EK Introduces EK-Vardar X3M, The New Addressable D-RGB Fans

[btarunr]

EK Water Blocks, the premium computer liquid cooling gear manufacturer is releasing a new version of its renowned 120 mm EK-Vardar fan. The EK-Vardar X3M 120ER comes with removable rubber dampers on the corners, making sure vibration is not transferred from the fan to the rest of the PC. Aside from that, the rotor has received airflow optimizations, and on the RGB versions, the lighting solution is upgraded to addressable D-RGB LEDs.

The EK-Vardar X3M 120ER is a high-static pressure computer cooling fan built for the highest-performance computer systems. It features removable rubber dampers on corners of the fan to reduce vibration and thus noise. These rubber dampers come pre-installed for use in push orientation but can be removed and mounted the other way for a pull orientation.



This fan comes in 4 variants, two with no LEDs and two with addressable D-RGB implementation. The black or white designation on the end marks the color of the rubber corners which can be mounted the other way if you want to use these fans in pull orientation.

• EK-Vardar X3M 120ER (500-2200rpm) - Black
• EK-Vardar X3M 120ER (500-2200rpm) - White
• EK-Vardar X3M 120ER D-RGB (500-2200rpm) - Black
• EK-Vardar X3M 120ER D-RGB (500-2200rpm) - White

The perfectly balanced 7 fan blade design is optimized for high-pressure operation while maintaining the low noise profile throughout the whole operation range of the fan.

The D-RGB versions use a milky white rotor that does a great job of diffusing the light and provides great dispersion of 9 LEDs located in the fan motor.

The addressable D-RGB LEDs use standard 3-pin 5 V D-RGB connectors. Meaning it can be used with any standard 3-pin 5 V D-RGB controller, EK-Connect, or any of popular RGB sync technologies from all major motherboard manufacturers. The arrow marking on the 3-pin LED connector is to be aligned with the +5 V marking on the RGB header.

EK-Vardar X3M Damper Pack
EK-Vardar X3M rubber dampers can be purchased separately in various color options to match your build. The 6 available colors are red, blue, yellow, orange, green, and purple.


Dual-Ball Bearing for enhanced reliability and Start-Stop Function for Complete Silence
The Start-Stop function featured with the EK-Vardar X3M 120ER models will ensure the user a true 0 dB noise environment. When the fan curve is set with the minimum threshold point below 25% PWM duty cycle (depending on the motherboard model), the motor and the electronics will turn off and the fan will simply stop spinning. EK-Vardar X3M 120ER restarts operation automatically as fan control ramps up its operational duty cycle past threshold start-stop point. EK-Vardar X3M 120ER models also feature Dual-Ball bearing which has superior durability compared to Hydro-Dynamic bearing. Dual-Ball bearing fans can tolerate higher temperatures and can be mounted in any axial orientation without concern for bearing lifespan degradation.

Other key characteristics of the EK-Vardar X3M 120ER (500-2200 rpm) fans are:

• High-static pressure / low noise profile - unlike other general-purpose computer cooling fans, the EK-Vardar X3M 120ER fan is built for high-powered PC systems. The Vardar's design is also suitable for restrictive cases with dust filters.
• High-quality motor and bearing assembly - New electrical design, actively cooled motor windings and the Dual-Ball bearing with 50.000 hours of lifespan (MTBF) ensures uninterrupted operation for years to come. Precise Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) for fan speed adjustment allows performance on demand.
• Standard D-RGB connection - The Vardar X3M 120ER D-RGB features a standard 3-pin 5 V D-RGB connection that is compatible with any popular RGB sync technology from major motherboard manufacturers.
• Start-Stop function - The Vardar X3M 120ER has a 0 db mode where the fan turns off when the PWM curve is set below 25%.
• Colored Dampers - Interchangeable rubber dampers in multiple color options to boost aesthetics and to reduce vibration transfer.

Availability and Pricing
The EK-Vardar X3M 120ER fans are designed and engineered in Slovenia and are already available for purchase through EK Webshop and Partner Reseller Network. In the table below you can see manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) with VAT included.


