Sep 7, 2010 14:15 GMT  ·  By

Zalman decided it was time to offer system makers and enthusiasts a new range of case fans, so it developed the ZM-F1-FDB, ZM-F2-FDB and ZM-F3-FDB, which measure 80 mm, 92 mm and 120 mm in diameter and, while lacking LEDs, are translucent and, most importantly, silent enough for enthusiast rigs.

Even though hardware components (CPUs, GPUs, memory etc.) usually have all the necessary cooling components, the layout inside the chassis or end-users need for overclocking, or lack thereof, often demands better airflow.

As such, enclosures always have, besides cable routing, spots where extra fans may or may not be added, including the top, bottom, front and rear.

Zalman's latest series fans, the so-called ZM-Fx-FDB, strive to provide this extra cooling service while also focusing on long life and, most importantly, low noise output.

For instance, as they feature the fluid-dynamic bearing (FDB), they can last for a long time, with the service life being of 150,000 hours.

Also, for a touch of aesthetic value, the impeller is made out of translucent plastic, frost-colored as it were.

Said impeller has a rotary speed of 1,400 to 2,000 RPM for the ZM-F1-FDB, 1,300~2,000 RPM for the ZM-F2-FDB and of 1,000~1,500 for the ZM-F3-FDB.

As for their sound outputs, all of the three newcomers produce between 18 dBA and 23 dBA, which is considerably low.

Should one desire that the fans spin at lower speeds, one need only select the mode by utilizing the provided ZM-RC56 resistor.

All in all, the 80 mm, 92 mm and 120 mm case fans should prove most useful and convenient in any chassis, with their only so-called 'drawback', compared to other aesthetically-focused spinners, being their lack of LED lighting.

As for pricing, the ZM-F1-FDB and ZM-F3-FDB cost 7.9 Euro and 9.5 Euro, respectively, whereas the ZM-F2-FDB will become available later this month (September 25).