SilverStone FW121 and FW141 – Test and Review

SilverStone FW series has been part of the company portfolio for quite a long time and is made to deliver several products with dimensions from 80 up to 180mm. All of the models are designed to provide very serious cooling performance, very aggressive appearance and really attractive blue/white colour scheme. The series itself features:

1. FW81 – 80 x 80 x25 mm square fan working at 1200 ~ 3000 revolutions per minute range, providing airflow level range of 12 ~ 29.5CFM, static level pressure of 0.45 ~ 2.9mmH2O at noise level range of 15.3 ~ 30dBA.
2. FW91 – 92 x 92 x 25 mm square fan working at 1500 ~ 2800 revolutions per minute range, providing airflow level range of 26.8 ~ 49.5CFM, static level pressure of 1.05 ~ 2.76mmH2O at noise level range of 14.1 ~ 27.7dBA.
3. FW121 – 120 x 120 x 15 mm square slim fan working at 800 ~ 2000 revolutions per minute range, providing airflow level range of 13.1 ~ 32.6CFM, static level pressure of 0.31 ~ 1.52mmH2O at noise level range of 14.7 ~ 24.6dBA.
4. FW122 – 120 x 120 x 25 mm square fan working at 1000 ~ 1800 revolutions per minute range, providing airflow level range of 42.6 ~ 76.5CFM, static level pressure of 0.31 ~ 1.52mmH2O at noise level range of 18.4 ~ 28.1dBA. A fan, which I already tested in the past.
5. FW141 – 140 x 150 x 13 mm round slim fan working at 800 ~ 1300 revolutions per minute range, providing airflow level range of 32.5 ~ 74.6CFM, static level pressure of 0.327 ~ 1.252mmH2O at noise level range of 19.1 ~ 34.2dBA.
6. FW181 – 180 x 180 x 18mm square slim fan working at 500 ~ 1200 revolutions per minute range, providing airflow level range of 40.38 ~ 171.1CFM, static level pressure of 0.095 ~ 1.252mmH2O at noise level range of 16.1 ~ 39.5 dBA.

For this test and review I received SilverStone FW121 and FW141, which at first sight looks absolutely amazing and I am expecting even more from the performance and the noise level.

Both of the fans were delivered to me to perform a test and review in the standard for both the FW and FQ series package. The packages are made of a transparent plastic designed as two parts connected to each other.

On the front side of the packages there is some technical information regarding the products, explaining the special features of the products, a QR code leading to the official web page for further information and a full view of the fan structure, showing some very good looking design and very nice looking colour scheme.

FW121 Package	FW141 Package

 

As usual all of the technical specifications regarding the SilverStone FW121 and FW141 are explained on the back side of the packages written in several languages.

So let’s continue with checking out the fans’ structure…

 

SILVERSTONE FW121 AND FW141 STRUCTURE

Even though they are part of the same fan series, they offer totally different frame and propeller structure. The only common thing between both of the fans is actually the blue/white colour scheme and the slim design. So let’s check both of the fans structure one by one.

FW121 Front view	FW141 Front view

 

SilverStone FW121 is designed as a slim fan featuring a 120 x 120 x 15mm square light blue frame, made to be installed on a 120mm case fan slot or on a CPU cooler compatible with a 120mm fans. The frame itself looks pretty solid and on the back of the product there is additional stabilizing ring around the motor to boost the overall durability of the frame.

The model is equipped with white propeller featuring 9 narrow and at the same time very sharply angled blades made entirely to deliver very balanced air pressure and airflow. The propeller itself is also equipped with a stabilizing ring to improve the overall durability while the fan is operating at full speed.

The connection between the frame and the propeller is done by 4-pin PWM powered and regulated long life sleeve bearing made to operate in the 800 ~ 2000 revolutions per minute range, providing airflow level of 13.1 ~ 32.6CFM, static level pressure of 0.31 ~ 1.52mmH2O at noise level of 14.7 ~ 24.6dBA. The bearing is supposed to last up to 40 000 hours.

FW121 Back view	FW141 Back view

 

On the other hand, SilverStone FW141 is a little bit more interesting product since it is the only round model in the series. The fan is equipped with a round light blue frame with dimensions of 140 x 150 x 13mm, made to be installed on a 120mm case fan slot or on a CPU cooler compatible with a 120mm fans. But of course there should be space around the fan when it is installed because of its dimensions. This model doesn’t feature stabilizing rings because the revolution speed is much slower.

SilverStone FW141 is designed with totally different white propeller featuring 13 very wide and at the same time not really sharply angled blades made entirely to deliver excellent balance of airflow and air pressure.

The connection between the frame and the propeller is done again by 4-pin PWM powered and regulated long life sleeve bearing, which will operate at 800 ~ 1300 revolutions per minute range, delivering airflow level of 32.5 ~ 74.6CFM, static level pressure of 0.327 ~ 1.252mmH2O at noise level of 19.1 ~ 34.2dBA. The bearing is supposed to last up to 40 000 hours.

 

SILVERSTONE FW121 AND FW141 ADDITIONAL ACCESSORIES

After checking the fans’ structure I believe it is time to check the additional accessories added in the packages and accompanying the fans.

FW121 Accessories	FW141 Accessories

 

Even though they are part of the same series, both of the fans arrived with slightly different accessories pack which for SilverStone FW121 features:

1. A set of four rubber pins to attach the fans to a case fan slot
2. A set of four metal screws to attach the fans to a case fan slot
3. 1 x 4 pin fan power adaptor to power the fan directly from the power supply if it is installed as a case fan and the motherboard has no additional fan headers.

