EKL Alpenföhn Wing Boost 3 ARGB High Speed White Edition Review – When data sheet and reality collide

1 - Intro, Unboxing and technical Data 2 - Test System, Chamber and Equipment 3 - Voltages, Wattage and RPM 4 - Volumetric Airflow 5 - Statischec Pressure 6 - Noise, Frequency Analyses and Sound Files 7 - Conclusion and Final Words

Start-up and shut-down voltage

This chapter should be read with caution and attention as long as the fans are not purely analog, i.e. DC-controlled fans with 3-pin connection. The PWM control electronics almost always stand in the way of clean voltage regulation and it is therefore also not advisable to regulate PWM fans via voltage. Nevertheless, we have also carried out this measurement for all models, regardless of whether they are DC or PWM fans, because even strange results say a lot about the control electronics and the use as a DC-controlled fan.

But first, to be on the safe side, we check the maximum speed at 100% PWM and compare it with the datasheet. The fan not only manages the specified data, but is even just above it. Of course, there’s always a little bit of series dispersion involved here, so that’s a perfect fit.

In today’s DC test, we see that the fan starts with voltages starting at around 2.5 volts, while Noctua’s fan requires at least 4.4 volts. In addition, all PWM fans achieve maximum speed and sufficient throughput as well as static pressure only when PWM-controlled. So, as is almost always the case, I would not recommend voltage-only control.

The just under 500 rpm minimum speed is an acceptable value for such a fan, although rather useless in practice. PWM-controlled, the fan can’t be switched off, but it remains in continuous operation at approx. 500 rpm. There is no provision for a fan stop.

Start-up and shut-down behaviour

The following measurement curves once again illustrate the very different behaviour. Let’s look at DC control first. Only about 485 rpm are reached here, below that the fan comes to a standstill. The DC control is thus obsolete and could at most replace the fan stop.

With the PWM protocol, we can also see very well the continuation of the fan, because there is a minimum speed. The rest then reflects the data from the bar chart.

Power consumption

This value is quite high, but just acceptable. Consider that 6 fans alone would consume over 24 watts (without RGB) at maximum speeds. That’s not something you want to do to a normal motherboard, and even half that would be a decent board with only 3 fans.