I have been doing quite alot of research on the Fractal Design Venturi fans to try and determine if they are any good, the only issue being I can not find any definitive information.
Reason I love the idea of these fans:
Dedicated Engineering (High Flow and High Pressure specific fans), Sleek, simple black fans that would be extremely easy to hide mostly from sight to give the case a sleek finish.
The Venturi HF-14 and HF-12 fans both have amazing CFM levels according to specifications (110+ CMF and 80+ CFM respectively) and both spin at relatively low RPM on Fluid-Dynamic bearings meaning they are practically inaudible. Then you have the HP-14, which has an impressive 1.94mm/ H2O pressure along with a good 80 CFM again on a FDB at relatively low RPM.
So Fractal Design would have us believe that their fans are the best noise-to-performance fans that money can buy, period. Now, tests I have been able to find on the HF-14 support the 110+ CFM rating, while others report a rather poor 65 CFM, and some go as low as 44 CFM. None of these tests are conclusive, none of them test them in real-world application, and none of them accurately compare the results with other 140mm fans.
The only results I have found that are accurate are for the Pressure-Optimized CPU Cooler fan, the HP-14 (Im getting a dual Tower 140mm CPU Cooler). Results were very good, which gives me hope for these HF-14s and HF-12s.
So here is where the fans would be mounted in my case (Cougar Panzer Max ATX-Full Tower):
This is my front panel, behind it sit 3 X 120mm fans right now, but they are simple Corsair Air series and are not only not that great in airflow, but are extremely buzzy and noisy at full RPM (which they sit at max constantly as I am running a 3-pin fan splitter that is powered directly by PSU (4-Pin Molex). Please keep in mind whatever case fans I end up with in the end will be run the same way, as I do not care to turn them down, the point of this build is extreme air cooling at all times.
Now alot of test sites say their results of the HF fans did not come out so well because of obstructions and the fact that the HF series have practically NO static pressure to work with, as the blades on the HFs are specifically designed for high flow while sacrificing pressure. I am only concerned about one obstruction, my dust filters. There are no drive cages or indeed ANY object restricting flow in the Panzer Max as shown below:
So, taking into account the extremely optimized air-flow paths, but having to pull through filters first and push through on exhaust, can anyone tell me if the Venturi Series fans would work for me? And more importantly, does anyone have any real-world experience with them? Are they as good as I think they are? Is there any evidence anywhere to support these seemingly awesome fans?
If these fans prove to be a fraud, then I would like suggestions on what other fans I should look in to. The overall design will be Black and White Idealy (so plain black or white fans or smoke or some form of simple, plain color to suit). I am also looking to avoid LED fans at all cost as I will be installing an RGB LED strip kit at some point and when I change color I want a nice, uniform, single color. I know Noctuas are good but they are so ugly I just couldn't stand to use them. The fans also have to be somewhat affordable (I do not want to spend over $200 on fans or $20/each). The other fans I have been most interested in are Phanteks PH-120SP, 140SP, and 140 HP II.
Layout will more than likely say the same as it is now, but with 140mm intake upgrade, ideal layout is as follows:
Intake: 3 X 140mm (Front Panel) and 1 X 120mm (Bottom by PSU)
Exhaust: 2 X 120mm (Top Panel) and 1 X 120mm (Back Panel)
Result: Extreme air flow combined with positive case pressure
Reason I love the idea of these fans:
Dedicated Engineering (High Flow and High Pressure specific fans), Sleek, simple black fans that would be extremely easy to hide mostly from sight to give the case a sleek finish.
The Venturi HF-14 and HF-12 fans both have amazing CFM levels according to specifications (110+ CMF and 80+ CFM respectively) and both spin at relatively low RPM on Fluid-Dynamic bearings meaning they are practically inaudible. Then you have the HP-14, which has an impressive 1.94mm/ H2O pressure along with a good 80 CFM again on a FDB at relatively low RPM.
So Fractal Design would have us believe that their fans are the best noise-to-performance fans that money can buy, period. Now, tests I have been able to find on the HF-14 support the 110+ CFM rating, while others report a rather poor 65 CFM, and some go as low as 44 CFM. None of these tests are conclusive, none of them test them in real-world application, and none of them accurately compare the results with other 140mm fans.
The only results I have found that are accurate are for the Pressure-Optimized CPU Cooler fan, the HP-14 (Im getting a dual Tower 140mm CPU Cooler). Results were very good, which gives me hope for these HF-14s and HF-12s.
So here is where the fans would be mounted in my case (Cougar Panzer Max ATX-Full Tower):
This is my front panel, behind it sit 3 X 120mm fans right now, but they are simple Corsair Air series and are not only not that great in airflow, but are extremely buzzy and noisy at full RPM (which they sit at max constantly as I am running a 3-pin fan splitter that is powered directly by PSU (4-Pin Molex). Please keep in mind whatever case fans I end up with in the end will be run the same way, as I do not care to turn them down, the point of this build is extreme air cooling at all times.
Now alot of test sites say their results of the HF fans did not come out so well because of obstructions and the fact that the HF series have practically NO static pressure to work with, as the blades on the HFs are specifically designed for high flow while sacrificing pressure. I am only concerned about one obstruction, my dust filters. There are no drive cages or indeed ANY object restricting flow in the Panzer Max as shown below:
So, taking into account the extremely optimized air-flow paths, but having to pull through filters first and push through on exhaust, can anyone tell me if the Venturi Series fans would work for me? And more importantly, does anyone have any real-world experience with them? Are they as good as I think they are? Is there any evidence anywhere to support these seemingly awesome fans?
If these fans prove to be a fraud, then I would like suggestions on what other fans I should look in to. The overall design will be Black and White Idealy (so plain black or white fans or smoke or some form of simple, plain color to suit). I am also looking to avoid LED fans at all cost as I will be installing an RGB LED strip kit at some point and when I change color I want a nice, uniform, single color. I know Noctuas are good but they are so ugly I just couldn't stand to use them. The fans also have to be somewhat affordable (I do not want to spend over $200 on fans or $20/each). The other fans I have been most interested in are Phanteks PH-120SP, 140SP, and 140 HP II.
Layout will more than likely say the same as it is now, but with 140mm intake upgrade, ideal layout is as follows:
Intake: 3 X 140mm (Front Panel) and 1 X 120mm (Bottom by PSU)
Exhaust: 2 X 120mm (Top Panel) and 1 X 120mm (Back Panel)
Result: Extreme air flow combined with positive case pressure