Now in the new Gamer Storm brand, Deepcool brings us a whole new generation of fan, the Deepcool GF120. Is it a good fan? Is it waterproof?
Product on Review: GF120
Manufacturer and Sponsor: Deepcool
MSRP: $19.99/€19.99
Deepcool has been introducing coolers, cases and fans nonstop. Now in Deepcool’s new Gamer Storm brand they bring us a whole new generation of fannage; the Deepcool GF120. It has an MSRP of $19.99/€19.99 but is it worth such a cost?
The Deepcool Gamer Storm GF120 is a 120mm PWM fan with a nine-bladed removable impeller. Despite the impeller being removable, the GF120 is waterproof, dust-proof and proof against oil leakage. The GF120 comes with a speed-reducing adapter and a set of four vibration isolators. The retail box and interior packing are cardboard, and fully recyclable.
About DeepCool
Established in 1996, Deepcool originally produced desktop and server coolers for ODM partners. With the rapid development of personal computers, Deepcool expanded the business into desktop cooling products and laptop cooling accessories.
The evolution of this company has been awesome to watch. Back in 2012, I included their UF fans in an omnibus fan review. The fans were OK. They were pretty, even beautiful. They came with great accessories. They were all PWM, from the 80mm cuties to the 140mm, but their clicking negated any benefit you would get from the rubberized coatings all the fans had. Since then, they have greatly improved all their products every year – including their fans. And the remarkable thing is that they still make industrial products. Give yourself a treat by visiting this site and watch them carry on with the basic blocking and tackling of the computer world – stuff ordinary users never see.
Features and Specifications of the GF120
This time around, Deepcool did not splurge on countless accessories. Instead, they focused on the fan. This PWM fan comes to us with Optimized Airflow channels.
One feature that isn’t obvious from the picture is that the whole fan is covered in soft rubber . . . well, I’ll let Deepcool tell you about their fan:
Japanese Fluid Dynamic Bearing & high-quality IC to offer a super noise level
100% rubber-cover design with perfect de-vibration effect
Detachable fan impeller owned the function of recruited lubricating oil, extend the lifetime max.
PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) to adjust fan speed automatically according to the system’s request
MTTF (Mean Time To Failure): 100,000 hours to offer a more steady working time max.
Optimized fan configuration with triple-proof (Dustproof, Waterproof, Oil-leakage proof) with estimated lifetime of 100,000 hours.
100% rubber-cover design with perfect de-vibration effect
Detachable fan impeller owned the function of recruited lubricating oil, extend the lifetime max.
PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) to adjust fan speed automatically according to the system’s request
MTTF (Mean Time To Failure): 100,000 hours to offer a more steady working time max.
Optimized fan configuration with triple-proof (Dustproof, Waterproof, Oil-leakage proof) with estimated lifetime of 100,000 hours.
Specifications of the GF120 from their website
Specifications from the box add some tidbits. For example, they provide a “Molex” connector that provides 7 Volts to a PWM socket in an adapter. The Deepcool GF120 box tells us they expect the fan to provide us with 58.69 CFM at 1200 RPM when supplied by that 7V adapter. As for static pressure, Deepcool does not put a table on the box, they put up a PQ chart for three separate RPM’s – the fan’s full speed, the fan with the 7V adapter, and the fan at nominal speed when the PWM is at the minimum:
I was impressed to see a three-speed PQ curve. However, I did not see an IP code for the “Triple Proof,” protection, so I would not dunk one of these fans in water.
A closer Look at the GF120
Here is the fan’s box:
And here is the GF120 with its accessories. Note the cardboard backing. All of the packaging of this fan is completely recyclable. And the fan’s cardboard cradle is hollow, so it provides some cushioning. In fact, the papers on the package say this fan was shipped directly from China. There was no damage at all. The fan arrived in great shape. The other point I want you to note is what Deepcool calls the “De-Vibration buckle.” These are four of the best vibration isolators you can buy. Usually you pay a dollar apiece for them; Deepcool just throws them in with their fans (this was a consistent feature of their UF fans, too). The 7v adapter is also there.
At this point we should take a close look at the fan without its accessories and with no angle shots:
And Deepcool promised us a removable impeller. But the motor looks very ordinary. No matter what they say, don’t dunk it.
