The BEST RGB Fans - For Airflow, Radiators & More

[@Keeks33]

What a fantastic video! Thank you guys for taking the time to do this. I was having a hard time finding tangible results for an RGB fans setup, and you guys absolutely nailed it. This was incredibly helpful.

[@ICOLER-Amazon]

How about ICOLER UNI Fan JM-V2RS?

[@HardwareCanucks]

The following fans were tested but didn't make the "grade" for this video (ie their performance was worse than what you see here): Fractal Prisma RGB NZXT Aer RGB 2 NZXT F120 RGB Corsair QL series Thermaltake Pure 12 Montech AX120 ID Cooling Crystal 120 White DeepCool FC120

[@KellyWu04]

The FC120 is so bad? I thought they were decent when looking at LS720 performance.

[@Crystalblade564]

performace was worse? what does it mean? While Fractal Prisma AL-12 and AL-14 have alot higher CFM/Static pressure/airflow than some of the fans in the video? So those stats are not valid in real world?

[@xypod]

I did not expect the NZXT fans to be *that* bad. I have some AER 2's in my case. That said im glad this video exists for that!

[@KellyWu04]

@@Crystalblade564 each manufacturer tests the stats differently and at max speeds. They are not comparable.

[@mikas2934]

Was hoping you'd test the silverstone air blazer 120r. Pretty cheap here in Australia, ARGB, decent claimed stats, goes up to 2200 RPM. Also, I saw you tested the SL120s in another comment, but did you test the SL120 infinity by any chance?

[@krazyfrog]

Another factor to cover with these fans is how they look from the back. A lot of the time with some of these O11D inspired cases you end up mounting your fans backwards and how the fan looks from the back becomes very important. It's especially the case with ARGB fans since they draw attention towards themselves and sometimes aren't that well designed from the back as you showed with the Squa. The only proper solution here seems to be reverse spinning fans or something like the Deepcool MF120 GT, which has a very unique inverse hub design.

[@HardwareCanucks]

Yeah I did cover it with the be quiet and enermax. The others are pretty plain Jane.

[@wrenchviking8527]

@@HardwareCanucks This is one area where I think the Thermaltake SWA-fan would have been an appropriate addition. But, since they sponsored the video, I can see why you may not want to have their fan included to avoid any percieved bias.

[@HardwareCanucks]

I agree about the SwaFan and I wish I could have some here....but for some reason Thermaltake has been really hesitant to send us samples. And after this video and another one that's coming up, our samples budget is getting pinched pretty tight right now.

For back illumination phanteks has some nice rgb frames. They have the advantage of working with non rgb fans too.

[@charnel8480]

@@HardwareCanucks There exists a reverse spinning version of the Thermalright C12S called the C12R-S, hope you guys would be able to obtain a sample of those as that would probably be the top budget choice for that niche.

[@deuswulf6193]

Used the thermalright fans for my rig, totaling about 11 fans. They are great! It was $13 for a triple pack. $11 for the non rgb ones. By far one of the bets price to performance fans on the market right now.

[@assassinx-rated1440]

How is it when it come to noise? Are the fans really loud? Or quiet?

[@deuswulf6193]

@@assassinx-rated1440 Very quiet, especially when setting custom fan curve. I have them running at about 1100 rpm most of the time. Obviously it gets louder at full rpm. Keeps my 7950x3D with a 4090 quite cool.

[@Tojikuma]

@@deuswulf6193 Did you buy the TL-C12C-S or the TL-C12CW-S ?

[@zinyrtmiddle4008]

@@Tojikuma it same product . W mean white

[@user-wyosfr]

Don't your fans rattle? Just bought 3 of them, can't even use them at 300 RPM because they rattle that loud...

[@frontwing67]

I have an Arctic P12 ARGB on my towercooler and a P14 ARGB in the back of my Lian Li Lancool 216. Airflow is steady as a rock, low temps and low noise for a fair price, couldnt be happier .

[@prashanthkrishanduth8521]

THIS is exactly what has been missing from fan reviews. Thank you. Suggestions to add the: Fractal Aspect RGB and Prisma ARGB, ID Cooling TF120 ARGB, Corsair SP120 RGB Elite, NZXT AER120 RGB 2, Deepcool FC120 ARGB, CM Sickleflow ARGB and InWin ARGB 120mm fans

[@HardwareCanucks]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

[@Pro4TLZZ]

Also fractal design gp-12 X2 pwm if possible. Thanks

[@violentnomadx2436]

First off, excellent video. The production quality, expansive product coverage and reliability of information really make this channel second to none. I’d love to see the Lian Li SL-Infinity in future content as they are the best looking fans in my opinion, however expensive they may be. It would be interesting to see how they compare, especially since they haven’t gotten much technical coverage. Once again though, really appreciate all the great work from the Hardware Canucks Team!

