An old-school rotor with one small aerodynamic tweak, the shortcomings of the Dynamic series of fans removed, and the addition of ARGB LED lighting. There are negatives too, but with the right application you can neatly avoid them. Overall, though, Fractal Design’s Aspects are functionally among the most feature-rich of what’s available in the current lineup of LED fans. Read more “Sightly and efficient: the Fractal Design Aspect 12 RGB PWM test”
We finally have something to grab onto. Although you still can’t buy Silent Wings 4 fans, BeQuiet! has now officially released them, complete with detailed specs. This is something we’re interested in, and get this: we already have a comparison with the Noctua NF-A12x25 as well. Admittedly it’s a tricky one and we’re basing it on what BeQuiet! claims, but to set the mood for the upcoming tests it’s better than nothing. Read more “BeQuiet! revealed Silent Wings (Pro) 4’s airflow and static pressure”
It’s heating up. We have added the first triple-A fan to the tests, which has been viewed “some way” for years, and now it will turn out how it is exactly – what are its weaknesses and what are its strengths. Some have also debated whether the Silent Wings 3 happens to be the most efficient fan ever. But as it happens, it’s a bit more complicated than a one-word answer like yes or no. Read more “Silent Wings 3 (BL066): The best from BeQuiet!… so far”
Fan marketing materials could not do without the use (or is it misuse?) of key variables. There are plenty of them everywhere, but no one anywhere explains the nature of how they work, always just the supposed consequence. After all, for expected sales, companies need you to understand their presentations, which often contradict the laws of physics. But we will take a look at them, in all simplicity. Read more “Static pressure vs. airflow, part 1/3: Quantities under control”
Aside from whether the fan is named after the zodiac or a serial killer from California, we know all about Gelid’s latest fan. In the end, the inspiration may stem from the latter as well. After all, it has a backlight option and at the same time “kills”, performance-wise, the price-equivalent fans without it. And attractive models at that. But there is one thing that can erase all the good features. Read more “Gelid Zodiac fan: ARGB LED and excellent price/performance ratio”
Sometimes they don’t even get a chance and are immediately replaced by other, “better” ones. We’re talking about fans that come pre-installed in computer cases. We are going to test one of them now and although there are reasons to replace the Dynamic X2 GP-12 (PWM), be careful not to end up being worse off. After all, these aren’t exactly ordinary fans. They even have more specific aerodynamics and acoustics modifying features. Read more “Dynamic X2 GP-12 PWM: Fractal Design knows what works in cases”
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. Read more “Summer looks exciting, BeQuiet! prepares the Silent Wings (Pro) 4”
So, now we get to see what the grooves on the entire surface of the blades, which are typical of BeQuiet! fans, are worth! Judging by the geometry, we were initially concerned that the results might go in a similar direction to the Arctic BioniX F120. But it’s a lot better than that, and the 120 mm Pure Wings 2 even achieves a top price/performance ratio while running very quietly. The best of the fans tested so far. Read more “BeQuiet! Pure Wings 2 (BL039): It wouldn’t do without the grooves”
As the cross section of fans increases, the thickness usually grows. For cases where the opposite is desired, i.e. a large yet thin fan, Arctic has “squeezed” the P14 down to 16mm. This is one of the few fans with such proportions and this one has ambitions to be a cut above the rest of the range. Compared to the one number smaller P12 Slim model, the increase in airflow at the same noise level should be almost 24 %. Read more “Low profile in a larger, 140 mm body. Arctic’s P14 Slim”
Gigabyte’s new fan stands out from the crowd of flashy, inefficient PC components. The Aorus 120 ARGB may entice the user with its illuminated rotor, but the features that make a fan a fan don’t play second fiddle either. Although there is still room for tuning and improvement, the Aorus 120 ARGB excels in many ways and beats even competing models from traditional fan manufacturers in some areas of application. Read more “Gigabyte Aorus 120 ARGB: Not just stylish, but a proper fan”
Now that’s what we call a turnaround. Remember how the BioniX F120 failed on obstacles? The newer BioniX P120 (A-RGB) no longer has such a fundamental limitation. On the contrary, it is significantly less stifled by obstacles than many competing fans. Just tame those vibrations, fine-tune the acoustics, where there are some flaws, and it’ll be great. The basis (the rotor) is better in practice than the label parameters suggest. Read more “Arctic BioniX P120 A-RGB: The lit specialist for filters and grilles”
Although it didn’t look like it at first, Akasa will sell the fan from the Alucia H4 cooler separately. We had it briefly in our wind tunnel and it definitely has the potential to succeed in the mid-range segment. Then there are the illuminated Soho AR and Vegas A fans based on it, which are also sold in unconventional “Siamese twins or triplets” variants with a common frame for two or three rotors. Read more “Among the new Akasa fans is also the dangerous Alucia SC”
Along with a cooler release, Noctua has updated their roadmap, leaving no stone unturned. A lot of products are being pushed to a later date, including the upcoming 140 mm fans. But the good news is that at least fan grilles, which will surely appear in our tests sooner or later, have appeared out of the blue in the window for the coming months or maybe just weeks. Read more “Noctua plans changes: surprise fan grilles, delays of key products”
As you know, the airflow of fans depends on the area of their blades. The larger the area, the better the fan is able to achieve higher efficiency. However, you can’t push it indefinitely, and maximum dimensions are limited by both heatsinks and PC cases. However, SilverStone has now come up with a fan that has the same hole spacing as the standard 140mm models, only with a larger cross-section compared to them. Read more ““Bigger, better”, SilverStone releases 160 mm sharkskin fan”
It could have been a very good, affordable fan with lighting. Moreover, the SickleFlow 120 ARB rotor design is efficient, at an excellent level, but all the good features are killed by one thing – an extremely noisy motor. It’s so noisy that a return trip from the factory output control would be appropriate. And it’s not just your everyday whir that you hear only from centimeters away. No one will ever miss this sound. Read more “Cooler Master SickleFlow 120 ARGB: If not for the horrible rattling…”
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