Keeping your cool and looking good while you do it isn't just something for the George Clooneys... or Leonardo DiCaprio's... or anyone else who is supposed to be good looking and cool. You know, someone like myself or Brad Pitt or myself (Ed- er ... right). These days it can be done by anyone, or anything. But you will need to have the right accessories.
For the PC, keeping cool is generally the province of fans and of course there are a plethora of different designs to accessorize with. The most common 'cool looking' fan is undoubtedly the LED fan, but you can also get chrome/aluminium fans, cold cathode fans and even UV fans with which to style your case.
have a selection of fans that can be classed as cool and good looking, and they kindly sent us some samples from their line-up for us to peruse. We have an 80mm Green UV Silent Fan, an 80mm Blue LED Silent Fan and a 120mm Blue LED Chrome Bladed Silent Fan. Let's check them out.
Specifications - 80mm
|
80mm HIPERFLOW UV Green and Blue LED Fans |
Dimensions |
80x80x15mm |
Rated Voltage |
12 VDC |
Operating Voltage |
10.3 ~ 13.8 VDC |
Air Flow |
20.37 CFM |
Input Current |
0.12A (max) |
Speed |
2000 RPM +/-10% |
Noise |
19 dBA |
Operating Temperature |
-10C ~ +70C |
Specifications - 120mm
|
120mm HIPERFLOW Blue LED Chrome Bladed Fan |
Dimensions |
120x120x25mm |
Rated Voltage |
12 VDC |
Operating Voltage |
10.3 ~ 13.8 VDC |
Air Flow |
49.7 CFM |
Input Current |
0.22A (max) |
Speed |
1500 RPM +/-10% |
Noise |
19 dBA |
Operating Temperature |
-10C ~ +65C |
All three fans come in this fantastic (no pun intended) clear packaging. We have great looking logos and information offerings, as well as a very open and complete look at the product itself for the front of the package.
The rear of each offers provides a complete run-down of the specifications of each as well as standards and ratings that apply. All three packages label the fans as inaudible.
All three fans also have their own contents boxes (contents are the same for all fans); the smaller box inside under the fans that houses 4x Mounting screws, a 3pin female fan header to 4pin female molex adapter and 4 stick on rubbery black rings. While there are no specific instructions for the black rings, the logical use for them is as vibration dampeners when mounting your fan; certainly a welcome addition to what would usually be an otherwise basic item with basic content needs.
The Blue 80mm HIPERFLOW LED Fan is constructed from a clear but not quite transparent plastic, and the frosted nature of the blades and housing help to diffuse the LED light for a more even spread. One thing I want to mention here is that this fan (and the UV Green) are both very thin at only 15mm which might be of positive concern if you plan to place them in a tight area; inside a power supply for example. The translucent plastic allows you to get a good look at the motor's inside on the centre, and have the HIPER logo imprinted as well.
When powered up the fan is as labled; inaudible. The blue from each of the LED's is a perfect matching shade as well; all the LED's display a very cool (and the same) blue. There are 4 LED's, one in each corner and they produce a steady blue glow without dominating the case with their light.
The UV Green has no form of self illumination but under a UV light gives a beautiful green glow. Like it's LED counterpart the glow is uniform, bright but not dominating.
The 120mm HIPERFLOW Blue LED Chrome Bladed Fan is a mixed aesthetic of a transparent plastic housing with chrome plastic blades. As this fan is larger and the blades of the fan will reflect the light around, it would seem that HIPER have gone with a clear housing to make the most of the light given out by the four blue LED's mounted in each corner. The centre of the fan is imprinted with HIPER logo and even without power I have to admit it's a sexy looking fan.
Light it up and things go from sexy to drop dead gorgeous. I tried to capture it on camera but nothing I tried would allow me to get the full effect; there is an almost imaginary sparkle projected by the fan as the light reflects off the blades. I'm not talking disco ball here, well, maybe if the disco ball had had nearly all the mirrors removed. It's probably about 8 or 10 slow moving, barely visible light reflections/projections and it's quite mesmerizing. It's probably not by design but it's a great effect anyway. Like the 80mm fans, this 120mm is also silent during operation.
Final Words
These fans should be on your list if you're on the lookout for case accessories; end of story. All three fans seen here today feel like quality, are solid, and have an extremely pleasing look to them. I have to say that the chrome bladed 120mm is without a doubt my favourite, but they are all good looking items. They all perform well enough but of course the silence of the fans in operation is more than just clever engineering; the slow running and therefore low output of the fans has to be taken into account here. Still, the CFM output despite the low noise and low fan speeds is quite high and certainly high enough for the majority of applications.
I also like that HIPER have thought about more than just the fans themselves; you also got a very complete package of screws, power cable adapters and even simple vibration dampening mounts.
Obviously if you are looking for powerhouse fans then look elsewhere. If on the other hand you are looking for a fan that will do the intended job of cooling, and look damn good while doing it, then the HIPERFLOW series of fans will suit. I found the 80mm fans at around the £3.00 mark with the 120mm fan at under £5.00. There are certainly cheaper fans on the market, but there are a lot more fans with similar specifications at much higher prices too. You certainly get a lot for your money with these fans. I'm very pleased with them and I would recommend these fans to anyone, especially good looking folks like myself (Ed- we REALLY need to talk). The bottom line is that they are good looking, do their job and won't cost you the Earth; you can't ask for much more really.
If you have any comments, be sure to hit us up in our forums.
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