Two options for selecting case fans. You can just buy any random case fan and slap them in regardless of performance, or you can take the time to find the best 120 mm case fan for your budget and use it. You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a case that fits perfectly and complements your device. Our top picks will take your case upgrade to a whole new level. We have you covered no matter what fan or case upgrade you’re doing. In this article we have best 120 mm Case Fans.
Best 120 MM CASE FANS
1. NOCTUA NF-A12X25 PWM – Best 120 mm Case Fans
There are quite a few 120 mm fans on the list and it would be difficult to include only one in each category. I’m not surprised to see the Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM at the top of the list. The best value is not necessarily the best fan, but if it’s low noise, high performance, and in a nice package, then it’s an excellent choice. The NF-A12 is a high-performance, all-round fan, ideal for your desktop PC. It features excellent airflow and superb static pressure, with maximum airflow. The NF-A12 should work well wherever it is used, as it’s both an intake drawing in cool air and an exhaust drawing out hot air. It works best as a radiator.
In fact, there are a small handful of 120 mm fans that can push more air than the Noctua and not make as much noise. But they don’t come close to the Noctua’s performance. The NF-A12 is Noctua’s premium 12cm fan, so of course, there are lots of extras with each fan. You’ll receive a four-pin Y splitter for connecting two fans to a single PWM header, a low-noise adapter, and an extension cable.
You get some nice packaging, along with a class-leading six-year warranty. Noctua is the ultimate fan that deserves all the attention and accolades they have received. They are the total package. But they’re worth it; the 120 mm models have been proven to run cooler and quieter and thus are quieter. There are many fans that give a good combination of performance and noise, but this is the one for you.
2. ARCTIC P12 PWM – Best 120 mm Case Fans
In the market, Arctic has become a household name in PC cooling currently. It’s mainly because of its excellent CPU coolers. Many of their fans are very satisfied with their purchase because they offer excellent performance and silent operation at an affordable price. The present invention relates to the removal of contaminants from air streams and in particular to a method for the removal of organic contaminants from flue gases
Arctic’s new P12 PWM is a static pressure-optimized fan, and it justifies its branding by providing an impressive 2.20 mm-H2O of static pressure. This isn’t one of the most powerful fans that we tested, but it does have a lot of performance. The fan pushes out 56. With the P12 PWM fans, the noise level is also impressively low. The company claims a sound level of 0.3 Sones at max speed; impressive considering that the P12 PWM goes up to a reasonably fast 1800 RPM.
You can get fans to run in 20-20 dBA by putting PWM on them or by making them as slow and quiet as possible. The Arctic P12 PWM fans are among the most powerful, quietest fans in their price range. This is a much better price than the budget fans on the market. While Noctua fans cost a third of the price of 120 mm models, they are just as effective as those more expensive fans. Noctua fans aren’t cheap, but they do come with a six-year warranty.
If you’re already making over $20,000 a year, don’t expect to get a whole lot more than you already are. If you want the best PWM fan and aren’t interested in having the best value or best fan in any single category, then the P12 is the best option for you. The Arctic P12 PWM will be available in black, white, and transparent finishes. You can also buy a PWM (Programmable Motor Control) version, but for a little more money. There is no significant difference between these two models beyond the fact that the PST version’s extra female 4-pin socket for daisy-chaining multiple fans.
3. CORSAIR QL120 – Best 120 mm Case Fans
Corsair’s QL120 RGB fans have no awards, but what they do offer is some of the best, most thorough RGB lighting out there. The P4 has a good-looking chassis but is difficult to mod, and expensive. When compared to other LCD monitors, the QL120’s primary selling point is its dual-sided RGB ring lighting system. RGB fans that also have LEDs on the inside of their frame will light up the inside of your rig, so you don’t need to use RGB fans as intakes if you want to light inside your rig.
The QL120 offers an array of colors, including cool and warm white, to meet any lighting application’s specifications. You get 34 LEDs, arranged into 4 lighting zones.
