Page 4 - Conclusion
Putting aside the bright and brash colors, what do we really have in front of us today? All three of these fans offer a very good balance between noise and airflow. So, the next question is, which one should you buy today? Unfortunately, this is an unfair question, as each of these models have their own purpose, and cannot really be compared side by side. The FW121 is meant to be a slim fan that can fit into smaller builds and offer more flexibility, while still circulating enough air to keep your system cool. Thankfully, it does exactly as it says. With its low airflow comes low noise, which means these slim fans will not produce too much noise from the fan. However, it is lacking any rubber dampeners to reduce vibration against the case, which could be included in the next go around. Next, the FW122 is what I would see as a slightly cheaper alternative to the FQ122. There again are some drawbacks, and one is the produced noise. It is just a bit louder than the FQ122, except it is noticeable. The second drawback, which affects all of the fans in the FW line, is the shorter expected life time of 40000 hours. While this is not low, it is less than a third of the mean time before failure of the FQ122. Our final fan, the FQ122, pulls out all the stops, and provides a similar airflow and consistency, with a longer lasting life and less noise produced in comparison to the FW counterpart. The FQ122 is also the only fans of today's review with sleeved cables. Overall, the FQ122 is really the true balance between performance and noise in my opinion. I still would like to see some improvements made in reducing the noise output, but this is a valiant effort nonetheless. Looking at retailers, the FQ122 retails around $15, the FW122 goes for $13 and the FW121 sells around $11 (All listed prices are in USD). If you are looking for fans balancing between noise and performance, and can be trusted to last longer, then the SilverStone FQ122 is definitely your number one fan. However, if you are working in tighter quarters, then the FW121 is a fan-tastic option.
SilverStone provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
SilverStone FQ122
APH Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that aren't 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 7.6/10
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.
SilverStone FW122
APH Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that aren't 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 7.4/10
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.
SilverStone FW121
APH Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that aren't 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 7.3/10
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
