Introduction

Laptop technology has advanced greatly over the years with different releases of more powerful and compact systems constantly replacing the top notebooks of the year before. However, improving the performance of laptops usually has the knock on effect of producing more heat and so users will commonly seek advice in order to better cool their laptop. An often used approach to this problem is a Laptop Cooler.

However, most laptop coolers do more than simply draw hot air from your system. Many laptop coolers also have become a key feature in making the experience of using a portable machine at a desk more comfortable overall. Most coolers provide an elevated position for the actual laptop which usually features a sort of incline to the keyboard, thus allowing comfortable angles for typing during the longer sessions at the computer.

Today we have the Coolink LapChilla Laptop Cooler. Coolink has created a cooler which allows you to change the adjustment for your particular use with a multi-angle design.

About the company

“Coolink International Corporation is a cooling specialist established in 1996 and well known among industry insiders. Throughout the years, Coolink designed and manufactured many top-performing heat-sinks under various brand names that succeeded in international markets. An experienced R&D team and ultra-modern production plants in Taiwan ensure continuous progress, efficient manufacturing conditions and strict quality standards.”

Specifications

Fan Specifications

Features

• The all-purpose design fits well with the ergonomics of this product with the 2 different tilt angles
• Extremely light at 0.8 kg and can be collapsed for portability
• Very little noise emitted from the 220mm cooling fan (16dBA)
• The reduction in risk of heat related failures
• Loop-through USB connector saves the amount of USB ports used
• Overall universal design for laptops with a display size of up to 15.4’’
• This product also comes with 2 years warranty

]]> http://tech-reviews.co.uk/reviews/coolink-lapchilla-laptop-cooler/feed/ 0 http://tech-reviews.co.uk/reviews/zaward-golf-fan-ii/ http://tech-reviews.co.uk/reviews/zaward-golf-fan-ii/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:00:50 +0000 Andrew http://tech-reviews.co.uk/?p=2921

Introduction

Many of you wouldn’t have heard of Zaward before and don’t feel disheartened if you’re one, they’re a fairly new company specializing in specifically computer cooling. One of the most innovative products in their catalogue is what’s called the ‘Golf Fan II’. Unlike most case fans, the Golf Fan 2 features a patent golf-ball-like texture on its fins which according to Zaward reduces noise levels by 15% at the same RPM and airflow. Now I’ve reviewed a lot of case fans in my day and many boast large claims like this, to find out whether Zaward’s marketing department are not just playing about, let’s put it to the test and find out whether it’s true to its word.

The second series of Zaward’s Golf Fan’s have a collection of 11 fans altogether of different sizes, specifications and colours. We’ve kindly been sent four by Zaward, which include:

• ZG2-080B
• ZG2-080D
• ZG2-120B
• ZG2-140A

However, for the purpose of this review, we will be analysing just one -the ZG2-120B.

About Zaward

“Zaward Corporation was founded in 1996 as the sole worldwide agent of Globefan Technology Co., Ltd., one of the leading manufacturers of DC fans that established since 1986 in Taiwan to provide major personal computer power supply companies with the best quality products.”

Features

• Unique patent Golf dimple blade reduces 15% noise level at the same RPM & airflow.
• Low Noise level from 10~22.6dBA depends on fan speed.
• Long life expectancy of 60,000 hours in 40 degree C.
• It increases fan’s efficiency and reduces current consumption.
• PWM function supported, starting at low speed minimizing with very low noise level without reducing efficiency. (Not supported on ZG2-140A)

Specifications

]]> http://tech-reviews.co.uk/reviews/zaward-golf-fan-ii/feed/ 2 http://tech-reviews.co.uk/reviews/xigmatek-dragoon-and-cuirassier-memory-heat-spreaders/ http://tech-reviews.co.uk/reviews/xigmatek-dragoon-and-cuirassier-memory-heat-spreaders/#comments Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:47:57 +0000 Andrew http://tech-reviews.co.uk/?p=2533

Introduction

Memory cooling is one of those things that most people leave untouched. There may be several reasons for this: the foremost being that the stock heat spreaders on most memory modules will be sufficient for most user’s needs. But occasionally, there will of course be users who need to push their memory to the limit – particularly overclockers and gaming enthusiasts. These users will therein need some hardcore cooling for their precious RAM. With that in mind I introduce you to the Xigmatek Dragoon and Cuirassier heat spreaders.

