AcoustiFan DustProof 120mm PC Fan

We review a lot of fans and other computer cooling equipment here at OCmodshop.  In some ways, testing fans are quite straightforward, and in other ways they are very subjective.   The noise and airflow ratio produced by any given fan changes as the blades and motor gather dust.  Debris on the blades can actually chip away at the blade edge over time, making it less aerodynamic, which reduces airflow and increases noise.  Dust in the motor means friction, which requires more electricity to move the fan around and increased noise.

Acousti Products believes they have a solution to the dust-in-the-motor solution with their AcoustiFan DustProof AFDP-12025 Ultra Quiet PC Fan.   The company claims that this range of fans are premium quality and ultra-quiet and dust-tolerant.

Features:

• Ultra-quiet operation
• Premium build quality
• Triple speed fan cable accessory
• Sealed fan motor for dust-free operation and reduced noise
• Multiple application (intake, exhaust, CPU, GPU or case modding)
• RPM monitoring enabled
• Reliable long-life expectancy (over 6 years at 25 degrees C)
• 5-volt operation for near-silent operation
• Acoustic case badge for additional noise reduction

Inside the box are several goodies that are expected in premium case fans today.  The kit comes with four rubberized fan mounts, four standard mounting screws, a 3-speed fan cable accessory, and the fan itself with standard 3-pin power cable.  The fan is a standard black color with a colorful sticker on the exhaust side of the hub, which states the fan information.

AcoustiFans are designed for quietness, rather than maximum airflow performance, although their CPM airflow specifications are respectable.   Their ultra-quiet noise level make it ideal for home theater PCs or other applications where silence is a major factor in the build.

The fans can be further silenced with the included speed accessory cable.  This cable takes power in through a standard 4-pin molex adapter, and breaks out into several female 3-pin fan adapters.  A male fan lead is attached, which can be attached to your motherboard to allow for performance monitoring.  Each female lead offers a different amount of resistance, which reduces the voltage to the fan, thus reducing its rotation speed.  Each tier of reduction results in reduced noise and airflow.

Installing the fan is just as simple as any other PC case fan.  You can choose to fasten the fan directly to your chassis by using the included case screws or by using the included rubber mounts.  The rubber mounts (in theory) help reduce case noise by dampening any vibration introduced by the fan.  Another great option is to use a fan gasket between the fan and the case, such as the AcoustiFan gasket reviewed here.  Whichever method you choose, the fan can be mounted in less than a minute.

You can choose to plug the fan directly into your motherboard, use the included speed cables, or plug the fan directly into a fan controller, such as the NZXT Sentry fan controller or Zalman ZM-MFC2 fan controller.  Using a fan controller will give you variable control over all of the fans included in your case, which can help you achieve an overall noise to cooling-performance ratio in your PC rig.

The Acousti Dustproof fan is much quieter than other case fans used, as it delivers 56 cubic feet of air per minute and has a 24 dBA (noise) ratio at a 1500RPM rotation speed.

Although the fan says it is “dustproof”, this only means that the motor is sealed off.  Dust will still readily accumulate on the fan blades and in between the hub and blade assembly, and will require regular maintenance.

The only major downside is that these fans can be hard to find.  The only major online retailer that seems to carry them is QuietPC.

The fan is a really great deal when you consider that you get a high-quality low-noise fan, and it can be further silenced by using an included 3-speed adjuster.  Under extreme conditions, this fan is rated for 6 years, so it should certainly last 10 years or more under normal operation.  Keep in mind the fans is for moderate and low-noise applications, so it’s best to use it with moderate low-heat hardware and not meant for overclocked systems or servers.