Author: Ľubomír Samák

Noctua has LGA 1851 support. Mounting stays physically the same

Cooling, CPU coolers, News | | Ľubomír Samák

The first generation of Intel CPUs with support for the future LGA 1851 socket is still a long way off, but the first info about cooler support is already making its way to the public. Documents have surfaced where materials around the Noctua NH-U12A cooler are linked to this platform, for which everything is ready. Noctua doesn’t deny this, and meanwhile ideas arise about how it could possibly be with the mounting systems of other coolers. Read more “Noctua has LGA 1851 support. Mounting stays physically the same” »

Escape from darkness – BeQuiet! Light Wings White (BL101)

Cooling, Extra tests, Fans | | Ľubomír Samák

There are only a few white fans with ARGB. Still, BeQuiet’s Light Wings models have some rather unique features as this rare commodity. That’s true visually as well. But they also have high performance or airflow to noise ratio. For our tests this time, out of the two options, we chose the high-speed design, which has its “own” blade geometry. But it also handles very low speeds to boot. Read more “Escape from darkness – BeQuiet! Light Wings White (BL101)” »

Vertex GX-850 or entry level ATX 3.0 PSU by Seasonic

Preview, PSUs | | Ľubomír Samák

What kind of power supply tests would it be without Seasonic represented? Under this brand, which has long held one of the best reputations among computer power supplies, there are already three lines of power supplies with support for the ATX 3.0 standard. In the tests we will focus on the most affordable one, the Vertex GX. Before we get into the electrical measurement results though, let’s go over the basic design details. Read more “Vertex GX-850 or entry level ATX 3.0 PSU by Seasonic” »

BeQuiet! pushes efficiency with new Shadow Base cases

News, PC cases | | Ľubomír Samák

BeQuiet! is introducing a fourth line of cases – Shadow Base to the current trio (Dark Base, Silent Base and Pure Base). The first models in the 800 series are smaller than the Dark Base Pro 901, but with more emphasis on cooling efficiency than the Silent Pure Base. BeQuiet! is building the main key points on this too, and there is something to it. If only for the fact that they used fans that have a higher efficiency compared to older models. Read more “BeQuiet! pushes efficiency with new Shadow Base cases” »

Scythe Kaze Flex II 120: Wild ride in reverse

Cooling, Extra tests, Fans | | Ľubomír Samák

Clockwise rotation fans are quite a rarity, you don’t normally come across them. However, Scythe, for example, makes such models and for good reason. Why not take it the other way around? In terms of standalone operation, of course, it doesn’t matter. In series, in the position of the second fan, it is possible to achieve higher cooling performance on CPU coolers compared to using fans with the same direction of rotation. Read more “Scythe Kaze Flex II 120: Wild ride in reverse” »

Arctic’s “P” line of 80 mm fans now includes the Max model

Cooling, Fans, News | | Ľubomír Samák

A smaller fan format does not always have to mean low airflow. To achieve comparable results to larger cross-section models, there needs to be higher rpms and with them higher noise levels, but as long as you accept this, and you don’t really have much choice due to the size constraints, the new P8 Max fan seems like an attractive option. And most importantly, it’s one of the few of its kind. Read more “Arctic’s “P” line of 80 mm fans now includes the Max model” »

Valkyrie X12: Impressive rotor, a bit undermined by the motor

Cooling, Extra tests, Fans | | Ľubomír Samák

You might be saying that you know the rotor of this fan and that Valkyrie was inspired by the Gentle Typhoon D1225C a little too much. But that’s okay. Mainly the positives were taken from said template and the biggest negative – high vibrations – was avoided. And although some things could still be worked on, in the context of ARGB LED models the X12 fan fares quite well. Read more “Valkyrie X12: Impressive rotor, a bit undermined by the motor” »

Analysis: The main reasons why fans vibrate

Analysis, Fans | | Ľubomír Samák

We pay close attention to fan vibration in our tests, as it clearly indicates the mechanical qualities of the design. However, it is always good to have an idea why some fans vibrate more, others less, some not at all. And we will deal with this in more detail in this article, which is based on our own experience, but also on notes from fan developers. Can a cheap fan reach high speeds without vibration? Read more “Analysis: The main reasons why fans vibrate” »

