GELID Wing 12 120mm Gamer Fan
Dec 5th, 2008 | By Nivedh
GELID Wing 12 120mm Gamer Fan
Date
: 12/5/08 – 04:24:50 AM
Author
:
Category
: Cooling
Page 1 : Index
Manufacturer
: GELID Solutions
Last time we heard from GELID Solutions was when I reviewed the GELID Silent TC and PWM fans. The newfound company, specializing in cooling products, has been hard at work trying to make a name for itself with its unique and high performance products.
In this review, we will take a look at the
GELID Wing 12 ‘Gamer Fan’
, a premium quality 120mm fan.
Page 2 : Package
The GELID Wing 12 comes in a colorful, yet dark, package. There's a small window that allows the potential buyer a glimpse at the UV-reactive green blades of the fan. It also comes in a UV-reactive blue color. Two other windows show the rubber fan mounts, a great alternative to screws, and the fan speed controller which looks very similar to Zalman's FanMate 2.
The sides of the package showcase some major features of the fan.
The back has even more features and specifications along with a description of the ‘Nanoflux bearing’ which is basically a magnetic bearing.
Let's take a closer look at the features and specifications before moving on.
Page 3 : Features & Specifications
I went over to the Wing 12's page on GELID's website to get the features and specifications.
Description:
120mm Gamer Fan
The WING case fans are premium quality, UV reactive, ultra- quiet, dust and water proof cooling fans for gaming enthusiasts. This series features a unique bearing with patented design, winglet fans blades and low starting voltage. Only the highest quality materials have been used to manufacture this state-of-the-art cooling fan. Control the fan RPM speed according to your desire using the supplied voltage regulator. To add to the silence fan mounts replace traditional screws and are made of high quality, ultra-soft silicone which stop vibrations from the fan motor from travelling into your PC case.
Nanoflux Bearing (NFB)
Patented Nanoflux bearing incorporates a clever magnetic design, very high precision manufacturing and runs friction-free and operates noiseless. Electromagnetic fields are exploited to keep solid parts from touching. The load is carried by a magnetic field.
a) Key Features of Nanoflux Bearing (NFB)
The Nano-technology composite ensures lowest abrasion and extreme durability (MTTF 100,000 hours). Compared to other Magnetic bearings this technology allows the impeller to be detached and thus the fan blades can be cleaned easily.
b) Nanoflux Bearing (NFB) compared to sleeve and ball bearings
Even though conventional sleeve and ball bearings currently dominate the fan market however both have their disadvantages. While sleeve bearings have very low noise emissions and are very cost effective, they tend to leak oil; once the oil has dissipated the fan can no longer operate. Ball bearings, on the other hand, while providing longer operating life are costlier, noisier and are prone to damage.
GELID's Nanoflux bearing uses magnetic flux to limit contact and friction between the bearing and the shaft. High precision self-lubricated material eliminates oil leakage. The result is a ultra quiet long life bearing.
Fan Speed Control
The RPM speed of any fan can be controlled from full speed to low speed manually according to desire using this voltage regulator. This product is suitable for all high RPM fans and regulates between 5 and 12V.
Rubber Fan Mounts
Vibration from fan motors can travel into a PC case and become amplified when a fan is fitted tightly. This 'vibrational' noise is annoying if you wish to build a very quiet or virtually silent PC.
These rubber mounts have been designed specifically to deal with fan-induced vibrations and are an ideal alternative to standard fan screws, leaving vibrations 100% decoupled from your PC case.
- Ultra-soft silicone polymer will not break or tear during installation
- Universal-Design fits most open chassis fan sizes (80mm,92mm,120mm) and PC cases
- Quick & Easy Tool Less Installation
Everything seems to be typical here. I'm assuming the values listed in the specifications sheet are for running the fan at full blast, without the fan controller. The airflow of 64.3 CFM at only 25 dBA is very respectable. Furthermore, GELID has gone with a unique ‘nanoflux bearing’ – I'm not sure what that means but one of the benefits of this include the fact that you can separate the impeller from the motor which facilitates easy cleaning of the fan. I'm very curious to see how this fan performs so we will get to that as soon as possible, right after we take a look at the actual fan and installation.
Page 4 : Package Contents & Installation
Opening the box, we find all the contents in a tray.
The accessories include the four rubber mounting posts, a GELID sticker, the fan controller and tape for affixing the fan controller.
The fan itself has nine UV-reactive blades and is encased in a black frame. A ‘GELID Wing 12′ sticker adorns the middle. The wire is sleeved but unfortunately, there is no 4-pin Molex, only a 3-pin fan connector.
Flipping it over, we see the other side. No stickers here but the central housing is see-through, allowing us a peek at the ‘Nanoflux bearing’.
Installing the fan using the rubber mounting posts is easier than using screws. You simply insert one side of the post into each hole, making sure there is a rubber lip facing outward. This lip will go between the fan and the metal of your case.
At this point, you align the fan with the holes in your case and pull the other side of the posts through to snap the fan into place.
Don't forget to plug in the 3-pin power connector to your motherboard!
Page 5 : Testing & Performance
Once installed, everything is ready to go. To test the ‘UV-reactiveness’ of the fan, I shone an UV LED on it. Cool effect but I'm more interested in the performance.
:
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 1.86GHz w/ Noctua NH-U12P
Motherboard: Biostar TF7150U-M7
Memory: Corsair Value DDR2-667 (PC2-5300) 2GB dual channel kit (2x1GB)
Video Card: PNY GeForce 8600GT PCI-E x16
Hard Drive: Hitachi Deskstar T7K250 160GB SATA II 8MB cache
Optical: Samsung DVD±RW
OS: Windows Vista Ultimate
Case: Antec P182
Control Fans: 2x Antec TriCool (1 inlet, 1 exhaust) set to medium
Fans: Generic 120mm,
GELID Wing 12
The average ambient temperature was 25ºC throughout all the tests.
The generic 120mm fan takes the lead, by only 1ºC, in the load temperature measurement but then again it has a high airflow rate of 93 CFM. The generic fan is extremely loud. The GELID Wing 12 is not too far behind in performance but the difference in noise is noticeable and amazing. At low speed, the fan is inaudible when mounted inside the case. With the speed set to high, it is slightly audible but still not loud enough to be annoying. Furthermore, turning down the fan speed did not affect the temperatures much – only a degree or two at the most. I was definitely impressed.
Page 6 : Conclusion
Clearly we have a winner here. The GELID Wing 12 is a fan that performs as solidly as its unique design and construction. The included fan controller is a plus. Even at low fan speeds, the Wing 12 performed well and silently. Rubber mounting posts are included, which greatly simplify installation and make a difference when it comes to isolating noise from the fan.
My only gripe with the GELID Wing 12 would be the fact that you can't power it by means of a 4-pin Molex connector.
Apart from this minor shortcoming, the Wing 12 is perfect in every aspect. Heck, it's even waterproof!
Advantages:
- Good performance, quiet operation
- Unique design with removable impeller, solid construction
- Includes fan controller
Disadvantages:
- No 4-pin Molex connector
Overclockers Online would like to thank GELID Solutions for making this review possible.