Hmmm... the internal edges look... bad.
yep, i keep pressing them down but i cant get them to stick properly
Second Build - University
- Thread starter panyan
- Start date
yep, i keep pressing them down but i cant get them to stick properly
thanks a lot, it is very encouraging that others like my work
im working on the watercooling
I will be putting these fans into my build over the next few weeks when my new case arrives, so i thought i;d post up my review here as well
I must first apologise that this review has taken so long; I was waiting for my Bitfenix Spectre Pro's to arrive as well so that i could compare all three 140mm fans. Anyway, seeing as they havent, and i dont want to keep you waiting any longer, i thought i'd just post up my initial thoughts. I will do a longer, more thorough review when i get the other fans.
Anyway, this is the packaging - i think it is rather smart
This is what is in the box - a very nice looking fan, and some fan screws
The fan is really nicely made, nice solidity to the plastic, no creaking when flexed
The front of the blades are smooth, but the backs are rough - i assume this is either to help airflow or for LED versions to shine more evenly (this is not an LED version, but i assume the same frame is used for LED versions)
The only spare 140mm fan i had to compare it to was this Coolermaster 140mm fan, the Phobya Fan is nicely smoked, with a smart black sleeving and is heatshrinked well at the ends - it is also a PWM version which reduces noise when idling
In contrast the Coolermaster fan is smooth black plastic, with no definition of the blades, no sleeving and a horrid looking connector - the Phobya outpaces it by a mile in terms of build quality and asthetics
Finally, i would like to talk about the structure of the fans. The corners have these V-shaped strengthening posts in them that really do give the plastic its rigidity. I also imagine this is where the LED's are put into the frame, but i cannot state this conclusively - it is just an observation.
Overall i am very impressed by these fans:
- fantastic build quality
- Braided cable with heatshrunk ends
- PWM functions
- Black connector
In terms of cost, these fans are £10.99 (here). If i were to compare these to another 140mm PWM fan, the popular Akasa Apache Black 140mm PWM fans (here) i would say they are better value for money.
I am yet to test performance, but at 2/3rds of the cost, i would recommend the Phobya fans over the Apache.
The first thing i would do is contact overclockers about it. If they cant help you, then contact Coolermaster and ask them.
If you want to get it sorted quickly, just remove the top panel (8 plastic latches) and just use some needlenose pliers and carefully bent it back to being flat. The outside of the USB port doesnt do anything apart from guide the plug to the correct seating. The internal plastic and 4 pins are the most important thing NOT to touch!
(i am not responsible if you damage anything
)Thanks. I contacted OCUK and they basically told me to it wasn't their problem anymore. I visited CM website myself and left them an email. Hopefully they'll send me a replacement or fix it.
Only reason I ask is that under warranty on CM it says I have to pay postage to them which would cost a fair bit with the case (I imagine £10) so if they say that, it'd be cheaper to fix myself. But I hope I have to pay nothing as it's clearly a manufacturer fault.
Thanks dude and nice build
I have never RMA'd a case, but from what ive read on the forums, im doubtful that they would ask you to ship it back.
Lets hope they send you a new top panel and everything is good
thanks - hope you like the build - subscribe to the thread for updates (got a good one coming up
Case looks great, just let down a little by the small ripples around the edges of the window area. If you could fix those then it would look awesome!
I have ordered a new case, i wont spoil the surprise, but it should look very nice
nice job with the carbon wrap makes a nice change to the case. But you have a new one on the way you say?
Yep, a new case for Project Othello
I will be starting a new watercooled project in easter where the 690 will make a return (i dont know if i will keep the carbon panel or not yet)
anyway, keep your eyes peeled as i have a new case, braided cables and new LED lighting to replace the CCFLs
this is my review of the fans ive put into the new case
youll also get a peak of the new case, but ill put up a proper build log at a later date
In this review i talk about the new Bitfenix Spectre Pro Fans that were provided from Kul1 who is the Bitfenix Rep on this forum - so a BIG thank you to him
I will be comparing these fans to the "Phobya Nano-G 14 PWM Silent Edition" fans which i reviewed here - a BIG thank you to OcUK for these
Also, this is my first time using a light-tent, im still learning my way around a camera
Anyway, here are the Bitfenix fans
Their packaging is very appealing, it has a sort of Industrial/Gothic kinda look about it - very nice
Once inside the package, you get the fan, metal fan screws (black), silicone anti-vibration fan mounts, a fan->molex adapter AND an LED on/off lead
On an interesting note, that LED lead is basically a font-panel extension cable, so i was thinking of attaching it to my HDD access Front panel indicator and watch the fan blink when using the HDD
What is very clear is the amount of detail and thought that Bitfenix have put into making these fans, they have even branded the rim of the fan, you would only see this during installation and it really adds to the confidence in the product because they have obviously spent a great deal of time designing these
Even in something as insignificant as the cable, it is flat, black ribbon cable with a black connector - this is stacking up to be a really impressive fan!
