I hate to give this fan a 1-star rating because I own several of them and they are great. The reason for the 1-star rating is to make people aware that they may not receive an authentic Arctic brand fan! I recently ordered two more of the 80mm PWM PST fans, and one of the fans that I received was the real deal while the other is clearly a counterfeit. I think those counterfeit fans may be the cause of a lot of the 1-star ratings on here because it is VERY loud compared to the real deal, and it's probably nowhere near as long lasting.
Here is how to tell if yours is fake (at least on the 80mm model):
1) The wires on these fans are BLACK, but the wires on the fake one are multi-colored and are much thinner.
2) The label on the fake fan is a slightly lighter color while the real thing is a darker blue.
3) If you look at the fan blades the casting on the fake fan isn't nearly as clean, there are small chunks where the blades meet the center hub while the blades are nice & clean on the real thing.
4) If you look at the fan from an angle the gap between the body and the fan blade is twice as big on the fake fan, and you can see 3 little pins in there.
I ordered them both directly from Amazon rather than a 3rd party seller, but the problem is that Amazon commingles all of their inventory (meaning, all of the same items are just grouped together as one big inventory lot rather than being separated by the seller who actually owns the items), so you never know what you're gonna get. Amazon is replacing the fake one free of charge of course, but now I need to wait a few more days for the replacement to arrive so I can finish my build.
So if you get some of these fans, check for the things I mentioned above to determine if you received a real fan or a fake, and if it's a fake then send it back and report the seller who you bought it from (unless you bought it directly from Amazon, of course).
| Brand | ARCTIC |
|---|---|
| Item model number | AFACO-08000-GBA01 |
| Item Weight | 2.5 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 3.15 x 0.98 x 3.15 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 3.15 x 0.98 x 3.15 inches |
| Color | Black, White |
| Manufacturer | Arctic Cooling |
| ASIN | B002QVFN7G |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | January 19, 2011 |
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