AcoustiProducts 80mm AcoustiFan
Review by: Steve
Edited by: Ji4m
Provided by: QuietPC

Introduction:
Although the AcoustiFan doesn't win in terms of airflow, the absolute lack of noise is what makes it stand out above all others.

In The Box:
(1) 80mm AcoustiFan
(4) Gel noise dampeners
(4) Screws
(1) 12V to 7V voltage resistor

(Box, click to enlarge)

Specs:
12V DC 3pin power connector
Monitorable RPM
Built-in "smart" thermal control via attached Thermistor
Attractive clear design
Included resistor to drop voltage from 12V to 7V
Anti-vibration gel mounts damped any noise from fan contact on surface

(AcoustiFan, click to enlarge)

Installation:
The first step of installation is to insert the four tiny gel rings into each screw hole on the surface where you are mounting the fan. Those gel rings prevent noise from the fan vibrating on the surface upon which it is mounted. The next few steps are very straight forward and simple. Simply hold the fan over the gel mounts, then insert the screws. After that, place the thermistor inside the case so it can monitor the temperature and adjust the fan acordingly. The final step is to simply plug the fan into a 3 pin power source.

Features:
When I first powered up the AcoustiFan I had to look down to be sure that it was actually on. The absolute lack of noise just blew me away with this product. When holding it in my hand, the fan is next to inaudible.
Connected to the fan is a thermal sensor which is on a 50CM long wire so it'll reach anywhere you want to put it in your case. The thermal sensor, or "thermistor", controls the speed of the fan depending on the heat around it. If it senses increased heat, it will increase the fan's RPM to bring more air in/out of the case. If the temperature is low it will turn down the speed of the fan for added noise reduction. It would be nice if AcoustiProducts would make a model of this fan without the thermistor because even when the fan is at full RPM I am unable to hear it running.
The fan gets it power from a 3pin lead which plugs into your motherboard. It also has a built-in sensor which allows the fan's RPM to be monitored via your BIOS or software such as motherboard monitor 5 . The power wire is 52CM long which gives you plenty of length to put the fan anywhere you want and still be able to reach a power plug.

(Box and it's contents, click to enlarge)

Testing:
For testing, the fan's noise will be compared to the Scythe Kamakaze 80mm fan which produces the noise equal to your average case fan.
When I turn the Kamakaze up to full RPM it produces a very noticable and very loud whirring sound which can be heard while standing anywhere in the room. When the AcoustiFan was at full RPM I was not able to hear it running even when I was standing right beside the computer case.
The next test I did was to squeeze the thermistor with my hand to heat it up and check that it does vary the fan's RPM. When doing that the fan's RPM did increase as the thermistor got hotter between my fingers.
One thing to note with the AcoustiFan is that it is designed for absence of noise, NOT for moving large amounts of air. If you are running a setup which produces large amounts of heat and needs increased air cooling, this fan is not for you. However if you are building a quiet PC where extreme cooling isn't an element, the AcousiFan is going to be your best friend. With the Kamakaze in my case's door I would often run it at low RPM or turn it off completely because the noise would start to get very annoying after being on the computer for awhile. With the AcoustiFan, I don't even notice that it's there because it is so incredibly quiet, and if the case starts to heat up and increased airflow is needed, it will automatically turn itself up to compensate, still being unheard when running at full speed.

Conclusion:
Overall I was just amazed by the performance of the AcoustiFan. If you are looking to quiet down your loud computer I would consider nothing but the AcoustiFan to do the job.

Pros:
VERY quiet
Automatically adjusts speed depending on heat around the thermistor

Cons:
None!

Rating: 10/10

Discuss this product in our forums!

A big thanks to the wonderful people at QuietPC who provided this product for review!