120mm Fan Testing on an MCR120 Radiator Round 6

[Martinm210]

Panaflo NMB-MAT FBA12G12U Ultra High Speed

I've had this one in my collection for a while, thanks to Hondacity..:applaud:

Gotta throw in some of the super high speed fans in there. Now that I've got the hotwire anemometer, there's really no limitation. It can read up to 4000 FPM, so no problem with the high speed stuff.

NOISE LEVEL
On the low end was slightly higher than the Yate, but up higher was about average, seems to follow the pack trend pretty well, although it does extend that CFM line a ways out there, it is built for one thing...HIGH FLOW.

NOISE QUALITY
This is an excellent example of why noise level alone doesn't cut it. These high speed fans are not meant to be undervolted and have an extremely strong motor tick. Looking at the NOISE LEVEL graph alone you could conclude that running this fan 7V would give you roughly the same thing as a yate medium at 12V. Noise level yes, noise quality..NOT EVEN CLOSE. The fans are all generally made to perform optimally in one area, very few actually do well everywhere, and this one is no different. I would not recommend undervolting this fan below 9V, the motor is extremely ticky at low volts.

RAW POWER
This fan is built for power. Were the yate medium is cranking out 32CFM through the radiator, the Panaflo is pushing 51 CFM at 12V. Almost twice the air flow.

OVERALL
This fan is a power house, but it's not one you want undervolt because of stong motor tick. If you want raw power and really don't care much about noise, this fan fits the bill nicely. But in light of the whole noise quality thing, it's a pretty gritty/ticky fan undervolted, but smooths out pretty well by the time you get to 12V.

Bottom line, huge raw power with average noise level per CFM but not a good fan to undervolt (noise quality suffers below 12V). She likes 12V...so give her what she wants or she'll chop your finger off..

VIDEO LINK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpGB0QRY4Fw

[Martinm210]

Scythe Ultra Kaze 3000

I've had and used these fans for my past radiator testing, they are a good value fan for 3000RPM speeds, but...like most ultra high speed fans...have a strong tick when undervolted.

NOISE LEVEL
About average, slightly higher than the yate medium and about 1dBA higher than the Panaflo U.

NOISE QUALITY
Poor when undervolted, it has that typical 38mm fan tick when undervolted although I'd subjectivly say it's not as strong as the panaflo. Still not going to be anywhere nearly as smooth as a good 25mm fan at lower speeds.

**Bing has noted that a good PWM controller may go a long way in eliminating the motor tick. I will check into this. If I can build a remote (no computer necessary) PWM controller, I will retest..

EFFICIENCY/POWER CONSUMPTION
Seems to match pretty well with the Yate down low, but it extends that trend a LONG ways up there, drawing about 7 watts at 12V, so make sure you're watching and looking at your fan controller specs. Many fan controllers can only handle 20 watts or so, so you could easily exceed that amount with just 3 fans in series causing failure in the controller.

RANGE
Exceptionally good RPM range from 950RPM to 3000RPM.

OVERALL
A good value 3000RPM fan, but it's very ticky at lower volts. The Ultra Kaze 2000 is much better on the motor tick, but not nearly as smooth as some 25mm fans. I would recommend using the fan at 12V and leave it there if you can handle the noise level.

Bottom line, good value 3000RPM fan, but noise quality suffers when undervolted.

VIDEO LINK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVCChUNwsa8