Exhaust Fan Review
In order to build a thermally sound computer system, proper airflow is essential. This means making sure that the intake fan from the front, or bottom, can draw enough air to reach the components and that hot air has a place to exit, preferably with the help of an exhaust fan. Not all exhaust fans are created equal, and the fans that have a high CFM, or those that push a lot of air through, are generally loud and distracting.
To find the right balance between high performance and low noise is difficult, especially since most computer cases do not come with quiet stock fans. They are designed with low temperatures in mind, over low noise operation. Zalman's new ZM-F4 fan is designed to solve that problem, and it is not your typical 120mm cooling fan. It is a 135mm multi-purpose fan that uses standard mounting holes. It operates at a high RPM of 900 to 1300 but has a lower noise level of 18 to 26 dBA.