About Xigmatek

Several years of experiences company background in Thermal IT industry provides our customer the best, reliable, environmental and performing Thermal/Cooling Systems including excellent Service to fulfill global users and customers demands.

Dragoon Features and Specifications

• H.D.T. (Heat-pipe direct touch) technology
• Vast compatibility across multiple types of memories
• Outstanding cooling efficiency
• Designed for professional gamer
• Supports Dual Channel Memory setup
• Increases overclocking potential
• Optimized for natural convection
• Adhesive thermal tape attached
• Light weight
• Easy installation

Cuirassier Features and Specifications

• Pillar and fin combination provides high performance
• Vast compatibility across multiple types of memories
• Increases overclocking potential
• High thermal efficiency
• Optimized for natural convection
• Pre-applied adhesive thermal tape
• Light weight
• Easy installation

Introduction

Cooling fans have always been a sector of the computer market which has always been improving. With advancements such as silent bearings, PWM control and mixtures of blade designs, it’s always very difficult to choose the very best case fan. But today, Akasa hopes to make the decision simpler with their ‘Apache Fan’.

Features

• Super silent APACHE fans in camouflage colours
• S-FLOW fan blade design delivers 30% higher airflow>
• IP-54 military standard moisture and dust protection
• Super silent with PWM auto speed control
• Hydro Dynamic Bearing extends fan life up to 50,000 hours

Specifications

Akasa’s main unique selling point for this fan is the blade design; Akasa says it delivers 30% higher airflow than ordinary fans.

Introduction

Today at Tech-Reviews we have the TDD-9000 Nexus Cooling Pad. There are many different types of cooling solutions for notebooks available and each claim to work wonders, but the Nexus Liquid Cooling Pad specifically claims of a whopping 17 Degree drop in laptop temperature (based on their own independent tests). It’s now time to find out whether or not their claim is the result of an exaggerated marketing company or reality.

About Nexus

Nexus technology BV was established in 2000 by a group of experts on heat conductivity and noise reduction in the computer industry. The founders have built up an in depth knowledge and experience on heat conductivity issues thermal characteristics by working closely with many of the larger pc manufacturers for several years.

The idea to have a full line of high quality computer components to improve the working environment by reducing noise levels brought the founders together continuously developing our goal: Building a strong and reliable trademark for silent computing.

Features

• Patented Liquid
• Soft black velvet
• No noise – Completely silent
• No energy consumption
• Universal application
• Ideal for use on your lap or desk

Specifications

• Size: 40 x 29 (cm) / 15.7 x 11.4 (inches)
• Weight: 500 grams

Introduction

Vizo is a manufacturer of a vast amount of drive enclosures and it seems that this is their specialist area. However, they also have a large collection of coolers. One are of cooling which is often overlooked is the hard drive. Vizo’s own solution for HD cooling is the Orbiter, today we’ve been lucky enough to get our hands on one.

About Vizo

“VIZO Technology Corporation is a leading global manufacturer and designer of computer peripheral products serving customers around the world. Established in Taiwan in 1992, VIZO has expanded and now operates in the market completely reorganized and prepared to meet the demand for high quality products which are “Made in Taiwan”.”