[@nycplayboy78]

Yes I agree with ALL OF THIS!!! I agree that the Lian Li Uni SL Infinity fans are the best looking fans out there :)

[@XxTheMetalistxX]

Thermalright is a goldmine. Hoping for reviews on whatever products you can get your hands on. Suggestions: The premium edition of these fans called TL-C12-Pro. The Peerless Asassin have multilpe upgraded versions: Phantom Spirit SE and Frost Tower.

[@dylancnguyen]

I would LOVE to see how the Phanteks D30-120 fair in this comparison. I seems like they had a lowkey launch last week and almost immediately sold out, but they seem quite promising.

[@HardwareCanucks]

We asked and they only sent for a build to Dmitry. Not to our main lab....red flags right there...

[@Sterhaer]

Maybe in a later video when availability is better?

[@HardwareCanucks]

Absolutely.

[@MayonnaiseOreo]

@@HardwareCanucks That's too bad because I was really curious how they'd compare to the rest of the lineup. I have Lian Li SL120 Infinity fans so I don't need new ones but Phanteks has always been my favorite non-RGB fan.

[@yukisnoww]

looks kinda ugly tho, if i am paying that price, i go for lianli fans

[@TheJjjoj]

The thermalright tl-b12S are technically pre-release. Thermalright has a tendency to put their products on their website 2-3 months prior to their actual availability on the market. The non-rgb b12's(regular not the extreme) are absolutely fantastic. The B12S (RGB) should be within striking distance of the regulars if thermalright maintains their usual consistency. The c12s are just slightly worse than the c12 likely due to the less rigid plastic RGB fans have to use.

[@wrenchviking8527]

I have been incredibly pleased with my Silverstone AB120r's. They perform really well as both case and radiator fans and the ARGB, while not particularly flashy, is very competently done with smooth transitions and very even diffusion. They're so quiet that you forget about them most of the time and when they do ramp up to audible levels, it's at a nice low hum with no whine. And that's with 12 fans in my system.

[@HandsomeAlex25]

That was such a thorough analysis! I did not expect a video about RGB (fans) to be so engaging! This is a great reference video for lots of prospective buyers.

[@arieskyz]

I really like how thorough this video was to help me get a better view of which fans to pick for building a pc.

[@starer2006]

could we have an update for 2024?

[@jaridbredemeier8729]

Agreed, no one buys EK anymore.

[@GetWellSoonR.E.M.]

I was so overwhelmed with case fans and all the choices that exist out there. Thank you for making this WAY easier to understand and narrow my choices

[@heyabro-p2b]

I'm happy with my Thermalright C12C-S. I purchased two three-packs and installed one on my heatsink, along with my three front fans and my rear case fan. They have been performing exceptionally well! For just over 25 dollars, tax included, these fans are incredibly well-rounded. I appreciate the simple design of these fans, as well as the aRGB features. They are truly top-notch. Great Video!

[@Amfibios]

Holy shit Mike, that's a lot of numbers! Thanks for including the radiator results and real world performance, it would be half a review without them, but many reviewers don't bother. It would be great to see how the below fans compare to the ones you already tested: - Coolermaster MASTERFAN SF120M ARGB - Coolermaster MASTERFAN MF120 HALO² - LIAN LI UNI FAN SL-Infinity 120/RGB

[@danhfvcsd1]

Why does barely anyone review the MF Halos from Cooler Master? I'd love to know how they actually stack up against others out there...

[@sijedevos2376]

Don’t buy Corsair fans unless you like horrible diffusion and the ability to count all individually leds

[@Pacheenee7]

And horrible price to performance and noise

[@swizzler8053]

And if you like lots of cables.

[@mrcrow_GG]

Too late, You should tell me this 2 years ago 😀

[@buenomini]

Fact

[@confusedcounsel5285]

Yes, but with some MX 2.54 or just standard Dupont 2.54 connectors you can connect any RGB to Corsair. The pin out is 5V DO DI GND. Yep same as on motherboard, but on Motherboards the data in pin is missing because motherboard does not want to hear back from the RGB. The date out pin on the fan is to pass the signal back to the hib so it can be passed to the next fan in the sequence.

[@nexaner7]

I would love to see something on the Razer Chroma RGB Hub. It is really versatile and let's you layout all standard 3 PIN ARG to really incorporate great patterns. Not just duplicating the effect across them.

[@pascalkreilaus3626]

Lian Li SL120 V2 would have been interesting as well. Also the Phanteks D30-120.

[@kymnyth]

I would like to see the results for theThermaltake SWAFAN EX12 RGB. These come with two sets of fan blades so you can get a consistent look whether you need to bring air into the case or evacuate air out.

