Case fans are the one part of a computer that many people overlook in the midst of such techno-talk as new GPUs, SLI compatibility, and SATA hard drives. I, however, have had a very nasty experience with an overheating computer and I never wish to live through the ordeal again. In comes Nanoxia, a German manufacturer with nothing but the cool side of life on their mind. (Editor: You know the Germans make good stuff… ;)
The three Nanoxia products I reviewed were simply their FX08 80 millimeter fan, their FX09 92 millimeter fan, and finally their FX12 120 millimeter fan. First things first, each fan not only comes with, obviously, the fan itself, but four of their Vibekiller shock absorber bolts, a fan speed controller, and a 10 year warranty. The amount of extras given with the product allow for a much more customized feel to a computer enthusiast, and the warranty insures that you needn’t worry about never having one in your possession.
Features and Specifications
Carefully selected components, an optimized design both in electronics and aerodynamics, state-of-the-art manufacturing technology, a matchless quality control and further process optimizations make Nanoxia fans the prime selection both for PC enthusiasts and industrial applications.
One factor that makes Nanoxia fans reach this incredible level of running smoothness and durability is the bearing, made from nanotechnology composite material. The Nanoxia fan bearings were specially developed for industrial application and allow operation even in extreme environments. The construction prevents the intrusion of foreign substances – Nanoxia FX fans perform perfectly even in dusty surroundings or underwater! The bearing needs no additional lubricant, since there is neither abrasion nor contamination in the bearing housing. After fabrication, every single fan gets checked and thoroughly tested.
Nanoxia FX fans guarantee an optimum of quality, which we ensure to our customers in the form of a ten year warranty.
|
List of contents: 1x Nanoxia FX fan 1x Nanoxia FCX fan controller 4x Nanoxia Vibekiller Bolts |
| Model | FX12-1250 | FX12-2000 | FX09-1400 | FX08-3000 |
| Dimensions | 120x120x25 | 120x120x25 | 92x92x25 | 80x80x25 |
| Rotation Speed (UPM) | 1,250 | 2,000 | 1,400 | 3,000 |
| Airflow (m³/h) | 80,52 | 134,46 | 43.00 | 79.52 |
| Airflow (CFM) | 47,39 | 79,14 | 25.31 | 45.75 |
| Acoustical Noise (dbA) | 17 | 33 | 13 | 27 |
| Static Pressure (mm H²O) | 1,53 | 2,97 | 1.11 | 3.21 |
| Input power (W) | 12 | 2,36 | 0.60 | 2.76 |
| Voltage Range | 4-13 | 4-13 | 4-13 | 4-13 |
| Input Current (A) | 0.1 | 0.28 | 0.05 | 0.23 |
| Service Life | 150,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 |
| VPE | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 |
The extras are all great and a bed of roses (or whatever the old adage is), but what makes Nanoxia’s fans truly great is their performance. Many people would say a fan is a fan, but in this case I would definitely have to disagree. I began with one of the FX08s in a custom computer I have running a:
- PNY Geforce 8800
- Western Digital Caviar 250 GB HDD
- Striker Extreme motherboard
- LG CD/DVD-R
- Intel E6600 processor
The fan took a couple of seconds to start up when I turned on the machine, but when it did I would not have noticed it had I not been watching. These fans are the ninjas of the case fan world; they are deathly silent. When combined with the Vibekiller bolts, these fans are everything but invisible to the eye. The Vibekiller bolts keep any shaking the fan may cause (which they don’t) from rattling the computer’s case. I let the computer run a while, played a bit of The Witcher: Enhanced Edition on it, and did a simple feel test to see if the air was exiting the back any harder and cooler. Not to my surprise, the air was noticeably chillier and (compared to the other case fan I had been using) the air was coming out with much more force. The FX08 ran smoothly the entire time.
I next did the same with both the FX09 and FX12, and they each measured up to the standards their younger brother had set for them. Now, a bit about the fans themselves. The FX08 I was running is the 3000 model, compared to the slightly weaker 1600 and 2200. The 3000 spits out more cubic meters of air in an hour than the others, 79.52 cubic meters to be exact. If one cubic meter is about the size of 11 normal size cardboard boxes, you do the math. This is compared to 54.35 cubic meters per hour on the 2200 model and 32.5 on the 1600. This is because the 3000 runs at 3000 RPM, hence the model number 3000. Each model shows all of the information conveniently on the back of the box, such as acoustical noise, static pressure in water, input power, and voltage range, so pick up which one suits your needs the best.
Finally, I had to truly test these fans to the max. It’s great that they consider these exceptionally durable, made out of high quality materials, and silent. But the true test comes to whether or not they can survive what the manufacturer says they can: water. To test this, I not only ran water over the FX08 for a minute, I then completely submerged it in the sink for another two minutes. I retrieved it, brought it straight to the computer, after wiping off the wiring, of course, and plugged it in…
It cranked right up! Absolutely brilliant. However, I will say this as a warning, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. There are plenty of other parts in your computer that aren’t waterproof, so don’t chance it. And I know you’re probably thinking, “Well, why would I need a waterproof fan?” The answer is: you don’t. Maybe you got upset over a wrongful death in Call of Duty 4 (walkthrough here) and, in your fit of blind rage, knocked over your glass of water all over your computer. Trust me, everything else may fry, but the Nanoxia fan will be one part you can salvage for your the rebuild. The point is that these fans are so well made that they can survive electronics’ worst enemy, come out, and perform as if they had just come out of the box. Check the pictures for a look at exactly what I did to the fan. The last photo shows the FX08 blowing a piece of paper after having been submerged.
All in all, I would recommend these fans to anyone who needs a fix to a computer that’s running too hot. They’re aesthetically appealing, though they have no LEDs which hurt me. (I love LEDs!) The neon green makes for a great custom look to any build, and the performance is absolutely exceptional. These green machines can run with the best of them, but they’d also be perfect for a non-enthusiast who really wants to be able to put his case’s side cover back on and keep the floor fan from being his main cooling accessory (Tyler Pilgrim, circa 2004). Needless to say, Nanoxia has practically perfected the case fan idea, and I would have no recommendations to increase their performance. My only thought now is make different colors and add LEDs!
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||