Enermax Magma UCMA8

UK price (as reviewed): £6.38 (inc VAT)
US price (as reviewed): $11.99 (ex tax)

The Enermax Magma UCMA8 was the loudest 80mm fan on test, exhibiting potentially annoying tones as well as air noise. This is no doubt due to its comparatively high 2,200rpm rotational speed. It’s rated at 21dBA while our measurement was 30.6dBA.

This won’t prove to be too much of an issue inside a case, though. Our equipment recorded an airflow of just 11cfm compared to the Magma’s rated 34.16cfm.

Priced at £6.38 (inc VAT), it doesn’t cost the earth and includes anti-vibration rubber pins. However, the Scythe Kama-Flex SA0825FDB12L and Sharkoon Silent Eagle 2000 80mm are both quieter and have higher airflow.

Noctua NF-R8

UK price (as reviewed): £14.00 (inc VAT)
US price (as reviewed): $19.99 (ex tax)

The Noctua NF-R8 spins at 1,800rpm as standard, at which speed it’s claimed to emit just 17dBA while shifting 31.2cfm. However, it proved disappointing in our tests, failing to inflate the black sack, which means that it has an effective airflow of 6cfm or less.

Evidently its static air pressure is very poor and its rated 31.2cfm seems like a hurricane compared to what we actually measured. Its rating of 17dBA was a far cry from our measurement of 29.9dBA too. Noctua provides two resistor cables with the NF-R8, which slow it down to 800 or 1,300rpm, but with such dire performance at 1,800rpm, these seem like a pointless inclusion.

With a price of £14.00 (inc VAT), the NF-R8 is a rip-off compared with the £5.95 Sharkoon Silent Eagle 2000, which is equally quiet and shifts a lot more air.

Score Guide