[@HardwareCanucks]

Yeah they weren't available when we did this.

[@thatsl1ve183]

There are reviews online. I read one and the conclusion was that they are trash. If you swap the blade it performs worse and gets even louder.

[@dennissmith1435]

Great content! Most thorough fan evaluation I've seen. In my most recent build, I chose non-RGB fans. Before seeing this, I had come to the conclusion RGB fans generally didn't perform as well as non-RGB fans, which you have shown. I've used plenty of RGB fans in builds, but decided to focus on performance and go light on the RGB (pun intended). The Silent Wing Pro 4 are good looking fans, just no ARGB. EK has also been one of my go to fans and I'm glad the new Loop fans perform so well. Thanks to the content I also have some new candidates to consider.

[@Alexandra-Rex]

I wrote this in the beginning when you did not introduce the P12 PWM PST A-RGB, but I saw it in the test anyway 😄 Suggestions: - Arctic P12 PWM PST A-RGB - Arctic P14 PWM PST A-RGB These are PST fans, meaning _"PWM Sharing Technology"_ (not static pressure optimized, like I've seen some reviewers say), so I wonder if they can pass through light stuff too, or just what's needed to run the fan.

[@dez7roy3r]

Love those cooling reviews! Another great one! Keep them coming! 😍

[@shredman59]

Can you update this for early 2024?

[@valtarg1299]

Thank you for testing fans Even thought they might not have the most impact on performance, it always interesting to have details and choose what is the best especially when on a budget and you care about airflow

[@RjxDare]

Thank you guys for the hard work on this video, 9 months later I still refer to this 😁

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

until the pc working again itll still the one for all to aim sad should be the 5800x2880 instead, it was noticeably different

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

oled owners know this

[@mrfawkes9110]

I would love to see the same kind of comparison for 140mm fans, both RGB and not. This and the comparison of the unlit 120s has been invaluable. I'm also a huge fan of Cooler Master's SickleFlow V2 in both 120 and 140, unfortunately the white is more of a green or purple, depending on ambient lighting.

[@leftcoastfunk]

tbh the Arctic P12 argb is super decent at such quiet levels. Plenty enough to keep my 12700k (360mm aio) and 3080ti (240mm aio) both under 70 degrees at load. Could my temps be better? Sure, probably by 3-5 degrees - but these fans MAX out at 39db! I know in the low db radiator tests they were mid-pack, and I'm not surprised by that, but I still think they're a steal in the price:performance:noise level:looks race... As for the looks, one thing you failed to address on any fan here except the weird-ass SQUA, is that the overwhelming majority of argb fans just don't look good when viewed from the back - which most fans running as intakes would be. I honestly think this is super important, almost always overlooked by reviewers and manufacturers alike, and yet is one of the biggest deciding factors in my (and likely others') choice for argb fans. The P12 argb (like very few argb fans) has that continuous ring connecting the outer edges of the blades which I can tell you honestly reallllllly helps it look significantly better and more vibrant from the back - the light spreads all the way out the outer edge so well. Way more so than most typical and popular argb fans. I don't care how bright and diffused the hub lighting is, if the hub is mostly blocked by plastic on the backside.

[@MHAAAAANZ]

Omg, the BEST review on the planet about fans!

[@gfei4059]

Thermal right! Im using their radiator Frozen Prime, 60$ 360mm . all i got to say is that you must try it.

[@-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-8]

Can you do the same noise-to-CFM test for these? - Cooler Master MF120 Halo - NZXT F120 RGB Core (listed as having almost twice the CFM of the NZXT F120 RGB)?

[@James95Dark]

Been wanting to see a detailed video like this for years! Thanks! one side point, when presenting the line plots, if you're going to the trouble of animating it, could maybe update the legend at the same time with the data being highlighted, only showing the ones already on the figure, just to make the graph easier to read

[@xerf7001]

Missing out the Cooler Master MF120 halo. Here in germany they cost around 12-16 euros which is something like 13-17 dollars

[@robojimtv]

Please get us a 140mm version of this test? Feels like the choices are smaller there too.

[@christernordlander1354]

This was one of the best fan reviews, ever! Well done! 👌🏻

[@FernandoJorgedaSilva]

From cooler master, theres the MF120 Halo and the second version of then. They look a little like the Rise Aurora, but with no adapter needed.

[@forestR1]

Coolermaster MF120 HALO user here: ~$50 for 3 - 24x ARGB LEDs (8+16) - Daisey chain cables for fan control and argb (standard 5V ARGB connectors) - controller V1 is garbage, V2 is supposed to be much better; but Amazon sent me V1 (V2 was advertised) - currently controlled by splicing into Corsair node pro and using ICUE - They appear to have poor static pressure and there is a lot of blowback between the blade and the frame when fitted to radiator.

