Tuesday 22 November 2011

Fractal Design - Silent Series Fan Review

Fractal Design - Silent Series Fan Review

This is a review for the 80mm fan which I am using for processor cooling.

NOISE

Proabaly what caught your eye about this fan was the 11 dBA noise level, well I don't have a thingy to measure the sounds, but it is certainly very quiet, the RPM is capped at 1400, which means that even if you don't use fan management, it will still be quiet.

Prior to this I tried an Arctic Cooling F8 which has a max RPM of 2000, this was quiet noisey I must say although their larger fans are excellent.


If you are using this fractal cooling fan for a case fan then you can use the included rubber mounts to reduce transmitted vibrations, although I can not notice any noise from the one I am using on my CPU, and I have used standard screws.

PRICE

At around £6 (Ebay) for the Fractal Design 80mm it is a bit more expensive than a Artic Cooling Variant, but I would say for this 80mm varity the extra is worth it, if you want quitness over air flow.

COOLING

I use my PC for documentation, not games, but the silent fractal designs fan keep my intel pentium dual core at around the 40 C dgerees mark, which the coolest I have seen it, even with the artic cooling fan running at 2000 rpm.
Link
OVERALL

For the larger fans certainly 120mm 12cm I would side with arctic colling for value, but this samller fan from ractal design has certainly trumped artic cooling F8 and the standard fan that came in my PC

FRACTAL DESIGN'S OWN WRITE UP

Introduction

Fractal Design "Silent Series" is a full range of silent case fans. The fans has been specifically developed to deliver sufficient airflow and still keep a low noise level. Available in sizes from 40mm up to 140mm.
Delivered with 4pcs of metal screws and 4pcs rubber screws. The electrical cable is covered with textile, to make it easier to work with.

Specifications

  • Dimensions: 80 x 80 x 25mm
  • RPM: 1400 +/- 10% RPM
  • Noise: 11 dBA
  • Airflow: 16 CFM, 27 m³/h
  • Connection: 3-pin
  • Power: 0.48 W +/- 15%
  • 4pcs metal screws included
  • 4pcs rubber screws included
  • Textile covered electrical cable

Additional information

  • Delivered in retail package with EAN-code printed on it.
  • EAN/GTIN-13: 7350041080121
  • Product code: FD-FAN-80
  • Box quantity: 80pcs
  • EU Customs ID: 8414592090

Fractal Design Specs

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