On the back of the fans, you can see there are much more strengthening posts than on a regular fan (only 4)
Another interesting feature is that the frame (which looks fantastic BTW) has fan holes for both 120mm and 140mm mounts
And for the modders out there that like to change the colours of your LED's, this seems very simple as they are just slotted into the outside with easy access
Comparing this to the Phobya fan, one can see that the designs are very different
The Phobya fan is much more understated, with a smoked black design and nice curved blades, it does look very sophisticated. On the other hand, the Spectre Pro's are much more Industrial looking, with very strong, striking features. The Spectre Pro's have a presence that the Phobya fans lack.
The construction of the Spectre Pro's and the Phobya fans are second to none, i can bend and flex the frame and there is no creaking and little deflection - both have very decent build quality.
The Spectre Pro's also come with more kit than the Phobya and there are a few extra touches, like the black fan screws rather than the plain silver with the Phobya, that really stand out.
I have also been given the 200mm Spectre Pro fan. I had actually bought a new case and was going to replace the stock fans with the Spectre Pro's so i took a few pics when i was changing them out
This is the stock fan; a 200mm Corsair fan that is 20mm thick and claims to run at 1000RPM and move 39CFM
And this is the Spectre Pro i will be replacing it with, Bitfenix claim that it is 900RPM and it moves 150CFM!!!
Something that one may not be aware of is that the 200mm Spectre Pro is one of the largest fans to use such a good bearing (Fluid Dynamic Bearings (FDB)) and other 200mm fans use much lower qwuality bearings - Good one Bitfenix!
Interestingly, the Bitfenix has many fan mounting positions and can fit a variety of mounting holes
Also, look at how much bigger the bearing is in the middle of that fan! That shows how high the quality of these fans are!
The Bitfenix fan is 25mm thick as oppose to the 20mm of the stock Corsair fan which is why it can afford to have such sculpted fan blades and uprated bearings - and the CFM really slow the increase! 39CFM->148CFM!!!
Since moving from the Stock fans to the Bitfenix fans, max GPU temps have dropped from 85 to 78, which is reasonably good - that is a 7 degree drop for little change in noise - i am quite impressed with these
In conclusion, i am very very impressed by these Bitfenix fans. I would go as far as to say that i prefer the styling over the Phobya fans. One must remember, however, that these are made for different jobs. The Phobya is very much a powerful workhorse that is understated and meant for attaching to a radiator in a watercooling setup. The Bitfenix is much more exotic looking, with some very useful features. I would seriously recommend the Bitfenix Spectre Pro's to any consumer that wants a really good fan and a really good looking fan too!
Just by chance, i also recently bought some Bitfenix Alchemy Extension Cables and i would like to add: If Bitfenix continue to provide such quality items - they will have a devotee in me
youll also get a peak of the new case, but ill put up a proper build log at a later date
In this review i talk about the new Bitfenix Spectre Pro Fans that were provided from Kul1 who is the Bitfenix Rep on this forum - so a BIG thank you to him
I will be comparing these fans to the "Phobya Nano-G 14 PWM Silent Edition" fans which i reviewed here - a BIG thank you to OcUK for these
Also, this is my first time using a light-tent, im still learning my way around a camera
Anyway, here are the Bitfenix fans
Their packaging is very appealing, it has a sort of Industrial/Gothic kinda look about it - very nice
Once inside the package, you get the fan, metal fan screws (black), silicone anti-vibration fan mounts, a fan->molex adapter AND an LED on/off lead
On an interesting note, that LED lead is basically a font-panel extension cable, so i was thinking of attaching it to my HDD access Front panel indicator and watch the fan blink when using the HDD
What is very clear is the amount of detail and thought that Bitfenix have put into making these fans, they have even branded the rim of the fan, you would only see this during installation and it really adds to the confidence in the product because they have obviously spent a great deal of time designing these
Even in something as insignificant as the cable, it is flat, black ribbon cable with a black connector - this is stacking up to be a really impressive fan!
