VIZO Voyager Dual Fan 3.5 Inch Hard Drive Cooler Review

Hard disk drive cooling fans can help get a little more life out of your often hot hard drives. Having reviewed the VIZO Orbiter hard drive cooler before, which is a single fan cooler, I was wondering how much better a dual fan model would do. I got the opportunity to find out when VIZO sent over their VIZO Voyager Dual-Fan 3.5 inch Hard Drive Cooler.

The VIZO Voyager features dual fans and a classy nude aluminum, non polished, finish. How does it perform? Let’s find out!

Features

• Dual fans provide the maximum airflow & air pressure
• Low dBA level
• Easy to install
• Reduce hard disk drive temperature
• Extend hard disk drive lifetime
• Vogue design to decorate your PC

Specifications

• For 3.5" HDD
• DC Fan Dimensions: 50 x 50 x 10 ( 2 PCS )
• Bearing Type: Sleeve Bearing
• Speed : 4000 RPM
• Noise Level: 23.19 dBA
• Max Air flow: 9.21(Min:7.54 )CFM
• Rated Voltage: DC 12 V
• Rated Current: 00.13 (Max:0.14 ) A x 2
• Compatibility: 3.5" Bay
• Weight:110 g
• Dimensions: 115 x 102 x 21 mm

Inside the Box

The VIZO Voyager features an eye catching packaging. Inside the box you get:

• The VIZO Voyager 3.5" HDD Cooler
• Set of 4 screws

It is curious to note that there is no mention of a manual. That is because there isn’t one. Although the diagrams on the box do the job of leading users in the right direction, even a small pamphlet or quick start guide would give users more assurance.

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First Impressions

The VIZO Voyager is an impressive design made of aluminum alloy. The power connector determines how the Voyager HDD cooler is to be mounted which is with the power connector towards the rear of the HDD. This makes orienting the drive and connecting power easy to do. One thing that I liked about this design is the level of adjustment which is provided by the mounting rails on the Voyager,
allowing you to mount it exactly in the right spot by simply sliding the unit
back and forth.

The Voyager sports cooling fins on the sides of the unit to provide even more surface area to expel the heat. It looks sort of like a giant heatsink attached to your drive.

The product name is displayed proudly at the rear of the drive, however, once mounted in the case, it ends up
being upside down. For people who care about the little details, this is a serious
oversight. Hopefully VIZO sees these comments and specifies coolers with the badging the right way up next time.

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System Setup

To test the VIZO Voyager dual-fan hard disk drive cooler, I used the following components in a system built around the
CoolerMaster iTower 930 Chassis reviewed earlier this year:

• Intel E6300 Core2 DUO Processor – (Compare
  Prices)
• 2 x 512MB Corsair Value Select DDR2 667 – (Compare
  Prices
• Zalman ZM360B-APS 360 Watt Power Supply – (Provided by
  ZALMAN USA)
• Samsung DVD Writer – (Compare
  Prices)
• Seagate 300GB SATA hard disk drive – (Compare
  Prices)
• Seagate 320GB SATA hard disk drive – (Compare
  Prices)

The VIZO Voyager will be mounted to the Seagate 320GB SATA HDD for our tests. 
Our operating system of choice will be

Testing Procedure

To determine if the VIZO Voyager can cool a HDD better and faster, here’s
what we did.  In order to set idle conditions, I powered up my computer and allowed the computer to
sit for 30 minutes before testing to establish idle temperatures. Using the Seagate 320GB SATA HDD as my test subject, I setup the computer to run three programs that will work the HDD. These three programs are Norton 360, Diskeeper 2007 Pro Premier and HD Tune HDD diagnostic. Each of these programs will be executed at the same time for a duration of 30 minutes and the temperature of the HDD
will be measured using HD Tune at the end of the test both with and without the
cooler.

Computers being as noisy as they are, the VIZO Voyager may increase the noise level of the computer. To find out if there is an increase in noise level, I will measure the noise level at the front of the computer by the drive bays and on the left side of the case near the center of the removable door. These test points will be at a distance of 12 inches away at both positions.

The Results

The results of the VIZO Voyager HDD cooler were very surprising to me. Having two fans, I was expecting to see a greater decrease in temperature for the HDD compared to the
VIZO
Orbiter Review.

If you compare the results of this test with that of the VIZO
Orbiter Review, it had up to an 11C decrease with one fan but the VIZO Voyager
had only a 9C decrease with two fans at idle. However, the VIZO Voyager performed better for the duration of the test than the VIZO
Orbiter. The VIZO Voyager had only a 3C degree increase in temperatures while the VIZO
Orbiter had a 5C increase by the end of the test. So it would appear that having
two fans makes the cooler more efficient at expelling heat than one.

The addition of the VIZO Voyager did not produce any more noise then what the computer was making. The noise that the VIZO Voyager was making was like a little hum but was not very loud
and barely audible. Based on my readings with a noise level meter, there was no difference in
levels that the naked ear could pick up.

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Final Thoughts

We have been taught that ‘if something looks too good to be true that it probably is not true’. The VIZO Voyager is the exception to this saying.
It is as good as it looks.  The immediate drop in temperature is a good indication that the air flow between the fans and HDD is moving the hot air away. The dual-fans in the VIZO Voyager maintain the operational temperature of the HDD at lower temperature compared to not having the VIZO Voyager attached to it. Having lost many HDD due to
heat issues, the VIZO Voyager can be thought of as cheap insurance for your
drives.

Comparing the VIZO Voyager Dual Fan Cooler and the VIZO Orbiter Single Fan Cooler, which was
reviewed earlier, the VIZO Voyager Dual-Fan HDD Cooler out performs the VIZO
Orbiter in operational tests as it appears more efficient in expelling heat
despite it’s slightly lower performance at idle.

The VIZO Voyager is also easy to install because of its adjustable rails. 
Being able to move the cooler back and forth really opens up your mounting
options.  I guess the only thing that is wrong with the Voyager is the fact
that they printed the name upside down when you mount it. The lack of a
real manual may also turn some people off.

Overall though,
get one.  It’s a good cooler that your hard drive will thank you for
installing.

Pros

• Quality Aluminum Design
• Easy to install onto hard disk drive
• Eye catching packaging
• Cools hard disk drive quickly
• Low noise levels from fans

Cons

• Voyager name upside down when mounted inside computer
• No instruction pamphlet

Overall Rating: 9.0 / 10.0

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