Silencing The SOHO

The first set of items from the array of products from AcoustiFan, which were graciously provided by QuietPC, is the AcoustiFan DustProof Noiseless computer case fans. Some of these fan's features include an ultra-quiet fan motor, 3-pin motherboard connector, RPM monitoring, and a low-speed in-line resistor. Both of the packages we received for the 60mm and 92mm versions included the fan and a bag which contained several additional accessories. These parts included the fan mounting screws, 3-pin to 4-pin adapter, and 3-speed adjustment cable.

We were impressed by the build quality of the DustProof fans. The "DustProof" feature prevents dust from entering the motor housing and interfering with the bearings and circuitry. This should help the fan to run smoothly and quietly for a longer period of time. The 60mm version is rated for 13.7 CFM @ 16.9CFM and the 92mm counterpart is rated for 28.0CFM @ 22.0CFM. QuietPC also sells 70, 80, and 120mm versions of these AcoustiFan DustProof units. However, the luxury of silence doesn't come cheap. The 60mm AcoustiFan DustProof Noiseless fan sells for $20.95 USD, for a single fan, and the 92mm version also sells for a steep $29.95.

In our setup today, we used the 92mm AcoustiFan to replace the stock SilverStone 92mm fan in the front portion of the SilverStone LC-14 chassis. We decided to make this swap even though both of these fans have relatively the same noise level and airflow but the AcoustiFan offers the DustProof capabilities and a 3-pin fan connector rather than the 4-pin molex connector. Replacing the stock 6800RPM fan, which was quite noisy, we paired the 60mm AcoustiFan with a CoolJag JAC16EC CPU heatsink, which is designed for 2U chassis' and desktops.