Greetings,

I just got three 120mm models and one 80mm model, and they are quiet indeed. At 12v at arm's length, they are barely audible (though it is daytime...), and at 5v they have to be just inches from my ear to really be heard.

Another point in their favor is their reasonable price (~$6), and if the "Nanometer Ceramic Bearing" lasts anywhere near 80,000 hours in a harsh environment, then they are likely to outlast most fans. According to the "white paper" (linked below) this is the life expectancy at 40C (page 6), and it is much higher than that at 25C.

1900RPM 80mm NCB
1300RPM 120mm NCB

Apparently, they do make a 92mm version (page is in Chinese):

http://www.pcbulb.com/index.php?main_pa ... c6d9e614e9
or: http://tinyurl.com/3cqk65

...but I cannot find it for sale anywhere. There are a bunch of different models listed in the "white paper" that I linked to below.

Here's their "white paper" on nanometer ceramic bearings (a 6.7MB PDF):

http://www.globalwin.com.tw/products/ncb/NCB%20Catalog-English.pdf

This bearing is something different -- it is formed like a sleeve bearing, but it is a very different material from other sleeve bearings.

According to this review at Mad Shrimps, the 120mm NCB is both quieter and a little more effective than the 1200RPM Noctua:

http://www.madshrimps.be/?action=getarticle&articID=516

...though they rate the Sharkoon Eagle 1000RPM even higher.

Here's a "review" that I posted a while back, that includes the Global WIN NCB fan. And others have mentioned their qualities before, as well. I should say that I could not detect any slowdown in the [80mm] fan I have, [and only a small slowdown in the 120mm fans] when they are blowing down.

And you just got these? Perhaps a minor production change from the ones I bought a little over a year ago?

Hello Felger,

Yes, I just got them. I got one 120mm a while ago, and I did notice the slowdown with that fan, as well; but these three 120mm and one 80mm do not exhibit it, at least as far as I can tell.

[Edit: the 120mm units DO slow down a little bit, now that I've checked again. It is not a large drop, and they even still start at 5v when positioned to blow downward. The character of the noise they make is the same, too.]

BTW, does anyone know who the manufacturer is? I have an 80mm fan that figures in the GlobalWIN NCB catalog, but it uses an ordinary sleeve bearing and has a UL number on the sticker, that points at Foxconn. Hence the dilemma: GW site doesn't mention any fans other than than NCB, Foxconn site doesn't mention any fans whatsoever. Who is the manufacturer and who is the reseller?

Hello,

The web page I linked to above says: "Wai Fong Co. Ltd.".

These are all over Hong Kong =D it's pretty much the only thing I can find here that is comparable to the Nexus/Yate Loon 120mm. I am using one right now for a computer at work.

I _might_ be able to come up with something if anyone wants to buy these in bulk...

- bernard

I just tested 1300 RPM NCB fan, labeled Liebermann Psi-Blade 120mm, which I think is basicly same fan than Global Win's NCB fan. Now I have to say I am impressed how quiet those fans became with undervolting. Considering they pay half from the amount of Noctua's they are very good value.

If some Finn's want to know where to get these fans: they can PM me as I don't want to start spamming these forums with addresses' of stores that ship only to few countries.

I bought a second hand 120mm NCB fan from a guy on Hexus.net forums for £6.

It's not as quiet as I expected so I'm a bit disappointed but a very big plus in it's favour is the only noise it makes is the whoosh from air. There is no bearing noise.

Hello,

Whooshing air is "good" kind of noise! If you undervolt the fan, it will move less air and make less noise, too.

You shouldn't have said that lowest setting on one of the fan controllers I use is 7v and I want 5v

Akasa sells a "2V wire", which is a short 3-pin extension cable with three series power diodes in the power lead. This actually drops the power about 2.12V while passing the tach signal thru, and will let you use your existing fan controller to reach 5V. I got mine at Overcool.com. However, it appears that product has been discontinued there.

edit: corrected source vendor

A GlobalWin? I didn't know they were available in the UK. Where did he source it from?

Thanks for the tip.

Was going to order some fans from Coolerguys but they now only ship international through their Amazon shop front and charge $30 for shipping

Is it this one - http://www.coolerguys.com/840556063353.html - 12v to 9v?




Will ask him.

I think I've found it

embedded long URL

12-10v cable - has three little bumps in the cable so I assume these are the diodes.

I sold amjedm the Globalwin fan. I think I found a distributor in the UK through the Globalwin website, here's the URL:

http://www.rainbowcomponents.co.uk

I sent them a quick email and a guy called Gary got back to me. He sold me two fans for £7.20 each plus p&p. That's all he had at the time.

My impression of the fan was that it was very, very smooth and the only sound it produced was that of the movement of air. I sold the fan, as I had it on a Thermaltake Big Typhoon, which I replaced with a Scythe Ninja Plus rev B when I swapped my IHS-less 3000+ for a 3700+.

I would definitely recommend the fan, as Noctua's are so expensive. I think the Scythe fan is comparable, although with slightly more bearing noise. I don't have any experience with Yate Loon fans.

Hello mate, I didn't know you were a member here.

So I got a bargain then

Thanks.

Hello,



[emphasis is mine]

Is this (apparently) rebranded version of the Global WIN NCB fan available in your area?

I did the obvious and searched "Liebermann Psi-Blade 120mm" on Google with foreign languages enabled. Got 31 hits, all in what looked like Scandinavian languages to me. I'm not sophisticated enough to know which one, or ones.

they don't appear to carry them anymore. D'oh.

It seems so. So scandinavian peoples should try see Liebermann's for NCB fans. At least in Finland Liebermann NCB's (120mm's and 80mm's ) are easily availeble thru one big marketer in webshop and two local shopping points they have.

And since they bit over 10€'s they are not spoiled with price.

Thanks amjedm and roadie, but yes, Rainbow appear not to sell them anymore.

Hello,

Here's the Liebermann version:

Here's the GlobalWIN version:

Pretty much the same fan, different sticker.

I Finally manage to change my Liebermann NCB fan again on my HSF, after Mobo change, Ninja became unfit, so I put Noctua's tower (after corner cutting). I had long time 800 RPM Noctua with ULNA adaptor. Now I put my Lieberman 120mm NCB fan @ 5v. And my CPU temperature did drop 2 to 3 degrees initially. @5v NVB fan does start slowly but reliably although, if its stop, it won't spin again.

@5v NCB fan is inaudiable over my Nexus exhaust fan @ 9,5 v. I am thoroughly impressed now, as NCB fan was 50% Cheaper than Noctua's.

You might want to run the NCB at 7V (using the "7V trick). It may still be inaudible re the exhaust fan, and you'd get even better cooling!

Oh, and it'd start reliably, too. Ahem!

Hello,

You know, there's this fellow who posted somewhere 'round here, about a special startup circuit that he had designed...

Aye. I have Akasa Fan Control Jr under order. 6v~12v range. I put Nexus and NCB both on it, so I can get nicely head room, when summer comes. I could replicate 5v Zalman resistor with 7v Zalman resistor. I should test it ^^

i contacted rainbowcomponents!

they still sell Global Win NCB fans!!!!!!

email their sales team to get some!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i am checking if they do Yate Loon fans too.

You can get it at svc . com /ncb9225-l.html for $4.99 (remove the space)
I can't find the review, but I'll buy it to replace the fan in my Zalman 9500 to see if it can move more air but quieter.

Seems like this fan is no longer available at that website. Has anyone found it for sale anywhere else? I'm underwhelmed at the 92mm fan selection - I can't find the Fander for sale anywhere and the other recommended ones are, I feel, too expensive.

TIA!