Specifications

• Dimensions : 101.6 x 94.6 x 17.8 mm
• DC Fan Dimensions : 60 x 60 x 15 mm ( 1 pcs )
• Bearing Type : Sleeve Bearing
• Speed : 3200 RPM
• Noise Level : 20 dBA
• Max Air Flow : 11.6 CFM
• Rated Voltage : DC 12 V
• Operating Voltage : DC 7 V ~ DC 13.2 V
• Starting Voltage : DC 7 V
• Rated Current : 0.17 A
• Compatibility : 3.5" Bay
• Weight : 50 g

Features

• Easy to install for 3.5" HDD
• Single fan provides the maximum airflow and pressure
• Reduce hard disk drive temperature
• Vogue design to decorate you PC
• Extend hard disk drive lifetime
• Blue LED light effect
• Low dBA level

Introduction

Evercool are a very large manufacturer for cooling products. Unfortunately though, Tech-Reviews is still unfamiliar with them and so, our expectations are a bit mixed. But by priding themselves as one of the top 5 cooling manufacturers in Taiwan, our expectations from their products are certainly high. Let’s see if the Evercool Rifling Fan proves itself worthy.

About Evercool

Evercool is the top 5 cooling fan manufacturer in Taiwan, we specialized in pc thermal solutions, especially in the CPU cooling field. Evercool provides the very best products of the highest quality which are cost effective and incorporate the latest in technology and technical design and as always backed by first class service and support.

Specifications

Features

• The unique RIFLING fan design increases airflow, with a compact 80mm frame housing 92mm fan blades.
• At just 17dba the RIFLING fan maximises heat dissipation without increasing volume.
• Compatible with 80mm fan positions.

The Package

The rifling arrived in a vacuum formed plastic packet with a cardboard insert with the specifications and features outlined on it. The insert is quite well laid out and is easy to read and looks quite attractive too. Instead of “bullet points” they actually are “bullet points”, which look like little bullets…wonderful.

When it comes to fans there are only two real things that matter to most people; silence and airflow. These are two things that are also not found together very often as often one is sacrificed in favour of the other. However we are beginning to see increasing amounts of fans which offer both. One such product that hopes to join this select group is the Nexus Real Silent PWM series of case fans.

About Nexus

Nexus Technology BV was established in 2000 by a group of experts on heat conductivity and noise reduction in the computer industry. The founders have build up an in depth knowledge and experience on heat conductivity issues and thermal characteristics by working closely with many of the larger pc manufacturers for several years.

Specifications

• 80x80x25mm with PWM control
  Noise level: from 16.2 d/BA
  Fan speed: 1000~2800 RPM
  Airflow: max. 38 CFM
  Foggy chassis
  incl. ultra-soft Silicone Fan Mounts
• 2x92x25mm with PWM control
  Noise level: from 15.8 d/BA
  Fan speed: 700~2500 RPM
  Airflow: max. 43.5 CFM
  Clear/Foggy chassis
  incl. ultra-soft Silicone Fan Mounts
• 120x120x25mm w. PWM control
  Noise level: from 15.5 d/BA
  Fan speed: 500~2000 RPM
  Airflow: max. 76 CFM
  Clear/Foggy chassis
  incl. ultra-soft Silicone Fan Mounts

The Package

The Real Silents arrived in similar packaging infact the only difference between the 3 fans was the sizes of the packaging and the product specifications on the packaging. The front features Nexus’ trademark whispering woman and the specs for the fan in banners and random labels. The rear of the packaging has the Nexus product promise in several different languages and the specs in the same layout again.

Inside the packaging you will find the fan and a small bag of 4 soft rubber fixings. The Nexus’ themselves are all aesthetically different. The largest spinner – the 120mm one – features a transparent frame, as does the 92mm fan; but the 80mm model has a fully frosted and translucent finish to it. All of them have completely different blade profiles too. The largest of the three has your standard sweeping blade shape, the 92mm fan has a much more square design, and the 80mm fan has a squarish shape with a more round leading edge.

As the fans are all transparent to some degree it is possible to see the inner workings of each. I think that this is pretty cool as you can see the coils of wire, which actually look better than the standard sticker – which when spinning is indistinguishable.

On the other side of the fan is the framework which holds the actual fan in place. Upon this framework there is a Nexus sticker.

On the frame of the two larger fans there are special spaces for the installation of LED’s.

