Page 3 - Performance Tests
To test the performance of the MasterFan Pro series, the APH Networks proprietary testing method invented right here at APH Networks was used. This brilliant idea allows you to test your fans with minimum cost: A piece of tissue paper and some duct tape. The test results can qualitatively indicate the airflow, airflow consistency, and amount of static pressure generated by the fan. The experiment settings were straightforward. As shown by the above photos, a piece of tissue paper was attached on 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 test subject should be put near the edge of the table, such that the experimental results will not be affected by the reflecting airflow. 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. Finally, the fan needs to be tested in all of its RPM ranges. In this review, only the photos of the highest RPMs were shown for the five MasterFan Pro units, since they represent the best performance regarding the airflow and air pressure of all fans.
In the first two photos, the two 140 mm fans were tested. As shown, both fans provided enough static pressure to keep the tissue paper almost parallel to the ground, and the amount of airflow in both cases was high enough to keep the rear end of the tissue paper floating. Small vibrations were noticed at the very end of the tissue paper due to the turbulence on the paper edge. Note the turbulence was the result of using tissue paper; it has little to do with the airflow and air pressure performance of the fans. The following three photos are the testing results of the three 120 mm fans. The first one was the 120 Air Pressure, the second one was the 120 Air Balance, and the third one was the 120 Air Flow. For the 120 Air Pressure and Air Balance, the static air pressure was high enough to lift the tissue paper, and the airflow was large enough to keep the rear end of the tissue paper floating. For the 120 Air Flow, due to the relatively low pressure, the tissue paper was not lifted as high as in other cases, while the airflow provided by the 120 Air Flow was high enough to keep the rear end of the tissue floating.
The noise level performance of all five MasterFan Pro fans were excellent. There are three reasons. Firstly, all the fans in the MasterFan Pro series allow the user to change the maximum RPM by switching between three modes. If you do not need the best cooling effect, reducing the maximum RPM is an effective way to reduce the noise level. Secondly, even though all of the fans are set to P mode, the noise level was still acceptable. Like all the other reviews at APH Networks, we rate the noise on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 represents absolute silence, and 10 is the loudest. For the MasterFan Pro series, I would like to rate the P (performance) mode at 3.0/10, the Q (quiet) mode at 2.0/10, and the S (silent) mode at 1.0/10. Also, thanks to the Cooler Master’s Silent Driver IC, the fans run smoothly, and there was limited vibrations during testing. Thirdly, the use of the rubber mounts on the fan can significantly reduce the noise caused by vibration. Think about this, if you put a vibrating cellphone on a solid surface, how much louder is it compared with putting it on a soft surface? All in all, the MasterFan Pro fans feature very low level of noise, and I can safely say that they are quiet enough to be used in a 24/7 on computer in your bedroom.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware
3. Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
