By: Devin Chollak
September 30, 2011
Today, I have something new to feast my burly and sore eyes upon; not one, but two NZXT case fans. Recently, I have spent many late nights and countless hours banging my head on the desk learning a programming framework and OpenGL ES. Fortunately, I came out alive, so I can write this review. The NZXT FX 120LB and FX 140LB are two case fans that will be going into the NZXT Source 210 Elite after I am done writing about them, so its performance data is definitely something I am going to be after. Last time, I was very impressed by the performance of the NZXT HAVIK 140 and the fans it comes with. This leaves high expectations from this pair we are reviewing today, especially when it comes to low noise levels and good airflow. Generally speaking, when I can no longer see straight, and I'm trying to finish off coding something, the last thing I want to do is be sitting at my desk with fans roaring in the background, and the room starting to feel like a sauna. Thankfully, I live in Canada, so by simply opening my window, I can drop the room temperature well below the freezing point. This really brings up the question of whether or not this pair of fans can drop my computer case by a few degrees as well. Well, that would be a spoiling the review, but I think it would be safe to assume adding more fans will typically improve airflow, and as a result, drop the temperature of your system's components. Okay, adding more fans won't help if you are using liquid helium to set world record overclocks, but then again, I have doubts someone doing that would be reading about case fans, haha.
The NZXT FX 120LB and FX 140LB came to our Calgary offices in the same shipping package as the NZXT HAVIK 140. I don't really consider this mind blowing, as it is far more cost effective to send them this way from California. The shipping box did take a minor hit on the right side during transit, but the contents were thankfully unaffected. However, let us not dwell on this brown box, and take a look at what we are really interested in, the product itself.
NZXT made an interesting choice when it came to the retail box color for the FX 120LB and FX 140LB. You would expect cold or dark colors when it comes to a cooling solution; however, what we have here is a fiery orange color scheme. I'm not exactly convinced that most people would want to put something fiery inside of their computer. Although the color choice wasn't the most ideal for the packaging, it does keep the same look as NZXT's FN and FS fans. The one thing I really do like about the retail box is all of the basic specifications are listed directly on the front. This makes it super easy for consumers to get a basic idea of what they are buying. The top left has the fan size listed; which is 120mm for the FX 120LB, and 140mm for the FX 140LB. The middle section on the front of the retail box has a clear plastic face. This allows for the fan to be viewed directly from the outside of the box, and clearly shows the shape of the fan blades as well. Finally, there is the bottom section of the box, which shows the basic specifications in a list format. The first line displays the CFM and dBA for the fan, followed by the number of blades on the fan on the next line. After that, it lists the feature of having three fan settings, as well as its 2-year warranty. This is a pretty good amount of information from the front alone, considering I haven't even opened anything yet!
After striping the boxes off the fans, you can see a couple of very special parts. The first part is the fan itself, with the cables tied around each other. This keeps the contents compact while in the packaging and eliminates the need for extra padding inside the box. Next, there are two small plastic bags. One of them contains a set of four screws which are to be used for attaching the fans to the computer case. The other, contains four rubber pieces which are for the exact same job but don’t require a screw driver. I'm not exactly sure why NZXT is pushing the whole rubber fan attachments as they don't seem to provide much of a benefit and will go brittle over time anyways. As girl I know told me, rubber can get expensive. While that one is still rubbing in, let's take a look at the specifications for each product, obtained from NZXT's website:
NZXT FX 120LB
Features
- Size: 120 x 120 x 25 mm
- Current: 0.08-0.30A
- Input: 0.96-3.6W
- Speed: 1000-2600RPM +/- 10%
- Air Flow: 35.8-96 CFM
- Air Pressure: 0.75-4.8 mm-H2O
- Noise: 22-36.5 dBA
- Bearing: Fluid Dynamic Bearing
- Life: 35,000 hrs
Three Speed 2600rpm enthusiast fan
-7 Blade Fluid Dynamic Bearing Fan
-Sleeved Cables
-Two Year Warranty
NZXT FX 140LB
Features
- Size: 140 x 140 x 25 mm
- Current: 0.13-0.55A
- Input: 1.56-6.6W
- Speed: 1000-2000RPM +/- 10%
- Air Flow: 49.1-98.3 CFM
- Air Pressure: 0.56-2.2 mm-H2O
- Noise: 22.1-37 dBA
- Bearing: Fluid Dynamic Bearing
- Life: 35,000 hrs
Three Speed 2000rpm enthusiast fan
-9 Blade Fluid Dynamic Bearing Fan
-Sleeved Cables
-Two Year Warranty
In the above picture, it can be clearly seen that both the NZXT FX 140LB and the FX 120LB have black sleeved cables. The cables blend in well with the black plastic body of the fans' housing, which is good for cable management enthusiasts. The fan itself is a chalk white, with seven blades for the FX 120LB, and nine blades for the FX 140LB. I have to say this color scheme is provides the most flexibility possible, as it will work well with all typical colors of computer cases without ruining the visual appearance. This is really important if you are worried about the aesthetic look of the fan. Otherwise, the physical attributes and performance are probably what you are more interested in. So, let us pull up our sleeves, and get down to business.
