X-bit labs

Roundup: 11 Fans for Two Super-Coolers and One System Case (page 2)

Category: Coolers

by Sergey Lepilov

[ 04/07/2008 | 07:35 PM ]

Cooler Master LED Silent Fan (TLF-S12-ER-GP)

This is a pretty old model of a Cooler Master fan. It comes in a transparent plastic box:

The detailed technical specifications of the fan including the cable length are printed on a paper leaflet inside the box. At the bottom of the package there is a pack with retention screws and a three-pin-to-Molex adapter:

The fans are made of transparent plastic:

The claimed constant rotation speed of a 7-blade fan equals 1200 (±120) RPM. The fan generates 42.73CFM airflow. The static pressure is pretty decent even for many contemporary models and equals 1.56mmH2O, which is most likely attained due to progressively shaped long falcated blades:

The specifications claim the 22dBA level of generated noise. Our measurements, however, indicated that the fan produced 33.8dBA of noise measured at 1m distance. We can’t say that the fan operates as quietly in this mode as the manufacturer claims, but the noise level is quite moderate.

Judging by the fan rotor sticker and PL12S12L-4 marking, these Cooler Master fans are in fact manufactured by Power Logic Technology Inc.:

The motor made no crackling noises during operation, even after 6 months of constant use of these fans as case fans. The fan sleeve bearing is claimed to last 30,000 hours. It is remarkable that the fan can be powered by 5V as well as 7V source.

The cable is 300mm long, the Molex adapter adds another 150mm to it. The fans are pretty light-weight – only 120g. The distinguishing feature of this fan model is the availability of fans with four different types of highlighting: red, green, blue and arrange. There are four LEDs on rotor stands for that:

Cooler Master LED Silent Fan is priced at $9.