The InWin Crown Fan: Why Bother with Closer Fan Blades When the Whole Fan Moves
by Ian Cutress on June 19, 2018 1:00 PM EST
In recent weeks and months, a lot of noise has been made about Noctua’s new fan design that uses precise tooling to create fan blades that are much closer to the edge of the fan than has been used previously. The benefits of such a design are often listed as a better and more powerful airflow. Well perhaps InWin just one-upped Noctua’s design, by fixing the blades to the fan sub-frame and spinning the sub-frame instead
This new fan design uses two main frame platforms: the first, which is fixed to the chassis in the corners, is used as a housing around the outside of the internal subframe as well as carrying the cables into the motor. The second is the subframe, which contains the fan blades fixed from the center to the sub-frame. The end result is that almost the whole fan spins around.
There are pros and cons to this method, including the fan blades getting more air and having more of the sub-frame move can assist with shifting air. The downside is that there is more mass, so the total RPM of the fan (at equal torque) is likely to be lower.
InWin rates these fans at 2.4W, with an average airflow of 64.26 cubic feet per minute, and an average air pressure of 1.91 mmH2O, with a noise level of 31.3 dB(A). The motor is a fluid dynamic bearing and rated for 60,000 hours use. At retail a twin pack of 140mm fans should come in under $60, and 120mm fans are available also.
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35 Comments
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jrs77 - Tuesday, June 19, 2018 - link
Or you could buy some Noiseblocker eLoop.BurntMyBacon - Wednesday, June 20, 2018 - link
Agreed. They seem to be more thoroughly thought out than these as well.Demon-Xanth - Tuesday, June 19, 2018 - link
Reminds me of the old tip magnetic drive fans that made a brief ripple.Spunjji - Wednesday, June 20, 2018 - link
That's exactly what I thought. Those were terrible too!AdrianB1 - Tuesday, June 19, 2018 - link
And someone else needs to fix this design too; not only the outrageous price, but the wide frame directly in the air flow direction. Yes, support is needed, but rotated 90 degrees to minimize the turbulence and the noise created and to reduce local pressure.Dragonstongue - Tuesday, June 19, 2018 - link
$60 for 2 fans likely USD is pricey enough (IMO) but then again quality of 99% of everything in this world costs extra, or at the least, a perceived higher quality where the companies us the name recognition to get away with "murder" ahem Ngreedia comes to mind ^.^would have been neat if this was a "video" to see it in action, airflow is mehh for a 140mm fan, noise is a similar mehh (many companies absolutely do not measure the same, so this is subjective at best) the pressure or lack of is not that good, maybe the blades could have been notched or something AND because I 99% hate all RGB BS out there, am sure they could have trimmed back at least a bit of power by not bothering to put RGB on it.
I am quite partial to clear (or a rainbow hue) / smoke color bladed fans though, that Noctua Redux grey color is quite nice as well
HappyCracker - Tuesday, June 19, 2018 - link
These remind me of the Y. S. Tech Tip Magnetic Drive fans from the early 2000s. Why didn't those catch on more?Spunjji - Wednesday, June 20, 2018 - link
Because they didn't offer the advertised benefits and had a large number of drawbacks. The dead area at the centre of an axial fan's airflow is irrelevant for case fans and can be designed around for heatsinks, so they offer no benefit at the cost of terrible noise characteristics due to the difficulties of balancing that much moving mass.CheapSushi - Thursday, June 21, 2018 - link
Have you ever looked at the dust pattern on heatsinks and radiators? The hub contributes a large dead zone. Larger than you seem to be willing to admit to. That's a dead zone on a heatsink or radiator not actually contributing.CheapSushi - Thursday, June 21, 2018 - link
Plus you didn't bother to acknowledge the actual unique part of the Y.S. fan. That the motor(s) were actually on the frames edge, instead of the hub. This InWin fan still has the motor in the middle. It might not have taken off because of patents rather than "drawbacks".