Associate
Item description
Bitfenix Spectre 120mm case fan. Black with Orange LEDs
Manufacturer and code
BFF-BLF-12025O-RP
Cost
£4.70
Supplier
Deleted by G-Dubs in respect of forum rules
Description and overview
A case fan from new kids on the block Bitfenix (pronounced Bit-Phoenix).
The fan reviewed here is the 120mm version with orange LEDs. However Bitfenix produce this fan in a total of 5 LED colours and 4 sizes. The fan is also available as a non LED fan in both black and white. So something for everyone here then.
First impressions and quality.
The fan comes packaged in a rather sleek looking satin black finish card box with the Bitfenix name and logo in white and a simple window to allow the fan inside to be viewed. The rear of the box gives details of features and specification. This is an example of a company getting the packaging right. It's classy, it displays the item inside and it doesn't injure you when you try to get into it (I'm looking at you blister packs). At the same time you're not left wondering how much of the price of the item inside went on the packaging, as is the case with mobile phone packaging for example.
Inside we find the fan, a packet of 4 fan mounting screws and a separate cable for attaching the fan to a Bitfenix Hydra fan LED controller (sold separately).
Both the body of the fan and the blades are made from the same semi transparent black tinted plastic. The plastic feels solid and robust and although there is a bit of flex in the blades they don't give the impression of being easily broken off.
In addition to the Orange one I have here the Spectre fan is also available with Green, Red, Blue and White LEDs. The fan is also available as a non LED in both gloss black and gloss white. The range also provides for 120mm, 140mm, 200mm and 230mm mounting (for all the tech and full details of the range please see the Bitfenix website).
http://www.bitfenix.com/global/en/products/accessories/spectre-led#specs
Instructions
Instructions wise we're left to fend for ourselves as none are provided. You could say it's just a fan for heaven's sake, how hard can it be? But there's a first time for everyone and it's not necessarily obvious what goes where inside a case. This sentiment is made especially pertinent by the inclusion of an additional cable to link the fan to a Bitfenix Hydra LED controller. The Hydra is sold separately and allows the intensity of the LEDs to be altered from full on to full off with everything in between. Although mention is made on the box of "On-the-fly LED On/Off Switching", and that this is achieved with the addition of the Hydra it doesn't link this feature to the additional cable in the box. I was fortunate enough to also have the Hydra at my disposal and although, to quote Winnie the pooh, "I'm a bear of very little brain" I was able to work out reasonably quickly what the extra cable was for and what went where. Quite simply if you have a the Hydra you merely unplug a small jumper plug and wire from the Spectre, and use the additional cable to link the now vacant socket to the Hydra unit. You can now control the brightness of this fan and up to an additional 8 Spectre fans.
Fitting.
The fan is fitted to the case in the traditional way using the 4 grub type fan mounting screws provided. As the fan body is of the traditional open corner construction (there aren't any sections build into the corners of the casing). The fan could also be fitted to a tower type CPU cooler or to a radiator with the use of the appropriate fitting screws or clips (not included as these would usually be supplied with the cooler or radiator). The fan is not of the PWM variety so if used as a CPU cooler it's speed cannot be controlled dynamically by the Motherboard.
The fan comes pre wired to a 3 pin fan connector via a 47cm long un-braided cable. the cable length should be plenty for most cases and allows the fan to be attached directly to the Motherboard or a fan controller. The pack does not include a Molex adapter to allow connection to a PSU cable directly, however this is nothing unusual as these adapters can be bought separately.
The fan also comes packaged with a 97cm long cable to connect it to the Hydra as discussed above. The fan is supplied as default with the LED jumper in position so no action is needed to run it out of the box with the LEDs on.
Those of you who like to mod your fans by painting them regardless of sexy they look will be pleased to know that the fan blade and hub section can be removed in the usual manner; by removing the sticker, prizing out the white plastic disc and easing the blade assembly out the front by using gentle pressure from the rear.
Performance.
