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

Results: impact on airflow, pressure and noise

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.

Test results

The rear of the tunnel ensures, among other things, that the air supply to the anemometer fan is laminar




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Alphacool has steel blackplates. Higher pressure, higher durability

Finally, someone brings up the topic of metal backplates for liquid AIO coolers. There is an ingrained belief among manufacturers that plastic backplates are sufficient for liquid coolers. They are not enough though, for a number of reasons. It is therefore good news that Alphacool is releasing steel backplates as optional accessories for multiple coolers. And if you own any of the supported coolers, you can request one – free of charge. Read more “Alphacool has steel blackplates. Higher pressure, higher durability” »

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Akasa metal filter beat the “plastics” in tests by a good chunk

We have tested a dust filter that combines the best features of plastic and nylon filters. It has high mechanical resistance, is easy to clean and yet also has low restrictiveness, so it does not significantly change the sound of the fan and does not increase its noise level. Compared to plastic filters, it does not even “hiss”. This addition thus extends the database of results with the latest type of dust filter, one with a metal grille. Read more “Akasa metal filter beat the “plastics” in tests by a good chunk” »

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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” »

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Comments (2) Add comment

  1. Hi
    This was kind of what I was after. I have some headphones that don’t have dust filters on the cups. I know it can affect the sound, but I am interested to see if using fine nylon would be best for dust and also not affect frequency as much.

    Thanks

    1. Now that’s a really interesting question. 🙂 Unfortunately, I can’t say how a nylon mesh similar to the one from dust filters for fans will affect the frequency of sound in headphones. It’s probably not a big deal, but… I can’t write anything that would be of any informational value to you.

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