Be Quiet! Shadow Wings Series Fan Review

With the Silent Wings 2/Dark Wings series of fans occupying Be Quiet!’s £18/€20 top-spot, the need arises for fans which still offer excellent performance but at a lower price point. Cutting costs by using cheaper components and bundling less accessories isn’t always a good decision but when price points have to met, costs have to be cut. Be Quiet! are aiming for a similar balance of good performance and low noise operation that their Silent Wings 2/Dark Wings fans offer but at a fraction of the price with their Shadow Wings SW1 series of fans.

There are 11 variants of the Shadow Wings series with sizes ranging from 80mm to 140mm. Each 80, 92, 120 and 140mm version features a PWM model as well as a mid-speed model or more. The 120mm version is available in low (800 RPM), mid (1,500 RPM) and high (2,200 RPM) speed versions, all of which we will be testing today. A mid-speed (1,000 RPM) version of the 140mm fan will also undergo our test procedures. A rifle bearing is used by the Shadow Wings giving them a MTBF of 200,000 hours. Be Quiet!’s unique airflow-optimized fin structure ensures a balance of good airflow and low noise operation. Rubberised fan mounts and a screw-less mounting system make the Shadow Wings series of fan easy to work with and quiet.

Retailing for around £11/€11,90 for the 120mm versions and £12.49/€13,90 for the 140mm version and backed by a 3 year warranty, Be Quiet! could have a mid range contender in the Shadow Wings series of fans.