[@rgracon]

would love to see: Cooler Master MasterFan MF120 Halo White

[@jbgwapoodellot33]

My Recommendation for RGB Fans are Silverstone Air Blazer 120R for Case Fans and Silverstone Shark Force 120 for Radiator Fans. Recently Changed my Case Fans from Lian Li Unifans Infinity 120 to Silverstone Air Blazer 120R and the Stock Fans (EK Loop FPT) of my EK Nucleus 360 to the Silverstone Shark Force 120. Satisfied with the Change.

[@IIShana-chan]

One thing I really love about my Uni Fans is, that from each cluster, I get exactly *one* cable to the controller. And from there, I can decide wether I go with USB (L-Connect) or 5V ARGB (Motherboard). Just big props how much thought Lian Li puts in its products! I mean, they even added the little frame accents on the back of the fan, so you see them, when they are reversed (bottom of the case) I am also so happy about moving away from corsair in that regard. I loved their products, but the pricing really went out of hand... 40€ for fans that are mediocre in performance AND looks is just way too much. Oh, and my god is it a chaos to manage all those cables. My old case had 6 of those corsair ones. Equals 12 cables to be routed. My new one has 10. I can't imagine routing 20 of those small cables ... Only corsair products left are the H150i and the RAM ... But maybe this will soon be followed by an Galahad and some other RAM...

[@HardwareCanucks]

Absolutely 100% agreed on this. While their software isn't the greatest, its actually quite good AND they have fallback options which is super important

[@yelts24]

I've been debating between the Corsair QX fans and the Lian li infinity fans. The icue software being able to sync with everything is really cool to me and I do like the Dominator ram as well. But I really love the Lian li fans too, I just hope that L-connect 3 is just as good as the icue software when it comes to syncing etc. Maybe even add or customize your profiles. I am sure that they can do a lot of adding for their software too.

[@Vialli100.]

I have 7x Darkflash DR12 pro fans with the controller, they are connected to Aura sync. These are brilliant fans and keep everything very cool, inside Lian li o11 dynamic evo. They also cost only £40 for the complete set..

[@nighthawk9264]

Honestly, I come to a completely different conclusion. For you „best fan“ = highest CFM. However, I find it much more interesting to talk about how quiet a fan is while still providing most flow. Based on that metric, the P12 is the best, because it provides most flow per dBA, i.e. the slope is the steepest.

[@ronniekregar3482]

Because then you would have to compare fans that all have the same max rpm

[@nighthawk9264]

@@ronniekregar3482 That is false. RPM is irrelevant and is completely taken out of the picture. No one cares about RPM.

[@spentcasing3990]

I'm using Asiahorse FS-9002. Bought two 5 packs for about $50 Cdn each. I don't have to worry about RGB software because they can use a remote to control the lighting. And the push a decent amount of air, up to 1800rpm. I've had them for almost a year now with only 1 fan causing an issue. The company sent me a 3 pack for free.

[@chincemagnet]

I have a ton of Corsair fans, including a bunch of ML’s. I really like the ML140’s. But I’ll never buy another Corsair fan again based solely on the outrageous price. They used to be much more reasonably priced. The one thing I can say about Corsair is they will honor your warranty and replace a bad fan. Although I have at least 25 Corsair fans and not a single one has ever had an issue. I have had several other Corsair products require warranty replacement. I have ML120, ML140, AF140, SP120, HD120, and LL120’s. The ML140’s are good.

[@little_fluffy_clouds]

Be Quiet’s Light Wings fans are my favourite from this list. Gorgeous RGB from either side, whisper quiet and great airflow. They come in 120 and 140mm variants and their pricing is reasonable especially for the three packs they sell.

[@PainIsntExist]

Hi I need help choosing the right cooling for a top CPU and GPU. Radiator 420/360?? 420 + 3x D30 (140) OR 360 + 3x T30 (120) Config 420 x2 What will be more efficient in relation to the noise produced? Or maybe find place for 480?? Radiator 480/420.... 480 and 4x T30 (120) OR 420 and 3x D30 (140) Config 480 + 360

[@pcfreakx]

I hope Corsair is listening. I'm building a PC right now and ordered NINE Lian Li fans and the only reason I didn't go with Corsair was cause they don't do daisy-chaining and they won't make their fans interoperable with a standard. And I actually LIKE iCUE - I have a Corsair keyboard/mouse.

[@nikushim6665]

You're not locked off with Icue/armoury/L-connect for controlling splitter boxes. signal (gag) and openRGB both support them without all the app juggling.

[@dreamEnd]

I really like "ring" / border type RGB fans. So it's the BioniX, Light Wings, and Lian Li's older model: SL fans for me.

