Scythe Kama Stay - VGA fan thing

They make noise, too.

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Pgh
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Scythe Kama Stay - VGA fan thing

Post by Pgh » Thu Sep 24, 2009 6:44 pm

This looks interesting:

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/ ... s_id=26200

Looks like it would be a good way to assist a passively cooled video card.

Also, since it can hold fans parallel to the motherboard it probably could cool most north/south bridge chips.

I've got one on order.

thejamppa
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Post by thejamppa » Fri Sep 25, 2009 1:33 am

Tell us how it performs and remember to post pictures ^^

Pgh
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Post by Pgh » Sun Sep 27, 2009 7:13 pm

I now have the Kama Stay and it looks like a very cleverly designed little gadget. It's one of those "why didn't someone think of this sooner" things.

I haven't yet tried it mounted inside the case. I'm waiting for some other parts before I crack open my case to make upgrades.

I hooked it up to a fan controller and ran it in the open air. As the pictures show at Performance-PCs site, you can mount fans in multiple sizes and orientations on it. I have a passively cooled video card so I'll probably mount it underneath the card blowing upward.

The fan that comes with it is 12cm x 12mm. At full speed it's probably too noisy for the silent PC crowd but it seems to move a surprising amount of air. The fan can be turned down so that it's inaudible from a couple of feet away.

The fan will run at extremely low RPMs. I had it hooked up in series through the built-in fan controller and an external controller. With both turned completely down the fan still turned. I don't know for sure but I suspect it was probably below 200 RPM. At this speed the fan was essentially silent - even from a few inches away.

If your passively cooled video card is running hot, I think this would be a good way cool it down without adding any audible noise. My current card isn't running very hot, but I'll report the temperature difference when I get it installed.

JamieG
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Post by JamieG » Sun Sep 27, 2009 7:23 pm

Looks like a Slipstream Slim fan of some sort.

Interesting product though. The idea of using it for SSD mounting intrigues me, although I'm at a loss to think of a situation where it would be practical to do so right now.

reddyuday
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Post by reddyuday » Sun Sep 27, 2009 10:46 pm

It might also be possible to use this for mounting internal DC-DC power supply boards, like, e.g. the Electrodacus's board. I have tried thinking of using the "wherever" PCI rack for such a purpose but that looks a bit too complicated.

neumein
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Post by neumein » Mon Nov 23, 2009 2:39 pm

Sorry to kick-start a dead horse, but did you ever get around to taking some snaps of the Kama Stay?

I'm thinking of grabbing one, but wouldn't mind seeing some decent pictures of it mounted, just to double check clearances, etc.

Cheers,
Nathan

Pgh
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Post by Pgh » Mon Nov 23, 2009 11:37 pm

Sorry, I haven't mounted it yet. Since the video card stays around 57 degrees without any fan, mounting this thing has been a low priority.

I hope to get it installed sometime over the holidays. I'll report back if I do.

Pgh
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Post by Pgh » Sat Feb 06, 2010 1:41 pm

I finally installed the Kama Stay - here's a summary.

I ended up mounting the fan vertically, i.e. perpendicular to outside edge of the video card. This way it blows air across the top and bottom of the card, through the fins of the passive heatsink and down onto the motherboard. This is in a P182 case. The fan is 12mm thick so there's just barely enough clearance between the back of the fan and the case's side panel and the front of the fan and the VGA heatsink

I don't have any way of measuring the fan voltage, but it seems to start at very low voltage. It doesn't move much air at minimum voltage but it's essentially silent. Conversely, at maximum voltage it seems to move a surprising amount of air but it's probably too noisy for the people here.

I don't have any careful before and after measurements but it has unquestionably dropped the GPU temperature by several degrees. It used to hover in the upper 50's and low 60's and now it seems to go no higher than the low 50's. I'd make a wild guess that the voltage I'm using is somewhere in the 5-7 volt range. I can't hear the fan at all with the case's side panel on.

Overall I'd say the Kama Stay is a worthwhile product. I may add a second 12cm x 12mm fan to it so that the the entire length of the video card is cooled - and whatever is in the air path on the motherboard.

