Well, I suppose this is what happens when things are pushed too far down the same formula. I am not going to pretend I know exactly what the upgraded motor and new electrical design by EKWB are as it pertains to the EK-Meltemi relative to the EK-Vardar fans, but as it performs on a radiator in push, it just does not do a good job at all. So many 25-mm-thick, pressure-optimized fans, which are nearly all less expensive than the EK-Meltemi too, do a better job at either performance or noise optimization, or a balance of the two.

A lot of this comes down to having an extremely large fan motor hub in the center, which results in short blades that do not do justice to the 38 mm available depth. However good the electrical design, if the aerodynamic design is not working out, the fan will just not be good enough. Silverstone did a decent job going all out with their thick fan we tested before, for high performance at high noise. But the EK-Meltemi absolutely needs a shroud in the popular push-configuration of fans on radiators, which means you will have to dedicate ~45–50 mm just for the fan system in a single set. There are better options out there, including from EKWB itself, so feel free to skip this fan. If you do like the looks or are a loyal fan of the brand, try to run these in pull at the very minimum.