AKASA 80mm Crystal Blue Fan
Case fans have been getting the modding treatment for some time now and the latest 80 mm Crystal Blue case fan from AKASA is intended to appeal to modders straight out of the box. The fan is made from transparent blue plastic, (hence the name), and looks kinda cool. It incorporates a pair of integral blue flashing leds and a variable speed control. The fan is available in either sleeve or ball bearing varieties. My review sample is of the ball type. Generally sleeve bearings are quieter whilst ball bearings are more robust. The choice is yours!
The pack contains not only the fan but a comprehensive kit of parts.
3 to 4 pin cable adapter cable.
8 fan mounting screws.
Finger guard.
Overall this is a very competent fan. Taking into account the complete kit of parts and especially considering the ease of incorporating it into a cheap but effective bay bus, it is well worth the money. (Approx. £9 inc). Unfortunately the flashing leds give it a gimmicky look which several years ago might have been considered cool. Hiding the leds behind a piece of aluminium tape does wonders for the effect! Buy it for it's versatility, not it's looks.
After all that, I thought, "It's a transparent fan, I wonder what it looks like using my fan strobe?" So I hooked up a led cluster to the strobe and tried it. The picture below really doesn't convey the effect, which with some work actually looks pretty good. Click on the two small pictures to download videos of the fan in action. The first is the fan running normally, the second is with the led strobe and the fan is running at FULL SPEED. The slight flickering is due to the cameras shutter speed. See if it gives you any ideas. Oh, and it works with any clear fans, not just this one. Have fan, have fun.