Psychoacoustic optimization of coolers… A gag? Physics

CPU coolers, Extra tests, Fans | | Ľubomír Samák

“Modifying” a cooler by replacing the fan with a relatively more efficient model may not always lead to the desired result. Sometimes you will get significantly less improvement than you would expect, other times you may even be worse off. This means that at equal noise levels, you will achieve lower cooling performance, and it doesn’t really matter what fan you use. Sometimes the design of the heatsink has the final say. Read more “Psychoacoustic optimization of coolers… A gag? Physics” »

DeepCool shakes up top-flow coolers, AN600 with a height of 67 mm

Cooling, CPU coolers, News | | Ľubomír Samák

A newcomer joins the ranks of CPU coolers with a fan above/below the fins – the DeepCool AN600. And according to the parameters, it immediately attacks the established coolers of its height category, which it naturally wants to beat. Regarding the TDP, 180 W is claimed, which seems plausible given the structure of the cooler. A larger fan is used, and even into the visually massive heatsink, heat is delivered via an adult portion of heatpipes. Read more “DeepCool shakes up top-flow coolers, AN600 with a height of 67 mm” »

Fractal Design Silent R3 140 mm: Low speed, “no” vibration

Cooling, Extra tests, Fans | | Ľubomír Samák

An older, even old, but still relevant fan. The selection among cheaper, 140mm models is quite small and when you look at the design of the Silent R3, it looks quite good at first glance, even technically. Moreover, it is a slower-speed fan, which doesn’t automatically mean that it avoids resonant frequencies, but it does promise to run rather quietly. And at those lower noise levels, also an attractive price/cooling performance ratio. Read more “Fractal Design Silent R3 140 mm: Low speed, “no” vibration” »

Enermax ERT850EWT: Shake off the dust, set the ARGB LED and…

Preview, PSUs | | Ľubomír Samák

For the upcoming test of power supplies with support for ATX 3.0 standard, we now have an Enermax model ready as well. The Revolution D.F. X combines more unconventional features, which makes it a pretty decent, unique power supply. Apart from some really rare features, Enermax is also betting on solid electrical wiring or an extra practical cabling. And yet it doesn’t outprice the competition. Read more “Enermax ERT850EWT: Shake off the dust, set the ARGB LED and…” »

Arctic P12 PWM PST A-RGB: Hoop? Anti-rumble rescue

Cooling, Extra tests, Fans | | Ľubomír Samák

The biggest shortcoming of Arctic’s original P-series fans is the rumbling sound profile. The manufacturer realized this and decided to do something about it. Sensibly, by implementing a hoop to eliminate the critical vibrations that are the source of the annoying acoustic profile. The implementation turned out well, and already the P12 A-RGB shows how much quieter it is compared to the older P12 model. And the list of improvements doesn’t end there. Read more “Arctic P12 PWM PST A-RGB: Hoop? Anti-rumble rescue” »

Dynamic pressure. How does it relate to other fan parameters?

Analysis, Fans | | Ľubomír Samák

Pressure here, pressure there. Omitting the adjective and not clearly specifying what type of pressure is being referred to can lead to all sorts of misunderstandings. Especially when in fan terminology, the word pressure is usually associated with static pressure. Not infrequently, however, dynamic or total pressure is meant. Complicated? Not really, you just need to be clear about what is being talked about and learn to read between the lines a bit. Read more “Dynamic pressure. How does it relate to other fan parameters?” »

Scythe Kaze Flex II 120 Slim: Well balanced SFF fan

Cooling, Extra tests, Fans | | Ľubomír Samák

Low-profile fans are a special category, but sometimes they are unavoidable in more confined spaces. For technical reasons, it’s always about compromises compared to more respectable fans of normal thickness, but their weight can vary. If the Arctic P12 Slim and Alphacool SL-15 don’t fit your needs, the Scythe Kaze Flex II 120 Slim may be the closest thing to what you’re looking for. Read more “Scythe Kaze Flex II 120 Slim: Well balanced SFF fan” »

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