|
 Hi,
lets face it, case fans are not the most talked about off computer components,
a case fan after all is just a case fan. Wrong, the guys at Cooler Master
have re-written the book on case fans. Their new DAF-B81 sets new
standards in case fan design and engineering. So just what makes this 80mm
case fan stand head and shoulders above the competition.
Right from the start you know you are onto
a winner, the packaging is first class, with full case fan specs and a
graph of temperature vs. rpm printed on the back. Next upon opening the
box, joy of joy I found a pack of 4 black case fan screws.
This might not sound much, but time and time again manufacturers of case
fans do not supply case fans screws. So full marks here to CoolerMaster.
Next the fan itself has the usual 4 pin connector and, here's the
interesting bit, a thermal sensor for regulating the fan speed. This
little devise can regulate the fans speed from 500rpm to 2500rpm in a
seamless manner. At 23C the fan will be running at 1000rpm and by the
time the thermal sensor reaches 50C the fans rpm will be around 2500.
The fan itself just has to be the quietest
case fan we have ever heard and not just at low rpm, even at full tilt its
whisper smooth. This is also the first case fan we can recommend for the
front/lower case fan mounting point, pulling air into the case. Most case
fans unfortunately fail when fitted at this point as they produce way to
much noise to be used in anything but the hottest of days. During testing
I had to open up the computer case several times just to reassure myself
that it was still running, it is that silent. This silence is down to good
design and the use of dual ball bearings. This super engineering also
gives the fan a mean life of 50,000 hrs at 25C, that's well over five
years of non stop running.
 Perhaps
the only fault is the length of wire for the thermal sensor, I would have
liked it to have been twice as long as supplied . This was not a problem
when fitting the fan to the rear high vent of the case as the thermal
sensor easily reached the fins on the cpu heat sink. But the lower
front fan placement, meant that the sensor was only half way up the inside
of the case, it could not reach the level of the high mounted hard drives.
That said I have no reservation at all in
recommending this product both for system builders and for the replacement of
worn out case fans. What the heck, even if your old case fans are still
running replace them now and your ears will thank you every time you turn
on your computer.
Many thanks to CoolerMaster Uk for
supplying review samples.
BHReviews.Co.Uk (Hardware) July 2002 |
