SilenX Fan Roundup
Review by: Steve
Edited by: Ji4m
Provided by: SilenX
Price: $17-$30 Canadian

Introduction:
The most critical part to building any silent computer system is fan choice. After all, most of the noise your computer generates is from the fans! The only other noisy sources inside the case are your hard drive(s) and CD/DVD drive(s). So the fans you chose when building a silent system have to be not only ultra-silent but also suited for the situation they're being used for. Since most silent fans run at a reduced RPM (rotations per minute) the airflow is also reduced. Your silence doesn't come without a loss, but with the right fan choice you can have not only an ultra-silent system, but still a good performing one.

Today we have the opportunity to check out four fans from SilenX, two 80mm fans and two 120mm fans. All have different airflow and decibel ratings making them all suited for very different purposes inside your case.

In The Box:
Each fan package includes the same accessories:
(1) Fan
(1) Installation guide
(4) Screws
(4) Rubber mounts
(1) 3-pin to 4-pin molex power adapter

Features:

IXP-52-14
The IXP-52-14 is an 80x80x15mm fan, so it's not quite half the depth of a standard 80mm fan. The reduced depth also brings a slightly lower air flow, it moves 24CFM at a rated 14dBA. This would be a great fan for additional cooling in your case, such as mounting in front of your hard drives or on a door panel.

    
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IXP-54-14
This is an 80x80x25mm fan, so it's the same depth as any standard sized 80mm fan. With a rated airflow of 32CFM at 14dBA, this opens up more cooling potential such as possibly being mounted on certain CPU heatsinks depending on the platform (I'll be using it on my Socket 939 Athlon 64 3200+ system later in this review). Of course being a case intake or output fan is probably what most people will use it for if they aren't able to mount a larger 120mm fan for even better airflow.

     
(Click to enlarge)