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SilverStone Fan Compendium


Date
: 08/21/07 – 03:23:01 PM

Author
:

Category
: Cooling

Page 1 : Index

Manufacturer: SilverStone Technology Inc.

Price: MSRP $5 – $18 USD

If you have been reading Overclockers Online for any length of time youre no doubt aware that weve generally been quite taken with SilverStone products. Coolers, power supplies, and obviously cases have all been reviewed on these esteemed pages, but today Ill be looking at a quartet of case fans.

The four fans include the FM83 and FN83, as well as the FM122 and FM123. The first two fans listed are virtually identical, the primary difference being that the FM83 fan comes with an adjustable speed control module while the FN83 does not. Also reviewed are the FM123 and FM122 models. The FM123 is a standard depth and comes with a rear mounted adjustable speed control module, while the FM122 is 32mm deep and comes with a front mounted, aluminum, adjustable speed control module.

Due to the large variety of cases a case fan can be mounted, coming up with a meaningful standard for testing thermal performance without some kind of heat imaging camera comparison seems somewhat suspect to me. However, for the sake of comparison Ill use each fan in turn as a replacement for the dedicated mid-chassis fan I use in my current test rig and note any significant differences in the GPU temps I record with ATI tool. Additionally, I will comment on my subjective impressions of the sound signature for each fan.

Page 2 : Setup

For this test I simply replaced various fans in my cool nquiet rig with the fans being reviewed and noted the differences in temperatures, noise and any other performance items of note.

The current setup looks like this:

Okay, for clarity, I replaced the top fan in the P180 which blows down over the Thermalright fins, as well as directly behind the video card in a funky, mid-case arrangement. Despite repeated efforts, I could not get there to be any significant, frankly, even consistently measurable, differences between the temperatures of ANY of the fans I used. There would be large differences if I simply went without a fan completely, but it seems in the P180 anyway, that any airflow is enough to vent the heat from the components more-or-less consistently. While this is a good thing for performance, it makes me reluctant to pass any summary judgment of the cooling performance of each distinct fan. However, in each section I do make mention of performance as I can, and I certainly note the noise levels and general operation of each unit. On with the review!

Page 3 : FM122

The FM122 is the oldest model of the four reviewed; the box is dated November 2005.

The first thing youll notice about this fan is the heft, at 230 grams, its heavy! Im all for well made, well engineered products, so Im all for a heavy fan. The fan is a Chinese manufactured, 2 ball bearing, Everflow model that is capable of delivering 116cfm at full speed.

The kit includes the fan, a fan grille, the control module, and a package of fan screws.

In use, the fan spins from about 800rpm to a little over 2500rpm; this is just above the listed max rated spin of 2400rpm. Using this fan at anything above the very lowest speed results in a very noticeable, high-pitched whine that increases with intensity as the fan speed increases, unfortunately, this noise signature excludes it from just about any use where is could be heard. Also, the control knob really only adjusts fan speed between its starting position and about the straight upright position, moving the knob further to the right makes no additional adjustment to the speed. Matching the speed of a 120mm Vantec fan I use mid-case, the SilverStone performs virtually identically, albeit more loudly. All-in-all, unless you require a 32mm deep unit, I think Id look to a newer model before considering this noisy fan.

Page 4 : FM123

Dated February 2007, the FM123 is a pretty standard 120mm case fan.

While not quite as heavy as the FM122, the FM123 still feels solid and appears to be quite well made. This fan is a Chinese manufactured, 2 ball bearing, GaleMotor model that delivers 106cfm at maximum speed.

This kit includes the fan, the rear bracket, power cable adapter, and a bag of screws and washers.

In use, the fan spins from 900 to 2600rpm. Unlike the older Everflow model, this unit is very quiet until all but the maximum speeds, in addition this model has much less whine than the FM122. I like the control knob on this unit better as well. Firstly, when the knob is fully to the left, the fan is turned off, after a positive click, the fan responds throughout the full range of motion, with maximum speed being reached at the furthest right position. Again using the fan mid-case, the performance was on par when the speed was matched to my reference fan, however, having the flexibility to adjust the speed on the fly was a welcome addition given the marginal sound sacrifice required. If you cant already tell, I like this unit plenty.

Page 5 : FN83

Dated February 2007, the FN83 is a somewhat unusual 80mm case fan.

The most obvious unique aspect is that it houses a 92mm fan while maintaining 80mm mounting points. It does so by placing the mounting points directly in contact with the circular housing rather than expanding the frame to the traditional square configuration. The other unique feature are the ribs that line the inside edge of the fan housing. While the only mention made of the performance characteristics of the ribs on the SilverStone website refers to Rifling wind tunnel for better and more accurate wind direction, Id guess the secondary value of the design is to increase air pressure somewhat while perhaps reducing noise by minimizing turbulence at the frame. Checking the GaleMotor website became impossible during the process of reviewing as the site vanished during this time replaced by the website GlacialTech that does not list the original GaleMotor fans amongst its products.

As mentioned above, the unit is a GaleMotor branded fan that is well made, runs at 1600rpm, and pushes 31.52cfm.

The kit includes the fan, a power cable adapter, and a bag of screws and washers.

In use this fan is quiet as a church mouse and directs the airflow accurately to wherever its pointing. Its a terrific, simple case fan.

Page 6 : FM83

Finally we have the FM83, it shares the bullet design of the FN82 with the speed control of the FM123. The review unit is also dates February 2007.

Again, this is a GaleMotor brand fan. It is a variable-speed unit that can be adjusted between 1300 and a little over 3600rpm. It can pump 64.5cfm at maximum output.

The kit includes the fan, the rear-bracket control unit, power cable adapter, and a bag of screws and washers.

This unit is very quiet until it reaches beyond the half-way point in speed adjustment. This takes you to roughly 2000rpm. At maximum speed the sound signature is quite subdued but still obviously audible (rated at 41.2dBA) above the regular din of computer noise. Being essentially the same controller as the FM123, I like the control knob. Firstly, when the knob is fully to the left, the fan is turned off, after a positive click, the fan responds throughout the full range of motion, with maximum speed being reached at the furthest right position. The performance was consistent with the other GaleMotor units, and as always having the flexibility to adjust the speed on the fly was a welcome feature. I like this unit as well.

Page 7 : Conclusion

While I cant comment on the 50000 hour lifetime spec, I can say that after running each fan 24/7 I am confident that these fans will perform admirably well into the future. While I was less thrilled by the noise signature generated by the older FM122, in certain environments I can see some benefits to using this heavy, powerful fan. It comes with a swanky aluminum front control unit as well. As for the other three, GaleMotor branded units, I am happy to heap high praise on all of them. All three units represent good value for the money, are quiet, and come with all the parts you need to get going. While having the fan control units rear-mounted with the two of the adjustable units may seem somewhat inconvenient, in practice, I found the positive tactile feedback provided by the adjustment knobs easy to control, even without the visual aid. And in my case, I found I mainly set the fan to the appropriate level and would only adjust the speed to counter the ambient air temperature shifts. All-in-all I can highly recommend the FM123, the FN83, and the FM83.

I would like to that SilverStone for making this review possible!

Stay tuned to my upcoming review of the flagship SilverStone TJ09 enclosure.