Today for review I have the SilverStone FM121 120mm fan. If you read my review of the FM122, then you might be interested in this review as this one is sort of special; SilverStone specifically asked me to review this fan for comparison with the same CPU Cooler setup to see what the differences are between them. So, let’s just jump right into this review shall we?
Reviewed by: Kristofer Brozio AkA Dracos
Sponsor: SilverStone
Tech Specs,Features or the Basic Info:
Power or silence in one unique package.
The FM121 is a superb 120mm fan package with manual adjustable fan controller. Equipped with 9 fan blades, it offers elevated quietness and performance levels beyond traditional 7 bladed fans. Finding a perfect speed for this fan in any given application is simple on the included aluminum fan controller. Constructed out of high strength white colored plastic and polished to a smooth shine, the FM121 is the ultimate solution for any PC and HTPC enthusiasts looking to upgrade their 120mm fan.
Features:
Unique 9-bladed design
All white fan blade and frame
800rpm ~ 2400rpm speed range
Long-life dual ball bearing motor
Stylish aluminum fan controller
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Specs:
Dimension 120 x 120 x 25mm
Material Plastic (PC)
Color White
Bearing Dual ball bearing
Rated Voltage 12 VDC
Start Voltage 5 VDC
Rated Current 0.40A (Max. 0.45A)
Rated Power 4.8W (Max. 5.4W)
Speed 800 ~ 2400rpm
Airflow Max. 110.03CFM
Static Pressure Max. 3.26mmH2O
Noise Level 17dBA at 800rpm, 39.5dBA at 2400rpm
Life Expectancy 50,000 hours
A Better Look at Things
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Most of SilverStones’ packaging is of the same design, if it works, stick with it right? The front of the FM121s box has the features listed, along with a nice picture of the FM121 and its fan controller along with a cut out window for the customer to view the fan itself.
The back of the box has the features listed in various languages, along with the specifications.
Unpacking the box we can see there is the FM121 120mm fan in there, a fan guard, installation screws and the SilverStone fan controller.
I have always liked the looks of SilverStone fans, there is something about the crisp, clean white of it. Although it would be nice if SilverStone threw a couple white LEDs in there as well. The FM121 is a nine blade design, there is a two pin SilverStone fan controller connector attached along with a standard Molex and speed sensor to connect to your mobo.
SilverStones’ fan controller are the 3.5 bay type, and they are very well made of aluminum. The included cable is more than long enough for any installation arrangement.
I have quite a bit of experience with SilverStone fans and all of it has been excellent. SilverStone makes high quality products that will last for quite a long time.
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Installation, Testing and Comparison
Installation is fairly simple, especially in my case where I installed the FM121 on my Thermalright SI-128 CPU Cooler. (see the review of that HERE SI-128). I did have a slight problem with the installation though as the SI-128s’ fan clips require a fan with holes on both sides, the FM121 does not have that, but a couple zip ties fixed that easily enough.
For my testing I didn’t use the included fan controller, I did test it and it worked fine. I also just reviewed the SilverStone FP33 fan controller (see review HERE FP33) so the FM121 was hooked to that during testing. As I mentioned in the introduction, SilverStone sent me this fan specifically to run comparison tests against the FM122 I recently reviewed. (see review HERE FM122).
Ambient temperature was approximately 27c during testing. To achieve load Prime95 was run for approximately 35 minutes. The CPU is an Intel P4 Cedar mill running at 3.0Ghz on an Asus P5WD2-E Premium mobo.
The comparisons are for the SilverStone running at the lowest possible speed, at 1200RPM to match the Coolermaster 120mm used in the original tests, and on full speed to see the differences that the speeds make. Of course added to the mix is the FM121 now with those results, so in the following graph there is a whole lot of information. You will see temperatures and speeds for the FM122, FM121, a CoolerMaster 1200RPM fan and temperatures for the Intel Stock Cooler. And FYI I left the size of the graph at 1024×768 for easier viewing so you may have to scroll to see the entire thing.
So what does all this mean? Well we can see that the FM121 paired with the SI-128 is better than all the other cooling options except for water of course, but the load temps match nicely with water. We have also learned that the FM121 is much better than SilverStones’ own FM122 fan by a wide margin.
I didn’t run all the other tests like I did for the FM122 as this was specifically for the CPU Cooling performance.
I have to say though that the FM121 is very quiet, even at high speed it is fairly quiet, yes you can hear it on high but not like the Intel stock cooler. The FM121 does not even need to be on high to achieve good performance, apparently it does a great job at all speeds.
Summary:
So if you have a CPU Cooler in need of an excellent fan then the FM121 might be for you, if the performance is any indication thent he FM121 would be a great all around case fan as well. The FM121 is excellent in it construction and performance and I can easily recommend it.
DragonSteelMods gives the SilverStone FM121 120MM Fan a 5 out of 5 score and our Recommended Award as well.
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Pros:
-Quiet
-Looks great
-Included fan controller
-Quality made
-Excellent performance
Cons:
-None
I would like to thank SilverStone for the chance to review their products and for their continued support of DSM.
ALSO, don’t forget there is only a few days left to throw your name in the hat to win the WolfKing Warrior Gamepad, stop drop by and email me for a chance to win!