Anartik.com’s Blog

There are a whole bunch of gimmicks and claims these days regarding computer fans. Most of it is marketing BS plain and simple. The biggest claim these days is “silent” and while there are all sorts of gimmicks, especially in the bearing department, there is not a huge differentiation between fans other than maybe colors, speeds and overall quality. Not surprising the more marketing claims the higher the price. In all reality many manufacturers merely reduced the speed of fans, in many case to useless CFM levels, and called the fan “quiet”, “silent” or even “green” hoping Joe public would bite. In just the past few months numerous new players have jumped on the market with all kinds of claims and fans moving into ridiculous price ranges.

I have been thinking about doing this comparison for a while and finally knocked it out. The first installment is for the most commonly used case fan size which is now 120mm. This comparison is not about appearances, prices etc. but about a simple method of comparing fan performance using a simple ratio of CFM / dBA (noise). The graph is straight forward and shows you how 120mm fans rank by how many CFM you get per dBA of noise. I included pretty much all the 120mm models I sell and added some other “premium” price fans I don’t sell. Simply put the higher the number the better and if you want a quiet fan at the expense of airflow the Scythe S-Flex D ($12.99) and Scythe Slipstream ($8.99) low speed are hands down the winners providing the most airflow per decibel of noise. One interesting trend you will notice, even with Scythe, is the higher the CFM goes the lower the ratio drops.

On the high flow side the Scythe Slipstream H, YS Tech, Ultra Kaze H and Delta AFB take the honors as the most noise efficient fans. They may range from tolerably loud to very loud but they offer the most flow per dBA.

The only caveat to the whole comparison is it was done using published manufacturer specs. In a nutshell there is a standard method of dBA measurement but many don’t use it, do it incorrectly, or just plain fudge the numbers. You may also ask why I did not include Silenx fans… According to what I have read across the net in real user reviews their unbelievably low noise claims are false and the fans are grossly louder than claimed and I have seen at least one major reseller is trying to dump them. Personally I would not buy them and consequently I would not sell them because I try not to sell anything I would not use myself.

Update: A new graph has been posted with more models. The Noctua NF-12-800 is now #1 although at a price of $19-25 for a 34.7CFM fan. I really don’t care for the marketing of these fans (and others) where the flow is only provided as cubic milliliters per hour (m3/h) which can only lead to confusion of the user. You can convert from m3/h to CFM by multiplying m3/h x .589. m3/h can be obtained from CFM by multiplying CFM x 1.699. Here is a good website for doing flow conversions Engineeringtoolbox.com.

A second graph has been posted that will allow you to see the bigger picture of not just ratio but CFM and dBA.

Jim Phillips
anartik.com

120mm Fan CFM/dBA Ratios

120mm Fan CFM/dBA/Ratio

PWM

PWM is a process for controlling analog circuits via digital processor outputs. PWM is widely used in robotics, embedded systems, communications etc. and has made its way into mainstream computing via Intel. The focus of this tech note is PWM applications in computing.

PWM provides the most effective means of managing your system fans which can result in noise reduction, extended fan life and energy savings. PWM sends a digital signal to a IC in your PWM fan or device without the need for digital to analog conversion which can result in signal noise.

1) PWM is backwards compatible with any standard 3 pin Molex header. Of course if you use a 3 pin header you lose PWM control but keep power and RPM sensing. A properly wired fan will use a standard PWM connector that has a polarization rib to keep the fan from being plugged in incorrectly. Please note that if you are using wiring extensions or Y’s that a 4 pin PWM plug will not fit into a 3 pin hooded adapter. They will however work with adapters that use a open 3 pin male header connection w/o a hood. Many 3 pin fan controllers use hooded connections so beware.

2) PWM is the present and the future of computing. LGA1366 motherboards generally include at least one PWM header for the CPU cooler and some will include 2 or more. Even if you don’t have a controlling device the purchase of PWM enabled fans helps protect your investment.

