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.
HIPER
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
HIPERFLOW
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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