SSO, Rifle, Hysint and Other Fan Bearing Types
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Other Bearing Types: SSO, Rifle, Hysint
SSO Bearing
Noctua enjoys increased popularity among enthusiasts due to its high-quality cooling products. The company’s top fan models utilize a propriety bearing called a self-stabilizing oil-pressure bearing (SSO bearing), and Noctua says this bearing has a lifespan of up to 150,000 hours.
Image 1 of 5
As you can see from the photos above, the external side of the bearing features a vertical groove that doesn’t go all the way to the top. Besides hydrodynamic pressure, the SSO bearing also uses an additional magnet that provides enhanced stabilization to the rotor axis. This is essential during the start-up phase, when there is not enough dynamic pressure from the liquid yet to stabilize the shaft, so increased friction can occur.
Noctua’s fans are used mostly in chassis and coolers, and we haven’t seen them used in PSUs yet. However, since the company uses a very interesting bearing design, we thought that it would be best to include Noctua in this discussion.
Rifle, Hysint And Other Bearing Types
The Rifle bearing is an enhanced version of the sleeve bearing, offering a significantly longer lifetime, although it is still much lower than the lifespan of a fluid dynamic bearing. There are spiral grooves on the bearing that transfer or pump the lubricant oil from a reservoir to the whole bearing’s surface, decreasing friction and noise output. Contrary to sleeve bearing fans, Rifle bearing fans can be mounted horizontally without any significant effect on their lifespan.
Image 1 of 10
A high-quality Rifle bearing fan by Noiseblocker.
The Hysint bearing is used in fans made by Young Lin Tech. It shares many similarities with the Rifle bearing and includes similar vertical grooves, which allow the flow of the lubrication oil through the shaft.
Nonetheless, a Hysint bearing’s lifetime is significantly shorter than that of an FDB or an HDB, but still higher than a sleeve bearing, and it has no problem with horizontal installation.
Image 1 of 2
There are other bearing types as well, like Enermax’s Twister bearing that uses magnets instead of oil or balls to stabilize the shaft and reduce friction, Sintetico bearings by Y.S Tech with Teflon-coated surfaces and ceramic bearings.
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Other Bearing Types: SSO, Rifle, Hysint
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Aris Mpitziopoulos is a Contributing Editor at Tom’s Hardware US, covering PSUs.
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Power Supplies
The Truth About Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) Fans
[nextpage title=”Introduction”]
The fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) was first used in hard disk drives.
It is a modification to the standard sleeve bearing to improve the lubrication of the bearing, and thus increase the life span of the fan while retaining one of the most positive aspects of sleeve bearing fans, which is the low noise level. However, what can be classified as fluid dynamic bearing is somewhat controversial, and designs vary greatly.
According to some manufacturers, in order to be considered a “true” fluid dynamic bearing, the inner of the bearing must have herringbone-shaped inner grooves, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 1: Matsushita-patented fluid dynamic bearing design
Figure 2: Matsushita-patented fluid dynamic bearing design
However, this particular design is patented by Matsushita (Panasonic) and, therefore, only fans with bearings manufactured by companies that paid licensing fees to Matsushita will have this design. Because of that, bearings based on this design are more expensive, increasing the price of final products.
Bearing manufacturers that invested money licensing this design spend a good deal of time and money convincing its clients (fan manufacturers) that only bearings using this design can be called “fluid dynamic.” Therefore, there is a tendency for fan manufacturers that use Matsushita’s patented fluid dynamic bearings to think or even say that fans from other manufacturers using different fluid dynamic designs are “fake” or not “true” fluid dynamic bearings. Technically speaking, any kind of design that uses the principle of hydrodynamics can be called “fluid dynamic,” as this name, apparently, is not patented. Performance, however, may be different depending on the design that is used.
So, there is a second group of fan manufacturers that use a different design for their fluid dynamic bearings, as they decided to create their own design instead of licensing Matsushita’s design. From our research, these alternative designs vary greatly (we could identify four different ones within the thirteen fans we disassembled), with some more sophisticated (and likely better) than others.
Here is where the confusion starts. One of these alternative designs (let’s call it “alternative design 1”) is called “fluid dynamic bearing” by the companies that use it, but they are also called “rifle bearing” by several other companies. So, while technically speaking rifle bearing is a type of fluid dynamic bearing, companies that use the Matsushita-base design feel that this particular alternative design should use a different name (“rifle”), to make it clear for the user that the design of the bearing is not the same.
