and see what equivelant I could get from Noctua.

Glad to know there's some PC gamers in the community when it comes to fans and such! In a few years time when my iMac has reached the end of its lifecycle, I'm gonna build my first PC

 

[jcarlsen]

So I might’ve gotten impatient and decided to take a look at the fan. Managed to get it out and disconnected but for the life of me couldn’t get that back grill off. I have the little ifixit kit with the plastic wedge/pry thingy but just couldn’t do it, which sucks cuz I really need to see the label on the back so I don’t get the wrong potential replacement

 

[cyberlocc]

So I might’ve gotten impatient and decided to take a look at the fan. Managed to get it out and disconnected but for the life of me couldn’t get that back grill off. I have the little ifixit kit with the plastic wedge/pry thingy but just couldn’t do it, which sucks cuz I really need to see the label on the back so I don’t get the wrong potential replacement

Is the back grill screwed together from the other side?

 

[jcarlsen]

Is the back grill screwed together from the other side?

That’s the thing, the other side is what faces out and I can’t find any visible screws, but the other grill on the fixture has no fan and looks like this and tbh I can’t even see if these little holes are threaded or not.

 

[nightanole]

Clip on fan grill?

Still we need to see the blue/white label to pick a better one.

 

[cyberlocc]

That and the fan grill is going to need to be moved. To the new fan.

 

[jcarlsen]

Guess I'll have to pry harder to get that grill off. I can see how people get lots of cuts in their hands working with little sharp pieces like this...

 

[jcarlsen]

Turns out it wasn’t so much the fan as it was the vibration between the fan and the aluminum housing, hard plastic directly contacting it. Solution wound up being putting some very thin cuts of Velcro between the fan and the housing and drastically quieter!