Fans have 3 jobs to do
1 Be quiet.
2 Move air.
3 Look sexy, cool, awesome, pretty, the muts nuts (insert adjective as appropriate).
Job 1 Be quiet
This fan is quiet, really quiet. It's rated by Bitfenix at 18 dB-A, but I'll be honest, these numbers mean very little to me and I suspect the average user. If you really want to know Wiki defines the Decibel as...
The decibel (dB) is a logarithmic unit that indicates the ratio of a physical quantity (usually power or intensity) relative to a specified or implied reference level. A ratio in decibels is ten times the logarithm to base 10 of the ratio of two power quantities. Being a ratio of two measurements of a physical quantity in the same units.
Well I'm glad that's clarified things, and there was I thinking it was complicated!
Actually there is a simpler way of understanding it so for those who really want to know, (deep breath now) an increase of 10dB can be understood as an apparent doubling of the perceived level of noise. So if you're comparing this fan with a dB-A of 30 then the other fan will sound just over twice as loud as the Spectre.
So back to the real world, as I've said, it's quiet, really quiet. This is my subjective opinion of the noise, not a measurement. I base this opinion on my experience of many other fans over the years. That and the fact I can't actually hear it unless I press my ear right up against it, and then only the faintest whisper. Be very careful if you use this highly scientific method of assessment as it is not without its risks (as my recently opened first aid box will attest to).
Job 2 Move air
How well does it move air. Well it's back to the numbers I'm afraid. The fan spins between 800 and 1000rpm, with Bitfenix giving airflow as 52CFM. What does all this mean? Allow me to translate. Basically for what is an average fan speed it shifts a fair amount of air compared to its competitors. Not only that but it does it without making a great noise and fuss about it. The second way to look at this is what I call the "Top trumps" approach. Well we're all geeks together aren't we, and we love numbers, (even if we don't fully comprehend their meaning), and we love playing "top Trumps" with our numbers don't we? So whip open the lid of your interweb Top trump box and compare your numbers to those of the other fans out there. I promise you it'll get very boring very quickly and you'll still know little more than you do right now.
Job 3 Look sexy, cool, awesome, pretty, the muts nuts (insert adjective as appropriate).
There was a day when fans were black. That was it, black or nothing. Back then fans didn't have to look sexy, they just had to do jobs 1 and 2. Life was easy then (for us and the fans), you didn't have to decide what colour you wanted, just how much air you wanted to shift how quiet you wanted your fan to be and how much you wanted to pay for the privilege. Then along came LED fans and it all changed. Question is did we demand LED fans so the manufacturers made them for us, or did the manufacturers make them and we decided we wanted them. Back to the plot. You either like LED fans and want to buy one, or you don't. My Holmsian powers of deduction lead me to conclude that you like LED fans and are perhaps thinking of buying one ("Remarkable Holmes, but how did you deduce that?" "Simple my dear Watson, this person is reading a review of an LED fan, if this subject held no interest for them then they would hardly spend time researching it").
It's fair to say there are a fair few LED fans on the market. (deleted by G-Dubs) alone carry one of the most extensive ranges I've ever seen. So how does this fan compare? Well it can definitely hold its head up amongst the competition. The semi transparent black tint construction of the fan looks great, and looks even better when the LEDs are lit. The semi transparent nature of the fan blades allows for the LED light to be diffused through them rather than just reflecting off them. The LEDs are bright, but not too bright and as mentioned can always be adjusted with the Hydra.
Conclusion.
A great looking medium speed 120mm fan having good airflow at low noise levels. The fan reviewed forms part of an extensive range offering variety of both size and colour. This fan can definitely hold its head up amongst the competition.
Good points.
Quality appearance and feel
High airflow at low noise
Looks good either on or off
Price
Bad points.
Instructions with regards to Hydra attachment could be clearer.
How could the product be improved?
Braided cables perhaps but I'm really just being picky
Would I want to spend more to make it better?
