Replacement fans for CM Notepal U2?

The bearings in the original fans are shot and I was hoping to get something with more push then the stock fans had, what are my options?

I was wondering if it was possible to use off the shelf desktop fans and just wire them up to the original fan connector, ideally something with good airflow and a super long life bearing design. Something like this if possible http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181027

 

You can easily fit two of those 120mm fans on the U2. The mounting holes on the U2 will line up perfectly with standard 120mm fans. High static pressure fans like those Corsairs are good because you want fans with high static pressure ratings due to the restrictive Notepal panel. However, I think those fans use sleeve bearings which will not be good in the long run because they will be mounted horizontally. Look for Fluid Dynamic or Ball Bearing fans for this application.

Another thing to consider besides the bearings is the thickness of the fans. Most 120mm fans are 25mm thick. If you mount them in the upper portion of the cooler's base, they should clear the surface the cooler is sitting on. Any position lower, and you may not have enough clearance and the fan casing will touch the surface the cooler is sitting on instead of the rubber lined front portion of the cooler (the part with the Coolermaster logo). Some 120mm fans are made in 15mm and 12mm thickness too so you may want to look at those

Now as far as wiring. My U2 does not have a speed controller, but my U3 does. In any event, the speed controller runs off of USB power which is 5V. You'll need a 12V fan that can spin at 5V. Most 12V fans will, but it will not be enough voltage for proper airflow. I suggest forgetting that speed controller and just wire the fans to a 12V power supply.

Keep in mind that if you want real airflow, you're gonna have to sacrifice some noise. There are fans out there that are dead silent, but that's because they tend to run at low RPMs. Some fans are quieter than others by design, but if you want airflow, you want high RPMs, and if you want high RPMs, you're gonna have noise with any fan. I suggest getting fans that spin at around 1800-2200RPM and using a fan controller to tame them. I wrote up a post on a mod I did on my U3. Check it out. Keep in mind that the U2 will only support two 120mm fans.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/another-coolermaster-u3-bottom-tray-mod.789298/

 

Not exactly an answer to the OP, but I wanted to mention that both my fans on my Notepal U2 Plus stopped working at separate times within and after a year. I bought it end of 2014. Fortunately I discovered I'm still within the manufacturer's 2 year warranty.

I did an RMA with Amazon but they wanted me to return the cooler and fans at my expense. So I then messaged CM directly just a few days ago. They were brilliant and are sending me replacement fans, not even asking me to return anything. If you're within your warranty, try getting replacement fans while you're working on customising it.