Aerocool
www.aerocool.us
B est-case scenario, most enclosures you buy today will include one intake fan installed in the front panel and an exhaust fan in the rear panel, with some foregoing the intake fan entirely to reduce the price tag as much as possible. But if you’re building a powerful PC, you’re going to need a lot more airflow than one or two fans can deliver. When it comes to air cooling, normally we’d caution that your ambient temps will fall as your system noise increases, but Aerocool’s new Dead Silence family of case fans take ultra-quiet to the next level.
Aerocool recently sent us a blue 140mm and a red 120mm model. Dead Silence fans also come in black and white, and all models are available in either 120mm or 140mm. Each color fan comes with a quartet of matching LEDs, except the black fan, which is unlit.
One of the first things we noticed when we unpackaged the Dead Silence fans was the profusion of molded rubber on the fan blades. The black portions are constructed of the same hard plastic as the fan frame, while the colored portions are made of a soft rubber, which Aerocool designed to absorb noise as air passes over the blades. There are rubber inserts at each of the fan’s four corners that act as vibration-quelling mounts; Aerocool calls them Silencer Blocks. The Silencer Blocks also feature a unique pattern that first channels sound away from the frame and then dampens it as the sound reaches the edge of the inner wall.
The underside of the blades features a polka dot pattern that Aerocool claims effectively minimizes air turbulence that occurs under the blades. The blade angle has also been tuned to maximize airflow while minimizing sound output.
The Dead Silence fan motor utilizes a fluid dynamic bearing design, which delivers the same precision rotation as ball bearing-based fans and better shock protection than sleeve-bearing type fans. FDB fans also have a fully lubricated shaft for less friction, lower temperatures, quieter operation, and a longer life span than any of the aforementioned fan types (greater than 100,000 hours). The Dead Silence fans have a low starting voltage of 3V before gradually ramping up to the fan’s standard 12V, but you can force them to operate in a low-voltage mode using the bundled 7V voltage reduction cable. Other items Aerocool bundles in include four anti-vibration screws, fully sleeved cables, and a 3-pin fan to 4-pin Molex adapter.
In our tests, the fans (both 120mm and 140mm fans running at 1,500rpm) emitted barely a mumble, just inches away from our ears. Using the 7V cable reduced the mumble to a practically inaudible whisper. For those who think improving a case’s airflow means sacrificing silence, Aerocool’s Dead Silence fans are here to set the record straight.
Specs (Dead Silence 120mm): Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 25mm; Speed: 1,500/1,100rpm (12V/7V); Airflow: 81.5/62.5cfm (12V/7V); Noise: 23.1/14.8dBA
(12V/7V); Available colors: Black, red, blue, white
Specs (Dead Silence 140mm): Dimensions: 140 x 140 x 25mm; Speed: 1,500/1,100rpm (12V/7V); Airflow: 93.4/71.2 (12V/7V); Noise: 23.4/15.5dBA
(12V/7V); Available colors: Black, red, blue, white