Nope.
Bitfenix Spectre 120mm case fan. Black with Orange LEDs
Manufacturer and code
BFF-BLF-12025O-RP
Cost
£4.70
Supplier
Deleted by G-Dubs in respect of forum rules
Description and overview
A case fan from new kids on the block Bitfenix (pronounced Bit-Phoenix).
The fan reviewed here is the 120mm version with orange LEDs. However Bitfenix produce this fan in a total of 5 LED colours and 4 sizes. The fan is also available as a non LED fan in both black and white. So something for everyone here then.
First impressions and quality.
The fan comes packaged in a rather sleek looking satin black finish card box with the Bitfenix name and logo in white and a simple window to allow the fan inside to be viewed. The rear of the box gives details of features and specification. This is an example of a company getting the packaging right. It's classy, it displays the item inside and it doesn't injure you when you try to get into it (I'm looking at you blister packs). At the same time you're not left wondering how much of the price of the item inside went on the packaging, as is the case with mobile phone packaging for example.
Inside we find the fan, a packet of 4 fan mounting screws and a separate cable for attaching the fan to a Bitfenix Hydra fan LED controller (sold separately).
Both the body of the fan and the blades are made from the same semi transparent black tinted plastic. The plastic feels solid and robust and although there is a bit of flex in the blades they don't give the impression of being easily broken off.
In addition to the Orange one I have here the Spectre fan is also available with Green, Red, Blue and White LEDs. The fan is also available as a non LED in both gloss black and gloss white. The range also provides for 120mm, 140mm, 200mm and 230mm mounting (for all the tech and full details of the range please see the Bitfenix website).
http://www.bitfenix.com/global/en/products/accessories/spectre-led#specs
Instructions
Instructions wise we're left to fend for ourselves as none are provided. You could say it's just a fan for heaven's sake, how hard can it be? But there's a first time for everyone and it's not necessarily obvious what goes where inside a case. This sentiment is made especially pertinent by the inclusion of an additional cable to link the fan to a Bitfenix Hydra LED controller. The Hydra is sold separately and allows the intensity of the LEDs to be altered from full on to full off with everything in between. Although mention is made on the box of "On-the-fly LED On/Off Switching", and that this is achieved with the addition of the Hydra it doesn't link this feature to the additional cable in the box. I was fortunate enough to also have the Hydra at my disposal and although, to quote Winnie the pooh, "I'm a bear of very little brain" I was able to work out reasonably quickly what the extra cable was for and what went where. Quite simply if you have a the Hydra you merely unplug a small jumper plug and wire from the Spectre, and use the additional cable to link the now vacant socket to the Hydra unit. You can now control the brightness of this fan and up to an additional 8 Spectre fans.
Fitting.
The fan is fitted to the case in the traditional way using the 4 grub type fan mounting screws provided. As the fan body is of the traditional open corner construction (there aren't any sections build into the corners of the casing). The fan could also be fitted to a tower type CPU cooler or to a radiator with the use of the appropriate fitting screws or clips (not included as these would usually be supplied with the cooler or radiator). The fan is not of the PWM variety so if used as a CPU cooler it's speed cannot be controlled dynamically by the Motherboard.
The fan comes pre wired to a 3 pin fan connector via a 47cm long un-braided cable. the cable length should be plenty for most cases and allows the fan to be attached directly to the Motherboard or a fan controller. The pack does not include a Molex adapter to allow connection to a PSU cable directly, however this is nothing unusual as these adapters can be bought separately.
The fan also comes packaged with a 97cm long cable to connect it to the Hydra as discussed above. The fan is supplied as default with the LED jumper in position so no action is needed to run it out of the box with the LEDs on.
Those of you who like to mod your fans by painting them regardless of sexy they look will be pleased to know that the fan blade and hub section can be removed in the usual manner; by removing the sticker, prizing out the white plastic disc and easing the blade assembly out the front by using gentle pressure from the rear.
Performance.
