Computing
Buying guides for computing, ranked by the noise figures makers publish.
Are Alphacool fans quiet? Their spec tables list 24.6 to 51.0 dBA
The Apex Stealth Metal 2000rpm lists 24.6 dBA, the lowest figure on any current Alphacool fan, and the Core 140mm 3200rpm the highest, 51.0. The Core Ocean T38 AIO lists 34.3 dBA per fan at 1 m and 35 dB for its pump; the VPP655 pump lists 35 dB(A).
Are Antec fans quiet? Their spec tables say 22.3 to 38.7 dB(A) at full speed
Antec prints a "Fan Noise Level" in dB(A) for every current case fan and cooler. The fixed-speed N12 lists 22.3 dB(A), the Tranquil 120 ARGB tops out at 26.9 and the 3200 RPM Nova 120 reaches 38.7 on its fastest mode. Among AIOs the Vortex View 360 has the lowest fan row, 28.6 dB(A).
Are ASUS AIO coolers quiet? Their fan rows read 29 to 39.6 dB(A)
ASUS prints one fan noise value on each liquid cooler spec page. The TUF Gaming LC II reads 29 dB(A), the Ryujin III ARGB 36.45, the TUF Gaming LC III 37.4 and the Ryuo IV SLC 39.6. No pump figure, distance or standard. Prices from ASUS, November 10, 2026.
Are be quiet! power supplies quiet? Half-load figures run from 6.5 up to 14.8 dB(A)
The Power Zone 2 750W, 850W and 1000W list 6.5 dB(A) at 50% load, the lowest half-load figure on any current US be quiet! power supply, and the System Power 11 M 650W the highest, 14.8. At 100% load the Pure Power 13 M 550W leads at 14 dB(A).
Are Canon printers quiet? Their spec pages say 40.5 to 56.5 dB(A)
Canon USA spec tabs give its current PIXMA, MegaTank and MAXIFY inkjets a Noise Level of 40.5 to 56.5 dB(A) on plain paper. The TR160 portable lists the least, the TS8820 is the quietest home all in one, and the GX2020 leads the MegaTanks at 46.5. Laser figures come only from Canon Europe.
Are GELID fans quiet? Their spec tables say 18.9 to 38.3 dBA
GELID lists its Silent case fans from 18.9 dBA (Silent 8 Black and the 40mm Silent 4) to 38.3 dBA (Silent 12 PWM Black). Its ARGB fans all read 35 dBA. Among coolers, the BlackFrore fan lists 20 dBA, the Rev. 5 Tranquillo and Slim Silence Black 26.5, and the Sirocco 40.4.
Are Fractal Design fans quiet? Their spec tables say 28 to 36.2 dBA
The Momentum 14 RGB prints the lowest noise level of any current Fractal Design case fan, 28 dBA, and the Dynamic 3 12 Reverse RGB Black the highest, 36.2. Radius AIO pumps list 17.6 dBA and Lumen v2 pumps 22. None of these figures comes with a test speed, a distance or a standard.
Are ID-COOLING CPU coolers quiet? Their fan maximums run 22.8 to 36.5 dB(A)
ID-COOLING prints one "Noise" maximum per cooler fan. The FROZN A410 SE lists 24.8 dB(A), the SE-214-XT V2 and FROZN A620 PRO 27.2, the SE-224-XTS 28.9, and liquid cooler pumps 25. Many older models print only a range such as 15.2 to 35.2, which we do not rank.
Are JONSBO CPU coolers quiet? Their fans list 28.2 to 37.2 dB(A) at full speed
JONSBO prints a dB(A) range for each air cooler fan, slowest to fastest speed. At the top, the CR-1000 EVO lists 32, the CA40 32.6, the CR-1000MAX V2 33.2 and the CR-1400 EVO 33.8, while twin towers run from 30.2 on the CA80 to 37.1 on the CC90.
Are Montech fans quiet? Their spec tables say 25.3 to 34.17 dBA
Montech prints a maximum noise level in dBA for every current fan and cooler. The GF120 V2 ARGB lists 25.3 dBA, the AX120 PRO 25.4, the original AX120 PWM 27 and the thick E28 34.17. The HyperFlow Silent AIO lists 23 dBA for its pump and 24.8 for its fans, the lowest of Montech's liquid coolers.
Are NZXT fans quiet? Their spec tables list 25.1 to 41.0 dBA
The F120Q lists 25.1 dBA at 1,700 RPM, the lowest figure on any current NZXT fan, and the F120X and F140X the highest, 41.0. Kraken AIO coolers list 30.0 to 34.5 dBA for their fans and no pump figure. NZXT gives no test distance or standard.
Are Scythe CPU coolers quiet? Their fans list 23.8 to 31.78 dBA at top speed
Scythe prints a dBA range for each cooler fan, from its slowest to its fastest speed. At the top, the FUMA3 lists 23.8 and 28.6 dBA, the MUGEN6 BLACK EDITION and MAGOROKU 26.88 per fan, the KOTETSU MARK4 28.88 and the SHURIKEN3 low profile 31.78. Its retail fans run from 18.6 to 36.2.
Are SilverStone fans quiet? Case fans list 18 to 43.5 dBA at top speed
SilverStone prints a dBA figure or range for nearly every fan and cooler it lists. The FQ141 tops out at 20.7 dBA, the Air Penetrator 120i lists 18 dBA at 1350 RPM, and the Krypton KR03 cooler 23 dBA.
Is a TerraMaster NAS quiet? Desktop models list 19 to 27.4 dB(A)
TerraMaster prints a Noise Level row for its NAS and USB enclosures: 19.0 dB(A) for the F2-425 and the F8 SSD Plus, 20.9 for the F4-425 Plus with four drives, 23.8 for the D2-320 under load. Its test notes differ, so we rank within each. Checked November 8, 2026.
Are Thermaltake fans quiet? Their spec tables say 21.2 to 35.3 dB-A
With stock blades fitted, current Thermaltake case fans print 21.2 dB-A (TOUGHFAN 12 RGB) to 35.3 (TOUGHFAN EX 140). The TOUGHFAN 12 lists 22.3, the Riing Silent 12 air cooler 18 ±1 dBA, and TH V2 liquid coolers 25.8 for their fans. Thermaltake gives no distance or test standard.
Are Toshiba hard drives quiet? Their sheets say 20 to 34 dB at idle
Toshiba America prints one idle figure per capacity for its consumer drives. The N300, N300 Pro, X300 and X300 Pro rate 20 dB from 12TB up and 34 dB from 10TB down. Only the MG enterprise manuals add a seek figure, 32 dB of sound power on the MG09, MG10 and MG11.
Are ARCTIC fans quiet? Their pages say 0.08 to 0.6 sone
ARCTIC rates most of its fans in sone, not decibels. The F14 Silent lists 0.08 sone at 800 rpm, the P12, F12 and P8 lines 0.3, the P8 Max 0.6. Its Alpine coolers list 0.3 sone, its workstation Freezer 4U coolers 40 and 45.3 dBA, and its Liquid Freezer AIOs and P12 Pro fans print no rating.
Are be quiet! fans quiet? Their sheets say 13.6 to 36.9 dB(A)
The Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM lists 13.6 dB(A) at 1100 rpm, the lowest figure on any current be quiet! fan, and the Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM the highest, 36.9 at 3000. be quiet! also prints whole-cooler figures at 50, 75 and 100 per cent PWM for its air and liquid coolers, and load figures for its power supplies.
Are Brother printers quiet? Lasers list 46 to 49 dB(A), inkjets 53.5 to 55
Brother's user guides give its current lasers 46 to 49 dB(A) of sound pressure while printing and 43 or 44 dB(A) in Quiet Mode, plus sound power in bels. Its INKvestment and Work Smart inkjets list 53.5 to 55 dB(A), marked approximate, with no Quiet Mode figure. Figures read November 7, 2026.
Are Cooler Master coolers quiet? Air cooler fans list 20 to 37 dBA
The V4 Alpha 3DHP Black prints the lowest air cooler figures on Cooler Master's US site, 22.6 dBA front fan and 20 rear, and the MasterLiquid Core ARGB the lowest pump, 12 dBA (Max). Each fan and pump gets one maximum, never a range. Prices are Cooler Master's own, November 7, 2026.