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[Ferrum Master]

Yesterday I noticed that two from EVOs in my secondary system developed horrid motor noise again. Bearrings are acting crazy... they are like only 2 months old...

Anyone else with the same experience?

 

[Mamya3084]

Yesterday I noticed that two from EVOs in my secondary system developed horrid motor noise again. Bearrings are acting crazy... they are like only 2 months old...

Anyone else with the same experience?

record and email ek. they're usually good with replacements.

 

[Vayra86]

I still wonder how many times something as simple as a fan can be 'reinvented'...

In my world, the ones from a decade back are literally the exact same product, maybe sans fancy light, but I guess that's not true...

 

[MDWiley]

They’re finally here! Can’t wait for reviews and see how they perform on radiators. I’d imagine roughly the same performance as the current EVO RGB models.

 

[Ferrum Master]

I still wonder how many times something as simple as a fan can be 'reinvented'...

In my world, the ones from a decade back are literally the exact same product, maybe sans fancy light, but I guess that's not true...

Some makers had made improvement of fan noise/CFM ratios actually vs the old fans nearly a decade ago... so it ain't that bad.

Regarding the looks... oh well... nothing to do about it.

 

[Bruno Vieira]

They’re finally here! Can’t wait for reviews and see how they perform on radiators. I’d imagine roughly the same performance as the current EVO RGB models.

Look at the specs:
EVO 120ER (old default fan) 500-2200rpm:
- Max Air Flow: 77 CFM = 131 m³/h
- Static Pressure: 3.16mm H2O = 31 Pa
- Noise Level: 33.5 dBA

X3M 120ER (new one) 500-2200rpm:
- Max air flow: 67 CFM = 114 m³/h
- Static pressure: 2.75 mm H2O = 27 Pa
- Noise level: 34.2 dBA

Lower pressure and af with more noise!
The corsair MF behaved the same adding D-RGB to it.
The rgb only fans are exactly equal do the EVO 120R;

 

[TechLurker]

Look at the specs:
EVO 120ER (old default fan) 500-2200rpm:
- Max Air Flow: 77 CFM = 131 m³/h
- Static Pressure: 3.16mm H2O = 31 Pa
- Noise Level: 33.5 dBA

X3M 120ER (new one) 500-2200rpm:
- Max air flow: 67 CFM = 114 m³/h
- Static pressure: 2.75 mm H2O = 27 Pa
- Noise level: 34.2 dBA

You'd think that there would be some sort of improvement (at the very least, to noise) considering the redesigned blades on the fan (which are usually done to alter tonal noise if not lower it), but it doesn't seem to be the case here.

 

[Totally]

The corsair MF behaved the same adding D-RGB to it.

It's not the same, in Corsairs case they increased the size of the hub to accommodate the LEDs which led to a drop in performance that was understandable. With EK hub size did not change pointing to the revised fan blades as the issue. tbh makes no sense why they'd switch to an inferior fan blade design.

EDIT: Taking another look they say this "The perfectly balanced 7 fan blade design is optimized for high-static pressure operation while maintaining the low noise profile throughout the whole operation range of the fan." I guess that 27 Pa is more consistent than the 31 of the old design.

 

[sdmf74]

Look at the specs:
EVO 120ER (old default fan) 500-2200rpm:
- Max Air Flow: 77 CFM = 131 m³/h
- Static Pressure: 3.16mm H2O = 31 Pa
- Noise Level: 33.5 dBA

X3M 120ER (new one) 500-2200rpm:
- Max air flow: 67 CFM = 114 m³/h
- Static pressure: 2.75 mm H2O = 27 Pa
- Noise level: 34.2 dBA

Lower pressure and af with more noise!
The corsair MF behaved the same adding D-RGB to it.

The rgb only fans are exactly equal do the EVO 120R;

Your last sentence makes no sense. What do you mean "the rgb only fans" & what is an EVO 120R?