The ThermalRight TL C12CW S PWM - PC System Fan Review

[@marcinw922]

According to what you presented, in real conditions 6:55 these fans perform sensationally, and according to your other measurements they perform poorly:/ Something is strongly wrong here, explaining "that I don't know why" is weak. You are a hardware tester figure out the reason. Maybe you had a defective one, or you need to revise your measurement methodology.

[@stlprice]

this

[@sortac738]

thought the same, just watched a video of Hardware Canucks where he compares several RGB Fans, and the TH TL-C12C-S performs very good. then i watch this video where he shows they are "bad" till the point he shows under real conditions... also all people writing here say they are good fans...

[@charlesbronson1959]

Don't worry I use 9 these fans for my Pc as case fans and they are PHENOMINAL , I use them for all my builds Thermalright are making a name for themselves

[@TonyCantShoot]

youre the only one to say they suck as case fans but are good for cpu fans, every other video/forum has said the opposite

[@rustyshakelford1466]

Never tried these as case fans, but they are probably the best value radiator/heatsink fans out there if you're looking for basic ARGB. They're only $8 a piece, come in white and black, they're quiet, and will be an easy upgrade for CPU coolers that don't come with an RGB fan. Why pay more for a cooler that comes with fancy ARGB fans when you can get a basic cooler for around $30 and spend $8 upgrading to this fan? Then you can take the plain fan your cooler came with and put it somewhere else in the case, you can even hook it up directly to this fan because it has an integrated PWM splitter!

[@NGreedia]

Surprised at the results as I have both the TLC-12 pwm and TLC-12C-w-s and the blade design looks exactly the same except the 12C spins clockwise vs the 12 spinning counter clockwise. The specs on amazon show both have the same CFM and static pressure as well.

[@hiepdang6201]

C12c is weaker.

[@VashhStamped]

Hi, are they noisy? I have the cougar mx330-g air case, it comes whit 3 fans but I want to change them. Are these thermalright a good alternative? Or should I go whit some coolernaster sickeflow instead...

[@thejimmichanga2913]

I have a lancool 216 and bought a pack of these tho throw two under my 6800xt as intakes and 1 at the top rear as exhaust. Combined with the included 140mm exhaust and 2 front 160mm these dropped my average gpu Temps by almost 15* under full load and cpu temp by almost 10*. I guess the moral of the story is, if you have a good case with a lot of airflow capabilities and good supporting fans, these can work well to add to the air circulation. But as you tested, if your case is restrictive and or you don't have some good supporting fans to run with these, these shouldn't solely be relied on.

[@HardwareForGamers]

Well said, thanks for sharing 👍

[@jameshitch5041]

Seems a little clickbait when the overwhelming majority of reviews at worst are it's a okay fan but you say DO NOT use as case fans. I guess it worked because I watched the video. I just have a hard time believing that only you on the lower end of youtube subscribers have the ability to test a fan on the level that can be provide one way or another. This is a very good cheap fan for the money period. It's not competing with be quiet or noctua so its wrong to tell people not to use it. You could spend way more and not get the cfm's or color you get with these

[@ez45]

I just got mine and tested it and yup, they are absolutely awful in a pull config, the airflow completely breaks down. Make of that what you will

[@HardwareForGamers]

Thanks for sharing.

[@jameshitch5041]

@@ez45 The amazing thing about the internet is you'll always find the answer you want to hear. No matter the subject you will find support both ways on anything! 😁

[@va02gaming]

I have used arctic p12 argb for about 1 year in a 4000d but decided to buy a nzxt h6 flow and the sales guy talked me into these so built the system etc then realised the noise (tone) they have are very strange I did think it could be the mesh design of the case so stripped them all out put the p12 argb back in and the noise was perfect so my advice is DONT BUY!

[@emaadawazem6971]

@@ez45really, I built a pc and all case fans are thermaltake and I benchmarked the pc at full load and it ran really cool. I used the tl c12b with a b instead I probably said the full name wrong but I know there’s a b after the 12.

[@projectc1rca048]

I noticed that the tl-c12 spins counter clockwise while the tl-c12c rotates clockwise as well. Great review!

[@PlayingItWrong]

These are, intended or not, optimised for static pressure, with a thick radiator they seem to thrive judging from other stats I can find.

[@HardwareForGamers]

I do wish I was able to do some sort of air movement testing to see how the fans funnel the air. I guess I could try a smoke machine in slow motion... Not sure how well that will work though...🤔

[@cyclonico]

​@@HardwareForGamers A fan curve (cfm vs inH2O at constant speed) would be helpful, but it means more testing, and pressure measurements. Some manufacturers do publish them (ebm-papst for instance).

