AcoustiFan AF80CT - Testing - AF80CT
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To test the AcoustiFan AF80CT, I compared it to another 80mm sleeve fan made by Cooler Master which runs at a constant 2200 RPM. Upon plugging in the AF80CT, it was immediately clear to me this fan is aimed only at being ultra quiet. It pushes very little air, but is also very quiet. I was only able to hear noise by putting it up close to my ear, and even then I was only hearing air being sucked past my ear and not the fan really making noise.
Again, though quiet, the AF80CT pushes very little air. By putting my hand up against the fan and then moving it away slowly, I could not feel air being blown after moving just 3-4 inches away whereas I could still feel a strong current of air 6 inches away from the Cooler Master fan.
There is an enormous difference in the recorded audio files of the two fans tested - one being barely audible and the other relatively loud. I used the microphone on a Plantronics .Audio 90 headset, placing it against the center of the fans to do the recording. Click the links below and listen yourself!
(Mp3 - 120KB each)
Unfortunately, I was unable to read the RPM speed of the AF80CT. Hardware Monitor would just report the speed jumping from 0 to 1200 to 2500 RPM, and sometimes freeze on 2200 RPM.
The included in-line resistor is used to further decrease the RPM/noise of the fan. In my testing, I could not hear much of a change in noise with the resistor in use, but the fan was spinning at such a low RPM that I was actually able to see it spinning slower than before.
Holding the AF80CT in my hand, motor vibration was minimal at most. It was evident that the rubber/gel mounts are not necessary when mounting the fan inside a case.
Next: Conclusion >>
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