Individual Fan Features
This content was originally featured on Amdmb.com and has been converted to PC Perspective’s website. Some color changes and flaws may appear.
Individual Fan Analysis:
Vantec Tornado
This fan is considered as the “beast” of all 80 mm fans. Unlike most other 80 mm fans, it has a 38 mm thickness allowing it to produce a whipping 84.1cfm at 55.2 dB. The fan comes in a nice package which includes a grill and 4 case fan screws. The fan itself has a 3 pin connector for fan RPM monitoring as well as a 4 pin connector for power hookup. The fan grill is necessary to prevent accidents while playing with this beast. The thickness of this fan caused a bit of trouble when I tried to install it on AX7. For proper installation, I had to remove the fan grill.
When I first turned on the computer I was stunned by the fan noise. At 55.2 dB the fan was anything but quiet. Even with music at full blast, I could still hear the high pitched whining fan noise. With the door closed and music at full blast, it could be heard even outside of my room. In fact, the fan was so loud I had to run it outside for most of the 2 hour testing period. This fan would not be the choice if you use the computer for more than 10 minutes. It can really cause some serious ear damage.
Delta FFB0812SH
Just like the Vantec Tornado, this Delta fan is considered as a high performer. At 68.5 cfm, it can cool anything in its way. The fan doesn’t come in any fancy package. It is 38 mm thick and has a build-in plastic grill. The fan I received uses a 3 pin connector, which in my opinion is very unsafe. The fan has a power consumption of 6.96W and can cause stability problems if it is hooked to the motherboard CPU FAN connector directly. Luckily I have a 3 pin to 4 pin adaptor which allows me to hook up this fan to a 4 pin connector directly from the power supply.
Comparing the fan noise to the Tornado, the Delta fan is considerably quieter, but when it is compared to other fans such as Panaflo H1A, it is loud. The fan has a high pitch noise which is quite unpleasant to listen to. Like the Tornado, I was able to hear the fan outside of my room with the door closed.
Mechatronics F8025X12B1
Mechatronics F8025X12B1 has been recommended by many users in the Case & Cooling Forum. It outputs 53 cfm but has a relatively low noise level at 39 dB. The fan comes in bare wire format, which you have to wire to a connector yourself.
When I powered up the computer I was surprised at how quiet this fan was. With all the case fans running, I could barely hear it. After running the 2 hour test I decided to use it overnight. For my regular cooling setup, I use the Panaflo H1A on the AX7 and sometimes I find this setup a bit too loud during one of those quiet nights. Overall, the Mechatronics fan was not very loud. I was able to sleep through the night without much disturbance. However, when the H1A and the Mechatronics were compared side-by-side, there was somewhat a noticeable noise level difference between the 2 fans.
Sunon KD1208PTB1
For many years, Sunon has been producing high quality fans. In fact, Sunon actually produces the Tornado fans for Vantec. Sunon TB1 doesn’t come in any package. It uses a 4 pin connection and has an extra 4 pin connector to connect to another device. The fan itself is very quiet and it’s even quieter than the Mechatronics fan. It doesn’t produce any high pitched noise, but rather, a low hmmm sound. With all the case fans running and the case side panel closed, I could barely hear the TB1 fan. This is a good high output fan to get if you can’t get your hands on a fan like Mechatronics.
Sunon KD1208PTB2
Sunon TB2 could be considered as the “mini-me” version of TB1. Just like TB1, TB2 uses 2 ball-bearings and has all the high qualities Sunon fans have. At 39 cfm and 32 dB, Sunon TB2 has the same specification as Panaflo H1A. As you could see from the picture, the fan I received has a 3 pin connector. The fan itself is very quiet. When it is compared to the H1A, though both are rated at the same dB level, they have a different sound pitch. TB2 is a tiny bit louder than H1A. Comparing to Mechatronics and TB1, TB2 is quieter than the two and it’s an excellent choice if noise is an issue for you.
Panaflo H1A
This is the last performer fan I will review. Panaflo H1A comes in bare tail format; you can get a tail with either a 3 pin or 4 pin connector. Unlike traditional fans, Panaflo fans use Hydrowave bearing, which allow them to produce high cfm while keeping a low noise level. At 39 cfm, the fan is enough for most of your overclocking needs, unless you use high a Vcore setting. I use this fan on my AX7 and have little to complain about it. Without a doubt, this is the quietest fan out of the performer class.
