Fans have been playing an important role in the field of PC cooling right from the beginning. You cannot expect to have outperforming hardware without sufficient airflow. Airflow is critical to keep the temperatures of processors and other components in the chassis under control. Picking a high airflow chassis is good, but you may still have throttling hardware performance and low flow rates across the components due to low-performing fans. To ensure that your computer hardware remains healthy and operates at maximum capacity, we are here to efficient case fans to keep your computer more fresh and smart.
The prime reason to have an efficient case fan is performance, but fans are now part of aesthetics inside your chassis recently due to some added features. The addition of single color LED light was one of the first attempts to make case fans attractive. Now RGBs are more advanced with controllers to give effect based light properties. The more advanced case fans even feature a motherboard connection with a motherboard that allows RGB selection from the GUI running on your operating system. Besides being a piece of art case, fans need to have some features, which we will discuss in the quick shopping tips section:
Quick Shopping Tips
Airflow: Like most of the fans that you might have come across, the quantity of air that the fan can push across its fins is considered the decisive factor. The greater the airflow, the more heat it will take from your system. High airflow is commonly preferred in chassis.
Noise: Noise matters a lot while gaming or doing any important task. High flow fans can make a lot of noise while operating at high RPMs, but a well-designed fan can give you more increased flow and lower noise. Consider both factors together for an educated purchase.
Static Pressure: Fans can provide a high flowrate, but when installed on a heatsink, the flowrate reduces drastically because of the low static pressure. High static pressure fans maintain their flow rates irrespective of the restriction put against them.
RPM: Rounds per minute is also a representative value of how much the fan’s flow rate will be, but it’s mainly dependent on design. Some are designed for high RPM high flow rates, while others are designed for low RPM and low flow rates. The range of operable RPM is substantial. The more comprehensive the range means more control.
Speed Control: It’s essential to tweak your fan speed to the desired RPM accurately. Too high flow rate fans with high noise might be overkill for your device. So controlling its speed gives you control over its noise and component’s temperature balance.
Our Recommendations For Best Case Fans
Best RGB Case Fans
Best Low-Noise Case Fans
Best Attractive Case Fans
Best Budget Case Fans
Corsair LL120 RGB
Brand: Corsair | Airflow: 43.25 CFM | Noise: 24.8 dBA | RPM: 600 – 1500 RPM | Bearing Type: Hydraulic | RGB: Yes | Power: 0.3 A | Static Pressure: 1.61 mm-H2O | Speed Control: PWM | Weight: 1.08 lbs | Fan Size: 120mm x 25 mm | Dimensions: 4.72 x 4.72 x 0.98 inches
Corsair LL120 RGB has been ranking high in the RGB fan community. The release of the LL120 RGB fan Corsair has taken the PC lightning to the next level. They have fitted 48 individually addressable LEDs to enhance the aesthetics of your PC. You can choose from various colors to the individual LED to create a rainbow effect or just a pulsating effect. The manufacturing quality is also superior in these fans; they have cushion padding to prevent any rattling noise from vibration.
This fan is a premium product with a premium cost. The RGBs are impressive but require the lightning node pro controller to address each LED. This feature adds to the price that you bear while purchasing these fans. Spending top dollars on a fan than on the controller still doesn’t give you speed control. It would help if you always relied on the motherboard to control the fan via PWM-based technology for speed control. Overall the performance of the device does require some hefty costs.
The noise level in context with flow rate and static pressure is comparatively low. It means you will be able to push more air with less noise. The cables are long enough to reach the corners of any large chassis available in the market, and the light diffusion spreads evenly throughout the fan blades. The LEDs are bright enough to make those who set up the glow, and the range of RPM offered by this product is significant.