Testing Setup
I ran the fan through its paces. Deepcool sent me just one, so if it fails its testing, we won’t know if it is just this specimen or the fan as a whole. Ideally, a company would send two for review – just in case. But we will test this fan.First off, the fan goes on a foam stand in free air to measure its RPM and the sound pressure level at 10cm. To convert to a standard 1m, you subtract 20 dB. The advantage of a close-in measurement is that you have the best chance of measuring the fan’s own SPL. This can be an issue when the fan is quiet and the ambient is typical silence as heard by the human ear. On the night I did the testing, my basement had an ambient SPL of 30-30.5 dBA.
SPL was measured with a Tenma 72-942 SPL meter. This will measure sound pressure accurately down to 30 DBA. The fan was placed on a test box, with an inlet fitted to the fan and an outlet that was 116mm. In the outlet I placed the measuring head of an Extech AN100 Anemometer. This averages ten CFM readings.
The fan was tested at 12v, 7v, 5v (readily obtained from the PSU) and the minimum RPM I could get from my motherboard’s PWM controller.
The fans were tested first without obstruction, then with an aluminum mesh dust filter. Finally, the fan was tested as it pushed air through a 30 fin per inch GT Black Stealth radiator.
Results of Testing
The first thing that strikes you is that this fan hit its 12v specs right on, both for CFM and noise. That is rare. It didn’t meet its 7v output spec, but who knows why that is? The GF120 beat its specs at minimum PWM, and pushed decent amounts of air quite quietly in between. Most particularly, it pushed a nice airflow through that 30 fpi rad. If you use rads, I’ll bet your rad is not as tight as this.
One important item: the fan was as silent on PWM as it was on Voltage control. It was click-free at all points tested.
Another thing – that bit about the fan being waterproof. Is it? After all, there are no standards here. Where an IP67 device is specified as able to sit under a meter of water for half an hour, we are not told how deep the GF120 can go, or for how long. So, after I was done with airflow testing, I dunked the GF120, just deep enough that it was almost fully under water (I left a little bit out to show that it was in fact immersed) for long enough to take pictures. Mind you, the impeller had already been taken off and put back on this fan.
Sure enough, the fan ran again at full speed after its dunking. Deepcool delivered on its promise.
Conclusion
Deepcool has really been upping their game recently and we’ve seen numerous coolers, cases and fans hit the market from them. The first fans they produced had lots of features and great ideas, but the fans themselves did not match the goodness that surrounded them. Since then, DeepCool has gone on to make a number of innovative products. Now, in new Gamer Storm brand, they bring us the new Deepcool GF120.
Deepcool has made a fine fan in the GF120. And although it has a price-rag of $19.99/€19.99 it stands up to any other twenty-dollar fan, with ease. For such a quiet fan (only 32.5 dBA) — it pushes a nice amount of air, including pulling air through filters and pushing air through radiators. In fact, the fan’s output matches the published specs, and the noise it makes does not exceed them. And then Deepcool provide P-Q curves for the benchmark RPMs — few companies do this.
The GF120 comes with the most important accessories – the world’s best vibration isolators, plus a Molex-to-7v adapter. Deepcool also has an accessory that is in plain sight — the rubber covering that reduces any vibration that the fan might create. Finally, you can throw the packing away and know you’re not destroying the environment.
The fact that the GF120 is a PWM fan puts it ahead of most of its competitors. Their PWM circuitry is silent. No clicks at all. And what’s even more signficiant is that the entire thing is waterproof.
The bottom line on the GF120 is that it has the features that matter most to enthusiasts and whilst doing so is attractive too. As for Deepcool improving their products as far as they have, let us hope they continue to do so.
Pros
+ Deepcool’s published specs are right on.
+ Quiet, and pushes plenty of air
+ Pushes a good amount of air through a rad
+ Silent PWM control
+ No clicking in PWM or in Voltage control
+ Comes with a set of the world’s best vibration isolators
+ Comes with a 7-Volt noise reducer.
+ Survives a dunking and runs fine.
+ Completely recyclable packaging.
+ Package gives you P-Q curves for three typical RPM’s
+ Fan’s frame is rubberized
Cons
– Deepcool should certify this fan for an IP code.
+ Deepcool’s published specs are right on.
+ Quiet, and pushes plenty of air
+ Pushes a good amount of air through a rad
+ Silent PWM control
+ No clicking in PWM or in Voltage control
+ Comes with a set of the world’s best vibration isolators
+ Comes with a 7-Volt noise reducer.
+ Survives a dunking and runs fine.
+ Completely recyclable packaging.
+ Package gives you P-Q curves for three typical RPM’s
+ Fan’s frame is rubberized
Cons
– Deepcool should certify this fan for an IP code.
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