I think that this is a great idea as I for one feel that most fans with LEDs preinstalled look tacky and normally the LED’s are the wrong colour of the style you’re going for. So the fact that you can install your own LED’s and personalise the fans to your liking is surely something that will catch on with products in the future.

As all of the fans are PWM controlled they all have the 4-pin power cable and power connector.

There is quite a range in RPM’s and noise levels between the 3 fans with the loudest smallest and fastest being the 80mm fan and the 120mm fan being the quietest slowest and largest.

Installation, Testing and Results

The installation of all 3 of these fans was incredibly simple with the only mounting mechanism being the super soft rubber pegs. These pegs pulled through the holes easily and held the fans securely to the case. It was then simply a case of connecting the power cables to my motherboard and powering them up.

To test fans there are only a few things we can do: measure noise levels, measure airflow and talk about ease of installation – as I already have.

At lower RPM’s all 3 of the fans were inaudible, especially the large fans. However at higher RPM’s the fans were all audible, he larger fans were however very quiet. So they don’t quite live up to their “Real Silent” branding but they are sure damn close to it.

With regards to airflow the Nexus’ did not disappoint. The blade profiles are all different for a reason; if a fan is smaller then the curvature of the blades needs to be a lot sharper as this will pull more air thus increasing airflow. The airflow was noticeable at all RPM’s tested and it could always be felt by placing your hand in front of the fan about 50cm away.

The larger fans didn’t build up any dust at all over the 2-day non-stop stint for which they were tested but the smaller fan unfortunately built up a lot of dust.

Cost

The smallest of the 3 fans retails for £3.99, the 92mm model retails for £4.59 and the 120mm one retails for £5.99. These prices are quite reasonable for spinners which not only pull a lot of air but also offer very quiet to near silent performance.

Conclusion

The Nexus Real silent PWM series of fans offer great airflow and very low noise levels throughout. I would therefore recommend them to anybody looking to quiet down their PC without sacrificing performance.

Pros

• LED spaces
• Very Quiet
• Good Airflow
• Value for money
• PWM controlled
• Easy installation

Cons

• Not silent

Silence is a wonderful thing, especially when it’s with your computer. With the rise of HTPC’s and the gamers demand for silence when shooting there favourite alien, many companies have jumped onto the band wagon and created silent or at least very quiet fans. Vizo is one such company and they have bought out the ultra quiet super muffle and the automatically speed adjusted freezer fans. Let’s see if they can offer some silent peace in a usually loud case.

About Vizo

VIZO Technology Corporation is a leading global manufacturer and designer of computer peripheral products serving customers around the world. Established in Taiwan in 1992, VIZO has expanded and now operates in the market completely reorganized and prepared to meet the demand for high quality products which are “Made in Taiwan”.

Features

• Magnetic long-life bearing dramatically extends fan lifetime
• Automatic fan speed control via a thermal sensor (Freezer only)
• Reliable & stable
• Ultra quiet / long life

Specifications

Freezer:

• Dimensions : 80 x 80 x 25 mm
• Rated Voltage : 12 V
• Operating Voltage : DC 7 V ~ DC 13.2 V
• Starting Voltage : DC 7 V
• Power Consumption : 1.7~2 W
• Fan Speed: 1900~3000 R.P.M.
• Air Flow : 28.5~44.3 CFM
• Noise : 20~34.5 dBA
• Life Expectancy : 50,000 hrs

Super Muffle:

• Dimensions : 80 x 80 x 25 mm
• Rated Voltage : 12 V
• Operating Voltage : DC 7 V ~ DC 13.2 V
• Starting Voltage : DC 7 V
• Power Consumption : 0.84 W
• Fan Speed: 1500 R.P.M.
• Air Flow : 24.5 CFM
• Noise : <17 dBA
• Life Expectancy : 50,000 hrs

The Package

Both the fans come in the same basic package consisting of a box with an odd, angled opening. The super muffle (innuendo or not you decide) comes with a green and grey colour scheme which looks good with its bright / dull contrast. The freezer comes with a blue and black colour scheme, and a window in the front. Both boxes have features splashed around on the front.

