Today we take a look at a much more basic cooling component that no build can be without. I am, of course, talking about the simple case fan and whether you are packing your case full with the intent to air cool or just need a few good radiator fans for water cooling there are numerous choices available to you. Cooler Master seems to think they have just the answer you’ve been looking for with their JetFlo 120 and we got our hands on a pair for a quick round of testing.We will see how they stand up once installed and the air starts moving.
Product Name: JetFlo 120 (Blue LED)
Review Sample provided by: Cooler Master
Review by: Debo
Pictures by: Debo
Specifications |
|
Model Number |
R4-JFNP-20PK-R1 (No LED) R4-JFDP-20PW-R1 (White LED) R4-JFDP-20PB-R1 (Blue LED) R4-JFDP-20PR-R1 (Red LED) |
Dimensions |
120 x 120 x 25 mm / 4.7 x 4.7 x 1 inch |
Fan Speed |
800-2000 RPM (PWM) ± 10%; w/ silent adapter: 1600/1200 RPM (fixed) |
Air Flow |
95 CFM ± 10% |
Air Pressure |
2.72 mmH2O ± 10% |
Bearing Type |
POM Bearing - CM 4th Gen. bearing |
Noise Level |
19 dBA (1200 RPM with included adapter) 28 dBA (1600 RPM with included adapter) 12-36 dBA (PWM) |
Connector |
4-Pin (PWM) |
Voltage |
12 VDC |
Current |
0.4A |
Power Consumption |
4.8W |
Lifetime |
160,000h |
Packaging and Features
The JetFlo’s packaging is direct, displaying the fan in its lighted condition on the front of the box to let you make the color choice quickly as there are four version of this particular model including a sans-LED version for the less flashy consumers. Opening the Velcro held front cover we actually get to see a few parts of the fan through clear windows next to some features and some graphs and comparison charts. The rear is where we find even more features and the fans specifications.
Opening the box gives us the JetFlo and all its accessories in one compact arrangement. Included with the fan is a pair of fixed RPM, silent mode adapters and four mounting screws. These adapters hold the fan at fixed speeds when used. The adapter with black connectors is for 1600 RPM and the maroon connectors designate the 1200 RPM adapter. Either can be used to suit your fancy but the base fan is PWM meaning you can control the RPM from anywhere between 800 to 2000 RPM to suit your needs.
Now we can finally take a look at the JetFlo. All LED versions of the fan come with seven clear frosted blades while the no LED version instead has black. The blades, themselves, are designed after turboprop engines to be both efficient and direct the airflow in a more defined path. With most fans on the market having an expected lifetime of 40,000 to 60,000 hours, the JetFlo's 160,000 hours of expected lifetime stands out. This is achieved with the use of a POM (Polyoxymethelene) bearing with both a high resistance to abrasion and and excellent heat resistance and is mostly found in high performance engineering components.
The edges of the fan look odd at first and are entirely made out of rubber. These shock absorbers have the steel threads embedded into them and are secured directly to the fans housing by two large hex screws. Being made entire of rubber allows the pads to cut down not only on vibration at the screw connection but also from vibrations found in anything they touch. This is supposed to allow for a more secure and quiet connection to and case, heatsink or radiator you may tighten it down to.
The power cable is even braided to assist with a clean look to your build as well as to assist in cable management.
Installation and Performance
There isn’t much to installing a case fan but a few interesting points did come up. The shock absorbing pads do perform quiet well in creating a secure connection and even manage to completely surround the mounting screw head once tightened down. Noise from vibration is sure to be kept to a minimum.
We decided to attach our pair of fans to a dual 120 water cooling radiator for testing and as you can see the LEDs are quite bright even in a lighted shot. Oddly it seems our two test fans were from separate batches as the fans lighting were different shades of blue when running and this could be seen as a negative for a few builders so consider it something to consider.
The airflow created by the JetFlo is powerful and concentrated and with one of the highest CFM ratings on the market it is quite an impressive package. Still that maximum airflow is not without tradeoffs. At the fans maximum 2000 RPM it roars and with two of them side by side on a radiator it is even more noticeable. Bringing the speed down with the silent mode adapters does lower the noise substantially but you will also see a drop in performance so, as always, it is a balancing act for each individual. The price isn’t going to break the bank either as it come in about mid-range for PWM fans.
Overall and Final Verdict
You’d be hard pressed to find many fans on the market that could surpass the JetFlo 120 in sheer performance. The turboprop blades move air efficiently and in a more direct manner that both air-cool and water-cool enthusiasts can appreciate. It also doesn’t hurt being available in four different versions for almost any builder’s color preference. Being a PWM fan with precise speed control and a long lifetime is just icing on the cake from an enthusiast standpoint.
Still the JetFlo is prefect. You simply cannot move that much air and expect no noise. At maximum RPMs the fan produces noticeable noise to go along with its top notch performance and while it doesn’t quite whine the decibel levels will start to climb the more you add. The difference in color shades is also something to be cautious about if you are going for a more show style build.
Other than that there isn’t much bad to say specifically about the JetFlo 120. I personally do not mind noise as much as most and found the fans performance to my liking. If you are, however, someone who values a more quiet experience just keep in mind that you will have to adjust these fans to a lower speed and take a bit of a performance hit in the process.