Since this is a PWM fan, any review should be based on that fact. If you plug this fan into a 3 pin (non PWM) outlet, you will be shocked by how loud it is. But a PWM fan should only run at 100% when your system is nearly overheating. A properly tuned PWM fan should be at its lowest rpm (about 700 for this one) when you are surfing the web, and it should spin up only when your system gets hot (video compressing, gaming, etc).
This fan is perfect when used as a well tuned PWM fan. I use SpeedFan to customize my settings. I set the target CPU temp to 54 degrees C, and I allow it increments of 3 PWM (the default is 10, which causes noticeable noise changes). This creates an almost silent PC while idle (like surfing, word processing, etc). After a game has been running for 4 or 5 minutes, the fans get to about 1300rpm and the CPU holds at 54. At this speed, the fan is only audible if I mute the gaming noises, but even then, its not annoying. At minimum speed, in a completely silent room in a rural house, I have to strain to hear them at their lowest speed (700rpm).
I actually have three of these chained together using a rosewill pwm splitter. One is on the CPU heatsink, the other two are case fans. They all spin up when the system gets warm. They never seem to go beyond 50% even when gaming with a hot Radeon 4890.
For the price, this is the best value PWM 120MM fan I could find. The Scythe PWM 120mm seems like it might be able to push more air for a given db of noise, but you can get three of these fans for the price of two of those. Cooler Master BladeMaster 120mm PWM High Air Flow Silent Case Fan R4-BMBS-20PK-R0
I purchased these fans to use in PC's because many of them require a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) type fan for
connection to a 4-pin connector on the motherboards. It has good airflow, and fits anywhere a standard 3-pin
fan does in a computer case. It can also be used as a replacement fan on a cooler assembly, which many CPU's
require these days on motherboards using the 4 pin connector and PWM to control the fan assembly. Many of them
have 3 pin fan connectors for all other case fans.
Pulse width modulation is a way of controlling the fan speed using an amplifier on the motherboard, that will
vary the width of the signal (timing) or height (voltage) to increase or decrease the fan speed based on the
sensed CPU core temperature. A 3-pin fan by contrast, only receives a return signal on the 3rd wire telling
the CPU's fan operational amplifier it is spinning. Without the return voltage signal the computer will shut
down, signifying the fan has failed and turning off to protect your PC's processor from overheating. This is
also done for any other fan that has this type of support on the motherboard. That's why it's important that
you connect your fans to the motherboard connectors, instead of the power supply's.
These fans were used on an Intel DH55HC motherboard in an Antec 300 case. The Intel mobo has only PWM fans.
They were the 120mm and 80mm PWM Cooler Master fans.
I added this fan to my Hyper 212+ cpu cooler and it works great. I made the mistake of buying a different CM fan than this only to later realize that I needed a PWM fan. If you are adding a second fan to your Hyper 212+, this is the fan you want! It is relatively quiet and pushes alot of air. Great fan for the money!
I originally purchased fan to use as my main case exhaust fan. I did not feel it was pushing enough air, for two reasons. 1. Mobo did not have it running at 100% until case was already getting hot. 2. IMO Not enough CFU from this fan as a main exhaust fan.
Fan is not particularly loud at 100%
I moved the fan over to my Hyper 212+ so now I have it in pull-push configuration where it is working great.
I ended up getting a 110CFM Scyth slipstream and a cheep fan controller to control my case exaust.
Over all probably would be a great fan for an HTPC or other computer where heat is not an issue, works well as a fan for 120mm heatsink.
When a fan is advertised as silent, and it's not that's not cool. I'm an audio engineer and probably pickier than the average person, but I bought these, had them in for 2 weeks and I had pots controlling them so I could turn them down to silent, but they didn't move that much air. When they were on full blast (full speed) it was LOUD. When I discovered this I did more research and ordered some Noctua fans (granted, the were more expensive) but they really are silent and TOTALLY worth the extra investment. If noise isn't an issue these move a lot of air and are fine, but they're not quiet at all.
Ordered this as a 2nd fan for my CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Plus cpu cooler.
I use a 4-pin fan header splitter so I can run them both at the same speed off of the cpu fan header on my GA-890fxa-ud5 board.
I already had one of these that came with my Cooler Master Hyper 212 plus. I ordered a second one so that I could use a "push/pull" configuration to get more cooling for my SB CPU. I also ordered a Y pwm cable so I could run them in parallel from the CPU fan pins on my motherboard. All of that worked just fine. However, this fan as a "whine" to it that my other fan doesn't have. Even at low speeds like 700 rpm it's there. Checked to see if something is rubbing on the blades or is in their way when in position. Nothing appears to be wrong. But the high-pitched whine drives me nuts. The fan only cost $12, so what am I going to do, ship it back? Obviously, not all of these fans are exactly alike.
I don't know if that's a trade mark infraction, but the capacity to move cfm's of air through a small aperture is exactly what this fan has got, in abundance. I think it spanks just about every other fan I've used, 80mm or 120mm. The caveat, and why I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars, is Amazon's "love it" category for 5 stars. I just can't say I 'love' the high pitch whine which goes along with a great performing fan.
I know, I know, why whine? (me?) It does what I bought it to do, better than all the other fans I've got. It's the latest tweak in learning to live with that ASUS Geforce GT220 PCI-E 2.0 1 GB DDR2 Low Profile Graphics Card ENGT220/DI/1GD2 (LP) which I installed in my folks slim line HP Pavilion PC. It heats the main board at the card interface, and I think my card was an older (discontinued) version than this latest graphics adapter. If anyone is still wrestling with the logistics of shoe-horning a Low Profile graphics adapter into a PC case that's really too small, THIS fan rocks. And the ASUS GPU isn't too shabby either. - Case Fans - Cpu Cooler - Hyper 212 Plus - 120mm Fan'
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