Page 4 - Conclusion
In Fractal Design's case, the Venturi fans could be called reinventing the wheel. It is still like any other computer fan that spins to cool down your rig. At the same time, the original wheel itself was probably made out of heavy materials like stone or wood, and thus required a lot of effort to get it rolling. With time and improvements in technology, the wheel is now a light disk shaped object, made up of any composition of materials. These fans too also feature both new and old technology to create a masterpiece. From tried and true parts in the fluid dynamic bearings, to their "trip wire" technology and notched fins, the Fractal Design Venturi HP-12 PWM and HP-14 PWM are a result of continual optimization. All of these added features work to reduce noise, increase airflow, and efficiency. Our tissue paper results also prove these fans provide reliable and consistent airflow. While it may miss out on the flashy things like LEDs, which is not something everyone is after anyway, the Venturi makes up with superb performance instead. They too have goodies like braided cables and complete rubber mounting holes to absorb vibration. If there is anything I would ask from the Venturi fans, it would be to output even less noise, but the current implementation is still great. The real question then comes down to, which one should you buy? When you look at the market today, the Venturi HP series fans are priced at the same rate as other high performance units. At $17 for the HP-12 PWM, and $20 for the HP-14 PWM, users will shell out some to get an excellent cooling option. So to answer the question, you should just buy the largest one you can fit in your situation. If you have room for a 140mm fan, then by all means get the larger one. However, if a 120mm vent or heatsink area is all you have, then get the smaller one. Both of these fans offer consistent performance, and Fractal Design has made me a fan of their fans. Pun intended.
Fractal Design provided these products to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
Fractal Design HP-12 PWM
APH Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that are not likely going to matter to the end user.
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks; but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Numeric Rating is 7.8/10
Please note that the APH Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other sites.
Fractal Design HP-14 PWM
APH Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that are not likely going to matter to the end user.
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks; but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Numeric Rating is 7.9/10
Please note that the APH Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other sites.
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Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware
3. Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
