The Corsair SP (Static Pressure), AF (High Airflow) 120/140mm Fan Review
by E. Fylladitakis on November 25, 2015 8:00 AM ESTConclusion
The goal of our first fans review was to demonstrate the great performance difference that various fan designs can have and how these affect the selection of a fan for a specific application. It is also important to illustrate that merely the maximum static pressure and maximum airflow are not enough to represent the true performance of a fan, especially since both of these figures do not represent any real-world application scenario. Corsair's AF and SP series fans were ideal products for that purpose, as they are not "universal" models but each is designed for a specific application in mind.
Depending on the application, the selection of a fan can greatly affect performance. For example, if the fan is for a low impedance application (e.g. case fan without a filter), the AF140 would provide considerably more airflow than the SP140 and at a lower noise level. Similarly, the AF120 Performance Edition would provide about the same level of air volume flow at a much lower speed and noise level. On the other hand, if the fan is to be installed on a thick radiator, the AF120 would not manage to push half the air through it in comparison with a SP120.
As for the quality and performance of Corsair's fans, we first have to clarify once more that the LED and standard AF and SP fan versions are significantly different. This can also be noticed from the specifications of the fans, as the LED versions appear to have notably inferior performance than their non-LED counterparts. There is a reason why the LED versions are retailing for less. A twin pack of the AF120 LED fan currently retails for $18.40, while the AF120 Quiet Edition Twin Pack retails for $26 and a single fan for $18.20. The standard AF120, SP120 and AF140 fans are of both superior quality and design, plus they are using more expensive engines. By no means the AF140 LED and the SP140 LED are bad fans, but they do not really stand out like the immense static pressure of the SP120 Performance Edition does. If the lighting effect is not a necessity, we would definitely recommend the standard black version of the appropriate fan.
Corsair's advanced hydraulic bearing engine design is not ground-breaking, but it is clever. What Corsair did was to take the very widely used sleeve bearing design and improve it to match the reliability of a high end product. Sleeve bearings are known to generate comparatively low noise, especially when compared to ball bearings, but their lack of lubrication gives them relatively short lives. What Corsair did was to take a sleeve bearing and literally immersed it inside a tank of lubricant, alongside the axle of the engine itself. The lubricant ensures that the bearing will remain lubricated for life and also reduces friction and noise even further. That is where the name of this bearing design, "hydraulic", comes from. On paper, Corsair's hydraulic fan bearing can even outlast common ball bearing designs.
As for the engines of the LED fan versions, they might not have advanced hydraulic bearings as the rest of the series, but the rifle bearing that they are using is also considered a very good compromise between quiet operation, longevity and performance. They are not as premium as the hydraulic and FDB bearings that Corsair is using in their better fans, but they are definitely superior to a basic sleeve bearing fan.
To summarize, Corsair's fan products generally are of high quality and offer great application-specific performance, with the standard versions being even better than the LED versions of the seemingly same fan series. The SP series offer good performance for high impedance applications, such as coolers and radiators, while the AF series are designed to perform optimally as unobstructed case fans. Whether the LED version, the Performance Edition or the Quiet Edition is the right choice, that depends solely on the user's preferences, wants and needs.
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DanNeely - Wednesday, November 25, 2015 - link
A suggestion for when you've got data on more fans. Since the scales on the graphs aren't constant; it would be really helpful for comparison if Bench was able to take the datapoints used to generate the performance curves and use them to create a single combined chart for the user selected set of fans/speeds.BurntMyBacon - Tuesday, December 1, 2015 - link
A max and min speed chart also needs to be in there as user selected fan speeds ignore the fact that some fans can spin quicker/slower than others are capable of spinning.Stuka87 - Wednesday, November 25, 2015 - link
My Corsair 380T came with the LED version of the fans and I was not happy with them at all. I ended up changing them out for the Enermax "Batwing" LED fans (which have removable blades for cleaning) which are much quieter but also have better airflow.supastar1568 - Wednesday, November 25, 2015 - link
Very well written write up with lots of good information.Curious, how did you go about increasing/decreasing the air resistance levels for the fans? As an mechanical engineer, I've been reading up on fan curves for work and I believe an adjustable duct type thing is common. I've always been curious to how this part is done.
Also, for anyone interested, the AMCA 210 Standard has lots of good info as well. A quick google search will bring you to the .pdf.
simonpschmitt - Wednesday, November 25, 2015 - link
Hey, nice to see a more in depth review of the matter.Just two suggestions:
First, why are you plotting pressure over volume? Iwould have done it the other way around.
Second, could you measure the impedance (ballpark figures) of some typical obstructions and post photos of them? For example finger guards, one or two tower coolers, typical filter (ideally clean and dirty, would be interessting to see the effect). Just to get a feel for the dimensions involved.
jann5s - Thursday, November 26, 2015 - link
+1EddyKilowatt - Thursday, December 3, 2015 - link
I think a necessary corollary of AT doing such a solid job of reviewing and explaining fan performance, is that they will also (have to) start measuring and publishing flow curves of the things they review that fans get hooked up to. I was mainly thinking of cases and coolers, but you are right, filters and guards qualify as well. Maybe someday that kind of data will be part of the specs that manufacturers publish.rocktober13 - Monday, November 30, 2015 - link
+1 to both suggestionsBurntMyBacon - Tuesday, December 1, 2015 - link
@simonpschmitt: "First, why are you plotting pressure over volume? Iwould have done it the other way around."Typically the controlled variable is X and the measured variable is Y. They are controlling pressure and measuring airflow so typically it would be represented as you state. That said, the data is all there and the author is technically free and correct to use R and W for variables if he chooses as long as the axis' are labeled. Though in the end, I'd just as soon have the author use the typical approach to avoid confusion.
@simonpschmitt: "Second, could you measure the impedance (ballpark figures) of some typical obstructions and post photos of them? For example finger guards, one or two tower coolers, typical filter (ideally clean and dirty, would be interessting to see the effect). Just to get a feel for the dimensions involved."
This. Very this. Also, since the author mentioned "dense radiators", measurements and photos of dense vs sparse radiators.
JanW1 - Wednesday, November 25, 2015 - link
"one Pascal is the pressure required to accelerate 1 kg of mass at a speed of 1 meters per second squared"Looks like you mixed up the definitions of a Newton and a Pascal. One Pascal is the pressure required to exert the force of one Newton per square meter. The square meter disappeared in your definition. I guess you could say "one Pascal is the pressure required to exert on a surface of one square meter the force required to accelerate 1 kg of mass at a speed of 1 meters per second squared".