Types of bearings in PC coolers
A sleeve bearing is the simplest and most affordable bearing, which is used in boxed processor coolers, complete case fans and budget power supplies. It is based on a metal bushing, carefully polished to reduce friction. Even despite the presence of silicone lubricant, friction is still relatively high, and therefore a slight noise is heard during rotation. In addition, over time the lubricant evaporates and it is still good if the bearing is dismountable for adding fresh lubricant. However, fans with sliding bearings are so cheap that sometimes it is more profitable to simply replace them with new ones several times rather than spend money on more advanced solutions.
Rolling bearing(ball bearing) - better known as a ball bearing, in which balls or rollers roll between a rotating axis and a stationary base. This reduces the friction area and, accordingly, noise, but it is also much more difficult to disassemble such a bearing for maintenance. It is not sealed, so when installed horizontally, oil gradually leaks out. The solution is to install two bearings close to each other to allow oil to flow. Dual ball bearings are used most often in video cards that are installed horizontally. This is also one of the reasons for the growing popularity of PC cases with vertical GPU mounting.
The riffle bearing is an elegant compromise between plain and rolling bearings. Built on a brass bushing with a screw thread filled with lubricant. A threaded bearing is much quieter and more durable than a conventional sliding bearing. And unlike a single swing, it is less prone to oil leakage and at the same time costs less than a double ball bearing. The main popularizer of Rifle Bearing technology is the German cooler brand Be Quiet. The approximate service life of a sliding bearing is 20 thousand hours, a swing bearing is 50 thousand, and a threaded bearing is 40 thousand. But this is in ideal laboratory conditions, while dust, moisture and other negative factors reduce the resource.
Fluid dynamic bearing(FDB) - the space between the moving and stationary parts is filled with lubricant, which practically eliminates friction and, accordingly, noise. It should not be confused with a hydraulic bearing (HDB), which is essentially just a beautiful marketing synonym for the cheapest sliding bearing. Real FDB bearings, in theory, are the most durable, up to 80 thousand hours, but only when operating at high speeds. At low speeds, oil pressure decreases and parasitic sounds may appear.
The problem of low speeds is eliminated by adding magnetic centering to the bearing so that it rotates perfectly smoothly and does not hit the edges. The Austrian cooler brand Noctua calls this technology self-stabilizing bearing SSO2. On the contrary, for extremely high speeds and protection against distortions, a bearing with a reinforcing plate (strengthened metal) may be required. Finally, pumps in water cooling systems where liquid refrigerant circulates use exclusively corrosion-resistant bearings: ceramic or stainless steel.
Fan with Rifle Bearing
Montech AX140 White is a fan with a wide range of applications: for a computer case, tower cooler or dropsy radiator. The Montech AX series includes models with a diameter of 12 and 14 cm, in black and white, all decorated with ARGB. The backlight is represented by a ring of 24 LEDs, which are synchronized with the motherboard or hub via a 3-pin connector.
Another PWM connector with 4 pins is designed to control rotation speeds of 600 - 1600 rpm. Even at maximum speed, the noise level does not exceed a moderate 28 dB, and at minimum speed it is almost inaudible. All thanks to a bearing with a screw thread, which allows you to install the fan in any position: vertically or horizontally.
The nine blades are curved to reduce turbulence and enhance airflow. There are rubber pads at the corners of the frame to eliminate vibration. All this is complemented by an extended warranty of up to three years, while most other fans only have one year. Montech also offers a set of three Z3 Pro ARGB turntables with a remote control.
Cooler with hydraulic bearing
Deepcool Assassin 4S is an air supercooler with two towers and a single fan installed between them. It was decided to abandon the second turntable, characteristic of the older Assassin IV model without the S index, for compatibility with high RAM. In addition, the towers are made slightly asymmetrical and shifted towards the VRM of the motherboard.
And the low landing of the fan helps to provide additional airflow to both the memory and VRM. The diameter of the turntable is 14 cm, the FDB hydrodynamic bearing, the electric motor are 6-pole, and the speed is controlled using PWM technology within the range of 500 - 1800 rpm. The fan is covered on top and on the sides with a decorative casing, so at a quick glance it seems that the cooler is completely fanless.
However, the gigantic weight of 1.4 kg and as many as seven copper tubes really make it possible to cool not very hot processors in semi-passive mode if the motherboard supports Fan Stop technology. In addition to the L-shaped screwdriver, the kit includes a tube of proprietary thermal paste Deepcool DM9 and a spatula for its uniform application.
LSS with ceramic pump
SilverStone Vida 240 Slim is a thin liquid cooling system designed for compact Mini-ITX PC builds. The thickness of the radiator is only 22 millimeters, and the thickness of the two fans is 16 mm, for a total of 38 mm. In most other life-support systems, only the radiator itself is thicker. In addition, there is a pump located directly on the radiator that pumps out the refrigerant.
The speed of the ceramic pump is fixed at 4200 rpm, but the fans automatically adjust to the processor temperature from 300 to 1800 rpm. The nine-blade fan impeller and the cover of the module in contact with the processor with the SilverStone logo in the form of a snowflake are decorated with ARGB lighting.
In case your motherboard does not have the corresponding connector, the kit comes with an ARGB controller with 10 modes. The processor unit cover rotates to neatly organize the hoses. They are made of rubber and reinforced with nylon mesh to protect against fracture. The SilverStone Vida series also includes a single-section dropsy with a standard size of 120 millimeters.
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