(BTW - The fan that comes with it is model number: SY1212SL12HV)

rogerano
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Post by rogerano » Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:01 pm

I've a couple of these on order. I'm going to mount two 1200rpm (@5v) 120mm slipstreams blowing onto a GTX 275 (stock heat sink, but the fan and shroud will be removed).

I will post results and pictures.

MacGuyver testing has shown that in stock configuration my GTX 275 runs at 98 degrees c at 80-90% load. With the shroud and fan removed, and two crappy 120mm lian li fans blowing onto the stock heatsink, I was able to run a stable 83 degress c at 80-90% load.

Hopefully the slipstreams in this mount will either bring the temp down further or provide the same temp but without the stock / lian li noise.

rogerano
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Post by rogerano » Wed Jul 21, 2010 10:54 pm

No pictures yet, but the kama stays have arrived and one is installed. As per product pictures available at the scythe site, the stay frame is made from a sturdy metal and is quite rigid etc. Seems to be good quality stuff.

As previous post, I mounted slipstreams blowing onto gfx card. I mounted the fans on the gfx card side of the frame which meant putting the stay one pci slot over from the gfx card. Still the fans are practically right next to the gfx card heatsink.

Results as per previous post but I cannot hear the slipstreams. I have them connected to a fan controller and at 5-7v they provide the gfx card with better than stock cooling and do so silently or as near as is possible without going passive.

I think the next step will be to replace the stock gfx card heatsink with a heatpipe heatsink. Can never have too much cooling... ;)

batka
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Re: Scythe Kama Stay - VGA fan thing

Post by batka » Thu Mar 10, 2011 6:06 am

Hi All,

This gadget seems very useful indeed!

Is this Kama Stay thing can accept other size fans (like 92 mm or 80 mm fans) also?

And is it possible to replace the included Scythe slipstream fan on it? I mean, the wire connection between the controller button and the fan, is detachable? So the controller button can be used if I replace the fan on it?

Thanks a lot!

Fire-Flare
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Re: Scythe Kama Stay - VGA fan thing

Post by Fire-Flare » Thu Mar 10, 2011 10:54 am

batka wrote:Hi All,

This gadget seems very useful indeed!

Is this Kama Stay thing can accept other size fans (like 92 mm or 80 mm fans) also?

And is it possible to replace the included Scythe slipstream fan on it? I mean, the wire connection between the controller button and the fan, is detachable? So the controller button can be used if I replace the fan on it?

Thanks a lot!
Product page: http://www.scythe-eu.com/en/products/pc ... -stay.html

Fans from 80mm to 120mm will fit because the parallel bars are adjustable.

batka
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Re: Scythe Kama Stay - VGA fan thing

Post by batka » Thu Mar 10, 2011 12:17 pm

Fire-Flare wrote: Product page: http://www.scythe-eu.com/en/products/pc ... -stay.html

Fans from 80mm to 120mm will fit because the parallel bars are adjustable.
Hi!

Thanks!
Indeed it's written on the page that it's compatible with 80-140mm fans.

The controller button however seems not compatible with other fans, because there is a separate wire going from the button to the slipstream fan and it seems not detachable.

Regards

Fire-Flare
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Re: Scythe Kama Stay - VGA fan thing

Post by Fire-Flare » Thu Mar 10, 2011 12:32 pm

batka wrote:
Fire-Flare wrote: Product page: http://www.scythe-eu.com/en/products/pc ... -stay.html

Fans from 80mm to 120mm will fit because the parallel bars are adjustable.
Hi!

Thanks!
Indeed it's written on the page that it's compatible with 80-140mm fans.

The controller button however seems not compatible with other fans, because there is a separate wire going from the button to the slipstream fan and it seems not detachable.

Regards
Scythe might be talking about their own 140mm fans that use 120mm mounting holes.

As for the controller, it does appear to be hard-wired to the fan, but it's not required. An aftermarket controller like the Zalman Fanmate 2 can be used instead.

The 'Stay' part appears to grip a PCI socket rather than depend on the included controller's bracket for stability.

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