Cooler Master Mobius 120 Fan

[Avro Arrow]

I disagree on both points. Quality has been excellent since about 2004.

I didn't say that EVGA's quality was bad, someone else did. I said that their level of customer service was thee biggest driving factor behind their success. I worked at Tiger Direct between 2006 and 2008 and I sold EVGA products (video cards and motherboards). Everyone at the time talked about EVGA's trade-in upgrade program.

So, since you "disagree on both points" (one of which wasn't mine), you're saying that their legendary level of customer service is a myth even though I was taught it at Tiger Direct? That's what you're saying here.

 

[VSG]

I didn't say that EVGA's quality was bad, someone else did. I said that their level of customer service was thee biggest driving factor behind their success. I worked at Tiger Direct between 2006 and 2008 and I sold EVGA products (video cards and motherboards). Everyone at the time talked about EVGA's trade-in upgrade program.

So, since you "disagree on both points" (one of which wasn't mine), you're saying that their legendary level of customer service is a myth even though I was taught it at Tiger Direct? That's what you're saying here.

Keep the discussion on the topic please, this is the reviews comment section.

Is it so hard to read? Take this off-topic discussion elsewhere please.

 

[cbb]

ok, why do all the fans only test vs radiators? some of these products reviewed (not this one) have seemed to have been intended as case fans, and a lot of us want a good case fan. But literally all the graphs and tests are vs radiators. Show some love for case fans!

For that matter, other than tidy interiors, why in the world is *everyone* using liquid (AIOs mostly)? air is pretty similar end result I think and w/o pump whine, bubbles lowering effectiveness over time, and risk of total disaster (I use my rigs a looong time; 9yrs on this one for example).

 

[claes]

I’m curious about this too, but for different reasons. Personally I think that radiators are useful for tests because most good fans these days are optimized around a PQ curve, so a radiator might only test one impedance scenario but ought to scale depending on whether there’s less impedance (most case filters, which are near impossible to standardize or describe) or a higher impedance scenario (most heatsinks, which are only sometimes documented as well as radiators).

But then I read @VSG’s review of that new Corsair “airflow” fan and saw that they tested it as an intake and that it outperformed others, and remembered that not everyone is Noctua or Nidec or bequiet and caters to markets that believe in airflow vs pressure, and might actually design around those ideas (?). Maybe it’s a pita, in which case nbd, but if you’re testing fans like this anyway I’d be curious to see the results, as imperfect as they may be (or even just free airflow scenarios through a tube or whatever like others do, as unrealistic as that is)!

 

[VSG]

ok, why do all the fans only test vs radiators? some of these products reviewed (not this one) have seemed to have been intended as case fans, and a lot of us want a good case fan. But literally all the graphs and tests are vs radiators. Show some love for case fans!

For that matter, other than tidy interiors, why in the world is *everyone* using liquid (AIOs mostly)? air is pretty similar end result I think and w/o pump whine, bubbles lowering effectiveness over time, and risk of total disaster (I use my rigs a looong time; 9yrs on this one for example).

My fan reviews were part of the watercooling category until W1zzard decided they merited to be their own category. I can't just change my testing protocol for this reason though, but there may be someone else coming along to help with other fan testing.

 

[claes]

But will they have an anechoic chamber? Will you two be testing the same fans?

Tbph that has me a little worried, like how someone who doesn’t test dacs all the time reviewed the new creative external dac. No shade to them, and I understand that it’s a different market, but I would’ve liked to read your thoughts about it as well. I somehow don’t imagine the review would’ve been as positive

 

[VSG]

But will they have an anechoic chamber? Will you two be testing the same fans?

Tbph that has me a little worried, like how someone who doesn’t test dacs all the time reviewed the new creative external dac. No shade to them, and I understand that it’s a different market, but I would’ve liked to read your thoughts about it as well. I somehow don’t imagine the review would’ve been as positive

Nothing finalized yet on the fans so I don't know enough either. It would just be add-ons to my reviews, if at all.

As for the Creative review done, Inle has more experience than I do with soundcards and the entire Creative source lineup in general. So his thoughts are more than valid and he also cares more about the microphone inputs than I do.

