Page 3 - Performance Tests
To test the performance of the GAMDIAS AEOLUS M3-1204R, the proprietary testing method invented right here at APH Networks was used. This idea allows you to test your fans at a minimum cost: A piece of tissue paper and some 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 fan under test should be put near the edge of the table, such that the experimental results will not be affected by the air reflected off the surface. 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 photo of the highest RPM was shown for the AEOLUS M3-1204R, since it represents the best performance regarding the airflow and air pressure of the product.
In the above two photos, you can see the results of our test from different angles. As shown, the fan 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 and it had little to do with the airflow and air pressure performance of the fans.
The noise level performance of the AEOLUS M3-1204R was interesting. At low RPM, the noise level is quite low, which makes sense. At high RPM, the fan noise was quite audible. I think the impeller design of this product focuses more on the airflow performance side, while the noise level may be considered as less important. That said, it is not like noise is completely out of control. There are two reasons. Firstly, the rubber pads around the mounting screw holes reduced the vibrations. 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? Secondly, the hydraulic bearing made the fan spin smoothly even at high speeds. Like all the other reviews at APH Networks, we rate the perceived noise on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 represents absolute silence and 10 is the loudest. For the GAMDIAS AEOLUS M3-1204R, I would like to rate it at 4.5/10 at full speed. All in all, the AEOLUS M3-1204R can provide acceptable levels of noise for normal use. I can safely say that with the capability of using a controller box to bring down the rotational speed, these fans can be quiet enough to be used 24/7 on a computer in your bedroom at reduced RPMs.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware
3. Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
