Aerocool Chameleon Fan

Author
Aron Schatz
Posted
August 3, 2005
Views
50276
Aerocool Chameleon Fan
Since when did a fan become so complicated? There are fans that glow and light up and more. I have a very unique fan that changes color with temperature to give a nice look and a practical advantage to the normal glowy fan. Read on to find out more...
Tags Cooling

Page 1: Chameleon

<B>Intro</B>:

A fan is a fan is a fan. That is what is used to be at least. Before the days of lights and UV reactive dye, you had to only be worried about sound and size of the fan. Today's choices are more numerous then ever. Not only do you have fans that glow or light up, they can give you an indication of the temperature in your case. <a href="http://www.aerocool.com.tw">Aerocool</a>'s Chameleon fan does just that in a cool way (no pun intended).

<B>Box Art</B>:

<center>Box 1 Box 2 Box 3</center>

This is the box. It is blue and yellow. Moving on...

<B>Specs</B>:

The specifications for this fan are taken from <a href="http://www.aerocool.com.tw">Aerocool</a>'s website.

Quote

Dimensions: 80x80x25mm
Bearing: Sleeve
Fan Speed: 2000 RPM
Air Flow: 21.5 CFM
Noise Level: 20.3 dBA

Sleeve bearing fans tend to break faster than ball bearing types, but they are also quieter in comparison.

<B>Parts</B>:

<center>Parts</center>

Including in the packaging is the fan, a 3-4 pin adapter, some screws, and a manual. This is a fan after all.

<B>The Fan</B>:

<center>Fan 1</center>

What makes the Chameleon so interesting is its ability to change color under different temperatures. You may be thinking how corny that is, but it is quite nice to see the color change. The color of the fan blade assembly changes, not the lights on the fan. This is by far one of the most unique ideas I have seen in regards to a fan.

<center>Fan 2</center>

When you open the package and are at room temperature, the fan looks blue-purplish. When you apply some heat to the fan, it begins to change to a pink-orange color. This change happens transitionally. It will start changing at 79 degrees F and will be fully changed at 92 degrees F (26 to 33 degrees C). This can be useful when it is acting as an exhaust fan to give you a quick indication of how hot your case is.

<center>Color Change 1</center>

You can see clearly where the color differential is. The blades of the fan are getting cool air while the center is just radiating heat.

<center>Transition</center>

The fan has blue LEDs to showcase the color change. It would be better if they were more towards the whiter side of the spectrum, but you can see the difference in color of the fan on temperature changes.

<center>Cold Light Warm Light</center>

The fan performed as expected and was relatively quiet. You won't hear it over the CPU fan or any other fans you may have in the case. Sleeve fans are generally more quiet than the ball bearing type fans.

<B>Conclusion</B>:

I found the <a href="http://images.aselabs.com/adlink.php?do=adlink&id=2">Chameleon+ fan available to purchase at ZipZoomFly for $15</a>. The + features a variable speed fan with a PCI bracket. I would say wait until you can find the original or the + for less than $10 unless this fan suits your needs for temperature gauging. This is an interesting gift item for that modder you may know even at <a href="http://images.aselabs.com/adlink.php?do=adlink&id=2">$15 for something this unique</a>. If you can find it in a retail store (as I did), it is cheaper and I consider it a buy.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to post your computer systems with pictures at ASEville: »http://www.aseville.com/

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