by Rob Williams on June 30, 2005 in Cooling
If you are looking for better cooling, but don’t want more fans to add to the noise, the Silverstones FM82 may be for you. It promises to be the most silent 80mm fan out there. Let’s take it for a test drive.
Just by looking at the pictures, it’s easily seen that SilverStone takes pride in the quality of their products. The FM82 simply put.. looks fantastic. It’s not flashy like other fans on the market, but that’s not what they are trying to accomplish. They promise quiet cooling along with solid design and quality.
About Silverstone
Founded in the summer of 2003, SilverStone Technology is now a proven leader in the field of aluminum enclosure design and manufacturing. Our expertise in creating functional works of art from ordinary electronics and computer components is widely recognized. Numerous designs and ideas for improving computer enclosures were first created by our talented team of engineers, who are regarded by many as leaders in their respective fields. Today, SilverStone Technology continues to garner attention and awards that reflect our original vision of creating the most advanced and beautiful products available on the market.
So what exactly makes the FM82 so special? The kit comes with a metal plate fan controller, which can simply sit in one of your 3.5″ drive bays. Connecting this to the fan, will allow you to control the fan speed; anywhere from 1800 to 3800 RPM. Let’s first take a look at the products packaging, and the actual contents.
I am not usually impressed by something as simple as a fan, but Silverstone has indeed impressed me. Overall, the kit comes complete with everything you need, and possibly some things you don’t. As you can see, it comes with all the screws you need, three different types. Also included is a metal fan guard, which you can choose to use only if you want to. It could prevent you cursing at the fan later when it tried to swallow your fingers.
As mentioned, included is a metal fan controller. Although it looks to be on the flimsy side, that’s ok because it’s not doing much. It easily slips into your 3.5″ drive bay, and that’s it. However, if you have a door for your drive bays, you may have a problem closing it once you install the controller. If it doesn’t have a door, and it happens to be a silver case, it will look perfect.