[@stlprice]

have to agree here. Based on everyone else testing these fans they seem great even for case fans. I am wondering if they have sweetspots because these budget fans have insane benchmarks vs the competition at 6x the price@@cyclonico

[@brahimkainou2943]

Thank you very much, I almost bought it. After this video, my opinion changed

[@FrigidARC]

The reason that it doesn’t work well with restricted cases is because it’s not a very high pressure fan, but otherwise it gives you some nice airflow

[@FateSoulzZ]

still surprised wit how good the uphere nt12044 is

[@amineBoucherit]

your results contradicts hardware canucks findings

[@HardwareForGamers]

... just watched it. I wouldn't say contradict we both show it tested well as a CPU cooler fan. The airflow testing by HC is higher, but that could be chalked up to different testing setups HC is testing the resistance of an AIO in a PUSH configuration, I am testing with a "front panel" in a PULL configuration... that can change a lot on how the fan tests.

[@amineBoucherit]

@@HardwareForGamers they showed it on par with the p12 when it comes to cfm (unrestricted airflow) so im really confused how there could be such huge discrepancies

[@HardwareForGamers]

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear, I didn't want to write a super long reply and possibly confuse someone. I don't think HC is wrong. I'm sure the numbers they got are what they got, but the numbers I got are the numbers I got. The thing is, it really comes down to the test setup on why the numbers would be different. I don't really know the full extent of HC's testing setup but even something like having the anemometer in a different location in the wind tunnel (relative to mine that is) so closer to the fan, top of the tunnel, bottom of the tunnel can change the results, sometimes by a lot. The size of the tunnel can play a role in FPM/CFM based on the airflow cone of the fan as well. I have my fan testing video where I go over how I test the fans, the reason I test them the way I do is to "simulate" a case, or at least as best as I can, and get consistant results. I'm pretty sure this wasn't the response you wanted or were looking for, to help you understand WTF is going on, but I tested 2 fans and got much the same results between them (+/-5%). Plus, when I tested the C12R it didn't do well either. Yes, that's in my testing, but I don't think there's any major issues with my testing, I guess it's possible there's some odd compatibility issue with my testing and these fans... but all the other fans I've tested make sense when compared to each other so... yeah...

[@miketyson4046]

I recently replaced all my case fans ( 2x intake , 1x exhaust) and a push pull on my cpu cooler with the thermalright tl c12c the black non rgb version, i have 5 of them in there and think there pretty good and also each fan has an additional connector on it so you can link several together if you want off of 1 fan hub

[@gamertechlive1780]

there are 3 types of fan... 1. high static pressure fan = good for penetrating FINS of Tower Heatsink & WaterCooling Radiators 2. high airflow fan = this are best as case fans, can blow air longer and stronger BUT not good for CPU Heatsink & Radiators since it can't penetrate fins as good as Static pressure Fan. 3. BOTH = a static pressure fan that has good air flow can be used either CPU/Radiator Fans or Case Fan but not as good as #1 option as CPU Fan. Conclusion base in this test i think this fan is a high static pressure fan meant for CPU only... (Tower Air Cooler/AIO & Openloop Radiator Coolers).

[@MichaelMuryn]

I think you should change this timestamp in your description: 5:56 Charts - Comparing to other fans to 5:36.

[@HardwareForGamers]

Thanks.

[@TheCultureCallout]

Great fans for me. It work perfectly well in my opinion 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@lesliegrace8360]

Stack this fan with any fan in the market and it will greatly increase airflow; counter rotating fan blades

[@Chaserbl]

Arctic has best fans, period. What do people expect to get for 4eur rgb fan? It looks good, that's basically it.

[@br-fitness]

So do the non C version ( C12 S ) perform better

[@Frederic91fr]

Thank you for your review. Unfortunately I already bought one as a case fan and was disappointed. At least now I know it's not a me problem but more a fan problem.

[@ernievelasco23]

there something wrong with this test, because according to the product description this fan only have 1.5mm static pressure which is very low to be a CPU Fan if you gonna compare it with higher CPU cooling which they have 2mm and higher static pressure rating. IMO, this fan can be a good CPU Case Fan instead

[@liav1609]

Thats sounds wrong because i just bought these for my case 4000D Mesh replacing Corsair's fans that cost me 40$ more and guess what - these TR fans dropped 5C in case temp + CPU temps by 3C lol.

