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Case Fan Accessories

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Fan Mate 1 and 2 Variable Fan Speed Controllers

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Feedback concerning the performance of the Fan Mate product included with the Flower Coolers has been so good that we are now offering the Fan Mate (and now the Fan Mate 2) separately for customers who wish to use it with other fans. The Fan Mate is connected in-line with an existing fan and allows infinite control over the speed at which the fan runs. Where a fan is making a lot of noise due to excessive airflow, this can be reduced in a controlled manner, until such point as the noise becomes minimal and the airflow still adequate. The silencing effect of reducing the speed of a fan even by a small amount can be very surprising!

The Fan Mate has a small rotary knob which can be turned in either direction, to raise or lower the fan speed. Once you are happy with the noise/airflow setting, just leave the knob set in its position and your installation is finished. The best approach is to start with the Fan Mate at its minimum speed setting ("silent mode") and then increase the speed if more airflow is required.

Rather than using a simple rheostat (variable resistor) arrangement, the Fan Mate uses a high quality variable voltage regulator circuit which will not wear out or run excessively hot. Full instructions are supplied, and installation is very easy as can be seen in the diagram below. The product is intended to be used primarily with case fans, and you may be surprised how reducing the speed of a case fan (even slightly) can have a very large effect on noise output, with only a minimal effect on airflow. Of course the best approach is to use fans which are quiet to begin with, but if for cost or other reasons this is not possible, the Fan Mate will provide a very satisfactory alternative in your quest to reduce noise.

Although using the Fan Mate in conjunction with the fan on a CPU cooler is certainly possible, you would need to be careful to ensure that the processor does not get too hot due to inadequate airflow. If you have a CPU heatsink which is thermally inefficient in its design, then its manufacturer may have compensated for this shortcoming by providing it with a high-flow high-noise fan, usually because fast fans are cheaper than good heatsink designs! Using the Fan Mate in this scenario is not a good idea, and if budget allows, we would always recommend replacing the whole CPU cooler with a Flower or Radial Fin model which will guarantee safe cooling with the minimum possible noise level.

Please note that you must not use the Fan Mate in conjunction with any 12 volt fan having a power consumption in excess of 6 watts, or 0.5 amps. Damage to the fan and/or Fan Mate and/or PC system could otherwise occur. Virtually all but the very fastest/most extreme airflow fans consume under 6 watts and are therefore fine, but please check your fan specification before using the Fan Mate if in any doubt.

Finally, when using the Fan Mate at its minimum speed setting, you must ensure that the fan has a minimum startup voltage specification of not more than 5 volts. Otherwise, the Fan Mate will not give a high enough voltage to get the fan started from rest. Before finalising your installation, please test that all Fan Mate-connected fans successfully start when you first power on the system. If you are using the Fan Mate with any of our Ultra-Quiet fans, you do not need to worry about this point because all our Ultra-Quiet fans are guaranteed to start at 5 volts.

Product Differences
From a performance point of view the FANMATE1 and FANMATE2 are identical. The major difference between the two is the fact that the cables supplied with the FANMATE2 are much longer than those on the FANMATE1. These longer cables make it possible to mount the FANMATE2 out side the chassis. This makes changing the fan speed much easier than the FANMATE1.

Fan Mate Specifications

Multi Fan Speed Controller (bay mount) ZM-MFC1

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If you like to be in control of your PC's cooling system, you need the six channel ZM-MFC1 from Zalman. It permits variable speed control of up to four fans plus 3-way toggle switches for up to two further fans. The LEDs on each channel indicate fan operation and speed through change in colour and intensity.

Zalman Noiseless Resistor Cable RC56

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This small resistor converts 3-pin fans from 12 volts to approximately 7 volts. This basically means it reduces the speed of your 3-pin fans, which in turn reduces the noise the fan makes. We tested the resistor with a 92mm fan and without the resistor installed the fan ran at 2700 RPM. Once the resistor was installed the fan ran around 1400 RPM. The reduction in noise was significant.

Installation considerations

Fitting the resistor is very straightforward. Just plug the 3-pin fan into one end of the resistor and then the other end connects directly to your motherboard.

