BeQuiet! Shadow Wings 2 (BL085): A cheaper option

Cooling, Extra tests, Fans | | Ľubomír Samák

BeQuiet! Shadow Wings 2 (BL085) in detail

With the addition of the Shadow Wings 2 tests, you now have a full overview of the features of all unlit BeQuiet! fans in 120 mm format. Shadow Wings 2 is between Silent Wings 3 and Pure Wings 2 in terms of both price and design. In terms of efficiency, they are closer to the more expensive Silent Wings 3 and in certain situations they give top-notch results. Given the lower price, this can be a very attractive option, but there are some things to look out for.

The shape of the blades is very similar to Silent Wings 3. This in terms of surface area, thickness and material used. Given the results of Silent Wings 3, this already suggests that Shadow Wings 2 will be highly efficient. Although at higher speeds on more massive obstacles, which typically include cooler radiators, the efficiency (power-to-noise ratio) will decrease somewhat. This is due to the slightly larger blade spacing, with which the static pressure drops slightly. The amount of air flowing through the obstacle and the final cooling performance achieved then naturally depends on it.

Static pressure (and airflow through the radiator) is also reduced by the frame design. Its outer contour is round, with protruding mounting corners. It’s a similar situation to the one we discussed as part of our measurements in our Silent Wings Pro 4 interchangeable corner tests. If the frame together with the corners do not have a square outer geometry and do not perfectly fit the frame on the radiator of a liquid cooler, the air that would otherwise flow through the radiator body escapes inefficiently through the resulting gaps due to back pressure. On the Shadow Wings 2, those open windows in the corners have quite a large area.

However, when mounted on cooler heatsinks and especially in cases, the above does not matter, it does not cause a loss of airflow. This is because the fan sits directly on the fins or plates of the case with a circular frame, without any spacing (as it is on the radiators of liquid coolers). At the same time, the contact edge is coated with rubber. But this is more symbolic than something that is necessary. The Shadow Wings 2 fan has blades sturdy enough to ripple torque in its operating range (and that transfers vibration to the frame).

   

The hallmark of BeQuiet! is the grooved surface of the blades on both sides. This is also present here. Therefore, centrifugal force does not have as significant an effect on the sliding of the air stream towards the blade tips here as it does on smooth surfaces. Moreover, on the intake side, the grooves suppress inefficient turbulent currents and more air flows through the rotor.

The production of everything is obviously meticulous, with low tolerances (true across multiple samples). The centering of the axle is precise, and so is the balance of the rotor. We detected virtually no vibration in our measurements, although it should be noted that unlike the vast majority of other fans, it is not designed to be screwed on components.

The built-in corners are rubber, adapted to secure the fan with plastic pegs, which are supplied instead of screws. You can use screws, of course (the passages in the rubber bands are wide enough), but the fan accessories don’t include them. Unlike the Silent Wings fans, the Shadow Wings 2 have fixed, non-replaceable corners.

However, it is not a traditional screw-on design (as is the case with the Pure Wings 2) and the mounting is anti-vibration. At any rate, it’s pretty much a placebo anyway, since ultimately the fan is supported by the frame design on a cooler or a case. There’s also a rubber coating on it though, but it’s thin, and if the fan were to vibrate significantly (which it doesn’t), then this will be the bottleneck through which the fan would make the other components resonate.

Silent Wings also shares the bearings used in the Pure Wings 2, the so-called “rifle”. These are based on plain bearings, but should be more durable (than conventional plain ones). The mean time between failures is quoted at 80,000 hours by BeQuiet!.

In the 120-millimeter format, the Shadow Wings 2 comes in only one speed variant with a maximum of 1100 rpm. In addition to the tested PWM version (BL085), it is also available with an optimized motor for DC control (BL084). These are still both black colored fans. Shadow Wings 2 is also available in white – BL089 (PWM) and BL088 (DC).

* When reading performance values, a certain amount of tolerance must always be taken into account. For maximum speeds, ±10 % is usually quoted, minimum speeds can vary considerably more from piece to piece, sometimes manufacturers will overlap by as much as ±50 %. This must then also be adequately taken into account for air flow, static pressure and noise levels. If only one value is given in a table entry, this means that it always refers to the situation at maximum speed, which is achieved at 12 V or 100 % PWM intensity. The manufacturer does not disclose the lower limit of the performance specifications in its materials in that case. The price in the last column is always approximate.


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Comments (2) Add comment

  1. Which Fan would you recommend to use as 3x Intake and Rear Exhaust on the Corsair 4000D between the Shadow Wings 2(BL085), Pure Wings 2(BL039) and Light Wings(BL072)? I’m having a Hard time deciding.

    Reply

    1. Have you seen our Light Wings (BL072) tests? We published them later than the tests of Shadow Wings 2 (BL085) and Pure Wings 2 (BL039), so their results are missing in the graphs of this article. But you can find them in this one.

      The behaviour of all three fans will be very similar in your case, both performance-wise and acoustically. Nevertheless, the Pure Wings 2 is the model that achieves the lowest airflow at equal noise level, but it is also the cheapest… If you are also considering the Light Wings (BL072), I assume you have a higher budget and at the same time we might not care so much about the ARGB LEDs (since you are also deciding between unlighted fans)? In that case I find Shadow Wings 2 (BL085), with which you will not get worse results, the most attractive option. The argument for Light Wings (BL072) could be a wider speed range with lower minimum speeds. Shadow Wings 2 (BL085) start from almost 500 rpm. If you were to run the fans above that anyway, it really doesn’t matter.

      I also checked the vibrations, which can, especially in your type of use (on a case), increase the noise, but they are practically zero with the BL085 as well as with the BL072. Personally, I would reach for the Shadow Wings 2 (if you don’t crave the extra low speed of the Light Wings) and enjoy the 40 euros saved. 🙂

      Reply

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