3) Depending on the fans used and the rating of the motherboard header up to 5 fans can be daisy chained using Y adapters. Once you start chaining you maintain PWM control but lose RPM reporting for all but the first fan. There are some wiring products on the market that are incorrectly constructed so beware. As with a 3 pin Y cable only one side of the Y should be reporting RPM. There are also some products that claim to be PWM splitters but half the Y is just a standard 3 pin connection.

4) There are a few controllers/hubs starting to appear on the market. These are for systems without any motherboard PWM control or to augment PWM ready systems. They tend to vary greatly in function and quality.

Anartik.com currently carries several PWM fans and will continue to expand this line. We also carry Molex PWM female connectors and will soon carry other electrical accessories like Y’s and extensions. While I expect to carry a selection of standard 3 and 4 pin fans for some time to come 4 pin PWM fans will eventually become the norm.

On the CPU cooler side the Scythe Mugen 2, Shuriken, Kama Angle, AC Freezer 7 Pro and the Reeven core contact cooler come standard with PWM fans. Expect to see more coolers follow this standard in the near future.

It is my opinion that PWM is here to stay and will rapidly become as standard as the 3 pin RPM connection. The fans for the most part are here although there is more to PWM than just slapping an IC into existing fan models. Fans really need to be designed for PWM to eliminate any fan noise that may be induced by PWM control. So not all PWM fans are created equal and will vary in quality of the PWM function. On the control side PWM has a ways to go. Motherboards need to start including more PWM connections with better controls in the BIOS and/or software. On the fan controller side more work is also needed. Some fan controllers may only include one PWM connection and product selection is still rather limited.

Jim Phillips
Anartik.com

This, for the most part, will be a living document that will periodically receive updates. Visit Anartik’s fan section for a wide variety of 12V computer fans. If you have any questions feel free to contact me through anartik.com. I’m not just a store owner peddling wares… I’m an enthusiast who builds systems and games.

Connection/Fan Types
2 pin micro: We sell a couple 40mm fans from Scythe that feature a 2 pin connector. These fans were designed to replace fans on some motherboard and video card chipsets and the plug may not fit all applications. These fans also come with a 2-3 pin adapter for flexibility.

3 pin Molex: These fans have a 3 pin Molex connector for connection to (typically) motherboard headers or fan controllers. The 3rd wire may be an RPM signal, rotor lock sensor or not be present. Wires 1 & 2 are power and are always present. We sell a few non-RPM fans that are wired with 3 pin Molex connectors. The rotor lock is compatible with all 3 pin connectors but is not really used in computer products.

4 pin Molex: The 4 pin Molex is a standard connector on power supplies. A fan using this connector has no RPM signal and is designed to run directly off the power supply. Often high wattage fans will use a 4 pin Molex (too much power for 3 pin motherboard header or most controllers) and may include a separate 3 pin connector with just the RPM signal(i.e. Delta 120×38mm AFB1212SHE). These fans may be referred to as 4+3 pin.

3+4: These fans come with a 3 pin and a 4 pin on the same harness.

4+1: These fans have a 4 pin Molex connector with a separate wire and 3 pin connector for RPM monitoring.

4 Pin PWM: This is a fairly new type of connector that you will find on most Intel LGA1366 motherboards (some may only have one for CPU + maybe one for chipset fan). It is also backwards compatible with 3 pin fan headers (with loss of PWM control). PWM stands for pulse width modulation and allows the motherboard or controller to automatically control the fan speed. This connector has 2 pins for power, 1 RPM and 1 PWM. You may also use a 3-4 pin adapter but you would need the non-hooded version. We currently sell a 120 and 92 model from Scythe. The new Scythe Mugen 2 also features a 120mm PWM fan. With the use of PWM Y cables you can chain up to 5 fans off one port. Fan controllers and PWM hubs are just starting to appear on the market.

Thermistor: This is not a connection type but rather a fan type. It means the fan has a small temperature sensor (thermistor) that adjusts the speed of the fan based on temperature and some predefined speed parameters.

Note: All of our fans come prewired but we also sell a full line of electrical connectors and adapters. We do not currently have any PWM connector products other than a couple Scythe fans in 92 and 120mm. I expect to stock some wiring products for PWM in the very near future.

