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BitFenix Spectre Pro feels incredibly anemic

post #1 of 20
6/14/12 at 1:19pm
Thread Starter 
I bought some 140mm BitFenix Spectre Pros to replace the stock fans that came with my Fractal Design Arc Midi. Based on the reviews, I was expecting an impressive fan, but they feel like they're only marginally better than the stock fans and worse than the 120mm Cougar Vortex fans that I've played around with. With my incredibly unscientific hand test, it feels like there's a massive dead spot in the middle of the fan and that the only air being moved is being pushed off to the side at a rather extreme angle. Is this common for the fan? What are other experiences with them? Right now I'm thinking of selling them off and grabbing some Cougar Vortex, Silverstone AP141, or Noctua fans instead.
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post #2 of 20
6/14/12 at 2:53pm
The hand test does not account for the focused flow a few centimeters away from the fan.
Fog test:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agXhBh74n2c&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLE919DF277F1EE691
Around 2:45 is the Spectre Pro 120. 140 is the same design, just larger.

I've done the "place hand over the fan" test myself... The dead spot is from the center motor of the fan.
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post #3 of 20
6/14/12 at 3:04pm
Thread Starter 
The thing is, I've held my hand at varying distances from the fan. I know it's not scientifically accurate, but I feel very little airflow from the fan over the middle and blades at distances from 2-6 inches, but I do feel airflow at about a 70 degree angle from the fan at those distances. On the other hand, my TY-140, TY-150, 120mm Cougar Vortex, and 120mm Scythe Kama Flow 2 all feel much more focused and the amount of air being moved feels consistent across the fan. I don't have an anenometer or I'd use it to test the airflow at different angles, points over the fan, angles, and distances, but it does feel noticeably less focused and like there's a much larger dead spot than other fans I've used.

Those smoke tests are really nice for showing the focus of the airflow, but they don't really show the size of dead spots.
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post #4 of 20
6/14/12 at 3:21pm
There are fewer spokes (on the side where air flows) on the other fans you mention, than our Spectre Pro. You'll definitely feel more air as there's nothing directing the air.
If you look at the video I linked, you'll kinda get what I mean..

Or, if you use a large room fan (30cm+), if you take off the frame, vs if you keep it on, there's a difference in focused airflow.
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post #5 of 20
6/14/12 at 4:03pm
Thread Starter 
The AP141 is covered in spokes across the backside, yet you still feel air moving at distance over the blades. I'm not sure what you're saying here though since those fans still seem to move a lot of focused air.

I've looked at that video several times, but I'm not sure the point you're trying to get across. The problem is that the other fans feel much more focused over the blades than the Spectre Pros. I have to hold my hand off to the side of the Spectre Pros to feel any decent airflow. Right now it feels like the only way to get more focused flow is to purchase some 140mm fans and cannibalize them to make shrouds.
Edited by nubbinator - 6/14/12 at 4:28pm
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post #6 of 20
6/14/12 at 4:19pm
According to the reviewer's independent results, which she said came out surprisingly, had the 2nd best focus flow, of course, behind the AP's.. - Take it with a grain of salt, I'm no fan expert to explain this...

What you feel (or the lack of), I also can't explain.. Man I wish I hopped over to Noctua's Computex booth that was right in front of ours to learn about fans..
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post #7 of 20
6/14/12 at 4:30pm
Thread Starter 
I do know that most CFM measurements are taken at the edges of the fan and fairly close to it, so it wouldn't really show the effect I'm feeling with mine. They feel like they do move a lot of air, but that the airflow is stronger at the edges and, unfortunately, focused so that there's almost a cone of higher airflow at about a 70 degree angle away from the fan instead of more focused over the blades or more even across the fan. I don't know if maybe I got some bad fans or if there's something that shows up at distances different than are normal testing distances, but my fans do seem a bit less focused and louder than reviews led me to believe.

And thanks for being active in here and taking the time to respond to people. A lot of companies are really passive about their products. OCN is lucky to have pretty active BitFenix, Corsair, and NZXT reps and we have an active NZXT rep over at reddit's PC building sub.
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post #8 of 20
6/14/12 at 4:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nubbinator View Post

I bought some 140mm BitFenix Spectre Pros to replace the stock fans that came with my Fractal Design Arc Midi. Based on the reviews, I was expecting an impressive fan, but they feel like they're only marginally better than the stock fans and worse than the 120mm Cougar Vortex fans that I've played around with. With my incredibly unscientific hand test, it feels like there's a massive dead spot in the middle of the fan and that the only air being moved is being pushed off to the side at a rather extreme angle. Is this common for the fan? What are other experiences with them? Right now I'm thinking of selling them off and grabbing some Cougar Vortex, Silverstone AP141, or Noctua fans instead.

EDIT: Sorry for the wrong link, I fixed it. I left the standard Spectre specs up anyway just in case anyone is curious. I also needed to amend my take on the Spectre Pros because I initially thought they were 0.60 mm H2O fans.

OP, if you are using densely woven filters (very small holes), that may be the culprit. I have dense-weave filters all over my case, so I only use fans with 1.5mm H2O or higher at max speed (preferably higher, because then I can lower the speed a little bit and still get good pressure... most fans have a fan curve that looks like http://www.xbitlabs.com/picture/?src=/images/coolers/120mm-fan-roundup-2/77_dc_boxo_big.jpg or something similar so it's not like static pressure plunges immediately if you ease off a little bit on cfm) for all my filtered fan mountings.

BitFenix Spectres are like 0.60-0.62 mm H2O at max speed and imho should ONLY be used with unfiltered intakes or intakes with loose weaves (big holes): http://www.bitfenix.com/global/en/products/accessories/spectre-led#specs

Spectre Pros are double that but 1.24/1.38 (120mm and 140mm models) is adequate-at-best if you use filters with dense weaves, imho; though they should be fine with less-densely woven filters or grilles: http://www.bitfenix.com/global/en/products/accessories/spectre-pro-led#specs
Edited by unifiedshader - 6/14/12 at 4:59pm
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post #9 of 20
6/14/12 at 4:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by unifiedshader View Post

BitFenix Spectre Pros are like 0.60-0.62 mm H2O at max speed: http://www.bitfenix.com/global/en/products/accessories/spectre-led#specs
Those are Spectres. Designed more so for silence...
http://www.bitfenix.com/global/en/products/accessories/spectre-pro#specs
^These are Spectre Pros...
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post #10 of 20
6/14/12 at 9:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by xbournex View Post

What you feel (or the lack of), I also can't explain.. Man I wish I hopped over to Noctua's Computex booth that was right in front of ours to learn about fans..

ive got both of them and they all have the same "hand feel" from 200mm to 5mm
on draft. with a streamer dangling from a pencil, the p14 has a little more advantage
but only by 2°-4° of streamer lean.
i believe the starter is looking for massive cfm performance. ive got the midi and it
doesnt need monster cfm, just well placed fans.

airdeano
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