Fans & Controls

Scythe 120mm fans have become the de facto choice for SPCR users in the know in recent months, particularly the Slip Stream series. The brand offers more 120mm fan lines than any other in the computer DIY market. We tackle the Slip Streams, Kama PWMs, and the Ultra Kazes in a massive Scythe-attack.

A fan controller with a power meter built in? Zalman's ZM-MFC2 brings something new to the endless list of things you can display on your front panel: Power consumption. Oh, and it also controls up to four fans.

In our second roundup of 120mm fans, we've tested several frequently requested models, including fans from Yate Loon, Global Win, SilenX and others often highly recommended by SPCR forum regulars. Despite the careful selection, we can only recommended one fan unconditionally. Which one? Read the article to find out.

In spite of our best efforts, some SPCR readers found fault with a few of the airflow measurements in our recent fan roundups. We revisited the airflow metrology. After much experimentation and some test methods that were rejected, we settled on a new way of assessing fan airflow under some load (impedance) that seems more consistent and reliable.

Our latest fan round-up covers seven 92mm models. Familiar names include Nexus, AcoustiFan, Coolink, and Noiseblocker, but there's some unfamiliar ones too: Pure Silence and Fander both submitted samples. It's noise quality that matters the most. Can any of the contenders knock the Nexus 92 out of the top spot?

Our second fan round-up is here. This time, we look at 120mm fans from Nexus, Noctua, Scythe, EBM/Papst, Antec and ARX. Competition was tough, and it wasn't easy to decide which fans we liked most. In the end, it was almost a 3-way tie.

Here it is at last! You've read about it for years, we've tantalized you with a methodology article without publishing results, but we've finally come through: It's the first episode of SPCR's Calling All Good Fans series of fan round-ups, with detailed noise information about twelve different fans. This round-up has a little bit of everything. The obvious ones: Nexus and Panaflo models that regulars have known and loved for years. Some less known but occasionally recommended fans from Papst and Mechatronics. We've even tossed in a Delta screamer so everyone knows what to avoid. And, last but not least, a surprise gives the Nexus a run for its money...

The computer accessories market is awash with tools and gadgets. Marketeers clearly understand the financial value of the geek's perpetual urge to fiddle. Many of these combogadgets seem utterly trivial, but few are useful even to silencers. We examine two of the more useful devices among the countless examples: The Cooler Master Cooldrive 6 and the Matrox Orbital MX411.

Every once in a while, you come across a gadget that serves a useful function, is not unattractive, and is priced low enough that you feel it justifies perfectly all the excesses of modern mass consumer society. Well, perhaps that's going a bit too far: This is a simple functional 3-channel fan controller with two USB 2.0 ports at a very nice price.

Our second multiple fan controller review is on the Zalman ZM-MFC1, a fairly sophisticated, capable device. How does it compare to the buget-priced Sunbeam Rheobus?

Simple fan speed controllers are basic building blocks for PC silencers. Zalman has been the greatest innovator in this unglamorous product category. An examination of three simple, inexpensive and very useful fan controllers from Zalman.

Part one of a roundup of multiple fan controllers is on the Sunbeam Rheobus, a very inexpensive yet capable device. Look for part 2 on the Zalman multi-fan controller in the next few days.