Page 3 - Performance Tests
To test the performance of the be quiet! Light Wings White PWM High Speed 120mm and 140mm, our proprietary testing method invented right here at APH Networks was used. Although this test may not be the most comprehensive of tests, the results are qualitatively displayed at a minimum cost by using a piece of tissue paper and tape. As shown in the above photos, a piece of tissue paper was attached to the top of a fan. The tissue paper should be able to naturally fall down and cover the air outlet side – the side where the motor rack is located -- of the fan. The fan is placed on the edge of a table to prevent air from reflecting off any other surface to not skew results. Once the fans were powered on, the airflow, airflow consistency, and the amount of static pressure can be evaluated by observing the behavior of the tissue paper.
Taking a look at the pictures above, both fans performed with similar results. As the results were incredibly similar, I will be commenting on both fans generally and will mention any noticeable performance differences. The tissue raised evenly on both sides of the fans indicated how air is evenly distributed. Further away from the fans, you can see the consistency in airflow. It performed extraordinarily well, as we could tell from the specifications. The 2500 RPM and 2200 RPM speeds for the 120mm and 140mm models, respectively, were quite noticeable when looking at the tissue. The fans produce more than enough airflow and static pressure to pick up the paper. Speaking towards consistency, the tissue paper held in place well, but did sometimes begin to move erratically. The occasional erratic fluttering aside, this indicated decently steady airflow passing out the exit side of the be quiet! Light Wings White PWM High Speed 120mm and 140mm fans. This is quite incredible as this performance is comparable to its cousin, the Silent Wings 4, which I was incredibly impressed with.
Sound is another important factor when testing fans, as we want a good balance between performance and noise. There are limitations, as sound can be quite subjective to both the listener and the environment of the fans. The noise levels of this fan were tested independently in a quiet room with all other noises from our system isolated to ensure we were testing the fan alone. We rate the perceived noise on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is absolute silence and 10 is an explosion. For the be quiet! Light Wings White PWM High Speed 120mm and 140mm fans at their maximum speed, I would rate both of these fans at about 2.5/10. This figure will become substantially lower as you slow them down. These fans stayed relatively quiet considering the 2500 RPM and 2200 RPM speed for the 120mm and 140mm models, respectively. These results are incredibly good, especially when you compare them to the Silent Wings 4.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware
3. Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
