Benchmarks
It seemed
natural to compare at least one other product that I had available. So, I
re-tested my trusty old Global Win FKP-32, which is similar to the Vantec
in spirit. After a breeze easy installation using the 62540D and a smidgen
of Arctic Silver grease, I anxiously awaited the results. Below is the test
rig specs.
Hardware
| CPU |
Intel
Pentium 3 700 @ 980MHz
|
| Heatsink
& Fan |
Vantec
FCE-62540D & Global Win FKP-32
|
| Motherboard |
Asus
CUSL2 rev 1.02 w/1002 BIOS (provided by AD
of K)
|
| Memory |
Mushkin 128MB CAS2 PC133 (256MB total)
|
| Hard
Drive |
IBM
15.3GB 75GXP 7200 RPM ATA100
|
|
CD-ROM
|
Plextor
12-10-32 SCSI CD-RW
|
| Sound
Card |
SB
Live! Value
|
| Video
Cards |
Creative GeForce GTS 32MB
|
| Case |
InWin
S500 w/PowerMan 300W Supply
|
It should
be noted that the excellent S500
ATX case was used for testing. What's so exciting about this arrangement
isn't necessarily the super mid tower setup with a horizontally mounted
power supply, but its fantastic air flow characteristics. Without the aid
of any other case fans, the S500 manages to hold the inside temperature
at the ambient outside temperature.
Temperature Comparison
|
Unit
|
Idle
|
3DMark2001
|
RPM
|
|
Vantec
|
85ºF
|
91ºF
|
6770
|
|
G.W.
|
87ºF
|
95ºF
|
4900
|
The Vantec
plainly bests the aging Global Win, which was a very respectable product nearly
a year ago. At idle, the 2º difference is negligible. It may seem like
a 4º drop when running wide-open might be equally insignificant, but
it's not. I glanced at my temperature sensor for the GF GTS and it plummeted
over 15 degrees Fahrenheit from my mainstay FKP-32. Geeeeez, that's some fan!
And that
fan is a double edged sword. Back in the 90's, bragging rights were held by
many who had a half dozen fans and a peltier or two. When an unsuspecting
visitor pushed the power button, they were greeted by a whoosh that sounded
more at home on an airport runway than in a home. Those days have long passed
and now a growing trend is to save our collective ears. Nearing the seven
grand mark when cranked up, the fan is obnoxious. The whine produced could
easily annoy even the casual web surfer, it certainly did me. When I sit down,
I might not leave my office for 3-5 hours and any howling sound, beit from
a fan or unruly dogs is not welcome. Rather than continue with this rant,
have a listen for yourself.
The last
test I could perform involved a brief power and noise check.
Power
& Noise
|
Vantec
|
Noise
|
Power
|
Voltage
|
Current
|
|
Rated
|
46.5dBA@???
|
3.84W
|
12V
|
320mA
|
|
Tested
|
56.0dBA@1m
|
4.80W
|
12V
|
400mA
|
The dBA tests confirmed
the ludicrous noise level. While you don't have to shout over the whoosh and
whine, its din over time could create quite the headache for some. The power
drain was enormous for a three pin motherboard header. Almost touching the
5 watt mark, you'll have to check your MB manufacturer to see if the current
drain (400mA) will exceed recommended specs.
Conclusions
If you're contemplating
building a high end server or are deaf or don't care about possibly becoming
deaf, buy the FCE-62540D. The heatsink design maximizes motherboard compatibility
and heat dissipation. It's the largest heatsink/fan arrangement that I can
use on a wide variety of Mobo's. I swapped the Vantec for my aging G.W. FKP-32.
I also swapped fans...
If Vantec could find a
supplier of high CFM fans that run at under 4000 rpm, we would have the
combo to buy, hands down, no reservations. Of course, you could do what I
did, switch out the high whine unit for a more docile one.
William Yaple
03/26/01