We have to agree that using two different names for the same thing is confusing. Users may think that a fan with an FDB bearing is better than a fan advertised as using a rifle bearing, while in fact this FDB fan may use a rifle bearing, and there may be no difference in the technology used by the two fans.
Some of the companies that use a non-Matsushita design call their bearings hydro dynamic, or HDB, in order to make it clear that they use an alternative design and not Matsushita’s.
We think this is a good idea.
The difference of the design used on the bearing helps to explain why some FDB fans are much more expensive than others: fans with Matsushita’s bearing design will be much more expensive than a fan with a less sophisticated and easier to manufacture FDB design.
In the table below, we summarize the fans we disassembled (all of them sold as either “fluid dynamic bearing” or “hydro dynamic bearing”) and what we found out about them. Since we’ve already shown the Matsushita design in Figures 1 and 2, in the next pages we will show the other four designs we identified.
| Brand | Model | Bearing |
| Aerocool | Shark 120mm Black Edition | FDB, Alternative design 1 (rifle bearing) |
| Arctic | AFACO-120P0-GBA01 | FDB, Alternative design 1 (rifle bearing) |
| Arctic | AFACO-12PP0-GBA01 | FDB, Alternative design 1 (rifle bearing) |
| be quiet! | BQT T12025-MF-3 | FDB, Matsushita design |
| BitFenix | BFF-LPRO-12025R-RP | FDB, Alternative design 1 (rifle bearing) |
| Cougar | CF-V12H | FDB, Matsushita design |
| Logisys | LT80UVBL | FDB, Alternative design 2 (upgraded sleeve) |
| NZXT | FX-140LB | FDB, Alternative design 3 (upgraded sleeve) |
| Scythe | SP1225FDB12M | FDB, Matsushita design |
| SilenX | EFX-12-15 | FDB, Alternative design 1 (rifle bearing) (Minebea) |
| SilverStone | SST-AP121-GL | FDB, Matsushita design |
| Thermaltake | AF0043 | FDB, Alternative design 4 (YS Tech Sintetico), sold as HDB |
| Zalman | ZM-F3 FDB | FDB, Matsushita design |
[nextpage title=”Alternative Design 1 (Rifle Bearing)”]
The “alternative design 1” we identified is shown in Figure 3, and is used in fluid dynamic bearing fans from Aerocool, Arctic, BitFenix, and SilenX.
On this design, the inside of the bearing is smooth, and there are several grooves alongside the exterior of the bearing, where lubricant flows from one end of the bearing to the other. The number of grooves vary: we saw twelve on the Aerocool Shark 120mm Black Edition and Arctic AFACO-120P0-GBA01, ten on the Arctic AFACO-12PP0-GBA0, and nine on the BitFenix BFF-LPRO-12025R-RP and SilenX EFX-12-15. From all “alternative” fluid dynamic bearing designs, this is the most high-end. The confusion here is that this kind of bearing is also called “rifle bearing” by several companies. Companies that sell fans based on Matsushita’s design think that fans based on this alternative design should all be called “rifle bearing,” so users would be able to compare apples to apples.
Figure 3: Alternative design 1 – rifle bearing (Aerocool Shark 120mm Black Edition)
[nextpage title=”Alternative Design 2″]
This design, found on the Logisys LT80UVBL fan, is the simplest of all designs we saw, and we even question if it could be classified as fluid dynamic – in our opinion, it is a regular sleeve bearing.
The only difference between this design and a regular sleeve bearing is the presence of two grooves alongside the exterior of the bearing. Differently from the alternative designs 1 and 3, the external groove is not connected to the ends of the bearing, so we wonder how the grooves would make the lubricant flow. The interior of the bearing is smooth.
Figure 4: Alternative design 2 (Logisys LT80UVBL)
[nextpage title=”Alternative Design 3″]
This design, used by the NZXT FX-140LB, is comprised of a single groove alongside the exterior of the bearing, but differently from what happens with the alternative designs 2 and 4, this groove connects both ends of the bearing, allowing the lubricant to flow. The interior of the bearing is smooth.
Figure 5: Alternative design 3 (NZXT FX-140LB)
[nextpage title=”Alternative Design 4″]
And the fourth alternative design we saw was used by the Thermaltake AF0043 fan, which is sold as hydro dynamic bearing (HDB), not fluid dynamic (FDB).
This is a small yet important difference, as the savvy user can assume that HDB fans are not based on Matsushita’s design. It has three grooves alongside the exterior of the bearing, and the exterior of the bearing has a somewhat different shape. Since there is no connection between the grooves and the ends of the bearing, we wonder how these grooves transport lubricant. According to Thermaltake, this bearing is from YS Tech and is called Sintetico. The presentation available is poorly written and it does not explain properly how this bearing works.
