What we know so far about the Silent Wings 4 and Silent Wings Pro 4
The fourth generation of the new BeQuiet! Silent Wings fans have all the ingredients to reach the very pinnacle of efficiency. The rotor is based on the proven shape of long, distinctively curved blades. These are, moreover, very close to the frame to maximize pressure. After this parameter, you probably already think of Noctua’s “sterrox” fan, which, however, the BeQuiet! one can surpass with its typical grooves.
In the top of the range, BeQuiet! will be adding new models – Silent Wings 4 and Silent Wings Pro 4. The rotor is based on the Gentle Typhoon design (similar to the Noctua NF-A12x25 or Phanteks T30, for example). It is a dense rotor with extra curved blades along their length.
These structures usually have a higher static pressure compared to others that have a surface area similar to an equilateral triangle. This means that there is less flow loss even when installed on an obstacle, such as a CPU cooler heatsink. The size of the gap between the blades and the frame circle also plays an important role when tuning the details to maximize efficiency. BeQuiet! has shrunk this from the original 1.2 mm (Silent Wings 3) to 1 mm (Silent Wings 4), but this is still twice the size of the Noctua NF-A12x25. A more significant impact on efficiency than that may be the grooved finish of the Silent Wings 4’s fan blades.
The grooves on the suction side increase the dynamic pressure (and thus the flow of air through the fan) due to the suppression of turbulence, but also reduce the noise level, i.e. the sound within the spectrum is more evenly balanced than in the case of fans with smooth blades.We recently saw that it really works in our tests of the Pure Wings 2 fan. However, Noctua also has channels to adjust the acoustic-aerodynamic properties and it will depend on which design is more efficient. BeQuiet! had a four-year head start on tuning and testing, however, so we believe it will have the upper hand. And not just at a higher, but also at the same noise level.
Parameters are still unknown, but you won’t be missing out on the airflow – Silent Wings Pro 4 reaches speeds of up to 3000 rpm. However, this only applies to variants with the “Pro” moniker, which are distinguished from the “ordinary” ones by a three-stage switch to limit the maximum speed. 3000 rpm is in the “ultra-high-speed” position, on “high” it’s 2500 rpm and “medium” is with 1600 rpm. This is, of course, the maximum speed which can be reduced by adjusting the PWM intensity.
The advantage of the switch should be in easy speed limiting even for users who do not tune PWM curves. Those would have an unnecessarily noisy fan under load in the fastest range. The one number larger, 140 mm one has max speeds of 2400 (UHS), 1900 rpm (HS) and 1600 (M) rpm across the speed ranges. Unfortunately, we don’t have information on airflow or static pressure values yet.
The speed switch is the main difference between the Silent Wings Pro 4 and the Silent Wings 4. Fans without the “Pro” designation in the name don’t have it, and they also lack the special mounting for liquid cooler radiators, for example. Thus, Silent Wings 4 do not have three, but only the traditional two sets of adapters for installation in the case and on the CPU cooler heatsink in the accessories, just like the older Silent Wings 3.
Silent Wings 4 will be available in two formats (120 and 140 mm) in three different variants. Two of these are PWM, a slower one (up to 1600 rpm for the 120 mm model and up to 1100 rpm for the 140 mm model) and a faster one with the “high-speed” moniker (up to 2500 rpm for the 120 mm model and up to 1900 rpm for the 140 mm model). The third variant is with linear control (DC) and the maximum speeds are along the lines of the slower PWM models (i.e. 1600 and 1000 rpm).
All BeQuiet! Silent Wings (Pro) 4 fans follow the Silent Wings 3 motor design and have up to six stator slots. The Noctua NF-A12x25, for example, has only four. The advantage of the larger number is mainly in lower friction, which results in lower vibrations, but also in lower start-up speeds, as less force is needed to get the rotor moving.
The bearings are fluid dynamic (FDB) and the mean time between failures is quoted up to 300,000 hours. BeQuiet! also comments on the materials used. The key parts (blades, frame and mounting corners) are made of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), which like Noctua’s “sterrox” should have high strength and low thermal expansion. In-flight deformation should not occur even at 3000 rpm.
Recommended retail prices? For Silent Wings 4 23,90 euros (all 120 mm models) – 24,90 euros (140 mm models) and for Silent Wings Pro 4 it is 31,90 euros and 32,90 euros. The larger, 140 mm fan is also a euro more expensive here. The premium over the SW4 includes, among other things already mentioned, a denser and overall more precise cable braiding with a more stable connector attachment than usual.
Sales of the Silent Wings 4 and Silent Wings Pro 4 fans start on 7/19/2022, and if nothing goes wrong, we’ll have tests for you on that date as well.
English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš
