Regarding the new Scythe Wonder Snail Fans!

[GordonFreemanInTheFlesh]

I've seen these fans pop up here and there and also some major tech youtubers have showcased them in their videos, I have looked around different markets and the only ones were being sold on eBay and were out of stock.
What about you humble people, what do you think about these new Scythe Wonder Snail fans, are they going to be an affordable competitor to the legendary Gentle Typhoons?

Wonder Snail Fan spins at 2400rpm and has fluid dynamic bearing estimated price 17$

Gentle Typhoon spins at 2150rpm and has dual ball bearing estimated price 23$. (In Europe it costs 25-30€ which is ridiculous).

 

[eidairaman1]

Till they are tested, we dont know so buy 1 of each and test.

 

[Vayra86]

Its a fan. And supposed social media marketing. Who cares... they move air.

 

[oobymach]

Dual ball bearing = ~50k hour lifespan, Fluid dynamic bearings last about 100k-300k hours.

 

[Shrek]

Ball bearings tend to get noisy as they age, if that is an issue.

 

[GordonFreemanInTheFlesh]

Dual ball bearing = ~50k hour lifespan, Fluid dynamic bearings last about 100k-300k hours.

actually Gentle typhoons have a claimed life span of 200k hours, in japan they are sold under the badge Industrial.

 

[R-T-B]

Dual ball bearing = ~50k hour lifespan, Fluid dynamic bearings last about 100k-300k hours.

DBB will actually outlast a FDB fan in many instances, just not at their quoted noise spec. They get noisier with age.

 

[MachineLearning]

DBB will actually outlast a FDB fan in many instances, just not at their quoted noise spec. They get noisier with age.

Yep, exactly.
In hot environments (PSU for example) DBB will be able to live for longer on average.

On average, I would argue that the quality of DBB fans is higher than "FDB" fans, because of two reasons:
- many rifle bearings can in marketing be called "FDB" or "Hydro Bearing", GN talked about this briefly in their recent JonnyGuru video but this has been going on since the true FDB patent expired (and likely before then too).
- the surrounding quality (plastics, fan blade shape, etc.) may be inherently lesser, as a manufacturer is more likely to put FDB in a mid-tier product than a DBB.

In cooler environments, their lifespan is comparable, if you're considering the best representation of either bearing.

For a case fan of equal quality, I would prefer FDB > DBB any day of the week, and in any lower-wattage PSU too. These Scythe fans could reap the benefits of FDB's steady noise output throughout its life, while avoiding their dislike for high heat, as a case fan with a presumably efficient bearing. Assuming that the quality is up to par - Scythe typically nails it.

I would like to see GN test these vs Gentle Typhoon, P12, Noctua's lineup, Silverstone Air Penetrator, etc. But longevity, is another question entirely, and I don't know if it can be scientifically tested. I really think that's a sample-by-sample basis with these higher-end fans, in terms of failure rate.

 

[Chomiq]

actually Gentle typhoons have a claimed life span of 200k hours, in japan they are sold under the badge Industrial.

250k hours at 25C
60k hours at 60C.

At least for the XPG Vento Pro rebrands.