Anartik.com’s Blog

The economy is in the toilet and the price of fuel has plummeted so what does the Postal service do? They raise rates again by about 3% on priority mail. Expect to see new rates appearing over the next few days. The lowest rate moves from $4.8 to $4.95 and climbs based on weight and zone. Flat rate boxes have jumped to $10.35 and $13.95 and they have added a new small flat rate at $4.95. Ever since Fedex took over handling of priority mail some years back from the previous contractor (Emory I believe) service has done nothing but decline while prices have continually climbed. $4.95 (1 pound any zone or 2 pounds same zone) is still pretty good for 2-3 day but rates can climb rapidly by weight and zone. If your not in a hurry and your package is more than a couple pounds UPS ground becomes the best deal. At checkout time you can compare all the rates and select what works for you. Fedex was also behind the zoning and higher rates for express mail which became to complicated, restrictive and forced me to remove it as an option some time back. The post office is well known for bungling just about any endeavor and they really did it when they allowed a direct competitor to handle priority/express mail DC to DC logistics (obvious conflict of interest).

As always we will continue to do what we can to save you on shipping. If you paid more for Priority than the cost of a flat rate box (and the order will fit) we will use flat rate and refund you the difference.

PWM is an acronym for pulse width modulation.

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

Time has finally run out for Circuit City and I believe the liquidation sale starts this weekend. Not that I was ever a fan but less competition is always a bad thing and I feel for the 30k+ employees without a job (been there, done that). Bad management has certainly cost a lot of people in the past few years. A couple months ago my G5 mouse died and I was forced to use my crap G7 wireless. I wanted a G9 and Egg was $90 + shipping so I went out shopping in Orlando and Best buy at $99 had no stock anywhere. The new CompUSA (TigerDirect) also had no stock at around $90. Last stop was Circuit City and they had plenty of G9’s in stock at $110! No wonder they had plenty of stock. I said no way, went home and starting digging and voila Logitech G9 $69 with free shipping and no tax! Moral of the story is you make no effort to compete (especially in this economy) and your history.

BTW the site has since raised the G9 to 79.95 but shipping is still free.

We have a special on the website where you receive free Arctic Silver 5 with the purchase of select coolers which includes the Thermaltake Blue ORB, Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, Scythe Orochi and Scythe Zipang. If you go to each of the items it specifically states in red “Limited offer: Free Arctic Silver 5 with purchase (select above)” and the default “thermal paste” option is “1005 Arctic Silver 5, 3.5g (+0)”. On all other coolers the option default is “none” or “1005 Arctic Silver 5, 3.5g (+4.99)”. Free Arctic silver is not included with the new Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme RT model. Sorry for any confusion but when you add an item to your cart it states exactly what you have ordered and all options you have selected.

Jim Phillips
anartik.com

Since I moved on from my Intel P3 years ago I jumped on the AMD band wagon. I went through multiple AMD processors up to my last system with an Athlon X2 4400 (socket 939). Since that time AMD ceased to be a viable alternative for anyone wanting a true performance system. Some AMD loyalists might argue that point but Intel’s devasting performance lead is undeniable. As much as I had come to dislike Intel there was a clear choice for a better chipset and CPU. As such for my last build I went with a E8500(would have bought E8600 but was not out yet) and a X48 motherboard. I have my likes and dislikes but AMD and Intel are not sports teams and I’m no ones “fanboy”. He who sells the best price/performance product gets the sale. For gaming where multi threading, beyond maybe two cores, has not taken hold yet a faster dual core is still the best option. Sure there are some extreme options but the prices are not worth it IMO. I’ve had my eye on the Q9650 3ghz for a while but the price has not moved much and as of today around $550(which I’m not paying). That processor should do 4ghz+ on my system. Anyway more on topic…

I’m very happy to see AMD has made the launch of the 45nm 2.8 ghz 920 and 3ghz 940 Phenom II. They are still clock for clock slower than Intel (3ghz 940 ~= 2.66ghz Q9400) but it is a step in the right direction and something of a return to competition. While there is nothing there to make me run out and buy one it provides a great upgrade option to current AM2+ users and is (finally) supposed to be a great overclocker. It also provides an economical and viable alternative to Intel for those wishing to build a quad core system(at least if Intel does not retaliate and drop prices).

I think most of all I thank AMD for finally doing something to put some competitive price pressure on Intel. I may yet buy that Q9650 and/or eventually jump to I7.

Jim Phillips
anartik.com

The sale on the new items is over but the U120E RT is still on for a while. Look around anartik though because you’ll find sale items everyday. Unlike a lot of stores we don’t list MSRP and then pretend to offer special sale prices off that amount. When you see a sale price it is off our everyday competitive markup price (almost always well below MSRP). While the sale is over most of the new items have gotten further price cuts to everyday prices. We strive to give you some of the best deals on the net and shipping based on UPS/USPS published rates based on your package weight. We don’t charge handling, markup shipping or charge rediculous per item fees. 99% of the time your package will ship the same business day for orders placed before 5pm Eastern time. If you place an order after 5pm on Friday and before noon (sometimes a little later) on Saturday for Priority Mail we will ship it on Saturday and you should have it on Monday or Tuesday.

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

The Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme RT is in stock.
Thermalright is now marketing separate models for each of LGA1366/LGA775/AM2. For now we will only be stocking the 1366 RT model and allow the selection of the mounting kit you want with your cooler. When ordering you may select the mounting kit you want included and you may also select a second discounted mounting kit. When purchased with the cooler the AMD and LGA775 mounting kits receive a discount vs. the more expensive 1366 kit. There is also the option to purchase a second fan/holder and Arctic Silver 5 at a discount.
The heatsink itself is identical to the original Ultra 120 Extreme. If you already have one you can buy just the 1366 mounting kit and/or the fan bracket (CPU Accessory section).

We now have the new Scythe Mugen 2 in stock. Scythes Mugen 2 now features universal bolt thru mounting, for LGA1366, LGA775 and AMD. Scythe has traditionally used the push pin system and the bolt thru provides much more secure mounting although at the expense of motherboard removal for a retro fit. We also now have similar kits from Scythe for LGA775 and K8/AM2. Performance is claimed at 10% over the previous venerable Infinity/Mugen. The Mugen 2 comes standard with a 4 pin PWM fan ready for LGA1366 motherboards (or any 3 pin connector w/ loss of PWM speed control).

The Mugen 2 incorporates a base heatsink plus 5 heatsinks(one for each dual heatpipe called MAPS) and can accommodate up to 4×120mm Fans.

Optional fan clips are available for adding 3 additional fans (I don’t recommend more than 2 fans). There is also a new type B clip for Scythe coolers that will accomodate a 38mm thick fan. We are only carrying a few at the moment because Scythe raised the price to resellers ~400% (read as outrageous). As a courtesy these clips will be available at a very low price (expect to find them elsewhere for as much as $8). They also raised the price the same on the old type A clip which we have plenty of. We will sell those at the current price until they are gone.

Scythe shipment in. New Scythe Mugen 2 (1366 compatible) is in stock along with new type B fan clips (38mm thick fans). We have new stock for Kama Flex 80, Ultra Kaze 120, 92mm PWM, mini Kaze, thermal sensors and Ninja 2. I should have the new type B fan clips and 92mm PWM online later tonight or tomorrow. Everything else is updated and available.