[@xypod]

Same here. Really wish there were more of those types available

[@See.You.Soon.027]

google Corsair QL140

[@See.You.Soon.027]

@@xypod google Corsair QL140

[@HuyV]

I used to do this RGB + hardline watercooling stuff. But am I happy to have switched to SFF anti RGB focus these days. So much less hassle, but still challenging and pretty in a different way

[@anastasy2]

​@@actualwafflesenjoyer Small Form Factor case 😊

[@bradhaines3142]

i personally love my unicorn vomit light show, and i have no interest in the hassle of a tiny box. tiny wires are offensive enough

[@dadjake]

This video is coming in clutch for me because I was about to go buy some RGB fans, thank you very much ❤

[@LeKingCarnage]

Just got and installed the Thermalright fans and they perform great for the price.

[@emp1985]

Don't know if it was a bad batch, but got a 3-pack of Thermalright C12C-S, and all three had horrible motor humming, very audibl eeven at minimal RPMs... read of several others having this problem.

[@VetteTTV12]

I'm not sure if I missed the specific radiator used in the restriction test, but I'm assuming it's the A60. Would you please use a more standard 45mm thick 18FPI radiator for this? I believe it would make the results much more accurate since a fair amount of AIOs are now 45mm and the majority of custom loops use 45mm rads.

[@VincentAndre_HK]

Thanks for the review Mike, amazing work as usual. For the A-RGB daisy-chaining, did you notice that there are some doing a splitter while some have true daisy-chain? ARCTIC has daisy chain, allowing light effects to span to few fans. Not a splitter that will have all fans with same effect (well, except if they use LED gen2 though here again, ARCTIC is one of the few having it...) ;) For the CFM Vs dBA measurement, I am genuinely surprised by the P12 ARGB, it is the same impeller as the P12 Max, the Max even get ball bearing which is noisier than the sleeve bearings, so, they should be in around the same in teh bottom of the curve. did your P12 ARGB made any unusual noise? 🤔

[@HardwareCanucks]

It's a good point about the daisy chaining vs splitter. However I'd call what Arctic does individual common circuit control since daisy chaining implies the same signal is sent down the line so to speak. As for the P12 Max vs P12 ARGB we also have to remember there are additional fundamental changes between the two fans. While the Max appears to have the same impeller design, the tolerance between the outer ring and housing is much tighter and it's motor is completely different, not to mention the bearing difference. Personally I couldn't detect any issues with the P12 ARGB noise profile but subjectively it was louder than the Max at it's given decibel levels. The acoustic testing bore that out as well.

[@MikeKrasnenkov]

Do you know if any other fans in this video have true daisy-chain besides Arctic?

[@takemebacktothen]

The Thermalright matching the NF-A12 is crazy

[@Kraxt0n]

march 2019 pc was built, swapped mobo, case (built new pc with new fans) fast forward to 2023 with a 5800x, 3070ti, 4x8 3200b die (3800/1900) so alot of heat (not cleaned this year, been extra busy and now down with covid again) no issues with the RGB on the ek vardars, or the (idk wtf the other 4 are) maybe those enermax squa b.s.? idk... got the sebray adv case a while ago. unsure if i swapped those fans out with some better ones or not. all in all, RGB on all of it still works just fine minus the EK 240D-RGB pump starting to die.

[@pleymox818]

Hello! Really have been enjoying your videos and i have one question please. Would you say it's worth it to get 2 packs of 3 of the thermalright tl-c12c wich will cost me only 40€ , or spend the 90€ on 3 fans of lian li al120 ??

[@mrsupertash]

I'm looking into RGB for the first time and am quite overwhelmed with the non-standardized and proprietary ways to actually cobble something together. My B450 Tomahawk Max only has 2 J-RGB headers but I want A-RGB. There are some offerings of 5 or 6 fans that come with a dedicated controller, so I don't have to go via the motherboard connectors, but most of them then also don't have separate PWM fan speed control via the motherboard. Some run at 100% all the time, while others seemingly have 3 speed levels that need to be set manually via a (remote) controller. Very few can be connected to an internal USB-header to be controlled by (dedicated) software instead of the remote or the case reset switch button. The Thermalright caught my eye because of the price but I was sceptic. Seeing them be the absolute winner here in that category and especially for that price is pretty neat. But with these I'd need a separate controller again, which ups the price significantly if I want a decent one, it seems. And it seems most RGB software is horrible (although I don't know yet in which ways), but having this software run constantly in the background I assume, hogging resources, probably impacting system boot time, etc. doesn't sound too appealing on top of that. I guess right now I'm on the fence between a 5 or 6 fan kit including controller for around €35 or getting the 2x Thermalright 3-fan packs for around €32 + a controller solution on top for about another €20 - €30. And then again, there are 5-fan kits including controllers around the €55 mark that might then be the better solution. This is so frustrating, lol. I think this is what I'll do: I'll do the rest of my research with the Thermalright's in mind looking for a good A-RGB controller. And will look into the OpenRGB software, if it's worth over just a simple (remote) controller with buttons and pre-configured light modes, and if it'll work with the components. And well, what if I want to add A-RGB strips not only inside my case but around my desk, lol. It's a week away from X-Mas 2023 and I'm trying to set up my lights.

[@djrollerx81]

Thanks for your hard work! I couldn't pass up the value versus performance of the Thermalright fans. They're a no-brainer at less than $30 for 6 fans. On top of that I grabbed the Thermalright Frozen Notte 360 AIO for just $60! It's beautiful and comes with 3 more fans for the radiator! $100 to cool the entire case AND the CPU? Heck yes!

[@thomaslayman9487]

one fan i hear is actually relatively good for an RGB fan is the corsair AF120 Elite RGB, which is their airflow version of the Elite design and supposedly performs much better than the MLs

[@FinalBoss429]

Which fan with a halo, purest white light and daisy chaining would you recommend?

[@richthoven]

very good video, id like to see the Coolermaster Halo in the comparison

[@andrewdaley4894]

Here is Australia, the older SilverStone Blazer is great value compared to the mobius for a rad fan. The cam sicklemaster is worth adding as well.

[@RotemMantsur]

Great review! Finally I understood all the graphs :) One thing you should have done was to review the regular Be Quiet! and not the High Speed version. I read the regular was designed as case fans whilst the HS was designed to be use on radiators and heat sinks. Also, it would have been nice to understand why when comparing the same fans, one without RGB and one without it, the one with added RGB perform worse....just wondering.

[@martmeister]

REALLY appreciate the review. I just built an all white system for my 12 yo son and I am grabbing the 3 pack of Thermalrights (Thermalright TL-C12CW-S X3) for sure. It's $15 for 3!!! HOW CAN YOU BEAT THAT?

[@Likely_Alucard]

I'd love to see another performance breakdown video that features newer fans like corsair's link lineup, thermaltake swa fan, and newer lian li fans

[@nighthawk9264]

Honestly, I come to a completely different conclusion. For you „best fan“ = highest CFM. However, I find it much more interesting to talk about how quiet a fan is while still providing most flow. Based on that metric, the P12 is the best, because it provides most flow per dBA, i.e. the slope is the steepest. Edit: pro Tip. When measuring, vary and control the RPM, while measuring CFM and dBA at once. Then, afterwards use your data to plot CFM (x) vs noise (y). Much more intuitive to read and much less work when measuring

[@CLOSAxN]

Coolermaster MF 120 or 140, have the 120's in my build and run pretty quietly and quality is very good compared to others I've seen priced similarly.

[@FromTheHood]

Will there be a non-RGB version of this video? :P Fan testing and all. I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on Silent Wings 4 high-speed for my 360 mm AIO. They are only 20 euros per piece.

[@WraithDesignz]

I got these UpHere RGB fans for my build back in 2021, and got another box of the same ones as backups this year. These fans, for only $0 have not failed me yet, and are quiet as heck! Sure, when they really rev they can get a bit louder, but compared to cooler master RGB fans that get wicked loud and start to wine and fail after only a year or so, these are just tough to beat. I'd advise anybody not wanting to payan arm and a leg, to get 6 RGB fans that are wicked quiet, to grab those.

[@shoobadoo123]

$0?

[@ronniekregar3482]

Not the Mobius fans.... they're the quietest fans I've ever used, and that's including noctuas.

[@MrStR1K3Rify]

Thank you for given me reliable point of view. Do 140 please. Planning to build all 140 fan built.

[@mattotto9949]

I'd like to see the Inwin Jupiters added to this test. I've been using them for a while now and haven't regretted them (mostly because of the good pricing). They also have what I call a "glass" look because they fanblades are transparent and not opaque, which really grew on me in the looks department. Great video, thorough testing as always!

[@masterofbacon7328]

In my opinion, i think silverstone air blazer 120r argb is the best of budget argb case fan that i can buy, It’s cost for my country is 11.39usd per fan. Here are the specs on the Air Blazer 600-2200rpm 25.62-93.97 CFM. 0.26-3.53mm H2O. 7.4-35.6 decibels. And Please try to compare ARGB HUB and Softwere. like CoolerMaster A1 argb gen2. Razer Chromax. Corsair Commander . NZXT Hue. ETC. Thanks

[@willfarren]

140mm fan showdown plz. This is nice to know but for low noise how much better are the bigger brother fans?

[@saygoodbyetoprivacy]

I picked up some thermalright c12c's for use as case fans, but I don't have high hopes for how long they will last. The Peerless Assassin has the same model of fan, non-rgb, and one of them didn't even last 8 months.

[@iamricardomarques]

You're really sleeping on Thermaltake's Swafan EX. Magnetic connections, which means you can connect 3 fans with just one cable that controls PWM and RGB. Reversable fan blades replacements, so that the leds always face the side you want, regardless of whatever airflow configuration you choose. Best hub with insane daisy chain capability and integration with multiple types of software, including Razer Synapse (if you ever used Studio, you know there's nothing as good as it). This not even to mention that if you use Synapse you can pair it with Philips Hue and have all your setup lights synced. In addition, the game specific profiles create a level of imersion that you cannot get with any other software.

[@shadow105720]

Thermalright is the hands down winner. You can't just have one RGB fan. I just got my SO a Fractal Meshify Mini and she wanted the pretty fans. Filled all 6 fan slots for $24 and threw in a Phantom Spirit with 2 more ARGB fans for $36, with an 8 fan hub also from Thermalright for another $12. I paid almost that much for the RGB RAM 3600 C14. Put the controller under the PSU shroud where the hard drives would go and got all the fan cables routed neatly by the mobo and through the shroud. All 6 case fans and all 8 ARGB cables plugged into the hub and the 2 CPU fans plugged into the CPU fan header. No they dont have any fancy connections but they do all have splitters for PWM and ARGB but the mobo only has one case fan and one ARGB header and I didn't want to overload anything or have a rats nest sitting in the front of the case.

[@elleymiller2563]

Love your background lighting and use of colour across the screen

[@_Caddac]

One of my favourite budget RGB fans that I've been suggesting to people for case fans are the Deepcool RF120. You can often find the 5 pack of them for $40 CAD which is one hell of a deal and they've been running great for me since 2019. EDIT: and the best part is, with those fans you get a fan hub to plug all of the fans into a single header as well as daisy chain RGB.

[@RobBCactive]

As the video creator noted the DeepCool FC120 performed less well, so was excluded from the comparison review.

[@_Caddac]

@@RobBCactive just because they're the same brand doesn't make them similar. I know they said the FC wasn't very good but the RF is a different blade design.

[@RobBCactive]

@@_Caddac ahh, I missed the switch in letters. Review samples depend on the caprice of marketing departments, you'd hope they send their competitive options. I use DeepCool air towers myself so if DC had had a marching case fan reasonably priced to go with the cooler it would have been a no-brainer. But the Thermalright value is tough to beat.

[@polelix1023]

Wait, aren't they fixed RGB?

[@HHX_H]

I tested the thermalright and yes they are amazing for the price!

[@TSUNAMI17]

Thank you! I'd be interested in this kind of testing for 92mm RGB fans.

[@shinseitaizen]

I'm curious about the performance of all the Unifans over time with a comparison to something like the NH12x25 from Noctua. Are Lian Li getting better over time?

[@M0nkNZL]

Loved the video, great content. However I was wondering the whole time what watch are you wearing? It is super slim and elegant looking.

[@HardwareCanucks]

It's the Citizen EcoDrive Stiletto, Ion Plated. ;)

[@roberthelcher2884]

I would love to see you review Uphere T7SYC7 RGB. I have used them several time and wonder how they compare to the big names.

[@daivien6794]

Thanks for doing this, can you add EKWB Quantum Impulse fans on the next round. I really like the way those fans look.

[@EdouardGatineau]

Great job! But you forgot the NOISEBLOCKER brand, something to think about for next time. ;) I particularly like the e-loops from this brand. They come in several models with varying performances. Available in RGB or not.

[@Enishidono]

Ohhhhhhhh, good. I just bought a triple pack of arctic p12 argb fans.......then I watched this video. Unfortunately, they have already been shipped....so I'm stuck with them. Crap!

[@HardwareCanucks]

Next time watch out videos first. ;)

[@RobCabreraCh]

I just bought some Thermaltake fans that are not RGB but have an LED around them on a single color. I bought 2 120mm and 2 140mm fans, and they were all $1,200 MXN ~ $60 USD for all 4. They look quite nice, but I would love to know if they are good fans or if I just went for whatever I liked visually.

[@mxthunder2]

corsair LL 120 would have been interesting. have been cornered into buying $180 worth thus far and I am not super happy. would love another perspective.

[@joshmoore877]

I just got the Ceres 330 and want to know the best 140mm rgb fans for it, with a 280mm rad at the top

[@lylahsworld3930]

How bright are the thermal right fans, I am buying a Corsair 4000d with the tinted glass, so they need to be somewhat bright to see inside

[@DiGiTaLdAzEDM]

I have 3 Corsair ML120 Pro fans. If I get rid of Icue and install SignalRGB will I be able to control the CorsairML lighting with the new app? This Change will allow me to dump 3 other RGB apps from my system as well which are likely all slowing down my CPU.

