We tried a DIY silon dust filter instead of traditional nylon. Result?

Socks, stockings or tights made of silon also attract uses other than on our legs. Enthusiasts can use the material to make, for example, a dust filter for a PC fan. It’s effectiveness then depends on the thickness of the silon fibre. However, tests show that whatever type you use, it is a rather unsuitable solution. And it’s also difficult for robbers who don’t worry too much about the mask and just need a visit to the drugstore before the job. Read more “We tried a DIY silon dust filter instead of traditional nylon. Result?” »

Raven 4 ARGB, AeroCool cooling novelty with conical fan

AeroCool has come up with an inspiring design that will increase the efficiency of smaller tower coolers. These always use small fans, but the 135mm tall new addition in the form of the Raven 4 ARGB has a full-sized “hundred and twenty” on the fins. To make sense of such a design, the fan bezel tapers smoothly from intake to exhaust, thus having a conical shape. Look at the details. Read more “Raven 4 ARGB, AeroCool cooling novelty with conical fan” »

The Akasa GRM120-30 foam filter works better than it seems

After analyzing the nylon and plastic dust filter, we now add a test of the “foam” dust filter. The latter has a slightly more complex construction. It consists of several parts and is kind of like a jigsaw puzzle, the elements of which even improve the aerodynamics in some ways. We go through everything in detail, and although we approached this type of filter with a bit of a bias, it comes out in a good light in the end. Is a foam dust filter better than a nylon one? Read more “The Akasa GRM120-30 foam filter works better than it seems” »

Analysis: a hexagonal grille is no match for a circular one, in any way

Why do cases and PSUs almost always have impractical cut-outs in the grille in front of fans for air passage? Whether this is due to indifference to an all-round honest product or ignorance of how inefficient a solution it is, remains a mystery. But we have devised a comparative test which refers to drawbacks of the hexagonal grille. Compared to the non-restrictive circular ones made of wires, the differences are significant. Read more “Analysis: a hexagonal grille is no match for a circular one, in any way” »

Test: Nylon vs. plastic dust filter. Which restricts fans less?

The vast majority of computers use two types of dust filters – a fine nylon one and a coarser plastic one. The fact that the plastic filter lets more through and is less efficient in this respect is already apparent from the eye, as it has a coarser mesh. But do you know which one degrades the performance of the fan more and by how much? One even “wheezes”, which is nicely indicated by a detailed noise analysis at 240 sound frequencies. Read more “Test: Nylon vs. plastic dust filter. Which restricts fans less?” »

Zero RPM illuminated Arctic fans are now also available in 140 mm

Arctic released the P12 fans with (A)RGB first in a more widespread 120 mm format. Now, however, the range is also expanding to include 140 mm models, which should achieve higher airflow compared to the smaller variants. The Swiss manufacturer claims that the rotor is also well suited for operation on liquid cooler radiators. In addition, the P12 PWM PST (A-)RGB fans are also characterised by a passive mode. Read more “Zero RPM illuminated Arctic fans are now also available in 140 mm” »

Complete analysis of the final wind tunnel for fan testing

The introduction to this article has been rewritten several times. The original versions resorted to describing the adverse events that caused the long-announced fan testing to be so dramatically delayed. But the text was always dreadfully boring… the important thing is that everything managed to make it to the start. But before the starting gun, come take a thorough walk around the track where the measurements will take place. Read more “Complete analysis of the final wind tunnel for fan testing” »

News from Noctua: A cooling enhancing tunel and NH-L9i-17xx

Wind tunnels in the case above the cooler have formerly been rather common, but have gradually disappeared over time, however this does not mean that they are useless. Noctua now introduces such a tunnel. It is installed on the cooler and should increase its effectivity. This can be of benefit to small coolers on big CPUs. Simultaneously with this tunnel the 37mm high top-flow NH-L9i-17xx, which aims to take on the Alder Lake processors. Read more “News from Noctua: A cooling enhancing tunel and NH-L9i-17xx” »

AMD AM5 socket to be backwards compatible with AM4 coolers

It has been five years since the “Ryzen” brand was created. On this auspicious occasion, the gentlemen from AMD sat down at a table in front of the camera and it wasn’t all about retrospect. On the contrary, it also came out of the conversation that users will be able to install AM4 compatible coolers on future processors in the AM5 socket. No modifications to the mounting system will be required. It already contains everything needed. Read more “AMD AM5 socket to be backwards compatible with AM4 coolers” »

Asetek in trouble. A patent war looms in the AIO cooler market?

A small drama seems to be brewing in the computer cooling world, liquid type to be precise. It has seen a boom thanks to closed-loop AIOs which are easy to maintain and install. Their popularisation can be largly attributed to Asetek, but exactly this company now appears to be in trouble. Its sales have dropped and the company has allegedly escalated patent disputes with other AIO producers, which might impact the whole market. Read more “Asetek in trouble. A patent war looms in the AIO cooler market?” »

Borderline inaudible, Noctua officially on Asus RTX 3070 NE

The legitimate announcement of the Asus RTX 3070 graphics card, in which Noctua had a significant role, was hanging in the balance. This is evidenced by the premature leak of its photos last week. But we have all the details on this graphics card only now, after the press release was published. The GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua Edition promises sovereignly the quietest operation in its performance class. Read more “Borderline inaudible, Noctua officially on Asus RTX 3070 NE” »

Specs of the first Aorus fans look more than good

Gigabyte will sell the Aorus fans as standalone products. News of this surfaced earlier this summer, at the launch of the new AIO coolers , but now it’s all in black and white. And admittedly, this may not be a “fancier” hardware category (Aorus). The motors have three-phase torque, a lubricant with supposedly superior durability, and finally, the rotor design looks sensible. Read more “Specs of the first Aorus fans look more than good” »

Future AMD AM5 socket will likely support current coolers

It seems that CPU coolers compatible with AMD AM4 will also fit nicely on the upcoming AM5 socket. And that’s with no modifications or the need for new components. This is indicated by an information leak from the technical documentation with details about the future AMD socket. Its construction changes significantly and is therefore particularly remarkable that the same range of mounting holes for coolers and other hardware is maintained. Read more “Future AMD AM5 socket will likely support current coolers” »

Thicker fan, better properties? Phanteks has a 30 mm fan

Phanteks has released a 120-millimeter fan with an atypical thickness of 30 mm. Thanks to such a profile, the rotor with the same cross-section can have a larger blade area. And since the blade shape on the new Phanteks fan resembles that of the Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM, there was immediate speculation about “the new king” and so on. However, this may not be so clear for several reasons. Read more “Thicker fan, better properties? Phanteks has a 30 mm fan” »

SilentiumPC Navis Evo ARGB 360 – AIO cooler for everyone

In today’s review, I would like to show you another all-in-one liquid cooler. This time it is the highest AIO model from SilentiumPC – Navis Evo ARGB 360. In terms of price, AIO coolers from the Navis series are very attractive and offer an interesting price-performance ratio. So today, we’re going to check whether the manufacturer did not save costs in the wrong areas and whether this cooler can defend its place in a market full of competitors. Read more “SilentiumPC Navis Evo ARGB 360 – AIO cooler for everyone” »