Typical Fan Specs

MTBF: Is the mean time before failure which is the expected hours of operation before failure. This may be stated in terms of temperature i.e. the GentleTyphoon is MTBF 100,000hrs at 35°C or 60,000 hours at 60°C.

Anti-Shock Ability: The fan is somewhat durable and able to withstand some shock i.e. being dropped.

Connector: 3 pin, 4 pin or PWM

Cable Length: Length of the power cable

Dimension: Size of the fan. Computer fans are square but the dimension is usually noted as i.e. 120×120x25mm. The last number is the thickness which is usually 10/15/20/25/38.

Speed: How fast the fan spins (RPM). Usually stated at 12v DC but some fan manufacturers may stretch that number using something in the 13V range. Some thermistor or PWM fans may express RPM as a range i.e. 200-2000RPM. There is almost always a variance of ± 10% and fan sizes are stated in metric millimeters.

Air Flow: The amount of air the fan will move at full speed i.e. 110CFM (cubic feet per minute). This is one area that is not metric although many manufacturers also state air flow in terms of liters per minute or hour.

Noise Level: This is the amount of noise generated in decibels i.e. 28.0 dBA. This is a very controversial measurement because some manufacturers cheat or just plain lie. There is a standard way of measurement but many deviate. While a good indicator of noise it does not tell the whole picture. Different brand fans tend to have their own characteristic sounds from motor and blade design which may or may not be palatable to your ears.

Current: This may be stated as Amps (A), Watts (W) or both at 12V DC. A power supply will handle any 12V fan but what’s important is whether or not the fan headers on your motherboard or fan controller will without burning out the header (refer to motherboard or controller documentation for maximum wattage). If you need both numbers they are computed as follows.
Wattage: 12(volts) * amperage = watts. i.e. a fan labeled 1.1A = 12 * 1.1 = 13.2 watts.
Amperage: watts / volts = amps. i.e. fan labeled 13.2 watts = 13.2 / 12 = 1.1A

Bearing Type: There was a time when no self respecting enthusiast shop would sell a fan that was not ball bearing but the times have changed. Basically fans are either ball bearing or sleeve. There is room for deception with “ball bearing” and a true ball bearing fan is often referred to as two ball or double ball. This means both sides of the motor use ball bearings. A single ball usually means only a ball thrust bearing has been used and the other side is sleeve. Traditionally double ball fans offer longer life spans and better performance with more noise. Sleeve fans used to be the cheaper fans with less performance and lower life spans because the sleeve wears out. Panasonic (Panaflo) was the first back around 1999-2000 to sell a performance fan with reduced noise that used a sleeve bearing. They accomplished that by floating the sleeve in an oil bath which pretty much eliminated wear and reduced noise by eliminating ball bearings. They have continued to evolve and Panaflo is now made by NMB and of course Scythe became popular selling fans with the similar SONY Fluid Dynamic Bearing technology. These quality fans offer better performance to noise ratios and long life spans. In the Scythe S-Flex series they have carried it several steps further integrating a suction magnet that optimizes the magnetic force balance within the rotor to achieve silence and linear drive IC for reducing electromagnetic noise. The Nidec Servo GentleTyphoon uses double ball with a special motor and rotor design for reduced noise.

Fan Blades: Blades are made of a variety of plastics and vary in the number of blades from 3-13+ and vary in design. While any blade can be broken I would comment on Panaflo’s. Panaflo’s use a very high density, very hard and very fragile blade. When the fan is running ANY contact with the blade is nearly for certain to break or shatter blades. They are very good fans with that weakness.

Green: This phrase carries well intentioned meaning in energy conservation but has been misused and become just another marketing buzz word. Some companies try and ride the hype and sell green fans which, for the most part, are just low performance fans which use less power. Show me a performance fan with reduced power consumption and we can talk. You can make this comparison yourself… divide the CFM of the fan by the wattage or amperage and see how much CFM you get per watt or amp.

Aluminum: We carry Evercool fans which feature a solid aluminum frame. The struts for the motor are plastic and the blades are chromed plastic. They are certainly not the classic all aluminum Panaflo’s from back in the 80-90’s but they are a good mainstream fan. You pay a little more for the aluminum frame which is really more about bling than anything else.