The back of each of the cases is again, basically the same featuring the Vizo logo and fan name at the top followed by features, specifications, a diagram explaining the magnetic bearing and a “what the package includes” section. This is well laid out and informative, nothing to get excited over but it still gives you what you need to know.

In the package there is the fan (obviously), 3-4 pin power adapter and 4 mounting screws. It’s a shame that there are no anti-vibration pegs to help lessen noise even more.

When out of the boxes the fans feel fairly well made and look quite nice with their blue and green centre stickers. The wires feel good as they are covered in braided material and then coated with some sort of rubber which gives a feeling of quality and durability.

The 3-4 pin adapters are very useful for those of us who don’t have enough 3 pin sockets on our motherboards or who want to run all their fans from a single 4 pin Molex plug. 

One potential problem I noticed with the fan blades is that they are not entirely smooth which could trap a lot of dust, thus reducing performance, and of course more importantly, make your case look bad.

Installation

I am using an old centurion 1 case which only has 2 80mm fan slots on it. One of these is behind my hard drive cage and already has a fan that’s incredibly awkward to get out, so I left it there. Instead I installed the super muffle at the rear of my case and with a good’ol bit of British ingenuity I cable tied the freezer and the fan that was in the muffles place on to the front of my case. When I actually screwed the fan into the back slot it was a very easy install. It was then just a case of plugging the fans in.

Testing

To test these fans I’ll look at how well they perform in a loaded system by playing Half Life 2 on full settings. I will also see how quiet they are when performing day to day tasks and see the amount of dust built up on them after a week. For the freezer I will also test its thermal sensor and response to heat by placing a flame near the thermistor poking out of it and see how the fan speed changes.

First of all, putting my system under load, with half life 2 on full settings, made my computer heat up a fair bit. My motherboard controlled the fans automatically and with the fans running at full speed not much could be heard but the temperature stayed under 40 degrees (normal temp 32). The slight sound that could be heard coming from the fans was very faint and would have been inaudible with anti-vibration pegs.

Alternatively I plugged them into my fan speed controller and turned them down to about 2/3 of normal. This meant my system gained about a degree of temperature for the sake of silence – I’d call that a fair trade.

During normal day-to-day use, the fans were silent most of the time when both being controlled by my motherboard. However when my office got hot the freezer fan did start vibrating in its cable ties which rattled a bit but this was solved with a simple tightening of the tie – not the fans fault.

Holding a flame up to the thermistor on the freezer caused the fan to speed up massively in a very short amount of time. I was surprised at this and how much air it was pushing – it practically blew the flame out.

The dust build up after a week was surprisingly small for the freezer with just a little bit on the tip of each fin. However the muffle was a bit dustier being right under my PSU and opposite my CPU cooler. This was still only a little bit of dust that would take a while to build up to anything substantial.

Cost

At about £4 these fans are a real bargain. Perfectly adequate cooling and cheap, what more could you ask for?

Conclusion

Both these fans are very quiet and push a good amount of air. If I had to choose I’d definitely go for the freezer just because of its built in ability to respond quickly to its ambient temperature. However it might also be worth buying some anti-vibration pegs to take that last little whir away.

Pros

• Cheap
• Simple
• Fair looks
• Includes 4-pin adaptor
• Long life
• Not much dust

Cons

• No anti-vibration pegs

Introduction

Fans are often regarded as quite minor parts which make up your computer. However, they are actually very important in keeping your PC both cool and quiet – so quality fans should always be top of ones list when building a computer. Today we’ll be reviewing the Coolink SWiF–1201; advertised as a silent, high performing fan, lets see how this baby performs…

About Coolink

Coolink is a brand of the Kolink International Corporation and stands for an effective conjunction of no-frills performance, excellent quality and attractive pricing. Coolink – the direct link to affordable high-end cooling!

Features

• Excellent airflow performance at minimal noise levels
• High precision double ball bearing
• Manual fan speed control
• PCI mounting bracket for adjustable fan speed knob
• Includes 3-pin to Molex adapter and fan screws
• 36 months warranty

Specifications

The specifications for this fan look very good. 9dBA is incredibly quiet, perhaps silent, so let’s see if this is really true.

