Results: Airflow through a hexagonal grille
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.
Results: Airflow through a hexagonal grille
Why is there a missing value sometimes? There may be more reasons. Usually it is because the fan could not be adjusted to the target noise level. Some have a higher minimum speed (or the speed is low, but the motor is too noisy) or it is a slower fan that will not reach the higher decibels. But the results in the graphs are also missing if the rotor is brushing against the nylon filter mesh. In that case, we evaluate this combination as incompatible. And zero in the graphs is naturally also in situations where we measure 0.00. This is a common occurrence at extremely low speeds with obstructions or within vibration measurements.
- Contents
- BeQuiet! Shadow Wings 2 (BL085) in detail
- The basis of the methodology, the wind tunnel
- Mounting and vibration measurement
- Initial warm-up and speed recording
- Base 6 equal noise levels…
- ... and sound color (frequency characteristic)
- Static pressure measurement…
- … and airflow
- Everything changes with obstacles
- How we measure power draw and motor power
- Measuring the intensity (and power draw) of lighting
- Results: Speed
- Results: Airlow w/o obstacles
- Results: Airflow through a nylon filter
- Results: Airflow through a plastic filter
- Results: Airflow through a hexagonal grille
- Results: Airflow through a thinner radiator
- Results: Airflow through a thicker radiator
- Results: Static pressure w/o obstacles
- Results: Static pressure through a nylon filter
- Results: Static pressure through a plastic filter
- Results: Static pressure through a hexagonal grille
- Results: Static pressure through a thinner radiator
- Results: Static pressure through a thicker radiator
- Results: Static pressure, efficiency by orientation
- Reality vs. specifications
- Results: Frequency response of sound w/o obstacles
- Results: Frequency response of sound with a dust filter
- Results: Frequency response of sound with a hexagonal grille
- Results: Frequency response of sound with a radiator
- Results: Vibration, in total (3D vector length)
- Results: Vibration, X-axis
- Results: Vibration, Y-axis
- Results: Vibration, Z-axis
- Results: Power draw (and motor power)
- Results: Cooling performance per watt, airflow
- Results: Cooling performance per watt, static pressure
- Airflow per euro
- Static pressure per euro
- Results: Lighting – LED luminance and power draw
- Results: LED to motor power draw ratio
- Evaluation
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.
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. 🙂