LED: These are designer fans that vary with 3-6 colored LED’s (depending on size). To accent the LED’s the frames are usually clear or colored plastic. The plastic may also be UV reactive (glows under black light).

UV: These are designer fans that are made from UV reactive materials (glow under black light). Colors are usually red, blue, green and some purple, orange etc. These fans may also feature colored or UV LED’s. Red has always been a problem and there are few real reds. Many fans advertised as UV Red vary from looking hot pink to orange under UV. Without UV the fan color may vary from the same hot pink to orange.

Noise Reduction: Fans can vibrate and/or noise can be amplified by case contact or poor mounting. We offer silicone gaskets for fans and power supplies that isolate your fans from direct contact with the case. Doing so can eliminate vibration and dampen noise. Cases with thin or poorly constructed panels (particularly thin aluminum) are more prone to vibration issues.

Fan guard/filter: We sell chromed wire fan guards and fan filters. The guards protect your fingers and the fan from breakage. The filters provide the same with the added benefit of dust filtration. We sell a 3 piece model which has an easily cleaned foam filter and we have the wire mesh type. The wire mesh type is more attractive but requires removal from the fan to fully clean (or you could vacuum or blast it on the fan). These all attach with 4 standard fan screws.

Fan mounting: Case fans usually mount using four fan screws. There are also rubber screws that pull through the fan, locking push pins (both coming soon) and other means dreamed up by case manufacturers. In the case of a CPU cooler the mounting is usually by screw, wire clip or fan holder. Rubber gaskets may be placed between the fan and case to reduce any vibration that may occur.

Conclusion: On a subject I will talk about in more editorial detail later… Don’t fall prey to all the deceptive marketing going on these days. For Anartik.com as a whole I try and follow a simple rule of not selling anything I would not use myself. Some simple math will give you an educated view of what you are buying. Divide the CFM by dBA to see just how much flow you get per unit of noise or CFM by wattage to see efficiency. Sticking with well known established brands like Scythe, Nidec, Sunon, Delta, Panaflo, Noctua, NMB etc. will generally provide you with quality and reasonably reliable specs. Don’t get sucked in like the scandal going on over at the Egg place with grossly overpriced SilenX fans that were marketed with unbelievable dBA specs that appear to have been grossly and deliberately understated, by the manufacturer, with poor quality to boot.

Jim Phillips
anartik.com
Copyright Anartik.com 2009

Lian Li PC-V1010

This is a write up I did a while back when I got my PC-V1010. As of now I have pretty much ironed out the kinks and added a BS-06 PCI exhaust. I have seen some comments online (mostly in reviews) about dust being a problem and it not having filtration. First off this is the black model which by virtue of being black (like a car) it shows dirt and dust. As a case it does a very good job of controlling dust. The whole front panel is vented but there is micro mesh behind it all which captures dust. Dust will accumulate around the front intake vents but cleaning is as simple as a quick wipe down once evey 1-2 weeks. The 140mm intake on the lower has a washable fan filter. The 140mm I added on the upper chamber has its own filter and is behind the micro mesh on the bay covers. The only intake missing filtration is the vent on the bottom of the case for the power supply. I don’t know why that is even there because there is adequate spacing between the power supply and case. In addition the lower chamber is an isolated tunnel with 140mm intake blowing across the drive racks back to the power supply which has a bottom mounted 140mm fan. Either way the opening is easily remedied with a filter. One thing that is always a good indication of dust intake is your CPU cooler. Most quality coolers these days have thin closely spaced fins that can easily bcome clogged with dust (especially with high CFM fan). This system has been in use about 5-6 months now and when I installed a Thermalright fan holder the other day I cleaned the heatsink. From past experience the dust accumulation was very mild and a couple shots of air cleared it.

Note: My power supply (200mm) is right at the length size limit for this case. Technically there was enough room between the second drive rack and the power supply for plugging in and routing modular cables. However in the interest of simplicity and airflow I went ahead and removed the second 3 drive rack.