On the back of the fans, you can see there are much more strengthening posts than on a regular fan (only 4)
Another interesting feature is that the frame (which looks fantastic BTW) has fan holes for both 120mm and 140mm mounts
And for the modders out there that like to change the colours of your LED's, this seems very simple as they are just slotted into the outside with easy access
Comparing this to the Phobya fan, one can see that the designs are very different
The Phobya fan is much more understated, with a smoked black design and nice curved blades, it does look very sophisticated. On the other hand, the Spectre Pro's are much more Industrial looking, with very strong, striking features. The Spectre Pro's have a presence that the Phobya fans lack.
The construction of the Spectre Pro's and the Phobya fans are second to none, i can bend and flex the frame and there is no creaking and little deflection - both have very decent build quality.
The Spectre Pro's also come with more kit than the Phobya and there are a few extra touches, like the black fan screws rather than the plain silver with the Phobya, that really stand out.
I have also been given the 200mm Spectre Pro fan. I had actually bought a new case and was going to replace the stock fans with the Spectre Pro's so i took a few pics when i was changing them out
This is the stock fan; a 200mm Corsair fan that is 20mm thick and claims to run at 1000RPM and move 39CFM
And this is the Spectre Pro i will be replacing it with, Bitfenix claim that it is 900RPM and it moves 150CFM!!!
Something that one may not be aware of is that the 200mm Spectre Pro is one of the largest fans to use such a good bearing (Fluid Dynamic Bearings (FDB)) and other 200mm fans use much lower qwuality bearings - Good one Bitfenix!
Interestingly, the Bitfenix has many fan mounting positions and can fit a variety of mounting holes
Also, look at how much bigger the bearing is in the middle of that fan! That shows how high the quality of these fans are!
The Bitfenix fan is 25mm thick as oppose to the 20mm of the stock Corsair fan which is why it can afford to have such sculpted fan blades and uprated bearings - and the CFM really slow the increase! 39CFM->148CFM!!!
Since moving from the Stock fans to the Bitfenix fans, max GPU temps have dropped from 85 to 78, which is reasonably good - that is a 7 degree drop for little change in noise - i am quite impressed with these
In conclusion, i am very very impressed by these Bitfenix fans. I would go as far as to say that i prefer the styling over the Phobya fans. One must remember, however, that these are made for different jobs. The Phobya is very much a powerful workhorse that is understated and meant for attaching to a radiator in a watercooling setup. The Bitfenix is much more exotic looking, with some very useful features. I would seriously recommend the Bitfenix Spectre Pro's to any consumer that wants a really good fan and a really good looking fan too!
Just by chance, i also recently bought some Bitfenix Alchemy Extension Cables and i would like to add: If Bitfenix continue to provide such quality items - they will have a devotee in me
dont worry, there is no more carbon fibre, no more panel, no more 690 even!
I have a brand new case that i will unveil to you all soon and upload some nice images
have a read of my spectre pro review and you may see a sneak peak of the new case
and subscribe to the thread for notification of the update
look what i have gotten myself
mmmm, beauty isnt she?
i think ill move these drives
drive bays
a lot of stuff included from Corsair, im very pleased with this purchase
quiet roomy!
i think ill try to replace these fans, ive heard they arent very good
i like how they have black on all the front panel cables
yeah, remove the hdd cages, it will improve airflow
cages removed - very clean
i love how the plastic is such high quality and covers the entire cage
i dont think i'll use the fan speed controller, ive heard it dies easily
dvd drive wouldnt go in becuase of these cables, design flaw No. 1
every fan has these rubber AV grommets - good one Corsair!
removed that silly plastic box thing too
Spectre Pro fan bolted into the front
used a lot of AV washers to make it nice and quiet - and it is
ill remove the top fan as well, it isnt above the D-14 so a bit pointless
140mm spectre pro installed in 120mm fan holes - nice one Bitfenix - why no 140mm holes Corsair?
and the spacing means i cant install another 140mm fan
LED light strips installed - very discreet - but i wish the cables was braided and a bit longer
hdd cage moved into the centre position, LED lead hidden beneath
had to cut out the pci blacking plate on the other side, why passthrough USB3 Corsair? Flaw 3
i thought i;d crack open the 1.5tb external that ive had for a few years and shove that in too
stuff to install into the new case
mobo and stuff into case
getting it all together
lovely bitfenix alchemy extensions in too
all the hard drives in, 5.5tb of awesomeness, the ssd is hidden around the back
Overall i am very impressed with the 600t:
- i really like the finish,
-the plastic is fantastic quality,
-the curves are gorgeous,
-the build quality is very good,
-i like the standoff-centre-post that holds the mobo for you,
- the grommets are very good quality
- the dust filters are fantastic
- the flexibility of the hard drive cages is good
- the amount of space in the back is very good for cable management
There were a few things that they could improve however:
-the plastic in the window is poor quality (and creaks),
-they have a usb3 passthrough but an ugly system to get it round AND it didnt even reach up to my mobo usb3 port!
