Page 3 - Performance Tests
While these tests are not the most objective method for fan testing, they do give us some information of important fan attributes, such as airflow, airflow consistency, and the amount of static pressure generated. The fans are set at the edge of a surface to prevent air from bouncing back, which could hide the true characteristics of the fan.
The two fans are only distinguishable by their size. The 140 mm fan is placed on the right in the above picture, while the 120 mm fan is on the left. The cables on the fans themselves are surprisingly short, one of the shortcomings of these fans, and I had to use the included extension cables to be able to reach the fans. How high the tissue paper is pushed up right at the start is an indication of static pressure. The tissue paper should also not only stay high, but have minimal flutter in this area as well. Furthermore airflow consistency is measured by looking at the amount of flutter in the tissue paper, while the airflow is measured by looking at how far away from the fan the tissue paper is lifted. In each of these categories, the two SilverStone AP142 and AP124 fans did well. In both cases, there was very little flutter in the tissue paper closest to the fan and in the middle of the paper. However, the end of the tissue paper of the 140 mm fan fluttered a little bit more. The results prove the fans will do their job well.
Noise is an important factor for many people, especially if it is a large computer having to undertake intensive tasks throughout the majority of the day. The whine of a speeding fan can be extremely annoying. On a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is silent and 10 is loud, the SilverStone AP124-ARGB comes in at at 2.5/10 in idle conditions, while under the load, it ramps up to 4.5/10 on the APH Networks subjective sound scale. The 140mm fans perform similarly, coming in at 2.5/10 for idle and 5.0/10 under the load. Sound is subjective, but I did not find these fans to be unusually loud or be a nuisance in any way.
The RGB settings can only be adjusted if one has a control box, or if there is a RGB header on your motherboard. Each LED can be adjusted to specific colors, meaning there can be any number of combinations. These RGB settings are quite impressive. I do not have a motherboard with RGB capability, but I did have the control box SilverStone sent over, which will have its own review soon. I had a remote to control the LED colors and took pictures of the red and blue. The color is vibrant, even though you cannot fully see the fan in the above pictures. It really does look great. The short cables were the only difficulty in installing the fans, otherwise everything else was really clear and effective. Extension cables are included. All in all, SilverStone has developed a well performing fan with some excellent looks.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware
3. Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
