Viewing page 6 of 8 pages.
Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next
SUNON KS1208PTS3
Ambient noise at the time of testing was 18 dBA.
| Brand |
Sunon |
Power Rating |
1.4W |
| Manufacturer |
Sunon |
Airflow Rating |
31 CFM |
| Model Number |
KS1208PTS3 |
RPM Rating |
2,300 RPM |
| Retail Availability |
Yes |
Noise Rating |
26 dBA |
| Bearing Type |
Sleeve |
Header Type |
bare wires |
| Hub Size |
1.48" |
Starting Voltage |
3.0V |
| Frame Size |
80 x 80 x 25 mm |
Number of Samples |
2 |
|
Voltage
|
Noise
|
RPM
|
CFM
|
Power
|
|
12V
|
32 dBA@1m
|
2400 RPM
|
36 CFM
|
1.35W
|
|
9V
|
30 dBA@1m
|
1920 RPM
|
28 CFM
|
1.08W
|
|
7V
|
23 dBA@1m
|
1550 RPM
|
23 CFM
|
0.90W
|
|
5V
|
21 dBA@1m
|
1130 RPM
|
16 CFM
|
0.70W
|
|
@10 CFM (3.2V)
|
~19 dBA@1m
|
710 RPM
|
10 CFM
|
0.45W
|
Like Delta, Sunon is a big name. Walk into an electronics store that buys a
single brand of fans in bulk, and chances are decent that that brand will be
Sunon. And, like Delta, Sunon does not seem to put much effort into making their
product line quiet. To wit: This fan is the slowest and quietest in its series,
and it's rated for 2,300 RPM and 26 dBA. Our favorite fans are rated for 1,500
RPM and below, and, because they are marketed as quiet, often carry unrealistically
low noise ratings.
We're a little unsure of the results for this fan because the two samples that
we had were quite obviously different, despite bearing the same model number.
The difference was in the frame: Both frames were unusually sturdy, but one
had closed flanges and seemed even more sturdily built. A quick listen showed
that the noise didn't vary significantly, but we have to wonder how many other
variations of this model number there are...
Subjectively, the Sunon didn't sound too bad. It was a touch buzzier than we'd
usually like, but it didn't have the clicking or rattling that we heard in some
other fans. Unfortunately, undervolting was not very effective; dropping the
voltage to 5V reduced the noise to a level that would just barely be acceptable
in the quietest systems. That's not to say it didn't end up being quiet when
we dropped the speed enough to produce 10 CFM, but the 3.2V required to achieve
this is difficult produce for most users. It's lucky that the fan even started
consistently at this level — at 3.0V, this fan had the lowest starting
voltage of any fans we tested.
The Sunon also had issues with vibration — it had a lot. The fan harness
shook visibly during the test, especially at higher speeds. Soft-mounting could
definitely benefit this fan, as placing the bare fan on our test bench produced
a hum that was not audible when it was tucked into the foam harness that we
use for most of our testing.
All in all, Sunon's biggest advantage is its wide availability. In situations
where nothing else is available, this fan at 5V may do in a pinch, but it's
far from the best of the bunch.
Noise Recordings
ARCTIC COOLING ARCTIC FAN 3
Ambient noise at the time of testing was 18 dBA.
Arctic Cooling has been playing with frameless designs for a long time.
| Brand |
Arctic
Cooling |
Power Rating |
0.12A |
| Manufacturer |
Arctic Cooling |
Airflow Rating |
28 CFM |
| Model Number |
Arctic Fan 3 |
RPM Rating |
1,900 RPM |
| Retail Availability |
Discontinued |
Noise Rating |
0.8 Sone |
| Bearing Type |
Fluid Dynamic Bearings |
Header Type |
3-pin |
| Hub Size |
1.39" |
Starting Voltage |
3.4V |
| Frame Size |
80 x 80 x 45 mm |
Number of Samples |
2 |
|
Voltage
|
Noise
|
RPM
|
CFM
|
Power
|
|
12V
|
21 dBA@1m
|
1800 RPM
|
12 CFM
|
1.18W
|
|
9V
|
19 dBA@1m
|
1460 RPM
|
10 CFM
|
0.87W
|
|
7V
|
<18 dBA@1m
|
1170 RPM
|
6 CFM
|
0.66W
|
|
5V
|
<18 dBA@1m
|
810 RPM
|
3 CFM
|
0.47W
|
|
@10 CFM (9.0V)
|
<18 dBA@1m
|
1460 RPM
|
10 CFM
|
0.87W
|
Arctic Cooling has been making quiet, inexpensive products for a long time,
and they've become quite good at it. They've been experimenting with "frameless"
fans for some time with the goal of reducing turbulence noise. Unfortunately,
as the results above show, the approach also seems to affect airflow significantly.
That said, it's not clear how accurate our airflow measurements are for this
fan; measurement required fitting the fan into our test harness, which imposed
a foam "frame" around the fan that does not reflect standard usage.
The Arctic Fan 3 is a slightly smaller stand-alone version of the fan found
on Arctic Cooling's last round of low-end heatsinks, the
Super Silent 4 series. The fan can also be found in Arctic
Cooling's Silentium T2 case. It has since been superseded by the Arctic
Fan 8 series, but the design has not changed that much, and there are still
many Arctic Fan 3's to be found on the retail market.
There's no question that the Arctic Fan 3 is a quiet fan. It measured 21 dBA@1m
at full speed — the equal of Scythe's FDB fan and nearly as good as our
favorite Nexus. The trouble is airflow: There's not enough of it to make voltages
below 9V worthwhile, and, unfortunately, the fan is still audible at this level.
The poor airflow results seriously hurt the fan, as it needs to spin faster
and more noisily to push the same amount of air. In addition, the fan is not
well suited to situations that require higher airflow, since the maximum airflow
we ever measured was just 12 CFM.
The noise character was very, very smooth, with most of the noise scattered
across the higher frequencies. There was very little low frequency noise at
all. At full speed, the fan had just a touch of whine, but it was higher pitched,
and thus more clearly audible than most fans at this noise level. In addition,
the fan seemed to squeal a bit at certain speeds — an odd noise that is
unlike any other fan we've heard. The squealing was most evident just before
the fan started, at around 3.3V. The easiest method of dealing with the squeal
is probably to ensure that there is no direct noise path between the fan and
your ears; higher frequencies are easily deflected or absorbed within the case,
and as long as there is something between you and the fan, the squealing should
not be a problem.
Noise Recordings
JUMP TO:
| Help support this site, buy from one of our affiliate retailers! |
|