Are Corsair fans quiet? Their spec tables top out at 22.6 to 38.3 dBA
The iCUE SP120 RGB ELITE prints the lowest top figure of any current Corsair 120mm fan, 22.6 dBA at 1500 RPM, and the iCUE LINK LX140-R RGB the highest, 38.3. Corsair AIO coolers list 28 to 36 dBA. Every figure is a range Corsair never ties to a speed, distance or standard.
Are HP printers quiet? Their datasheets say 6.0 to 7.0 B(A)
HP datasheets give sound power from 6.0 B(A), for the Envy 6555 printing colour at 3 ppm, to 7.0 B(A) for the OfficeJet Pro 9135. The quietest HP laser figure is the Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301fdw at 6.1 B(A). Inkjet and laser rankings, the sound pressure figures HP adds, and what the conditions mean.
Are Lian Li fans quiet? Their spec tables say 26 to 34 dBA
Lian Li's TL LCD FLEX 120 prints 26 dBA, the lowest figure on any current UNI FAN 120, and the AL140 V2 leads the 140s at 26.8 dB(A). Galahad II and HydroShift coolers print pump noise apart from fan noise, from 16.59 dBA on the Galahad II Trinity to 32.1 on the Galahad II LCD.
Are Phanteks fans quiet? Their spec tables say 9.8 to 44.3 dBA
Phanteks prints a dBA figure for each fan it sells. The T30-120 lists 9.8 dBA in its Hybrid profile at 1200 RPM, and among fixed figures the D30-140 lists 29.5 and the D30-120 30.2 dBA. Glacier One AIO pumps list 20.0 dBA, except the 360S25-SE at 18.0.
Quietest 200mm fan: Noctua's NF-A20 sheet reads 18.1 dB(A) at 800 RPM, 10.7 at 550
Noctua prints 18.1 dB(A) for its NF-A20 PWM and FLX at full speed, 800 RPM, and 10.7 dB(A) once the adaptor slows them to 550. Thermaltake prints 27.2 for the CT200 and 28.2 for the Pure 20. With no stated microphone distance from any maker, brands are compared only with themselves, and 180mm fans sit apart.
Quietest 60mm fan: Sunon's 24V MF60252V3 lists 16.7 dB(A) at 1 m
Sunon's MF60252V3 lists 16.7 dB(A) at 24 V and 1 m from the intake, the lowest 24 V figure we found. At 12 V on that basis, Sunon's slim MF60101V3 lists 20.5 and Delta's AFB0612L-A 26.5. Noctua's NF-A6x25 lists 19.3 with no distance, so it ranks only against other Noctua fans.
Quietest 92mm fan: Noctua's NF-B9 redux-1600 PWM lists 17.6 dB(A) at 1600 rpm
Noctua's NF-B9 redux-1600 PWM prints 17.6 dB(A) and its slim NF-A9x14 PWM 19.9, or 13.5 with the adaptor. Thermalright lists 22.4 dBA for the slim TL-9015 and 23.85 for the TL-P9. ARCTIC rates in sone. Every figure is compared only within its maker's lineup.
Quietest low profile CPU cooler: Noctua's 65 mm NH-L9x65 lists 14.8 dB(A) on its adaptor
Low profile CPU coolers from 37 to 70 mm tall, each ranked only against its maker's other models. Noctua's NH-L9x65 drops to 14.8 dB(A) on the speed capping adaptor in its box, Thermalright's AXP90 fans list 22.4 dBA, and every height is copied from the maker.
Are Seagate hard drives quiet? Their data sheets say 20 to 28 dBA at idle
Seagate's IronWolf and IronWolf Pro data sheets print idle figures from 20 to 28 dBA and seek figures from 21 to 32. The helium IronWolf Pro from 12TB to 24TB rates 20 idle, 26 seek. BarraCuda, SkyHawk and Exos figures appear in bels of sound power, mostly in product manuals, and are ranked on their own.
