Nexus and Strikefan 120 MM Fan Roundup Review

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Nexus and Strikefan 120 MM Fan Roundup Review

Written by Havoc

Article Index
Nexus and Strikefan 120 MM Fan Roundup Review
Specifications
Testing
Conclusion
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Depending on just how much hardware you have crammed into your rig, you may be putting out a fair amount of BTUs. That's why PC fans are such a necessity. However if the sound of your fans is drowning out everything else, then maybe it's time to look into some quieter fans. Today we're going to look at three different low noise fans from two different manufacturers, Nexus and Strikefan. Nexus offers a variety of different products, while Strikefan is an OEM manufacturer looking to break into the market. Let's find out just what these different fans are capable of. But first, nothing excites the geek in us like the smell of new electronics packaging. Click Read More to take a closer look at the sexy smelling packaging.

Nexus 120 MM Quiet(basic) and PWM Provided By: End PC Noise
120 MM Quiet (basic) Cost: $14.49
120 MM PWM Cost: $14.99

Strikefan 120 MM Provided By: Strikefan
Cost: Contact Strikefan for Pricing

Closer Look:

The packaging for the Nexus 120 MM Real Silent Case Fan Basic Series and the Nexus 120 MM Real Silent Case Fan PWM Series is nice and compact. It is constructed of clear plastic, with the fan itself clearly visible. The series of the fan is printed on the front along with a graphic and the Nexus Logo. The dB range of the fan as well as the CFM are also listed on the front of the package.

The Strikefan 120 MM fan didn't come in a package, so let's look at the fans themselves now. Both Nexus fans come with rubber fan mounts and are of course wired up for use. The PWM Series comes with a 3/4 Pin connection and the Basic series comes with a 3 Pin/Molex connection. Seeing as how the Strikefan is an OEM part, the connection needs to be spliced by hand, in this case into a 3 Pin connection. The Strikefan features 4 White LEDs, one on each corner. These light up when the fan is powered and look very nice.

Nexus Basic Series

Nexus PWM Series

Strikefan Series

Well now that we've had a look at all of the fans and what comes with them, let's take a look at their Specifications.
Specifications:

Nexus Real Silent 120 mm Case Fan Specifications
Model	D12SL-12
Power Connector	4-pin & 3-pin
Dimensions	120x120x25mm
Rated Voltage	12 Volts
Operation Voltage	6.5 ~ 13.8 Volts
Input Current	0.30 Amp Max
Input Power	1.8 Watts Max
Rotation Speed	1000 RPM
Acoustic Noise	22.8 dB(A)
Airflow	36.87 CFM
Operation Temperature	-10 to +65 C
Storage Temperature	-40 to +70 C
Manufacturer's Warranty	3 Years

Nexus Real Silent PWM Specifications

Model Number:
Dimensions:
Versions:
Fan Mounts:

Fan Speed:
Noise Level:
Airflow:

D12SL-12 PWM
120x120x25mm
Clear chassis and foggy rotor/blades
4 pieces purple ultra-soft silicone fan mounts

500 ~ 2000 RPM (±10%)
From 15.5 dB(A)*
Up to 76 CFM

* Measured in an ISO certified chamber with 15 dB(A) background noise.

Strikefan Specifications

Frame
Size

Model No.

Bearing
Type

Voltage

Current

Power

Speed

Maximum
AirFlow

Maximum
Pressure

Noise

Weight

(mm)

B(S)

(V)

(A)

(W)

(rpm)

(CMM)

(CFM)

(InAq)

(mmAq)

(dB/A)

(g)

SF1212HB-A71GL	12	0.13	1.56	1500	1.608	56.30	0.062	1.57	24.7	156
SF1212FB-A71GL	12	0.24	2.88	1800	2.057	72.00	0.095	2.37	34.4
SF1212EB-A71GL	12	0.33	3.96	2050	2.357	83.21	0.117	2.97	38.0
SF1212DB-A71GL	12	0.37	4.44	2200	2.512	88.71	0.136	3.45	39.1
SF1212GB-A71GL	12	0.50	6.00	2500	2.817	99.12	0.179	4.38	43.3

Let's move on to the testing.

Testing Rig:

Processor: Intel Core2 Quad Q9450
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X48-DQ6
Memory: OCZ 2 x 2GB
Video Card: Nvidea 260GTX
Power Supply: Mushkin 800w Modular Power Supply
Hard Drive: Seagate 750GB SATA
Optical Drive: LG DVD
OS: Windows Vista Ultimate
Thermaltake armor

Testing:

For the testing I will be measuring both the temperature of the CPU and the ambient temperature of the case. I will be using the free fan testing utility SpeedFan and the torture test software Prime95. I will take readings both at idle and load. For comparison I will be using the GELID Wing 12 and GELID Silent 12PWM case fans. Let's see the results.

Test	Nexus Basic	Nexus PWM	Strikefan	GELID WING 12	GELID Silent 12PWM
Idle CPU	39	40	40	44	44
Load CPU	42	40	41	46	46
Idle Case	29.4	29.6	29	29	30
Load Case	29.9	29.7	29.1	31	31

So how did it go? Well we can see from the results that the three fans that we featured this time around did very well. All were very quiet and didn't strike me as being loud at all. The Strikefan came out with the lowest case temp and only had a rise of 1 degree Celsius on the CPU. The Nexus PWM seemed to be the most stable with a CPU temp of 40 and a rise of 0.1 degrees in the case temp. Finally the Nexus Basic series did alright with the case temps, but saw an increase of 3 degrees on the CPU temp, the highest of our test group. Let's move on to the conclusion.

Conclusion:

All of these fans did very well in the testing. Though some didn't cool quite as well, they did better in other aspects. For instance, both Nexus fans ran quieter than the Strikefan. This is good if you plan to use your computer in a public setting, where noise could be an issue. Let's say as a Home Theater PC. You wouldn't want the fans kicking in at the wrong moment and distracting you from your show. However, the Strikefan kept your case cooler than the other two fans. The fact that you have to mod the cables may seem daunting to some. However the 4 LEDs may cause some to think that it may be worth the effort regardless. This fan will probably appeal to gamers or those who would rather have better cooling than a silent PC.

So would I buy these fans? Yes, but I would remember that each was designed with a specific purpose in mind. If I wanted silence I would go with the Nexus. Performance without care for silence, then the Strikefan.

Nexus Basic Series:

Pros: