Techangel.co.uk would first like to thank Tony Ou from Pham Computer for sending the product for review. Be sure to check out his site as they have a great variety of computer modification and enthusiast items for sale there.

Everyone nowadays is so worried about cooling that they forget to worry about the noises that come out of their computers. Didn’t you wish someone would find a solution to the high-pitched fan that is always disturbing your sleep? Well, Akasa has introduced their pax.mate acoustic absorption mat to solve all your noise problems. Or has it?

One thing I would like to mention is that Pham Computers did a great job in protecting this package even though this product is not as fragile as other items such as a cold cathode tube. It was placed inside a box filled with peanut shaped Styrofoam, and I was greatly impressed. I received the original Akasa packaging in perfect condition, and I have to congratulate Pham for doing a great job in their shipping department.

The pax.mate and packaging

First of all, the package contains two pieces of 40 x 18cm black foam to be attached to the top and bottom of your case and two 40 x 35cm on the sides. They are each labelled with the Akasa brand name and website in silver, which actually makes it look cool and much better than just plain black foam.

The foam may need to be trimmed by scissors if they do not fit your case perfectly. When you are ready to install, just remove the backing of the foam to reveal the adhesive. I found installation quite tricky unless you have a full tower case or have all the internal components removed. That is because the self-adhesive strips are very sticky and because I had computer components in my case already, I found it a nuisance when misplacing the foam and trying to reposition it.

The 4 pieces of foam

After installing the pax.mate, I noticed a drastic reduction in case vibration especially during a burning CD session. The pax.mate also seemed to have reduced the high-pitched noises coming from my 120mm fan running at the rear of my case. It may be a psychological feeling, but I certainly felt comfortable with the pax.mate installed.

It’s time for experimenting! I placed a small portable radio inside my case to see if the pax.mate did reduce noises. The radio was running at volume “8” which is a medium to high volume, and I closed the case cover. The pax.mate indeed lowered the volume but only down to between volume “6” and “7”. When the radio was playing heavy bass music, it indeed lowered vibration compared to having the radio on my desk. I can conclude in this experiment that the pax.mate does reduce noise, but it is relatively small and some may not notice the difference.

Another experiment is to test out if the pax.mate will make my case hotter. Many people think of foam as a sort of thermal material, but my hypothesis was that the pax.mate will not make my computer running hotter. This is because the pax.mate does not hinder air flow. I used my Radio Shack thermometer when the computer was idle, and the computer showed 24c without the pax.mate installed yet. When I installed the pax.mate, the thermometer remained a constant 24c in the same room temperature and conditions.

I strongly suggest anyone that is getting a new case to add the Akasa pax.mate to reduce vibrations and it makes their case look very cool in the inside. The pax.mate does not reduce a lot of noise, but it does not make your case hotter than before either. It is a good investment for anyone who is waiting for an innovative improvement for their computer; if you are one of them, then I believe the pax.mate is for you.

PROS:
Looks great inside the case
Reduces vibrations

CONS:
Pricy for foam
Doesn’t reduce a lot of noise
Sticky adhesive will mean a permanent mod

Related:
Akasa homepage
PHAM Computer