Each fan comes with a 3-pin motherboard header to 4-pin Molex adapter to provide maximum compatibility for the end-user during installation. This also conveniently gives the cables extra length. Okay, that is only like four inches, but that's more than some people in this world (Haha, funny. - Editor). Additionally, each fan also has another wire coming out of it to provide fan speed control. This allows you to instantaneously change between three fan speeds with a simple switch, but the shortness of these cables brings that feature into question. It reminds me of all the small cars I have to drive sometimes, and how none of them are designed for tall people.
If you look at both of the fans, the only real difference you can see is the size and number of blades. Other than that, both the NZXT FX 120LB and NZXT FX 140LB are identical to each other. In fact, even the airflow and sound levels are specified to be almost the exact same. In reality, this means you can get the same fan in either size, and both of them will offer very similar performance. However, just because a box says something, it doesn't equate to real world testing of the product, but more on that later.
As I have mentioned earlier in this review, the cables are covered with a protective sleeve -- offering durability with pleasing aesthetics. The fan blades are fairly typical of most fans, with a basic curved shape as far as geometry in concerned. However, the real question that remains is, does this make a noise optimized product? As my colleagues put it, one of the biggest challenges to a noise optimized product is to provide a high level of airflow to noise ratio, and even both of these cannot be objectively measured at all times. The most common unit of objective measurement is CFM (cubic feet per minute) of air for airflow, and sound pressure in decibels. We will go over how application and CFM is related with regards to its standard measurements, but let's discuss perceived noise first.
dB (Decibels) is a logarithmic unit of sound intensity. While it provides what appears to be an objective measurement for the most part, it should be noted that perceived noise levels to the human ear, and actual sound intensity, could result in very different things. Human ears are more sensitive to particular frequencies, and when those particular frequencies are emitted from its source, it may appear louder than its numbers suggest. That same can be said vice-versa -- frequencies that human ears are less sensitive to can actually have louder dB measurements from a sound meter, yet the human ears does not perceive it to be as loud as the numbers suggest. Other factors such as turbulence noise are often not measured correctly, therefore, while it usually provides a good reference, it does not necessarily reflect real life performance.
In terms of the application and the CFM, in most cases, it is usually the best to have a fan that has a high air volume flow rate, but as stated above, pure CFM values do not tell the whole story in terms of overall fan performance. Not all of it is about exactly how much air it can move per minute quantitatively, but it is also as important as how it is done in real world usage. Airflow to noise ratio is also another important aspect as aforementioned. Static pressure is yet another very important part depending on the usage of it. Applications that require high resistance such as the much denser fins on a large heatsink requires a higher static pressure, while case fans needs less static pressure and faster airflow to circulate air in the overall system better. This is only for a difference in application so for our case fans, it would make sense to have lower static pressure and a faster airflow when using it as a case fan. On the other hand, if it is used on a heatsink, it may be better to find a different alternative that has higher static pressure.