Fans have 3 jobs to do
1 Be quiet.
2 Move air.
3 Look sexy, cool, awesome, pretty, the muts nuts (insert adjective as appropriate).
Job 1 Be quiet
This fan is quiet, really quiet. It's rated by Bitfenix at 18 dB-A, but I'll be honest, these numbers mean very little to me and I suspect the average user. If you really want to know Wiki defines the Decibel as...
The decibel (dB) is a logarithmic unit that indicates the ratio of a physical quantity (usually power or intensity) relative to a specified or implied reference level. A ratio in decibels is ten times the logarithm to base 10 of the ratio of two power quantities. Being a ratio of two measurements of a physical quantity in the same units.
Well I'm glad that's clarified things, and there was I thinking it was complicated!
Actually there is a simpler way of understanding it so for those who really want to know, (deep breath now) an increase of 10dB can be understood as an apparent doubling of the perceived level of noise. So if you're comparing this fan with a dB-A of 30 then the other fan will sound just over twice as loud as the Spectre.
So back to the real world, as I've said, it's quiet, really quiet. This is my subjective opinion of the noise, not a measurement. I base this opinion on my experience of many other fans over the years. That and the fact I can't actually hear it unless I press my ear right up against it, and then only the faintest whisper. Be very careful if you use this highly scientific method of assessment as it is not without its risks (as my recently opened first aid box will attest to).
Job 2 Move air
How well does it move air. Well it's back to the numbers I'm afraid. The fan spins between 800 and 1000rpm, with Bitfenix giving airflow as 52CFM. What does all this mean? Allow me to translate. Basically for what is an average fan speed it shifts a fair amount of air compared to its competitors. Not only that but it does it without making a great noise and fuss about it. The second way to look at this is what I call the "Top trumps" approach. Well we're all geeks together aren't we, and we love numbers, (even if we don't fully comprehend their meaning), and we love playing "top Trumps" with our numbers don't we? So whip open the lid of your interweb Top trump box and compare your numbers to those of the other fans out there. I promise you it'll get very boring very quickly and you'll still know little more than you do right now.
Job 3 Look sexy, cool, awesome, pretty, the muts nuts (insert adjective as appropriate).
There was a day when fans were black. That was it, black or nothing. Back then fans didn't have to look sexy, they just had to do jobs 1 and 2. Life was easy then (for us and the fans), you didn't have to decide what colour you wanted, just how much air you wanted to shift how quiet you wanted your fan to be and how much you wanted to pay for the privilege. Then along came LED fans and it all changed. Question is did we demand LED fans so the manufacturers made them for us, or did the manufacturers make them and we decided we wanted them. Back to the plot. You either like LED fans and want to buy one, or you don't. My Holmsian powers of deduction lead me to conclude that you like LED fans and are perhaps thinking of buying one ("Remarkable Holmes, but how did you deduce that?" "Simple my dear Watson, this person is reading a review of an LED fan, if this subject held no interest for them then they would hardly spend time researching it").
It's fair to say there are a fair few LED fans on the market. (deleted by G-Dubs) alone carry one of the most extensive ranges I've ever seen. So how does this fan compare? Well it can definitely hold its head up amongst the competition. The semi transparent black tint construction of the fan looks great, and looks even better when the LEDs are lit. The semi transparent nature of the fan blades allows for the LED light to be diffused through them rather than just reflecting off them. The LEDs are bright, but not too bright and as mentioned can always be adjusted with the Hydra.
Conclusion.
A great looking medium speed 120mm fan having good airflow at low noise levels. The fan reviewed forms part of an extensive range offering variety of both size and colour. This fan can definitely hold its head up amongst the competition.
Good points.
Quality appearance and feel
High airflow at low noise
Looks good either on or off
Price
Bad points.
Instructions with regards to Hydra attachment could be clearer.
How could the product be improved?
Braided cables perhaps but I'm really just being picky
Would I want to spend more to make it better?
Nope.
