ARCTIC F12-120 mm Standard Case Fan, quite motor, Computer, Push- or Pull Configuration, Fan Speed: 1350 RPM - Black, White

Product Information

A surprisingly high performance has the DeepCool CF120, which achieved the best temperature results at the RPM, but due to the higher volume they are found a bit further down the list. The very loud and weak Alseye X12 attracted negative attention. Case fan at uniform 31 dB(A)

Of the two, the 120 mm P12 strikes us as the better choice, at least as far as value goes. Its 56.3 CFM of airflow and 2.20 mm-H2O of static pressure place it only slightly behind Noctua’s top-tier offerings for cooling performance. The P14 is still great, and it’s the case fan I use in my rig, but it lags a bit further behind Noctua’s equivalent 140 mm fan than the P12.

Our Favorite Case Fans

Overall, we think that the Arctic P12 and P14 are some of the best PC case fans to come out in recent years. Both prove that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get quiet, high-performance fans for your rig. Most of the fans on our list use PWM, or pulse width modulation. PWM allows for fine-grained control of fan speeds without manipulating fan voltage. The main advantage of this approach is that it lets you slow fans down and even stop them without any adverse effects. Most voltage-controlled fans will stall below 5 volts, which stops them from working at ultra-low speeds. So PWM is important for achieving those 200 to 500 RPM speeds that silence enthusiasts may want.

I’m a big fan of cooling hardware that strikes a good balance between noise and performance, which is why the Arctic and mainline Noctua products top our list. But what if you don’t care about low noise operation and just need a ton of airflow and static pressure? Say hello to Noctua’s Industrial PPC fans. If you’re building in a case that supports larger fan sizes like the Fractal Torrent and its 180 mm front fans, then you’ll almost always want to take advantage and use the largest fans possible. Especially if, as with the Torrent, the case already comes equipped with them. Low Profile coolers (also known as top blowers) are active coolers, which usually use a slightly wider and flatter heat sink on which a fan is mounted. The airflow is thus directed directly toward the CPU / motherboard. The advantage of this cooler is the more compact design, which makes it more common in smaller PC cases. In addition to the CPU, other mainboard components (memory, controller) are cooled slightly, too. At the lower performance end remain the Alseye Xtreme X12, which not only provide the lowest performance, but are also many times louder than the next two fans at the lower performance end. The be quiet! Shadow Wings 2 and the Fractal Design Aspect 12 do not offer high peak performance, but they remain quiet enough on uncontrolled full power that they do not attract negative attention. Observation over all resultsIn this test, the temperatures and the noise development are added together. Therefore, it is not surprising that the fans that combine good performance with low noise are at the top. Cooler Master’s Mobius 120 in the regular and RGB versions are at the top together with MSI’s Silent Gale P12. Those who would have expected the Noctua NF-A12x25, which is considered revolutionary and has received a lot of praise, to be at the top will be somewhat disappointed in this case. While these offer good performance as case fans and are quiet, they are definitely beaten by other models in this area. Fan noise (like everything else) is measured in decibels (or dBA), and the smaller the number, the quieter the fan. If noise is important, prioritize a fan with a low decibel level, or one with several modes you can switch between, so you’ll have quiet options without sacrificing performance when you need it. Also, as we said before, larger fans can spin more slowly, and therefore more quietly, while still moving lots of air, so it’s probably a good idea to get the largest fans your case can hold.