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Product:
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Marvel Comics™ Laser Sculpted Custom Fan Grills |
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Price:
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80mm Fan Grills $39 (CAN) / $24 (U.S)
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Price:
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120mm Fan Grills $49 (CAN) / $31 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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MysteryByte Computers
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Author:
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BigDaddy
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Date:
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September 10th, 2002
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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Moving on to the Punisher™ grills, one benefit is that you don’t have to be a Marvel Comics™ or Punisher™ reader to
appreciate this grill. I can see these grills selling out much faster than the Spiderman™ grills, simply because they
will appeal to a larger audience, and will fit more case themes. As soon as I saw the Punisher™ grill, I immediately
thought of my Xoxide Blackhawk case with its chrome-on-black theme. A perfect fit for the case, and unfortunately all
the low light pictures in the world couldn’t come close to doing it justice when it is backlit by a green cold cathode.
Finally, I installed the 120mm unit on my Lian-Li PC68 case top blowhole, just to see how well the grill would work with
an aluminium case. I opted to use the black hole gasket on this installation, since I hadn’t mounted any moulding on
this particular fan. The high-gloss finish of the grill really makes it stand out on the case, and the black gasket
adds some nice contrast. (Astute readers will notice additional aluminium inside the grill. This is simply because
the hole was cut with a 114mm holesaw as opposed to a true 120mm holesaw. The Plexiglas gasket fits a 120 or 80mm fan
hole perfectly).
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Click image for larger view
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Punisher™ grill standoff
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My only real concern with the Punisher™ grill is that the design lends itself to hampering airflow. While the spacers
provide a good few millimetres of clearance between the case surface and the bottom of the grill, I would still think
that a third of the hole being covered by the forehead of the skull would have a negative impact on airflow. However,
in most cases, this product is being installed for aesthetic purposes, not functional reasons, so it is a minor point
at best.
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Conclusion:
Obviously, if you are a fan of Marvel Comics™, these grills are a must-have item. Even consumers who are not fans of
either series will be drawn to these high-quality grills. The finish on the product is immaculate, and the inclusion of
all necessary mounting and installation hardware is welcome. The dual purpose hole gasket/drilling template means
installation of the grills is worry-free, and no additional time or money is needed to ensure the case cuts are
flawless, since the gasket does a great job at providing a quality finish. The only drawbacks to these products are
that the Spidey grills are really only going to fit a few case modding themes, and the Punisher™ grill, while more
versatile for themes, is sure to impede airflow. As well, these units are priced much higher than other laser-cut
grills on the market, and while they may be collector’s pieces, the high price tag might have users looking elsewhere.
Aside from a few minor issues, I'm rating this product a 7 out of 10
and would only recommend it to users willing to spend a few extra bucks for a piece of art on their case. If you have
any questions regarding this review be sure to visit the MysteryByte Computers
website for more information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- High quality finish
- Multi purpose
- Unique look
- All hardware included in package
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Cons:
- Price
- Punisher™ grill impedes airflow
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