Massive Fan Shootout: 25 Products
from Arctic Cooling, Cooler Master, GlacialTech,
Scythe, Titan, and Zalman

Arctic Cooling, Cooler Master, and GlacialTech

Contents:

1. Review: Arctic Cooling, Cooler Master and GlacialTech
2. Review: Scythe, Titan and Zalman
3. Test Results: 80x80x25 mm fans
4. Test Results: 120x120x25 mm fans
5. Annex 1. Noise profiles (1/3 octave analysis), 80x80x25 mm fans
6. Annex 2. Noise profiles (1/3 octave analysis), 120x120x25 mm fans

GlacialTech GT8025-HDLA1, GT8025-EDLA1, GT12025-HDLA1, and GT12025-EDLA1

And now we'll examine representatives of the updated SilentBlade II family from GlacialTech — GT8025-HDLA1 (80x80x25 mm, 1800 rpm) and GT12025-HDLA1 (120x120x25 mm, 1000 rpm).

Despite their budget origins, both fans demonstrate a number of technically refined aerodynamic and mechanical features. The most interesting configuration is demonstrated by the cheapest model — GT8025-HDLA1. Its 5-blade impeller is unique (for budget and Mid-End fans) and features a truly optimized set of parameters: sweep and lean blades, the chord is 24 mm at the hub and 30 mm at the tip, chord-pitch ratio is 1.2 at the hub and 0.67 at the outer diameter, aggressive angles of attack — 55° and 40°, 0.43 hub-tip ratio, 1.8 mm tip clearance. Accompanied by various tricks (special form of the hub and inner blade surface), it gives the GT8025-HDLA1 a good chance to achieve high efficiency and ergonomic noise characteristics.

Parametric layout of the GT12025-HDLA1 is also interesting. Its impeller is notable for the reinforced aerodynamic profile on the front edge of blades (8% of the chord). It demonstrates low-noise design with a good performance potential — sweep and lean blades, the chord is 24 mm at the hub and 37 mm at the tip, chord-pitch ratio - 1.33 at the hub and 0.74 at the tip, angles of attack - 45° and 30°, 0.35 hub-tip ratio, 1.8 mm tip clearance.

Mechanical outfit of the GT8025-HDLA1 and GT12025-HDLA1 adds much to their technical image — these fans are based on good hydrodynamic bearing with an almost classic configuration: the sleeve consists of three sections, its central part filled with grease (with increased inner diameter) has quasi-porous surface, the other two sections (of smaller diameter) have hydrodynamic surface (V-shaped grooves) to hold oil and ensure its recirculation. Additionally, the bearing unit is covered with a plastic lock on the backing plate of the stator, and spiced up with a dust cover on the hub side.

GT8025-HDLA1 and GT12025-HDLA1 look neat in electric terms as well: although the engine binding is based on the simple S211 chip (however, it's better in some parameters than the ATS276/277 chips popular in the budget segment). A neat inductor and smoothing capacitors at the output of coil drivers improve the situation — the electric popping in the fan noise is still noticeable, but it's quieter than in Arctic Cooling Arctic Fan 8L or Cooler Master SAF-S12-E1-GP.

And the most comforting moment — these models are good not only in technical terms, but also from the practical point of view. The GT8025-HDLA1 demonstrates the best results at 1500 rpm among the 80x80x25 mm models tested. And it achieves the best efficiency/noise ratio in the standard mode. The GT12025-HDLA1 also looks very good at 700 rpm and 1000 rpm. It's practically on a par in efficiency with the strongest competitor — Scythe Minebea. At standard speed (1000 rpm) it takes the baton from the GT8025-HDLA1 and becomes the leader in efficiency/noise ratio in its class.

What concerns the other two SilentBlade II models (GT8025-EDLA1 and GT12025-EDLA1), they practically copy aerodynamic and technical features of the GT8025-HDLA1 and GT12025-HDLA1, except for mechanics (they use sleeve bearing instead of hydrodynamic bearing).

At the same time, this bearing (entering bearing) is also technically elegant — in fact, it's not solid, it consists of two sleeves. The external hardmetal sleeve covers the internal sleeve (made of soft alloy), which has quasi-porous surface with good wettability to hold oil. We should give the manufacturer (GaleMotor) its due — this is both low-consumption and quite efficient solution (with prolonged service life of fan's mechanics).

Our today's shootout also includes SilentBlade II GT9025-HDLA1 and GT9025-EDLA1 models (92x92x25 mm) - they are hors concours.

Electric and mechanical parts of these fans are similar to those of SilentBlade II 80x80x25 mm and 120x120x25 mm models ("HDLA" means hydrodynamic bearing, "EDLA" — entering bearing). What concerns aerodynamics, they are similar to 120x120x25 mm fans. We'll describe them in one of our future articles.

Contents:

1. Review: Arctic Cooling, Cooler Master and GlacialTech
2. Review: Scythe, Titan and Zalman
3. Test Results: 80x80x25 mm fans
4. Test Results: 120x120x25 mm fans
5. Annex 1. Noise profiles (1/3 octave analysis), 80x80x25 mm fans
6. Annex 2. Noise profiles (1/3 octave analysis), 120x120x25 mm fans