Corsair AF120 LED
Brand: Corsair | Airflow: 52 CFM | Noise: 26 dBA | RPM: 1400 ±10% | Bearing Type: Hydraulic | RGB: Mono color | Power: 0.30 A | Static Pressure: 1.45 mm-H2O | Speed Control: Variable voltage/resistance | Weight: 0.3 lbs | Fan Size: 120mm x 25 mm | Dimensions: 4.72 x 4.72 x 0.98 inches
Going for the latest trending white color is difficult as most components are designed to support black interiors, but Corsair AF120 LED has a solution for your problem. The fan has a white color LED lightning at the center of the fan hub and disperses beautifully to the blades’ edges. They have a 3-pin based fan to allow single color LEDs to work with speed control.
The fans are aggressive when the computer is put under stressed conditions. The noise level is high, but the fans perform silent when processing returns to optimum load conditions. It can run at 1400rpm with high flow rates. However, the fan is not PWM control based. The speed is controlled by the motherboard connection alone.
At regular operation, the fan’s noise level is 26dBA, among the low noise fans we have covered in our review. Three fans come in a pack to keep your PC build cool. The speed optimization is excellent; the fan efficiently reduces its RPM, and the blade design ensures that the flow maintains at a higher value. Corsair is known to make authentic and accurate to their word performing devices.
NZXT AER RGB 2
Brand: NZXT | Airflow: 91.19 CFM | Noise: 35 dBA | RPM: 500-1500 | Bearing Type: Fluid Dynamic | RGB: Yes | Power: 0.2 A | Static Pressure: 1.52 mm-H2O | Speed Control: PWM | Weight: 0.48 lbs | Fan Size: 140mm x 26 mm | Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 5.5 inches
NZXT is a brand that is all about aesthetics; they build gorgeous looking chassis and CPU coolers. Their products improve your PC’s overall look, and the value for money is also high among best case fans. The fans are PWM based speed control with a flow rate of 53 CFM approx. The price is the main catch for these fans, and at a price half of its competitors, NZXT AER RGB 2 provides complete control over your RGB styling.
Like most of the NZXT products related to RGB and lightning, this one also requires the CAM to operate them successfully. This feature adds to the struggle of having all the RGB control software for different hardware. The good thing is that even after the added cost of buying NZXT products, the overall package remains cheap. The product is, however, scarcely available. The LED is on one side, so the other side doesn’t light up like the other competitors, but the overall brightness of the LED is good.
The fans are stylish with good airflow. The fluid dynamic bearing is one of the long-lasting types of bearing, and the power drawn at the optimum load is around 0.2A. The four-pin connection ensures that the pulse width modulation is easily performed to vary rpm between 500-1500 RPM. The cooling performance of the chassis is increased due to the static pressure based fan design.
Cooler Master MF120R A-RGB
Brand: Cooler Master | Airflow: 59 ± 10% CFM | Noise: 31 dBA | RPM: 650-2000 ± 10% | Bearing Type: Rifle | RGB: Yes | Power: 0.34 A | Static Pressure: 2.14 mm-H2O | Speed Control: PWM | Weight: 0.3 lbs | Fan Size: 120mm x 25 mm | Dimensions: 5.1 x 1.1 x 8.2 inches
Cooler Master MF120R A-RGB is known for its quality products at a reasonable price. It makes it one of the most widely available products among the best case fans. The company has effects worldwide; the fan is one of the most successful products in RGB-based fans. The price is reasonable with double sides of outer rings and vibrant colors. The size of the fan is good enough to fit into any chassis from the market.
The fan is noisy under heavy loads like gaming or content creation, but the airflow keeps the components cool enough to keep them from throttling. The RGB lighting is subtle, and the brightness is not high enough to light up the chassis completely, but the ease of control still supersedes this drawback. The price and build quality are amongst the decisive purchasing factors.
The pulse width modulation is provided in this fan. The flowrate keeps the hardware cool, and the easy to install and cable management makes it an excellent choice for beginners. The price is reasonable, and the RGB does not require any specific software to run it. It is compatible with most of the motherboards available in the market. All it needs is a plug and play into addressable LED pins on the motherboard.