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Product:
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Coolink SWiF Fans & Silent Savior |
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Price:
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$13-21 (CDN) / $12-19 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Coolink
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Author:
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Hi-TEK
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Date:
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March 15th, 2006
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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The 120mm fan series considered the high-end of the product line has similar characteristics like the 80mm and 92mm series.
Coolink provides 3 different fans but provided models SWiF-1201 and SWiF-1202. The SWiF-1201 is capable of pushing 40-65
CFM at 700-1200 RPM with a noise level of 9-17 dBA. The SWiF-1202 is slightly faster and is capable of pushing 54-90 CFM
at 900-1600 RPM with a noise level of 14-24 dBA. The SWiF-1202 also includes a PCI mounting bracket, 3 to 4-pin adapter,
fan screws and adjustable fan speed control knob.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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In order to extend cooling functionality to internal system components, Coolink has released its first hard drive based cooler
called the Silent Savior. The Silent Savoir consists of an aluminum cooling plate that is designed to fit to the
underside of any hard drive. There are four screws that allow you to easily connect this unit to any IDE, SATA or SCSI hard drive.
In the center of the aluminum cooling plate is a SWiL-801L 80mm fan along with a 3-pin fan adapter.
Surprisingly, this package does not include a 3-pin to 4-pin adapter just in case you don't have an available header on your
motherboard.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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Installation of the SWiF fans is pretty straightforward, all that is required to install the appropriate size fan into any
free fan mount. Since the emphasis of the SWiF fans is cooling and silent performance, I decided to install them into one
of my existing HTPC systems. This system has been in operation for approximately 6 months and currently has the following
components installed inside:
- ABIT NF7-S Rev2 Motherboard
- AMD Sempron 3000+ CPU w/Vantec Aeroflow VA4-C7040 CPU Cooler
- ASUS V9520 GeForce FX5200 Video card
- 2 x Kingmax 512MB PC-3200 DDR400 SDRAM
- 1 x 80GB DiamondMax 9 Hard Drive
- 2 x 200GB DiamondMax 10 Hard Drives
- 2 x Hauppauge WinTV PVR-250 Tuner Cards
- Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Sound Card
- Linksys WMP54GS Wireless G PCI adapter
- LG GSA-4163 DVD +/-R/RW Drive
- Fortron Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R PSU
I replaced the two rear 80mm cooling fans which were previously running AcoustiFan 8025B Noiseless & DustPROOF fans
as well as 92mm version that was cooling a internal hard drive cage.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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In order to test the SWiF case fans, I first powered the fans using the default 3-pin to 4-pin adapter and then switched
the bundled PCI bracket and adjustable fan speed control knob. At the full 12V, there is an audible soft humming noise that
is generated by each fan. Once the fan is lowered to its respective 7.5V and 5V the fans are very quiet. Here is a comparison
chart of different 80mm fans that MTB has had a chance to evaluate over the years.
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MTB 80mm Fan Comparison
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| Coolink SWiF-801 & SWiF-803 80mm Fans | 30/30-65 CFM | 9-16/14-26 dBA |
| AcoustiFan Noiseless & DustPROOF 80mm Fan | 19.9 CFM | 15.6 dBA |
| Vantec Spectrum UV LED Fans | 36 CFM | 34 dBA |
| Sunbeam 80mm UV CCFL Fan | 31.73 CFM | 28 dBA |
| Sunbeam Silent Anodized LED Fans | 23.08 CFM | 19.85 dBA |
| Bits Modding 80mm UV Fan | 26.97 CFM | 27.39 dBA |
| Vantec 80mm Stealth Fan | 27 CFM | 21 dBA |
| Cooler Master 80mm TLF-R82 Neon LED Fan | 32.11 CFM | 25 dBA |
| Xoxide 80mm Case Fan | 30 CFM | 29 dBA |
| Vantec 80mm Tornado Fan | 84.1 CFM | 52.2 dBA |
| Panaflo "Low" 80mm Fan | 24 CFM | 21 dBA |
| Adda 80mm AD0812MB-A70GL Fan | 31.4 CFM | 28.3 dBA |
| Sunon 80mm KD1208PTB3-6 Fan | 31 CFM | 28 dBA |
What is interesting to note in this comparison chart is that the Coolink SWiF-801 & SWiF-803 80mm Fans have
the lowest dBA rating of the bunch measuring 9-16 respectively. The fans don't suffer the big drawback
I outlined with the AcoustiFan Noiseless & DustPROOF 80mm Fans since these fans have the capability of
still moving a good amount of air without sacrificing cooling performance. The Silent Savior equally provided
decent cooling performance by cooling the primary drive in this HTPC system. After running approximately 24-48
hours the drive was still cool to the touch.
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Conclusion:
Coolink has succeeded at appealing to those individuals looking to balance silent computing with good cooling
performance. The SWiF or "Silent Whisper Line" provides a wide selection of case fans that range in size from
80mm to 120mm with the exception of 60mm or 70mm models. The SWiF product line is the perfect addition for
standard applications such as a Home Theatre PC or high performance gaming machine. Consumers looking to control
noise levels and the RPM speed of the fans will appreciate the adjustable fan speed control knob and PCI
mounting bracket. While I applaud the use of translucent fan housing with blue coloured fan blades it would be
nice if Coolink took this theme a step forward by incorporating Quad LEDs. The Silent Savior is a simple yet
effective hard drive cooler that uses an aluminum cooling plate and 80mm cooling fan to keep the underside cool
at all times. While I didn't experience any issues with either product, the biggest problem right now is the
availability of the Coolink product line in North America. Currently, Coolink has expanded its division to
cover most European countries but at the time of review has not announced any North American distributors.
Overall, I was pleased with the SWiF fans and Silent Savior and award a final rating of
8 out of 10. If you have any questions regarding
this review, be sure to visit the
Coolink website for more information or discuss them in our
forums.
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Pros:
- Whisper quiet fans
- Cool aesthetics
- Faster models include 3-pin to 4-pin adapter
- Adjustable fan speed control knob
- Does not sacrifice cooling performance
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Cons:
- Availability in North America?
- No 60mm or 70mm models available
- Limited colour selection or LED support
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