Antec TriCool 80mm DBB Case Fan with 3-Spd Switch 3/4-Pin & 3-Pin Monitoring

List Price: $14.99 Discount Price: $5.09

Features:

• Product Type - Fan
• Package Type - Retail
• - Double ball-bearing design lasts longer than conventional fans
• - 3-speed switch lets you balance quiet performance with maximum cooling

Customer Reviews:

Really good 80mm fan. [Posted on 2007-05-03]
This is a good product. Quiet,I keep it on the lower setting, but even on the medium setting I couldn't hear it. Of course, I do have other fans in my PC that I do hear, so I don't know if you could hear it if you have a really quiet PC. On low I don't think you can complain, and I've had a noticable 2 - 3 degree celsius drop blowing over my video card.

Very disappoining for a simple item like a chassis fan [Posted on 2007-11-15]
I'll start with the good things:

-It has a long cable. I have a medium ATX case, and I installed the fan in the case's front, and I could connect the cable in the mobo's case fan header all the way past all PCI slots! I have never had a full ATX case, so I can't be sure if it'll reach in those.
-It has Low, Medium, and High RPM setting. The switch is at the end of a semi-rigid cable of about 10cm long. It makes its use relatively comfortable.
-It seems to be very quiet. I don't notice it in the highest setting.

The cons:

-It draws its power NOT from the mobo's case fan header, but directly from a 4-pin PSU connector. You don't need a spare 4-pin connector because the fan provides an extra 4-pin connector to balance, though. This is a con for me because it seems an awful lot of extra cables for such a simple thing. Besides, it interferes with the airflow inside the case!! I bought this to improve airflow, and I end up with more clutter inside the case. I can't imagine why Antec thought the mobo could not provide the needed power.
-There is no instruction pamphlet. I know I know! It is such a simple thing! Attach it to the case and that's it, right? Wrong. You need to be sure in which direction the fan blows. The fan has no indication whatsoever about the direction of the flow. You could end up having to uninstall it, and then install it again in the correct position.
-The provided screws may very well be worthless to you. The provided screws are just above 1/4" (the fan is 1" thick if you want to grab it fully) and have a tiny TINY head. The holes in my case were larger than the heads and therefore, the screw would go straight through. I ended up buying a set of screws in a local hardware store. Of course they just cost like 25 cents, but the gasoline I used to get them was way more expensive.
-The reported speed through the mobo's fan header is pretty much useless. The BIOS reports anything between 1000 RPM and 2700 RPM, and many, many zero's in between!! I hear you all saying it could be my mobo's fan header. Yes, it could be. I have never used that fan header before and it is a 3 year-old mobo. But for a mobo that has worked flawlessly so far, should I blame it out of the blue? The CPU fan speed reading is rock-solid 3444 RPM with VERY FEW variations, while this other fan reports nonsense. I once saw a 168.000 RPM reading with SpeedFan 4.33!

Finally, I must add that my review is kind of harsh because 2 days ago I received another fan for another computer, a side 120mm fan for a brand new computer I'm building. The fan is a Thermaltake with blue LED, variable speed control, and with a temperature probe. It had a pamphlet indicating how the fan should be installed, it indicated how to determine the airflow direction so you mount it correctly, it provided appropriate screws, and it draws its power from the mobo's fan header!, providing minimal extra clutter inside the case. I guess I know now who's DADDY and who's the rebel son.

Quiet, cooling and fast! [Posted on 2008-03-26]
I ordered this product from Amazon even though a few alternate sources were a couple bucks cheaper, and I'm happy!

Shipping was fast, fast, fast! I ordered this fan over Easter weekend and it was on my doorstep the following Tuesday!

I've used quite a few of these fans (80 mm and 120 mm) and I love the options! It's much easier than splicing into the psu wires, and it works great as a replacement if set on high and plugged directly into the mobo!

Wanna be cool. [Posted on 2008-06-23]
Install this and forget it. Keeps the air circulating all day. Fast and quiet.

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