[@grimhyy]

Hey man I’m thinking of swapping my case with the 4000D mesh , planning on getting 6 of these fans , what temps are you getting while gaming?

[@liav1609]

@@grimhyy I played this summer in a hot room without AC, it was about 27-28C in the room, so temps were 68-70C for the undervolted to 1130mv, the CPU which is with AIO Thermalright Frozen Magic 280mm is no more than 65-68C while gaming, Cinbench 23 got me to 82C and thats while its summer in this hot room. Now its colder and better 68C GPU and 64C+- gaming on the CPU. I put these fans on silent curve and there about 1100Rpms while under 50c, and goes up to 80%. Keeps the temps really good tho.

[@Yudoreme]

​@liav1609 what do you use to control the fan and rgb?

[@liav1609]

RGB I connected them via daisy to the Razer RGB hub. Controlling the speeds from the MB software like from MSI or ASROCK which i have now installed@@Yudoreme

[@EliPorterMahn]

Get the regular black ones theyre pretty good and 14 after tax for a 3 pack. They are sturdy, quiet, look great, have pwm and ARGB so I think theyll do for a case fan. Especially for flipping still most people arent going to percieve the benefits of a premium case fan vs a budget one and these fans are targeted for people saving money or flipping so remember who these are targeted towards.

[@va02gaming]

I have used arctic p12 argb for about 1 year in a 4000d but decided to buy a nzxt h6 flow and the sales guy talked me into these so built the system etc then realised the noise (tone) they have are very strange I did think it could be the mesh design of the case so stripped them all out put the p12 argb back in and the noise was perfect so my advice is DONT BUY!

[@DenVi89]

Thank you for the video) TL C14C in theory should be quieter and more productive?

[@HardwareForGamers]

Behind a mesh panel, yes... in theory.

[@GUCFan]

I have these as my case fans and i must have gotten a bad batch. One has a whining noise and one has bad bearings that causes it to make a horrible grinding noise.

[@АнтонКомаров-в4щ]

I guess he didn't test anything. He simply drew graphs with low values. He drew the same low values in the test at 6:55. But in this test, low is better. He forgot about it.

[@Rogerraybemsleyjr]

have u seen or tested the Phanteks T30-120 herd they are better than the noctua's

[@HardwareForGamers]

I have not yet, they are on my list of fans to buy along with the p12 max.

[@gamertechlive1780]

well done good review.. i think i'm going to pick this for my front rads this explain why they advertise this as CPU Fan instead of Case Fan... after watching this review the fan are most likely Static Pressure Fan that are design to penetrate FINS so yeah its obvious that they are not meant as Case Fan since what you want for Case Fan are High Airflow Fans but still there are a lot of high pressure fans that can be used as either Case/CPU Cooler Fans (specially Radiators). Let me ask a question the Non-ARGB variant has a Male & Female 4-pin PWM connector correct?

[@HardwareForGamers]

Thanks. Regarding the male and female connector. Sorry but I have no idea, I just have the fan(s) that ThermalRight sent me and they don't have a daisy chain. sorry.

[@gamertechlive1780]

@@HardwareForGamers oh they have only 1 PWM connector per 1 fan for non-ARGB variant.. ok thank you. I asked because they advertise it has daisy chain and in your video showcasing the Fan there's clearly a two PWM fan header? isn't that the non-ARGB variant?? Or is that the ARGB variant so the other cable is for 5v ARGB 3pin?

[@HardwareForGamers]

@@gamertechlive1780 the fan I have has a 4 pin PWM and a 3 pin 50-50 aRGB.

[@octorayy]

How do you control the colors

[@HardwareForGamers]

You will need to plug it into an ARGB hub or you will need to plug it into your motherboard and use the ARGB software of the motherboard.

[@VaracolacidVesci]

Very bad review. Check you own notes cause you show some amazing results and some horrible results. Oviously is human error.

[@pageonerds2093]

Luv these fans

[@eilegz]

if im not mistaken its the same fan as the heatsink in the thermalright burst assasin?

[@HardwareForGamers]

As I went over in the video, yes.

[@s34n35]

how to change color😭

[@HardwareForGamers]

Use the RGB software for your motherboard.

[@kinzie3915]

I have tested these TR fans against mine F12 pwm pst at around 1350 rpm and both performed nearly the same. Sadly you're doing something wrong with your testing. Tested at front intake in Metallic Gear Neo air by Phanteks.

[@HardwareForGamers]

Okay fair enough, but tested how? By component temperatures?