[@arkahimself]

Hey Mike, although I am a long time follower of the channel and love the content that you all put out, I am sort of in a pickle here. So I have got the Corsair 4000X case which came with 3x SP120 Elite. I bought 3x SP120 Pro (A more economical one) as intakes. The ones that I bought had the LED burn-in (I assume). So I had them replaced the first time directly from the manufacturer/support. On the replaced ones, the same issue popped up within a couple of months. But presumably, because SP 120 Pro was discontinued, they again were very professional and replaced the fans with 3x SP120 Elite. Don't get me wrong, I love the brand, hence I went with it the second time. My previous case was the 500R from the Carbide Series. But the same thing keeps happening, which is really annoying at this point. Have you seen or heard anyone having this issue with the Corsair fans from the SP lineup? Is this a common issue with RGB Fans in general (to have LED/RGB burn-in; as in one or few of the RGB LED will start to turn more yellow if kept on white)? Or sheer bad luck? Depending on your feedback, I might switch them completely and move to different fans.

[@RobBCactive]

I was stress testing a data analysis PC today, I didn't want to use an AIO, gfx weren't important but the mobo & air tower cooler I chose has ARGB features. So just for adding a little fun to an unassuming Fractal Define compact case, I tried the thermalright as the exhaust fan. After 45mins of stress testing with NO fan tuning, still had 100% utilisation near the max boost on all cores and < 70C. The cheap Thermalright was shifting plenty of exhaust air but the box was really pleasantly quiet. I had non RGB, RGB cooler fan and then the Thermalright in series, yes my AIO offers lower temps, but using a case in solid configuration this was quieter as AIO are then constrained to either 120mm exhaust rad or an inherently non-optimal front mount. For an office or a study I'd take the Thermalright and just reduce the fan rpm a little

[@amineBoucherit]

just bought a pack of Thermalright TL-c12c-s x3 for 18€ thank you for the review Hoping they'll look good with my other fans the Cooler Master Sickleflow 120

[@SayeR88]

I bought last week two pack of Thermalright 120 RGB and are amazing , quiet and efficient. I paid 16€ for a pack , great deal .

[@MadmanLink]

3 months ago I was looking to fill a new case with fans. I used your last video to make my decision on the Silent wings pro 4. They were almost impossible to find and weren't cheap on Amazon at the time. The new Light wings were out and on sale for a three pack. I like the looks, but it's so hard to compare actual performance which is what I really wanted. They are quiet, and my setup doesn't run that hot so I'm happy with what I got. BTW you guys made another great video I'll sending out to friends and family! This is another video I'll be coming back to in the future.

[@HardwareCanucks]

Thanks!

[@mystic8b]

Brother, you did a great job, my respect! Thank you! But there is one big problem in all fan reviews - decibel noise is irrelevant. Much more important are the intermittent noises that the fans create, such as vibration going to the chassis or the noise of the bearing at different speeds and especially when increasing and decreasing the speed. Such things cannot be conveyed in numbers, only recorded on a good microphone and shown in a video. For example the p12 is actually a rival of noctua by any graphs, but it produces an annoying sound at around 1000rpm. Corsair and many others are generally impossible to use at speeds above 700-800. I was extremely disappointed with the be quiet light wings 140mm, at almost any speed it vibrated on the chassis even with noctua silicone nails. This is really the biggest problem. Noise as such is not a problem at all if it is air noise and it is constant and not whining above the ear. If someone ever decides to do such a test on youtube, it will literally save thousands and thousands of buyers from buying garbage, and 95% of what is on the market is garbage. Especially when it comes to PWM, they vibrate when changing speeds, etc.

[@Buzykil]

I agree. I asked this on the previous fan testing video too. There should be audio clips from couple rpm or decibel ranges so we could hear the tone ourselves. Maybe from noise floor or 36dB in this video, and then perhaps a 10-100 % PWM rampup. Even if the fan noise is at or under the noise floor, it is still producing audible noise. Optimum Tech has a really nice touch in their videos by including some mouse clicks before the clip to set the stage how loud the noise actually is, as we are familiar with how loud a typical mouse click is. I'm still waiting for an exhaustive fan testing video.

[@mystic8b]

@@Buzykil Yes Yes Yes! Optimum Tech is the only one who show this. Thanks to him, I realized that this is not something wrong with me, but there really is a problem and everyone except noctua (perhaps the new Arctics also do not have this problem, I'm not sure). In general, I have an assumption that this is only true for fans with pwm. All of my non-pwm be quiet fans run quietly.

[@HardwareCanucks]

Yes, this will absolutely be added to the upcoming individual fan videos. Having it in such a large review would make things untenable.

[@mystic8b]

@@HardwareCanucks Thank you!" You are all awesome!