Sound Level Testing
While we were testing cooling capabilities, as outlined in our introduction article, we were also tracking the sound level of each of the coolers using a Risepro SPL meter attached to a boom arm pointed directly at the fans of the radiator at a distance of 12 inches. We recorded the dB(A) level for each fan and pump speed tested. The ambient room sound level measured 33 decibels. Displayed below are the results of our Stock Clock Testing.
Max Fans – 100% Pump Speed
On the noise generation front with all fans set to maximum levels, the SilverStone IceMyst 420 created 48.6 dB(A) of noise. The three iMF70 fans contributed another .4 dB(A) to bring the grand total to 49. Both the Corsair H170i ELITE and Cooler Master 360 ATMOS created less noise at 47.8 and 48.6 dB(A) respectively.
Note that at this speed, the SilverStone IceMyst 420 was running at 1600 RPM, the Cooler Master 360 ATMOS is running at around 2500 RPM and the Corsair H170i ELITE is running at 1500 RPM.
1500 RPM Fans – 100% Pump Speed
Equalizing all of the fans at 1500 RPM brings the SilverStone IceMyst 420 down a smidge to 47.8 dB(A), tying the Corsair H170i ELITE’s noise levels. The iMF70 fans added 0.8 dB(A) to the mix and the Cooler Master 360 ATMOS was the most victorious at 39.9 dB(A).
1000 RPM Fans – 100% Pump Speed
At 1000 RPM, we found SilverStone IceMyst 420 dropped its noise production down to an inaudible 39.9 dB(A) at its stock configuration, but the three iMF70 fans saw a 43.2 dB(A) noise production level. The Corsair H170i ELITE tied at 39.9 dB(A) while the Cooler Master 360 ATMOS got even quieter at 38.7 dB(A).
600 RPM Fans – 100% Pump Speed
At the lowest testing speed of 600 RPM, SilverStone IceMyst 420, Corsair H170i ELITE and Cooler Master 360 ATMOS all tied at 37.4 dB(A) and were equally as inaudible as each other. Enhancing the SilverStone IceMyst 420 with the three iMF70 fans increased the noise level to 42.6 dB(A).