Figure 5: Alternative design 4 (Thermaltake AF0043)
90,000 bearings balls, roller needle-shaped
Bearing 4 x 7 x 2 mm
Article: BB-4X7X2
Ball beep open
Bearing type: without a flange
Available : BB-S-4x13x5
Protected ball bearing
Bearing type: no flange
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Bearing 5 x 16 x 5 mm
Code: BB-S-5x16x5 protected ball bearing
0003
Type of bearing: without a flange
Available x 22 x 7 mm
Article: BB-S-8x22x7
Protected ball bearing
Bearing type: without flange
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Bearing 5 x 11 x 3 mm
1x
Protected ball bearing
Type of bearing: without a flange
Available 4 x 12 x 4 mm flanged
Article: BBF-S-4x12x4
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Bearing type: flanged
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Bearing 4 x 13 x 5 mm: BB03-S900 -4x13x59Ol000
Available0003
Article: BBF-S-S-5X13X4
Ball beep with a protection of
Type of bearing: with a flange
Available bearing with protection
Bearing type: with flange
In stock
Thrust bearing 3 x 8 x 3.
5 mm, 2 pcs.
Article: EFLh2420
Thrust ball bearing
Bearing type: thrust
In stock
Bearing 1/8″ x 5/16″ x 9/64″ flanged
Article: BBF-S-3.17×7.93×3.57
Ball bearing inch
Bearing type: flanged
In stock Bearing 1/8″ x 3/8″ x 5/32″
Article: BB-S-3.17×9.52×3.96
Ball bearing inch
Bearing type: without flange
16″ x 5/16″ x 3/32″
Article: BB-S-4.76×7.93×2.38
Ball bearing 9 inch0003
Bearing type: without flange
In stock
Bearing 3/16″ x 5/16″ x 1/8″
Article: BB-S-4.76×7.93×3.17
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Bearing 3/16″ x 5/16″ x 1/8″ flanged
Code: BBF-S-4.76×7.93×3.17
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Bearing 3/16″ x 3/8″ x 1/8″
Article: BB-S-4.76×9.52×3.17
Ballpoint inch
Bearing type: without a flange
In the presence of
Bearing 10 x 15 x 3 mm
Article: BB-10X15X3
Ballic horses
Type of bearing: without a flange
Available » x 3/8″ x 1/8″ flanged
Article: BBF-S-6.
35×9.52×3.17
Ball bearings inch
Bearing type: Without a flange
Invation
Hugger 11 x 24 x 6 mm Kranchanaya shaft
Articules: SAI40A22
ballpoint bearings open
Bearing type: without flange
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Differential cups with bearings 5 x 9 x 3 mm
Code: LOSB1128
Protected ball bearing
Bearing type: without flange
Available
Bearing 12 x 18 x 4 mm, 2 pcs.
Article: VTR237029
Ball beep with a protection of
Bearing type: without a flange
in stock
Holler 1/4 «x 3/8» x 7/64 «
Article: losa6901
Balloon hinder
Bearing type: no flange
Available
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Article: LOSA6909
Ball bearing 9 inch0003
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Available /16″ x 1/2″ x 5/32″
Article: BB-S-7.93×12.7×3.96
Ball bearing inch
Bearing type: without flange
In stock
Koriv No.
62683 buyurtmachilari elektron do’koni
cooler
Computer equipment, audio-video equipment, information technology and accessories
| Product number | 6268307 |
| Bir birlik uchun narx: | 90 000 UZS |
| Sony: | 10 |
| Yetkazib berish hududi va tumani |
Surxondaryo viloyati
Altynsay district;
Qisman ochish |
| Min/max partiya: | 1 — 10 pcs |
| Savdo gacha faol: | 14/04 2021 13:57:08 |
| Yetkazib berish muddati: | 5 |
| Brand: | cooler Master i 70 c |
| Ishlab chiqaruvchi: | China |
| Ishlab chiqarilgan mamlakat: | Uzbekistan |
| Yaroqlilik muddati: | 1 yil |
| Kafolat muddati: | 1st |
| Product ishlab chiqarilgan yil: | 2021-yil |
| Texnik parameters: |
CPU SOCKET LGA1200, LGA1156, LGA1155, LGA1151, LGA1150 MATERIAL Aluminium, Copper DIMENSIONS (L X W X H) 120 x 120 x 60 mm / 4. 
|