Page 3 - Performance Tests
To test the performance of the be quiet! Silent Wings 4, 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 on 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, the tissue was raised evenly on both sides of the fan indicated how air is evenly distributed. Further away from the fan, you can see the consistency in airflow. It performed extraordinarily well as we could tell from the specifications. The 2500 RPM speed was quite noticeable when looking at the tissue. The fan produces more than enough airflow and static pressure to pick up the paper. Speaking towards the consistency, the tissue paper held in place well, but did sometimes begin to move erratically. This indicates decently steady airflow passing out the exit side of the be quiet! Silent Wings 4. This is quite incredible as this performance is comparable to other high-performance fans like the SilverStone Air Penetrator AP120i PRO.
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 are 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! Silent Wings 4 at maximum speed, I would rate these fans at about 3.0/10. This figure will become substantially lower as you slow them down. These fans stay relatively quiet considering the 2500 RPM speed. These results are incredibly good.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware
3. Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