Is a Synology NAS noisy? Desktop models list 14.6 to 25 dB(A)
Synology prints a Noise Level row for each current US DiskStation: 17.9 dB(A) for the DS725+ with Synology hard drives, 18.2 for the Seagate tested DS223j, 14.6 for the SSD tested DS223. RackStations run from 22.8 to 56.2 dB(A). Figures checked on synology.com on November 7, 2026.
Are Thermalright CPU coolers quiet? Current fan figures run 22.4 to 44.7 dBA
Thermalright prints one Noise Level per fan at its top speed. The AXP90 low profile coolers list 22.4 dBA, the Peerless Assassin 120 SE, Phantom Spirit 120 SE and Assassin X 120 Refined SE 25.6, and the liquid coolers list pumps at 23 to 30 dBA and fans from 25.6 to 44.7.
Are WD hard drives quiet? Their data sheets say 19 to 34 dBA at idle
WD prints idle and seek acoustics for every current internal hard drive. The 1TB WD Blue mobile WD10SPZX is lowest at 19 dBA idle and 21 seek, sound power. Among NAS, surveillance and enterprise drives, 20TB to 22TB helium models idle at 20 dBA, while 10TB and 12TB air models reach 34. Checked November 7, 2026.
Quietest 40mm fan: Sunon's HA40101V4 lists 15.7 dB(A) at one meter
Sunon's HA40101V4 lists 15.7 dB(A) and Delta's AFB0412LA-A 16.0, both measured 1 m from the intake. For 24 V printers, Sunon's 20 mm MF40202V2 lists 21.0 on that basis. Noctua's NF-A4x20 PWM lists 14.9 and its 24V NF-A4x10 19.6, with no distance given, so they rank apart.
Quietest 80mm fan: Noctua's NF-R8 redux-1200 lists 9.1 dB(A) at 1200 RPM
Noctua's slowest 80mm fan prints 9.1 dB(A) and its NF-A8 ULN 6.5 with the adaptor. be quiet! lists 18.2 and 19.2 at 1900 rpm, Thermalright 23.3 and 24 at 2200 RPM, and ARCTIC rates its P8 fans in sone. Each figure is ranked only beside the same maker's other 80mm fans.
Quietest server: Lenovo's ST50 V3 declares 20.3 dBA at idle
An idling Lenovo ThinkSystem ST50 V3 declares 20.3 dBA at the bystander position, the lowest server figure we found. HPE's ML30 and ML110 Gen11 follow at 22 dBA, then HPE's MicroServer Gen11 and Dell's T360 at 24. Each is an ISO 9296 declaration for a named test build.
Quietest 120mm fan: 28 models grouped by top speed and frame
Noctua's NF-A12x25 LS-PWM lists 12.1 dB(A) at 1200 RPM and be quiet!'s Silent Wings 4 lists 18.9 at 1600 rpm, each the lowest figure in its speed band. Seven makers' 120mm sheets, sorted by top speed, frame depth and adaptor, with a radiator list built on static pressure.
Quietest AIO cooler: 360 mm liquid coolers grouped by how makers rate noise
be quiet!'s Light Loop 360mm lists 17.2 dB(A) at 50% PWM, lowest of four be quiet! 360s, and Lian Li's Galahad II Trinity prints a 16.59 dBA pump. See which AIO makers rate pump and fans apart, which print only maximums or ranges, and which print nothing.
Noctua fan noise dB with and without the Low-Noise Adaptor
The NF-S12B redux-700 lists the lowest full-speed figure of any 120mm Noctua, 6.8 dB(A) at 700 RPM, and the NF-S12A ULN the lowest with its Low-Noise Adaptor, 6.7 dB(A) at 600 RPM. Nearly every Noctua infosheet gives the figure twice, at full speed and with the adaptor in the box, beside airflow and static pressure.
The quietest 140mm case fans, compared at the same RPM
Each 140mm fan maker quotes dB(A) at a different speed. We grouped the figures from Noctua, Scythe, Thermalright and Lian Li by the RPM they belong to, 800, 1200, 1500 and 1600, and ranked only within each group, with airflow and pressure taken at that same speed.