While the SilverStone FW141 accessories pack features:

1. A set of four rubber pins to attach the fans to a case fan slot
2. A set of four rubber washers for additional noise dampening
3. A set of four metal screws to attach the fans to a case fan slot
4. 1 x 4 pin fan power adaptor to power the fan directly from the power supply

Both of the fans look absolutely astonishing and prepared for various ways to be installed and used and now I believe it is time for some testing.

 

 SILVERSTONE FW121 AND FW141 TESTS

The tests will be conducted in my standard way. I will install the fans and test them at 5V/7V/9V/12V and my goal will be to check the performance of the products in real conditions. They will be tested under close-to-perfect conditions, not taking into account any external factors. The results achieved during the test can in no way be the same if the models are mounted on a cooler or on the case fan hole of any modern computer case. I will measure the amount of air going through the fans for one hour and their speed. For this I use a fan controller, a voltage meter, an anemometer and a stand made specifically for this purpose.

And this is what the fans look like installed on my test stand:

The test results are shown in the following charts:

Airflow through the fans at 5V, 7V, 9V, 12V

Propellers rpm during the tests at 5V, 7V, 9V, 12V.

The anemometer showed the following air speed passing through the propellers:

After mounting the fans onto the stand, and leaving them to rotate for about 30 minutes at maximum speed, it was time to do the tests.

As with my other tests, again I started with a gradual increase of the voltage through the Lamptron FCT starting at 0V and both of the fans made at least one stable revolution at about 7.5V. To do my tests I had to decrease the operation voltage back to 5V and check their performance.

Test at 5V:

At the first test conducted at exactly 5V, SilverStone FW121 was rotating at 870 revolutions per minute, providing airflow level of 32.64 cubic metres per hour, while SilverStone FW141 was providing airflow level of only 12.96 cubic metres per hour while rotating at 330 revolutions per minute. Both of the fans were absolutely quiet.

Test at 7V:

At the second test conducted at exactly 7V, SilverStone FW121 was rotating at 1350 revolutions per minute providing airflow level of 53.76 cubic metres per hour, while SilverStone FW141 was providing 40.8 cubic metres per hour, while rotating at 750 revolutions per minute. Again both of the fans were absolutely silent.

Test at 9V:

The third test conducted at 9V, showed that SilverStone FW121 was providing airflow level of 67.68 cubic metres per hour, while rotating at 1680 revolutions per minute, while SilverStone FW141 was providing 68.64 cubic metres per hour, while rotating at 1080 revolutions per minute. At this test both of the fans started generating a tiny noise coming out of the air passing through the propellers.

Test at 12V:

At the last test conducted at 12V, both fans reached their maximum performance, which for SilverStone FW121 was airflow level of 88.32 cubic metres per hour at 2130 revolutions per minute, while for SilverStone FW141  it was 97.92 cubic metres per hour, while rotating again at only 1380 revolutions per minute. Both fans increased the noise and became a bit noisy.

Seems I am done testing and reviewing so I believe it is about time to share my conclusions:

 

SILVERSTONE FW121 AND FW141 CONCLUSIONS

1. SilverStone FW121 and FW141 Performance:

I’ve spent some time having fun with both of the fans through the review, the accessories check and most of all through the tests and to be honest I really like what I saw.

Both of the fans offer pretty standard structure for slim fans, made to provide a solid fan structure and most all of very nice balance between airflow level, static pressure and noise level for specific setups such as mini ITX systems, HTPC rigs or modding projects. Both of the models will definitely do the job to keep the airflow inside a small case strong and stable enough to keep all of the hardware working at decent temperatures. Of course, both of the models can be used for normal rigs, too, installed in middle or full ATX cases to save some space and as main cooling units for CPU coolers or water cooling radiators. They will definitely provide reliable performance for normal daily usage, but for extreme experience they might not be enough.

And here comes something very interesting, which I’ve noticed. Through my tests FW121 showed slightly higher airflow level , while the FW141 showed slightly lower airflow than the official technical details. Curious…

Apart from that, during the tests at 5 and 7V they were pretty quiet but keep in mind that the starting voltage for both products is actually 7.5V so to enjoy the piece the operational voltage should be decreased after the systems starts. At 9 and 12V tests they were generating some noise from the air passing through the propeller. When the fans were set to operate at automatic regulation they maintain a very good performance/noise level.

2. SilverStone FW121 and FW141 Appearance:

As we all know, SilverStone always try to provide interesting and innovative products. They always deliver products featuring stylish or very aggressive structure combined with bold colour scheme and overall appearance. And here we can see the FW121 as a very simple and stylish product, while FW141 features very aggressive appearance. And both of them with very eye catching light blue/white colour scheme.

To be honest, this is not the most common colour scheme but if they are installed inside a rig with blue/white colours they will deliver an astonishing effect.

I think that SilverStone FW121 and FW141  deserves the following reward:

SilverStone FW121 has been added to the 120mm fans catalogue.

SilverStone FW141 has been added to the 140mm fans catalogue.

Official price (MSRP): SilverStone FW121  – 8.84 euro

Official price (MSRP): SilverStone FW141  – 9.2 euro

Warranty: 36 months

Special thanks to SilverStone for providing us with a test sample.