120mm Radiator Fan Roundup Part 2: Fan Harder
by Dustin Sklavos on October 22, 2012 12:01 AM ESTRosewill Hyperborea
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| Airflow (in CFM) | Static Pressure (in mm/H2O) | RPM | Rated dBA |
| 57.53 | 2.64 | 600-1300 | 6.9-16.05 |
When I contacted the Rosewill rep about sending fans for review she was a bit hesitant, but I wasn't convinced there wasn't something good hiding out in their lineup. Rosewill often provides good products at reasonable prices, so I felt like their lines were worth investigating. I received this fan, which is actually a PWM fan (despite having virtually no dynamic ratings), and the next one...
Rosewill RFX-120BL Blue LED
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| Airflow (in CFM) | Static Pressure (in mm/H2O) | RPM | Rated dBA |
| 87.5 | none given | 2200 | 38.15 |
The other Rosewill representative is a more basic, garden variety case fan with no qualms about running full tilt. It bears mentioning that this model does include an additional fan controller bracket that may make it at least a little more attractive (though personally I'm more interested in the fan controller bracket than the fan), but this should at least be a good representation of a generic case fan.
be quiet! Silent Wings 2
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| Airflow (in CFM) | Static Pressure (in mm/H2O) | RPM | Rated dBA |
| 50.5 | 1.63 | 1500 | 15.7 |
The Silent Wings 2 is be quiet!'s top of the line fan. While our rep (who amusingly enough is my predecessor here for case reviews) wasn't super bullish on it as a radiator fan, the staggeringly low decibel rating and decent airflow and static pressure at least make the Silent Wings 2 a compelling entrant worth checking out. be quiet! as a company has been slowly making waves lately so I've been anxious to test some of their products.
be quiet! is still young yet and like BitFenix they're very slowly making inroads in American markets. As a result the Silent Wings 2 isn't widely available yet, but a quick visit to Google Shopping can find the Silent Wings 2 for a healthy $40.
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landerf - Monday, October 22, 2012 - link
Look at enermax 120mm fans on newegg. Plenty of batwing fans and some pwm options. I'd look too at the non-batwing TB fans. Their noise-performance ratio seems even better. I replaced my gentle typhoons with them because I've decided I can't take the ball bearing noise.Speaking of still no GTs? Surprised you don't have them laying around. Seems like everybody has one by now.
Udit - Monday, October 22, 2012 - link
Could you add the Gentle Typhoon 1850rpm to the test please?Naviblue - Monday, October 22, 2012 - link
I second this, where is the REAL King of the hill at on the charts? At least let us make a comparison to these other fans... Everyone knows Gentle Typhoons are benchmark!Earthmonger - Monday, October 22, 2012 - link
You two are kidding, right? That wouldn't be fair at all. This article is intended for tourists, not enthusiasts. Including an enthusiast fan like the GTs in this.. test.. would be plain silly. If you want real testing, this isn't the place for it. Hell, this test doesn't even mention bearing types.DarkStryke - Monday, October 22, 2012 - link
Yeah, don't include one of the best performers when you can hawk a load of mediocre overpriced junk instead!Good reasoning there bud.
lbeyak - Monday, October 22, 2012 - link
I must third this. From my research the Gentle Typhoons are basically the best 120 mm fans on the market. They are the ones I bought for my personal build.Sea Shadow - Monday, October 22, 2012 - link
Amateurs, the Gentle Typhoon is child's play. If you want to see a real enthusiast fan go look up Delta or Panaflo. 100-250CFM+ with pressures ranging from 10-30mm+. I use a set of 3 Delta AFB 1212VHE fans for my watercooling loop (which readily double the specs of the "best" gentle typhoon). At 5 volts they are livable and have no trouble forcing the air through the entirety of my case, heatercore and all! Ahh, makes me miss the old days of overclocking my opty 165....Anyways, I enjoyed the review. It is nice to see what the rest of the market is doing.
iamkyle - Tuesday, October 23, 2012 - link
This man speaks the truth.Panasonic and Delta Electronics have been putting fans in computers since all before most of you were born.
If they're good enough for IBM XT's, YOU CAN BET they are good enough for a modern rig.
Earthmonger - Tuesday, October 23, 2012 - link
When I think of the "best balance between thermal performance and acoustics", neither Panasonic nor Delta come to mind. Those are fans with an exclusive focus on performance, and a blatant disregard for acoustics.This test may lack a lot of relevant data, but at least the GTs are in proper context here.
lyeoh - Tuesday, October 23, 2012 - link
Whaaat? Sorry I can't hear you!