Our modding forefathers used slot fans as a supplemental cooling solution to further enhance the cooling capabilities of their boring beige boxes. In additional to the many fan holes cut by a Dremel, the slot fan aided in front to back airflow and provided cooling to the dead zone typically surrounding the PCI bus. But can this halcyon product from days of modding yore find it’s place in the modern performance system? Well VIZO is hoping to find out, and have sent as a modern slot fan to review.

The VIZO Propeller II System Cooler is an upgrade over the old boring black slot fan and an updated version of their original VIZO Propeller. It features a translucent colour casing, larger blower fan, and a directed exhaust. Everything is still very basic in that the fan installs into your typical expansion card slot, and is powered off a standard Molex connector. But with the quieter blower, and the proposed CFM rating, it claims it can improve airflow and performance.

Here’s a quick rundown of the specs from VIZO:

• Dimensions: 131.7 x 87.4 x 22.5 mm
• Fan Dimensions: 65 x 65 x 15 mm
• Speed: 1500 RPM
• Bearing Type: Long-Life Bearing
• Noise Level: < 20 dBA
• Max Air Flow: 5.34 CFM
• Rated Voltage: DC 12 V
• Weight: 120g
• Life Time: 40,000 Hours

More info can be found on the product home page.

It’ll be really interesting to see how our tests pan out, especially when you contrast the product claims with what is on paper. The blower fan only spins at 1500 RPM. Though this does keep things quiet, it won’t lend to cooling too well. This speed only results in about 6 CFM of air movement. We’ll be subjecting this slot fan to the ultimate torture test for such a product; it’ll be installed into my tuned and crafted performance test bed to see if it makes any appreciable dent in the temperatures. Let’s go.

A Closer Look

Now the design and idea of the slot fan has been around for a while. What VIZO has done here is contoured the normal black squared off box into a wind tunnel of sorts, in the hopes of maximizing and directing airflow.

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