- the hole for plugging in the hard drives when in the centre position is too small and would be grommeted for if you dont want to use the hdd's in the centre position
- top 140mm fan holes would have been nice
- i didnt like their ODD tooless system, it wasnt as seamless as the Coolermaster one
- there is not enough space for a watercooling radiator without modding
mmmm, beauty isnt she?
i think ill move these drives
drive bays
a lot of stuff included from Corsair, im very pleased with this purchase
quiet roomy!
i think ill try to replace these fans, ive heard they arent very good
i like how they have black on all the front panel cables
yeah, remove the hdd cages, it will improve airflow
cages removed - very clean
i love how the plastic is such high quality and covers the entire cage
i dont think i'll use the fan speed controller, ive heard it dies easily
dvd drive wouldnt go in becuase of these cables, design flaw No. 1
every fan has these rubber AV grommets - good one Corsair!
removed that silly plastic box thing too
Spectre Pro fan bolted into the front
used a lot of AV washers to make it nice and quiet - and it is
ill remove the top fan as well, it isnt above the D-14 so a bit pointless
140mm spectre pro installed in 120mm fan holes - nice one Bitfenix - why no 140mm holes Corsair?
and the spacing means i cant install another 140mm fan
LED light strips installed - very discreet - but i wish the cables was braided and a bit longer
hdd cage moved into the centre position, LED lead hidden beneath
had to cut out the pci blacking plate on the other side, why passthrough USB3 Corsair? Flaw 3
i thought i;d crack open the 1.5tb external that ive had for a few years and shove that in too
stuff to install into the new case
mobo and stuff into case
getting it all together
lovely bitfenix alchemy extensions in too
all the hard drives in, 5.5tb of awesomeness, the ssd is hidden around the back
Overall i am very impressed with the 600t:
- i really like the finish,
-the plastic is fantastic quality,
-the curves are gorgeous,
-the build quality is very good,
-i like the standoff-centre-post that holds the mobo for you,
- the grommets are very good quality
- the dust filters are fantastic
- the flexibility of the hard drive cages is good
- the amount of space in the back is very good for cable management
There were a few things that they could improve however:
-the plastic in the window is poor quality (and creaks),
-they have a usb3 passthrough but an ugly system to get it round AND it didnt even reach up to my mobo usb3 port!
- the hole for plugging in the hard drives when in the centre position is too small and would be grommeted for if you dont want to use the hdd's in the centre position
- top 140mm fan holes would have been nice
- i didnt like their ODD tooless system, it wasnt as seamless as the Coolermaster one
- there is not enough space for a watercooling radiator without modding
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ooh nice
thanks
BTW, one thing i forgot to mention is that i was surprised how few cable-tie points there were on the back of the motherboard tray, i thought Corsair would have designed it with lots, but apparently not
Enermax Platimax 850W
I must say a BIG thank you to Enermax and Mrs Kogan who has sent me this power supply - i really appreciate your support throughout my project
Right then - lets have a look at it shall we?
One thing that is immediately obvious is the size of the box - it is bigger than motherboard boxes!
That means only good things can be in there
You are firt greeted by the shining black nickel fan grill - it really looks fantastic!
the matt black rugged surface really contrasts with the shininess of the top fan - it looks VERY sofisticated
The included accessories are the screws, case badge, velcro cable ties and a bent piece of wire that i will get onto later
everything is beautifully presented and the excess modular cables have their own little pouch
The PSU is semi modular which i think is very clever - everyone will need the standard cables so why not just have them straight from the psu?
The included cables come as 4 pairs:
- 2x 2x 8 pin pcie cables
- 2x sata cables
- 2x sata + molex cables (GENIUS!!!)