 

[claes]

As for the Creative review done, Inle has more experience than I do with soundcards and the entire Creative source lineup in general. So his thoughts are more than valid and he also cares more about the microphone inputs than I do.

That's sort of what I figured, as well as the gaming specific features, which I know a lot of readers care about. Thanks to both of you for your reviews!

 

[zlobby]

My fan reviews were part of the watercooling category until W1zzard decided they merited to be their own category. I can't just change my testing protocol for this reason though, but there may be someone else coming along to help with other fan testing.

You should break the chains of his tyrany!

 

[cbb]

My fan reviews were part of the watercooling category until W1zzard decided they merited to be their own category. I can't just change my testing protocol for this reason though, but there may be someone else coming along to help with other fan testing.

well, so you can't change it unilaterally; talk to your boss then. Even when one uses an AIO one still needs case fans, and if aircooling just case fans; so a significant fraction of premium fan sales are likely to be for case use. Something simple like a single std open air case in your test room, where you post noise vs rpm and cite the mfg's max rpm/max cfm. Or, heck, even just copying the mfg's stated noise and cfm and compare to others recently discussed (no testing needed, assuming they publish anything like useful info..which is a stretch for some, I'll admit).
Just a thought, I'm not gonna have kittens or anything (well, I ALREADY have kittens, so...).
Lacking useful comparisons of case fans, I'll probably just stick w/ Noctua or BeQuiet's latest and move on. But, for those of us who prioritize noise heavily, it seems like a pretty big omission that would be easier to address than the tons and tons of runs you currently do.

Just a thought of some rando on the internutz, ignore freely.

 

[Mussels]

ok, why do all the fans only test vs radiators? some of these products reviewed (not this one) have seemed to have been intended as case fans, and a lot of us want a good case fan. But literally all the graphs and tests are vs radiators. Show some love for case fans!

For that matter, other than tidy interiors, why in the world is *everyone* using liquid (AIOs mostly)? air is pretty similar end result I think and w/o pump whine, bubbles lowering effectiveness over time, and risk of total disaster (I use my rigs a looong time; 9yrs on this one for example).

because the reviewer would need to start a new database (which i'm all for as well) and that would take a lot of time.

With enough interest its possible to begin but a key thing here is very simple - case fans don't change performance as much as how many you have and where you place them in a case.

3x of the best 120mm fans as a front intake does nothing in a case where the case has 3x140mm top vents as an open mesh and none of the air ever reaches the components - you'd need to fill every slot in a case and compare that way, or do some sort of wind tunnel test or... oh something repeatable like a radiator, or air cooler.

 

[claes]

Oof; I’m pretty sure standardized fan tests on cases disprove a lot of what you’re saying, but you’re right about every chassis being different

Lord help those that fill every case fan mount, the poor souls

 

[Mussels]

Standardised tests on cases - okay, show one?

The only times they were done in the past were on cases a lot more sealed than todays modern mesh-frenzy of openings everywhere

 

[claes]

I said standardized fan tests, friend, as in using the same set of fans in different cases. There is obviously no way to standardize every case as they are all unique.

With enough interest its possible to begin but a key thing here is very simple - case fans don't change performance as much as how many you have and where you place them in a case.

This is what a standardized fan test tests for, like GN does. If you use x fans you get this performance with this case. SPCR and some others used to do this as well

3x of the best 120mm fans as a front intake does nothing in a case where the case has 3x140mm top vents as an open mesh and none of the air ever reaches the components

I don’t think this is true since air goes where you push it, but agree that there is probably some loss. Then again, some cases have blanking panels, but this is very much an aside

you'd need to fill every slot in a case and compare that way,

This would not be standardized since cases often have a different number of fan mounts. The point of having different mount locations isn’t so much about the best airflow but to account for different component setups, IMO, although many manufacturers don’t really design cases around cooling at all

or do some sort of wind tunnel test or... oh something repeatable like a radiator, or air cooler.

Agreed I have no idea what a tunnel test for a case would look like but would be curious to see (obvs straight forward for a fan)