[@kinzie3915]

Well yes? Fpm numbers don't tell you anything unless you test them in real life scenario. If you don't put them in case and pump heat up to 400 watts, fpm are completely useless. Btw there is maybe 2cm between fan an mesh front so they don't have a problem pulling air inside. And for 15,90€ for triple pack, they are even cheaper than F12s.

[@HardwareForGamers]

@@kinzie3915 okay, and I agree "real world" testing is what matters, just test like that is hard, and expensive. now I did say in the review, they would likely work well enough behind a mesh panel. They might just be a bit louder.

[@kinzie3915]

There is one really inexpensive test for the fans. Just put some small heatsink without fan on the CPU and them place two fans at front of the case to see how they perform under CPU load 87-144w. They are lil bit louder at the highest speeds but if you can manage rpms, they are not loud. Also I don't have case with solid front or 240mm aio so I can't test them in these scenarios in pull config. Tried them on Phantom Spirit 120 but they perform the same as stock fans. Honestly, case with solid front should be used in custom loop builds and not airflow builds.

[@HardwareForGamers]

@@kinzie3915 I don't think anyone should ever use a case that has its intake in front of a solid panel. anyways GLHF

[@truckien7211]

Ah.. I have 6 of them in my case, 1 cpu fan (thermalright king), 3 front intake and 2 exhaust fans (back and top). My case has a big mesh front panel. While I’m playing TLOU P1, my 12400 temp is ~50 C and 6750 temp is 62 C (junk temp is 80 C). So should I keep them or replace them?

[@HardwareForGamers]

Your temperatures are fine,so it would really depend on the noise level. If you are okay with the noise level, I don't think changing them would be worth it.

[@truckien7211]

@@HardwareForGamers thank you. The noise always there when I turn them over 1300 rpm. But it can’t be noticed when I’m wearing headphone. If I watched your video sooner I wouldn’t buy it as that much.

[@joshuajones3557]

Is there a way to get to the bearing in this fan? mine started making noise, and I want to lubricate the bearing with some 3 in 1 oil, but I'm not sure if I can.

[@ronalcasid3844]

Ugh I just got these! Thanks for the review.

[@HardwareForGamers]

... could you return them?

[@ronalcasid3844]

@@HardwareForGamers Yeah they haven’t been delivered so your review came just in time ☺️

[@HardwareForGamers]

@@ronalcasid3844 glad I could help you out.😅

[@EliPorterMahn]

Theyre only 14 dollars dude theyre not going to be noctuas lmao

[@Handleneeds3or]

Too expensive in US, this fan just $1.5 in China TaoBao( included shipping)😂

[@Galaxy-du9qj]

Are higher or lower results better?

[@HardwareForGamers]

Depends on what chart you're looking at. Temperatures are lower is better. FPM is higher is better.

[@Galaxy-du9qj]

Should i get the arctic p12 or arctic f12? And do u think that the arctic p14s are better than both?

[@HardwareForGamers]

It depends on what you're putting them in and where... They're all good fans within what they're good at.

[@Galaxy-du9qj]

@@HardwareForGamerswell 3 p12s or f12s would be used as intake or 2 p14s would be used as intake.

[@HardwareForGamers]

@@Galaxy-du9qj three fans will push more air than two, but three fans are louder...

[@Galaxy-du9qj]

@@HardwareForGamers i will just go with 2 p14 intake 2 p14 top exhaust and 1 other exhaust fan

[@EliPorterMahn]

F12 for chassis p12 for rad The P stands for pressure, F stands for flow

[@lilgoldygloxelite3681]

they are pretty good

[@ahmetkurum18]

I'm thinking of buying one of these fans. Will it be purchased?

[@antasari_ahmad5325]

THX

[@edbailey6236]

i have them in my case it krrp myy cpu fan good

[@jamesnicol9810]

I have installed a Corsair H115i elite capellix and looking at changing my case fans as the fans I have are Gamemax velocity 120 case fans as these are only 3pin DC. They have a really good CFM on paper but a really low SP . I was in two minds with getting the Corsair AF120 elite rgb because their price are high so was looking at Thermalright fans. After this review i just thought sod it get the AF120 from Corsair lol Although I have not seen one person review the gamemax velocity 120 fans yet .

[@saio7344]

This or the uphere nt12044

[@HardwareForGamers]

Where do you want to put it? As I said in the video the C12c works well on a CPU cooler, but not well as a case fan.

[@oliverbauer7939]

😂😂😂😂😂😂