Apart from the all-white design, which is rare in itself, this fan also stands out from the competition in other ways. Some of these need a cautionary finger raised, others deserve praise. Often for trying to differentiate themselves and even in a rather elegant, useful way. In the mix of everything about the SquA RGB fan, one can state its unique identity, for which it may win you over. But it also doesn’t have to. Read more “Enermax SquA RGB White: In many ways… unusual”
A fan does not have to be expensive to achieve high airflow at reasonable noise levels. A good example of this is the 140mm Fluctus, which is very high on the price/performance charts. It is outperformed virtually only by fans with more significant shortcomings in some aspects. The Fluctus 140 PWM is not flawless either, but it is still a hot favourite in its price range for many scenarios. Read more “Endorfy Fluctus 140 PWM: High efficiency “cheaply”, but…”
The headline may sound strange, but after reading the article it will make sense. After modifying a fan from unlit to lit, its noise level can change for a very simple reason. This is true even if the shape of the rotor or the operating speed has been maintained. As far as noise is concerned, a change by integrating ARGB LEDs does not always lead to a worse result. Still, it is important to know why any differences occur in the first place. Read more “Analysis: RGB LED implementation changes fan noise”
The first Fluctus 120 PWM fans marked a great qualitative progress in SilentiumPC production (now Endorfy). Nevertheless, they had their flaws, which the developers are gradually eliminating and, based on the measurement results, the newer 140 mm Fluctus can be said to be a clear improvement. The Fluctus 140 PWM ARGB stands out nicely from other fans in its price category. Read more “Endorfy Fluctus 140 PWM ARGB works, looks come second”
Low-profile fans are often seen as compromise solutions that will not achieve the efficiency of thicker models. This may or may not be true. In practice, the Arctic P12 Slim beats a number of full-size fans. Sure, Arctic’s 15mm fan has many shortcomings, but these are vindicated by the very low price. In the 120mm format, it is one of the cheapest, but definitely not the “weakest” slim fans. Read more “Top price/performance in 15 mm – Arctic P12 Slim PWM PST”
Finally, a 140mm fan that doesn’t wade between the 120mm ones, but has a clear edge over them – even the “best” ones. And it’s a completely different story than its smaller brother, whose biggest negatives are avoided by the 140mm model. But there is one new, rather unnecessary flaw. However, it can be eliminated, with a trade-off. But you might not even notice it, and then you can consider this fan an excellent choice. Read more “BeQuiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 (BL099): A 140mm sovereign”
For users who prefer a contrast to the traditional stuff, BeQuiet! has released white Light Wings fans, in both 120mm and 140mm formats. By the standards of lighted fans, these will be models with some of the stiffest blades, especially in the smaller format. Because of its design characteristics, it is highly likely to achieve extremely low vibration alongside a superbly non-intrusive sound profile. Read more “BeQuiet! Light Wings fans now also in white”
Fractal Design claims the Prisma models as its most efficient 140mm fans. According to the specs, they are supposed to achieve the highest airflow at a lower noise level than the Aspect 14s. However, this is physically impossible due to the constructional differences of the two fans. The title of the article has a bit of a pejorative tone and while the Prisma AL-14 PWM is a decent fan, it already has a superior from its own ranks. Read more “Prisma AL-14 PWM: The best 140mm fan by Fractal Design?”
Blade length is always the “topic”, but will be more common with 140mm fans than smaller variants. Some bet on long blades for preference of selected features, the other manufacturer on short ones. And such (short) and overall more robust blades are also used by the 140mm Aorus fan. From certain points of view this is quite a big advantage, but for which something had to be sacrificed. It’s a quid pro quo. Read more “Gigabyte Aorus 140 ARGB: Short/quiet and lighted (blades)”
We analyzed the “Light Wings” fan fairly recently, but that was in the 120 mm format. BeQuiet! approached the 140mm model a little differently. Although the frame is only proportionally enlarged, the shape of the rotor is already significantly different. It relies on long, curved blades, which look great in this cross-section, but there are some design caveats. Still, in some applications, this fan excels. Read more “BeQuiet! Light Wings (140 mm): Different size, different geometry”
Arctic has released a successor to the P12 fan, or perhaps more likely a higher-end model of it, as the P12 Max is a bit more expensive. That’s because it has a significantly more sophisticated design that addresses the shortcomings of the P12. In particular, the P12 Max has stiffened blades to counteract the high vibration of Arctic’s 5-blade rotors, and also, it will be one of the most powerful 120mm fans due to its significantly increased speed. Read more “Stiffer and more efficient, improvements of the Arctic P12 (Max)”
Starting with the Fractal Design Aspect 14 RGB PWM test, we are starting to build a database of 140mm fan results. These may have a smaller market presence due to poorer compatibility, but compared to the 120mm models they have the makings of higher efficiency, which is why they are more popular among many users. The Aspect 14 RGB PWM fan, in addition to its aerodynamic qualities, also fights for customer favour with its lighting. Read more “FD Aspect 14 RGB PWM: Larger rotor, higher airflow per dBA”
It is made in the same injection mould as the FC120, but still has noticeably better properties. Stronger material, higher weight, different bearings and a more powerful motor make the FK120 one of the most attractive options among inexpensive fans. But that’s only assuming the “right” adjustment. Outside of that, this fan can be quite uncomfortable and ironically for the same reason it is sometimes unbeatable. Read more “DeepCool FK120 fan: Efficiency ceiling for some scenarios”
Asus’s efforts in the field of standalone PC fans are on the rise. After the premiere in the form of the ROG XF120, there is now the half-price TUF TF120, which also gives more attractive results in some applications. And that’s even compared to other, similar fans with ARGB LEDs. The geometry of the TF120 is quite sensible, which is why it often beats its competitors in its price range. Read more “Asus TUF Gaming TF120: Cheap, lighted and efficient fan”
That this or that can no longer be improved? It can only seem that way until someone points out the possible shortcomings. This also applies to the circular grille in front of fans, on which Noctua has found a few weak spots, where their solution (compared to traditional circular grilles) lead to higher efficiency – the drop in airflow is supposed to be even lower with an even smaller increase in noise. And all of it makes sense. Read more “The NA-FG1 or how Noctua perfected the circular grille”
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