Joined on 02/22/08
Very Durable
Pros: This simple fan is rather extraordinary. Five years ago I put one of these fans into service ventilating a weather station instrument housing. It has been running virtually non stop ever since. It's on 24 hours a day, every day. It has endured temperatures from below 0 to over 100 Fahrenheit outside. It has been caked with dust at times, weathered countless storms, and put up with every extreme of humidity. It has been faithfully serving in these conditions for 5 years now and continues to work great! (Note however I have been running it at low speed.) I have also used one of these fans in a computer and that one has worked great as well. The fact that they include a speed controller and grill at this price is pretty remarkable.
Cons: I wish the included speed controller could get power off a 3-pin fan header on the mobo so I don't have to bring down one of the old 4-pin Molex connectors from the PSU just for it. Many cheap mobos have enough fan headers but not all support speed control which is where this would come in handy.
Bad capacitor
Pros: Quiet, efficient. Looks nice on the outside.
Cons: Upon opening the unit to replace the fan (see my first review below), I discovered that additionally it has a bulging electrolytic capacitor ready to burst, complete with electrolyte leaking out the top vent. The cap is 3300 uF 16V, brand name "Su'scon" SD series. Also some of the soldering is incredibly sloppy, though I do not think that has affected the functionality any. Anyway I do not trust the Corsair name anymore for PSUs especially considering how many others have reported failure after a few years and my first one was DoA.
Quiet, Efficient, and Reliable
Pros: I have had one of these running for 6 years now and it continues to work great. It is very efficient so most of the time the fan can run at low speed and it is practically silent from outside the case.
Cons: The noise of the fan motor has increased slightly. But what do you expect after 6 years? Still it is only noticeable if you have the case open and are actually listening to it; in normal usage it is still not noticeable.