If you are looking for lots of bling this case does not have it nor have I added any. The Lian Li PC-V1010 is just cold, hard, tasteful, air cooled tech at its best. At most it may get a blue cold cathode light from my old case but I have not bothered yet. Most of the wiring organization is clean but there are still some loose ends (from frequent tweaking) that have yet to be cleaned up.

Lian Li PC-V1010: While a superb case (at least compared to most of the junk out there) it has some issues. The manufacturers still don’t get it when it comes to designing the perfect case and everyone is on this quiet kick which is good but not when it means poor air flow from inadequate fans and not quite thought out air flow. This case has two thermal zones and the lower is good. The front intake is a fairly low power 140mm that blows into the isolated lower chamber, across the drive racks and back to my Corsair HX1000 power supply which has a 140mm intake. That’s all fine and maybe overkill. The upper chamber where the real heat issues live is another story. The upper zone has no front intake and just vented bay covers for unoccupied bays. The midsection has a 120 fan mounted on the PCI support rail and my Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme has a 110CFM Scythe blowing to the rear 120mm exhaust. The bottom line is that I got little improvement in cooling vs. my old PC-60. I knew from the start it was lacking a front intake for the upper chamber and figured on using a Scythe Kama bay cooler which occupies 3 bays with a 120mm fan. The kicker is the Lian Li is somewhat out of spec in the bays and my SoundBlaster drive and DVD burner marginally fit just ok with gaps. When I went to install the Kama bay the gap in the lower 3 exposed bays was unacceptable. I ended up installing it inside the bays with the vented bay covers in place. That actually bought me back an exposed bay since mounting inside used the 6th hidden bay. The fan in the Kama bay just was not cutting it in that config and I replaced it with a higher CFM Scythe. Later on when I got the Scythe 140mm fans w/ 120 mounting holes and 110CFM I put one in the bay. Because of the bottom lip on the Kama bay the 140’s don’t fit w/o bending out the bottom lip or cutting it off. I also ended up replacing the midsection and rear exhaust Lian Li fans with higher CFM Scythes. Another miscalculation on Lian Li’s part was the placement of the midsection fans mounting slots on the PCI support rail. They make the fan sit too high to provide much cooling to the Northbridge and they need to be lengthened close to the first PCI support slot. At the fans lowest position, w/o the mod, it blows on memory and the upper edge of the mobo missing the NB pretty much altogether. Even with all the updated cooling I had to ditch the DuOrb on my 8800GTX and resort back to the stock cooler. It was pumping entirely too much hot air back into the case. For some reason the stock cooler has a bypass vent on the external exhaust which also pumps hot air back into the case. I ending up putting a slot cooler next to the 8800 and its intake sucks up the hot air from the bypass and pumps it out of the case. The 8800 is overclocked to near ultra levels and let me tell you the area around the two exhausts will just about scorch you after heavy game play. I’m also still using the small Asus fan to help cool the heatpipe setup and exhaust a little air. All said and done the GPU, CPU and Mobo are stable again with the CPU at 4.3 GHz but everything is still too hot for my tastes. Lian Li makes a nice aluminum housing with a 140mm fan that mounts to the exhaust slots above the PCI slots and pumps air out. As soon as I can find one I will add that in and maybe get rid of the slot cooler. All said and done the new system performs well but is not “quiet”. It is however quieter than my old system and well within reason for daily use. IMO there is still is no good balance of quiet performance on air.
Don’t get me wrong as I do like the case but when you get right down to it I’m pretty picky and want things to be right. Below are a few issues with the case.

 As the saying goes “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. Lian Li has always had a good side panel system that is secure, does not vibrate and is easily removed with two thumb screws. The new one screw, slide lock mechanism, is a nuisance and is more trouble to remove a door and get it back in place than the original system.

 I would have also preferred that they stuck to a removable front panel with easy access to filter and devices vs. the one piece front/top panel riveted in place. Cleaning the front 140mm fan filter requires removing both side panels, several screws to completely remove the fan and further disassembly to clean the filter. That whole front panel redesign resulted in more nuisance and poorly spaced bays. As others have noted the bay covers are a little flimsy and are easily knocked out of place.