- 1x molex + floppy
The back of the modular pcie connections - these click in really firm and the wires are much thicker than normal to account for the higher currents being passed through them - the whole think is just QUALITY!
one thing i have never seen before is that some of the cables split into two along their length, i cannot make up my mind whether this is a good idea or not: yes they take up less roon on the psu and have less mess at the box, but the wires must be limited by their current now?
i know it has been said many times, but the sleeving leaves a lot to be desired and you can even see the bare cable through the sleeve
lets get onto the main event shall we!
the PSU is standard size, but weight a lot more than any other psu ive ever used (TX650 in my current system) - this thing is just so well built its untrue
little glimpse of some MASSIVE capacitors in there!
there are a lot of copper coils, all in different colours, with heatshrink around them
ah, yes, that bent piece of wire!
that clips into the back of the psu and holds the wire so that nobody accidently removes it when moving around the machine - very cool idea!
(shame that it doesnt fit on the supplied german plug though?)
the semi-modular bit of the PSU means that these cables are permenantly attached, but we all need those right?
even looks understated from the back
the white on the sides is not just painted over the rugged surface, the whilte is actually part of the surface - it is just sublime!
Overall i would have to say that this is the best PSU i have ever held - the quality of the workmanship, the thought into every detail, the advanced features - it really is just an incredible piece of engineering - i FULLY recommend these to anyone who is serious about their power requirements!
I must say a BIG thank you to Enermax and Mrs Kogan who has sent me this power supply - i really appreciate your support throughout my project
Right then - lets have a look at it shall we?
One thing that is immediately obvious is the size of the box - it is bigger than motherboard boxes!
That means only good things can be in there
You are firt greeted by the shining black nickel fan grill - it really looks fantastic!
the matt black rugged surface really contrasts with the shininess of the top fan - it looks VERY sofisticated
The included accessories are the screws, case badge, velcro cable ties and a bent piece of wire that i will get onto later
everything is beautifully presented and the excess modular cables have their own little pouch
The PSU is semi modular which i think is very clever - everyone will need the standard cables so why not just have them straight from the psu?
The included cables come as 4 pairs:
- 2x 2x 8 pin pcie cables
- 2x sata cables
- 2x sata + molex cables (GENIUS!!!)
- 1x molex + floppy
The back of the modular pcie connections - these click in really firm and the wires are much thicker than normal to account for the higher currents being passed through them - the whole think is just QUALITY!
one thing i have never seen before is that some of the cables split into two along their length, i cannot make up my mind whether this is a good idea or not: yes they take up less roon on the psu and have less mess at the box, but the wires must be limited by their current now?
i know it has been said many times, but the sleeving leaves a lot to be desired and you can even see the bare cable through the sleeve
lets get onto the main event shall we!
the PSU is standard size, but weight a lot more than any other psu ive ever used (TX650 in my current system) - this thing is just so well built its untrue
little glimpse of some MASSIVE capacitors in there!
there are a lot of copper coils, all in different colours, with heatshrink around them
ah, yes, that bent piece of wire!
that clips into the back of the psu and holds the wire so that nobody accidently removes it when moving around the machine - very cool idea!
(shame that it doesnt fit on the supplied german plug though?)
the semi-modular bit of the PSU means that these cables are permenantly attached, but we all need those right?
even looks understated from the back
the white on the sides is not just painted over the rugged surface, the whilte is actually part of the surface - it is just sublime!
Overall i would have to say that this is the best PSU i have ever held - the quality of the workmanship, the thought into every detail, the advanced features - it really is just an incredible piece of engineering - i FULLY recommend these to anyone who is serious about their power requirements!
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That's a nice looking psu
My ocz1000w makes a terrible noise when it's on, always been a fan of enermax owned them for years. They make bloody good psu's!!
ive got an ocz 750w in a friends build and im concerned how long it will go before it pops
yeah, this enermax is incredible
and thanks for the support, it means a lot
I wish I had enough money for an enermax psu
says the guy that has this system: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6539852001_7501e2fdc7_b.jpg
but yeah, it is a very nice PSU
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thanks - that means a lot
you mean this system?
SUPER-impressive dude!
at easter im gonna be doing my first watercooled rig - SO excited
thanks
im hoping my watercooled project looks as good as yours
YES! now that is what i like to see - that has made my day
Thanks panyan
np mate
there are two massive things that i have noticed:
1) the fan is a touch louder than i expected - nothing major - bit i sit next to the machine so it is noticeable
2) this fan moves a lot of air - the front is covered in dust within 24hours of cleaning (and my room is rather clean
)overall i am very impressed with this fan - it really shifts a lot of air - but personally i;d try running it at 7 volts with an adapter or something to restrict its noise and dust buildup