NOTE: The resistor reduces the RPM of the fan, in turn this reduces the air flow that the fan produces. Please bear that in mind when purchasing this resistor.

Fan Multi-Connector Cable ZM-MC1

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This clever cable solves two problems in one. At its simplest level, the cable allows you to connect multiple 3-pin fans (or Fan Mates) to one 4-pin connector from the PSU. This is useful where you wish to install one or more 3-pin fans but there are no available 3-pin fan header sockets available on the motherboard.

In addition, it gives you a choice of two operating speeds for your fan(s), by allowing you to run your 12 volt fan(s) at 5 volts if desired. This has the effect of slightly reducing the speed of the fan, and significantly reducing the noise. Although the airflow will be lessened, this rarely has a large effect on case temperature.

You can see from the above diagram that two outputs are provided at 12 volts, and two outputs at 5 volts. Therefore you can have up to two fans running at normal speed (black sockets), and/or up to two fans running at a lower speed (white sockets). Either type of output can be used in combination with a Fan Mate to give an even greater degree of control over fan speed.

As well as the benefit of low noise, running your fan(s) from the black sockets will increase the life of the fan, and reduce dust buildup. The cable comes attractively retail boxed with instructions. Note: This product does not allow you to connect a 4-pin fan into a 3-pin motherboard fan header socket; direct connection to a 4-pin PSU lead remains the only option for 4-pin fans.

Fan Extension Cable ZM-EC1

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Depending on the position of your motherboard's 3-pin fan header(s) and the mounting position of your case fan(s), you may find that the fan cable is not long enough. This simple extension gives approximately an extra 75 cm (30 inches) of length for any 3-pin fan.

Acousti Anti-vibration Fan Gaskets

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These super-soft, 2.5mm thick, translucent/clear silicone fan gaskets including silicone washers and screws are the softest, thickest and most effective fan gasket available. These silicone gaskets are designed to reduce the vibration from any PC or server case cooling fans.

Advantages

1. Help to absorb the vibration that otherwise would be transmitted from the fan into the case chassis and case housing, and

2. Help to 'seal' the small gap between the fan and the casing/enclosure wall. This improves the efficiency of the fan, by reducing feedback airflow and therefore air pressure losses.

Other advantages include:

• Compatible with virtually all case cooling fans

• Supplied with screws and silicone washers

• Quick and very easy to fit (these gaskets 'hold onto' the fan whilst fitting them due to a small lip in the gasket design)

Technical Spec

• Operating Temperature: (-)20 - (+)70°C

• Softness: Shore A 40° ±5

• Material: Translucent Silicon Rubber

• Gasket Thickness: 2.5mm

• Recommended Compression: 5% of height

These gaskets are suitable for the vast majority of case designs and fan combinations, as they fit standard fan mounting holes. Slightly lengthened (12mm thread) fan mounting screws are supplied with the fan gaskets and washers. These gaskets can be used with standard PC cooling fans, and not just with AcoustiFan™ quiet case fans. Note: Do not use these gaskets in very high temperature locations inside a PC/Server such as attached to CPU or GPU heat sinks!

Fitting Directions

1. Fit the fan gasket onto the outside of the fan housing (it will stay on the fan)

2. Position the fan and gasket together against the inside of the case, so that the four mounting holes in the fan and gasket line up to the mounting holes in the case side

3. Locate the four silicone washers and screws, and fit the washers against the case side, each secured by a screw

4. Tighten the screws enough to very slightly compress the silicone rubber. Do not overtighten.
   

Effective? - Yes, these are simply the most effective yet!

Why are these silicone fan gaskets especially effective? Because Acousti Products have not held back on the silicone thickness and the silicone material softness. All gaskets are 2.5mm thick (not just 1mm like alternatives), and Shore A 40 (a great deal softer than others we have tested). We are confident that these two factors make these gaskets more effective than any other models available.

Product Reviews

"Through using the single gasket and the silicone washers, we were incredibly impressed with the improved performance." - Phoronix

"Overall, the Acousti Products Soft Silicone Fan Gasket is a worthwhile accessory." - Extreme Reviews