Page 3 - Performance Tests
To test the performance of the fans, the APH Networks proprietary testing method invented right here at APH Networks was used. While it is by no means the most objective of tests, this allows you to test your fans at a minimum cost using a piece of tissue paper and tape. 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. We have placed the tested fans near the edge of the desk to prevent air from the bottom surface from bouncing back, thereby masking the actual performance characteristics of it. 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.
As we have two different impellers with a standard and a reverse flow direction, I analyzed our results for these fan blades separately. Starting with the standard blade, you can see how the tissue paper flies with a greater air movement on the left side of the fan, with respect to the photo. The back end of the tissue was not raised evenly. We also observed quite a bit of movement on the tissue paper during our tests, which indicated an inconsistent output airflow. Furthermore, while the tissue paper was raised all the way to the end, the dipping on one side of the fan also revealed poorer characteristics with regards to the airflow and static pressure generated from the Thermaltake SWAFAN EX14 ARGB Sync.
Moving to the reverse fan blades, the Thermaltake SWAFAN EX14 ARGB Sync produced similar results but in the opposite direction. This time, with the reverse blade fitted, the tissue paper flew with a greater air movement on the right side. Once again, the back end of the tissue was not raised evenly. There was again quite a bit of movement throughout the tests, which again indicated an inconsistent airflow. My general concerns with the dipping towards one side remained on the reverse blade as well.
Perceived sound is an important factor when testing these fans, as we want a good balance between airflow and noise mentioned in the previous discussion. However, there is a limitation to this, as it can be quite subjective to both the listener and the environment of the fans. The noise levels of this fan were tested independently in a quiet room with all other noises from our system isolated to ensure that we are testing the fan alone. We rate the perceived noise on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is complete silence and 10 is the loudest. For the Thermaltake SWAFAN EX14 ARGB Sync fans at maximum speed, I would rate these fans at approximately 5.5/10 in the standard direction and 6.0/10 in the reverse direction. These fans were a quite a bit louder at full speed, which is somewhat understandable considering its rotational speed and airflow output. Even so, it was still noisier than I would have wanted.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware
3. Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