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The Tests
When it comes to testing the performance of a fan, I bet you are really curious as to how well it blows. Alright, I can't keep a straight face after saying that, but rest be assured we took a very close look at its real life performance. Utilizing the APH Networks proprietary 'scientific' method (Man that was wordy), we were able to visually see the airflow properties of the two NZXT fans. In the image above, the closer fan is the FX 140LB, and the further one is the FX 120LB. As it can be seen, even at the lowest fan speed, both fans generate a generous amount of airflow; however, the FX 140LB clearly has a higher amount of airflow at the lowest setting. One particular characteristic about the fans is the air flows out consistently, but in a vortex-like shape. In the image below, it is very clear how the air is flowing, but it is also keeping consistent static pressure with airflow, as there was virtually no fluttering.
Before we get into other fan settings, the perceived sound was very interesting for these two fans. For your reference, we use a scale from 0 to 10; where 0 is silent and 10 is the loudest. On 'Low', the NZXT FX 120LB is about a 1.5/10, where as the FX 140LB would sit closer to a 2.0/10 in my personal opinion. I found that both fans have a slight ticking motor noise as they rotate, which is masked by the sound of the airflow, but becomes very clear when you sit extremely close to the fans. This is a clear indication of an audible bearing noise, even with it being a fluid dynamic bearing. I was actually surprised by this considering the two fans that came with the NZXT HAVIK 140 did not produce the same ticking noise. However, you are not likely to hear easily after you install it into your case, so I am writing this just for your reference.
The above image was taken with both fans on the highest setting; however, it looks almost identical as to having them on the medium setting. As obvious as it may sound, one major difference between the two settings was noise and airflow. Neither test had any fluttering with the tissue paper. As you can tell, I used some "advanced stabilization support rods" to keep the fans upright. This was required on medium and high fan speeds, as they would blow themselves over. Literally. I have to say when it comes to performance, these fans are top notch, and certainly provide tons of ventilation when going at full speed. The only catch is that the amount of noise generated is pretty intense.
The perceived loudness of the fans on the medium setting was significantly higher than the lowest setting. For the NZXT FX 120LB, I would rate them at 3.0/10, and the FX 140LB would be even higher at 4.0/10. They can easily be heard, but not over the sound generated by my computers (My computers are pretty loud, though). On the other hand, when I had both fans on the highest setting, I thought I was on an airplane getting ready for takeoff. It honestly sounded like a turbofan engine, and I was convinced if I put the fan face down, it would lift off and hover around like an F-35. To put a number on their perceived loudness, the FX 120LB would sit at 5.0/10, and the FX 140LB is easily a 6.0/10. To top that off, the ticking noise is amplified at the highest fan speed, so with that setting, it would be about as practical as driving a car down the highway on second gear.
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NZXT calls these fans enthusiast fans, but personally I have to call them extremist fans. This is not just because of the sheer amount of airflow generated by these fans on the highest setting, but also because of the sheer amount of noise generated by these fans on the highest setting. However, you are able to dynamically change their speeds by an integrated switch, which allows for a more practical setting of either low or medium during every day usage. I am very glad NZXT thought about this beforehand. For quiet fan enthusiasts extremists, these fans certainly will provide acceptable airflow on the lowest setting, but unfortunately, you might be able to hear the ticking noise from the motors if you are super picky. Obviously, the NZXT FX 120LB and FX 140LB were not specifically made for hardcore quiet PC enthusiasts, but for $14.99 (120mm) and $16.99 (140mm) at press time, these are general purpose case fans that serves its market well. I'm also happy to see that both fans come with a 2-year warranty; this is good for the consumer as it provides assurance that the product should last for at least two years. Personally, I have my computer running 24/7, and 2 years is close to the typical life span of many computer fans. Of course, it is hard to go wrong with the simple and aesthetically pleasing look of the fans. Overall, they certainly do the job, and provided excellent airflow at a reasonable price. If NZXT can make the motors run a little smoother, it will get a little more love.
NZXT provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
NZXT FX 120LB
APH Review Focus Summary:
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks; but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Numeric Rating is 7.0/10
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.
NZXT FX 140LB
APH Review Focus Summary:
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks; but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Numeric Rating is 7.0/10
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.
For the price it commands, the NZXT FX 120LB and FX 140LB are a pair of fans that will blow you away. Literally.
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