 The PCI support rail is a good idea poorly implemented with cheap plastic retainers for the cards that bend and flex. I think the real issue is it was designed with shorter PCI cards in mind vs. longer cards like the 8800GTX. As I mentioned before the mid section fan mounting slots are poorly placed. With some large round or square CPU coolers you may have to remove the support rail altogether.

 The old motherboard tray design was also better than the new. The old tray design slid right out the back with the removal of 4 thumb screws. The new one is a fold out and requires removing the side panel and multiple conventional screws to remove. The way it fits into place very few “performance” aftermarket coolers can be installed with the tray out. I am using a Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme and it had to be installed inside the case. In all fairness it was too tall for the slide out tray on the PC-60 case.

 They put the fan speed switch in the back next to the rear exhaust and the wiring is pretty poorly thought out. The front and mid fans are supposed to attach to it and the front has to use a long extension. Add to that the power cable from the switch and it’s not pretty. Eventually I will rewire all that with a front fan control/display panel.

 On top is the front connection panel which has a massive bundle of wiring that’s in the way. It has headphone, microphone, 4 USB, ESATA and fire wire. For the most part I prefer my cable mess in the back, out of sight, and I only hooked up two of the USB connections. Audio wise I am already using the SoundBlaster drive in front for headphones or microphones. Ultimately I may just end up removing the whole panel and be done with it. I really can’t fault this but just say it’s too much for my needs and it would be nice if the unneeded cables could be unplugged and removed.

 As mentioned previously there is no air intake for the upper chamber and the stock Lian Li fans are on the underpowered side. I would much prefer if most case manufacturers stopped loading up their cases with fans you have to pay for and will probably replace anyway. If the case is based around some large specialty 200mm+ fan then fine include it.

 Lastly forget about using the rubber bands on the aluminum wheels because they just won’t stay on if you move the case around at all.

Jim Phillips
anartik.com

Anartik's System

Note: At the time of purchase I found this case as cheap as $269 and I paid extra to have the window installed. Don’t ask where I got it because I won’t tell you. The quality of work from that vendor was terrible and the original side panel they sent me was horribly crafted. The replacement panel I received was not much better (at least no cracked window from install) and I would not recommend the vendor. If you want this case w/ a window find the Lian Li optional panel which was not available at the time.

This is a quick description of my current system. This box was built late last year and I still have not gotten around to upgrading my video. I changed my mind numerous times on that subject and decided to wait for a die shrunk dual core GTX280 which is rumored to be available soon. For everyday use and for the games I still play it is more than capable. I currently play COD4 and COD WAW at 1920×1200 pretty much maxed out and still get a FPS range of ~65-90 playing COD4. I have not checked WAW rates but it performs very well. For any given online game I play the system is so fast I am almost always the first loaded and spawned. Occasionally I still play a little Quake Wars and maybe some Battlefield and already put down Farcry 2. You may find me online as LordRaven or LordRavenSky (as more people took my alias). Other than gaming the system gets everyday tasks along with audio & video encoding and editing.

I don’t really see building a I7 system anytime soon but who knows. Next update may be a Yorkfield quad core at 3ghz+ when the prices finally dip. I really don’t want a quad if I can’t get at least 4ghz out of it. Other than that the next gen Geforce and probably a 1.5TB backup drive. Bluray is still a thought but the burners and media are still overpriced and I don’t really watch movies on my PC (have home theater for that).

Not the world’s fastest system by any means (and a new video card would improve it) but it works. I actually toned it down from 4.4 to 4.3 recently which allowed me to drop voltage quite a bit and reduce some of the heat it pumps into the room (can raise room temp 10F easy between CPU/GPU and X48). I am using Windows XP 32 bit so I have roughly 3.33gb of available ram (4gb – 768kb on GTX). A 32 bit OS can only address a maximum of 4gb memory which includes any video memory and memory on any cards you may have.

3DMark06 14265 (@4.275ghz)
Raid ~190mbs peaks and averages ~155mbs

Jim Phillips
anartik.com