The quietest laptop cooling pads, by the figures their makers print
Laptop cooling pad makers print one decibel figure with no distance and, usually, no fan speed. Some print dBA, some plain dB. We sorted 15 US-sold pads by what each figure actually claims, so you only compare like with like.
The quietest laptops under $1,000
Five laptops under $1,000 whose makers declare their noise: a fanless MacBook Neo at 1.2 bels, two Dell 15s at 2.2, an XPS 13 and the one budget ThinkPad with a declared CPU load figure. Prices checked on each maker's US store.
The quietest gaming laptops
The quietest gaming laptop under load declares 23.3 dB at the operator position, Lenovo's Legion 7i Gen 10 with the processor working, yet nobody declares a figure while gaming. Which Legion, Alienware, ROG and MSI models declare the lowest numbers under load and at idle, and the machine types to avoid.
The quietest PC cases, by the fans they ship with
No case maker publishes a noise figure for the case itself. NZXT, Thermaltake and Lian Li publish ratings for the fans in the box, from 22.9 to 35.8 dBA at a stated speed. See which cases ship with the lowest rated fans, and the brands that print nothing.
The quietest UPS battery backups
APC, Eaton, Tripp Lite and CyberPower publish noise figures for many of their UPS units, from 35 dBA for a small APC Back-UPS to 51 dB at 1 meter for online towers. See the quietest for a desk, a router or a home lab, and how to silence the beeping.
The quietest desktop PCs
Nineteen current desktops and all-in-ones carry maker declared noise under ISO 9296, from 1.5 bels for a Mac Studio to 3.7 for a Dell Tower. The quietest Apple, Dell, HP and Lenovo desktops, ranked within each maker convention, and the few that declare full processor load.
The quietest hard drives
Fifteen hard drive families publish maker acoustic figures, from 19 dBA idle for a 2.5 inch WD Blue to 34 for 7200 RPM NAS drives. See the quietest desktop, laptop and NAS drives in stock now, and why Seagate's own documents disagree with each other.
The quietest laptops
Seventeen current laptops carry maker noise declarations, from 1.2 bels at idle for the fanless MacBook Neo to 2.8 for the flagship ThinkPad. The quietest Apple, Dell, HP and Lenovo machines, which figures are averages and which are ceilings, and the makers that print no number.
The quietest mini PCs
Apple and the business PC makers declare noise under real standards, the consumer brands measure at 50 cm in their own labs, and one brand prints 32 dB on everything. See the quietest mini PCs and how to read each kind of figure.
The quietest paper shredders
The best known quiet shredder brand prints no decibel number anywhere. See which makers do, what their numbers describe, and the quietest cross cut, micro cut and auto feed shredders on paper.
The quietest printers for a home office
The lowest printing figures here tie at 46 dB(A) of sound pressure: Epson's EcoTank ET-4950 in colour and Brother's HL-L3300CDW, which falls to 43 dB(A) on its guide's Quiet Mode row. The lowest HP laser figure on Amazon is 6.1 B(A). The quietest lasers and inkjets for a home office, and how to read each maker's sheet.
The quietest standing desks
Most electric desk makers publish a motor noise ceiling, almost none say how it was measured, and one figure sits 15 dB below the rest. The quietest frames and full desks on those figures, and what the numbers are worth.
The quietest 3D printers
The quietest 3D printer with a published maker figure lists up to 44 dB in quiet mode, measured at 1 meter. Most makers publish a silent mode number and two name the measuring distance. Enclosed and open frame picks, and why a heated chamber can add 7 dB.
The quietest NAS boxes
Synology publishes the microphone model, the distance and the background noise for every NAS it sells. QNAP publishes nothing. See the quietest boxes and what the figures actually describe.
The quietest CPU coolers
Most cooler makers publish one decibel figure, at full speed. A few publish figures at partial load, which is where a cooler actually runs. See the quietest air, low profile and liquid coolers.
The quietest PC case fans
Case fan makers publish exact dB(A) figures, but always at full speed. See the quietest 120mm and 140mm fans, and why RPM counts for more than the badge.
The quietest PC power supplies
Only two PSU makers publish decibel figures. Everyone else publishes a Cybenetics letter grade, which converts to a dB band. How to read both, and the quietest units we found.