The Package

The Coolink SWiF-1201 comes packaged in a nicely styled box featuring a water-coloured artist’s impression of the fan. The colouring is a mixture of blues, whites and black. This classy packaging will make the cooler stand out from the crowd.

Allowing you to get a glimpse of the fan, there is a window on the front. Around the transparency, short features are listed about the fan. This is good as it means you can get an idea on what you’re about to buy.

At the back of the box, it’s fairly simplistic with a bold black background and white text. Bullet pointed is all the features Coolink boast the SWiF-1201 to have. Beneath the features, are the specifications of the 1201 and its big brother, the 1202, these are listed in a table for easy comparison.

Opening the box reveals all the accessories comfortably sitting on the top of the fan. After removing the contents, included is:

• 3 Pin to Molex Adapter
• 4 Fan Screws
• PCI Fan Speed Controller with 3-Pin Extension Lead

Just like the Coolink SWiF-921, no sound dampening pegs are included. This is unfortunate as they help in reducing noise – which this fan is all about. However, there is a fan controller included; this is an unusual addition to the fan because you normally have to buy these as an extra.

Coolink SWiF-1201

Aesthetics wise, the 1201 features a clear translucent frame and an indigo fan. This stands out quite dramatically and gives the illusion the fan is floating with no frame. The plastic feels very strong; the blades should therefore cut the airwaves very easily without much wobble.

Moving to the rear, it’s very similar. At the centre of the SWiF is a sticker (stuck to the frame), on this the DC voltage, power and current of the fan are listed – as well as the model number (SWiF-1201).

Like most spinners, there is a 3-Pin connector attached to the fan – enabling your motherboard to monitor the speed. Luckily for some, if you don’t have an available 3-pin header on your main board, you can use the included 3-Pin to Molex connector to power the fan – although you’ll lose the ability to monitor fan speeds.

The included fan controller features an aluminium knob and a rheostat for changing voltages. The rheostat changes can change the speed of the Coolink from 700RPM to 1200RPM.

Installation

Installing the fan was very simple. As our Test Rig doesn’t have a case, we just needed to plug it all in. However, most users will have a computer in a case – believe it or not – so all that also needs to be done – apart from plugging up cables – is screwing the fan in place. As the fan uses standard fan screws and not ant-vibration pegs, it’s pretty much a case of screwing in four screws.

Testing

The first test was to find out how much the fan speed controller reduced the voltage by. To do this, we hooked the fan up to our Cooler Master PSU and attached the fan to the PSU using the 3-pin to Molex adapter. We tested the voltages from the fan controller at three points on the rheostat: highest speed, lowest speed and the middle speed.

Unfortunately as I don’t have expensive equipment which measures the noise levels at this low dBA, it’ll have to be the trusty human ear test.

At the highest speed setting, the fan was quite loud, although I must admit, there seemed to be plenty of airflow being pushed by the fan. Putting the Coolink down to its medium speed setting, it was still slightly audible, but much quieter than my 8600GT graphics card (which has a Zalman cooler fitted running at low speeds). One last try at getting it silent, I wacked it all the way down to Low speed. At this speed, it was ‘slightly’ audible, but definitely not silent. However it pushed a fair bit of air.

Compared to the Noctua NF-P12, this fan looks much better and the included fan controller is a bonus, however it’s certainly not as quiet as the Noctua and doesn’t push anywhere near as much airflow.

Conclusion

So there we have it, the Coolink SWiF-1201. Altogether this is a very good looking fan, which performs reasonably well. It’s not silent, although it is definitely very quiet and would make an ideal replacement to the generic fans which come with most cases.

With this in mind, let’s see how its performance weighs up with the price. At £10 it’s quite expensive, only £5 less than the Noctua NF-P12. However, if you’re on a budget, and can’t make room for an extra fiver in your budget, then the Coolink is a good buy.