Page 3 - Performance Tests
To test the performance of the fans, the APH Networks proprietary testing method invented right here at APH Networks was used. While it is by no means the most objective of tests, this allows you to test your fans at a minimum cost using a piece of tissue paper and tape. 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. We have placed the tested fans near the edge of the desk to prevent air from the bottom surface from bouncing back, thereby masking the actual performance characteristics of it. 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.
We have three sets of photos here for the three sets of fans. Theoretically, the RGB 120 mm and the non-RGB 120 mm should have the very similar results, since their specifications are nearly identical.
We have the RX120 being tested in the set of photos above. The tissue paper during most of the test was consistently raised with little movement up or down. This indicates that the airflow was fairly consistent. However, the tissue paper did dip down towards the right a bit, demonstrating some reduction in static pressure in that area. Closest to the fan blades, the tissue was raised evenly, as you can see from the above photos.
In the above set of photos, we have the RX120 RGB, which has the same specifications as the RX120. It performed almost exactly the same as the RX120. With one side of the tissue paper dropping, we see a dip in static pressure. The tissue paper was mostly pushed up all the way to the end, with a slight dip, as you can see in the above picture. However, the tissue paper was kept pretty constant, revealing consistent airflow.
Finally, in the above set of photos, you can see the RX140 RGB. It performed similarly to the RX120. However, the tissue paper flapped more, and the tissue leaning down on one side was more pronounced. The tissue paper flapping more indicated the airflow was a bit inconsistent, while the tissue paper leaning down on the side demonstrated lower static pressure. The tissue paper was pushed all the way up, like with the RX120, but it flapped around more in general.
As for sound testing, this was subjective, but I will try to be as objective and consistent as possible. The tests were conducted with the fans spinning at their maximum speed, so the results are going to be considerably louder than they would be in normal day-to-day use, because most people slow their fans down when loads are low. In other words, this is a worst-case scenario. Steps were taken to isolate the fans as much as possible to listen to them independently. The RX120 and RX120 RGB performed very similarly with maximum RPM noise coming in at 4.5/10 on a scale where 0 is quiet and 10 is loud. On the other hand, the RX140 RGB was a bit louder, coming in at 5.0/10. At idle speeds, these fans performed really well, coming in at 2.0/10 for the RX120 and RX120 RGB fans, and the RX140 RGB at 2.5/10 in my personal opinion.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