You can control the lighting with the Corsair Lighting Node Pro or the core that comes with it. You don’t have to buy a whole pack. When it comes to coolers, the RGB lighting and custom designs make Corsair fans worth their weight in gold. They aren’t as powerful as the best fans around, but they’re still excellent performers.
They’re adequate, but anyone who wants a cool and refreshing performance should look for something else. Don’t get caught up in performance, the Corsair QL120s is a good choice for those who just need to get some work done quickly. These gaming PC fans are built for performance, and they deliver. They look good while doing it. If you’re building a colorful, RGB-heavy rig, these RGB fans are a solid choice. They have smooth lighting and dual-sided RGB that should beat out any performance fan.
4. BE QUIET! SILENT WINGS 3 120 MM PWM – Best 120 mm Case Fans
Be quiet! Fans offer ultra-quiet operation without any significant sacrifices in cooling performance. If you want a quiet, silent computer fan, you’ll love the Silent Wings 3 120 mm fans. While many competitors’ fans blast their audio up to an ear-splitting volume at high speeds, this model offers a much lower maximum noise level of 16. The Silent Wings 3 120 mm fans push air at 2.9 CFM and generate 3.86 mm-H2O of static pressure at a relatively low 1400 RPM.
Quiet fans don’t usually make a lot of noise. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how quiet the Silent Wings 3’s fan blades are. Reduces noise while maintaining the lower maximum RPM. The Silent Wings 3 comes with a built-in anti-vibration mount to prevent vibration from being transferred to your camera and sensor, thus allowing you to capture sharper images and videos, and record audio. This low-noise audio performance isn’t available for cheap, but it’s worth the money.
Noctua is looking at a very good price of $17.50, and you also get a lot more than you pay. You get a set of washers and push pins, and that’s pretty much it. The warranty on the unit is also only three years. So the Quiet Wings 3 120 mm PWM fans are not perfect. They definitely don’t whisper either. You could argue that the Noctua NF-S12A PWM fan is Noctua’s closest competitor to the NF-P12 P.
The fans from the “Be Quiet!” brand both perform slightly better and run quieter than the fans from the “Quiet!
5. ALPENFOHN WING BOOST 3 RGB HIGH SPEED – Best 120 mm Case Fans
When it comes to cooling, I’m a big fan (no pun intended) of products that are great performers but quiet. But not everyone cares as much as you do, so if you’re the type that values performance over all else, the Alpenfohn Wing Boost 3 RGB High-Speed fans are the best. Alpine is a world leader in high-end fans. Their fans boast 2.9 CFM of airflow.
If you have an EK-FC360 or EK-F300 radiator, or a 240mm radiator in general, these fans are a great match. They have a ring that you can make say whatever you want, so it’s perfect for Halloween. This high-speed fan emits 36.8 dBA of noise at its max speed. If you want to see what a high-speed fan sounds like, this is the one for you.
This is a great product for anyone who likes to fly RC aircraft or simply enjoys watching them in action! It comes with 3 different lights (white, blue and red), and a remote control. Of course, you can turn them down, but you’ll miss out on that awesome performance. If you’re not careful, you could end up with fans that cost a fortune but don’t really do much of anything for you. Alpine fohn fans are best suited for situations where noise isn’t an issue. Alpenfohners are expensive, but the main drawback is that they’re hard to get in the U.S.
These are available as a 3-pack at the time of writing. If you want the best possible performance from 120mm computer fans, you’ll just have to accept it. The Alpenfohn Wing Boost 3 RGB High-Speed fan is available in black and white.
Final Words About Best 120 mm Case Fans
Buying 120 mm fans is not always simple. It all depends on how detailed your needs are. Almost any fan will work if you just want to cool your rig, but the best 120 mm fans excel in particular categories—silence, performance, RGB, and pricing—that set them apart from the competition. There are better deals out there, but for good value, you have to go for the Arctic P12 PWM. This is the best-performing or quietest fan for most gaming rigs. It’s also very good value, so if it’s what you’re looking for, it’s an ideal choice. Noctua’s NF-A12x25 PWM fans have some of the highest airflow capabilities, making them a solid choice if you want a premium fan.