This is what modern fans with lighting from DeepCool look like: Installation via an innovative cable to minimize cabling, especially when typically mounted on liquid cooler radiators. Then ARGB LEDs, but only within the ring around the impeller, which is non-light-conductive itself for optimal durability. And in line with current trends, the FL12 fans also feature a dual geometric blade design, with one variant having “reverse” blades.
Let’s take it step by step. DeepCool has released 120-millimeter fans that are intended to be the successors to the FC120 models. The new FL12 models are also lighted, but the ARGB LED implementation is only within the ring around the impeller (with the FC120 fans, the impeller itself was light-conductive).
For the new FL12 fans, DeepCool states that while the frame is made of PBT, the impeller uses polycarbonate. This is said to achieve “better” acoustic properties, likely referring to reduced tonal peaks at lower sound frequencies. Older fans struggled with this, and it was one of their most significant weaknesses, so it’s good to see DeepCool addressing this issue.
The polycarbonate impeller may not necessarily be stronger, but within its speed range (500–2150 rpm), it can achieve more attractive acoustic characteristics. This means the fans are quieter at critical sound frequencies in the worst-case scenarios. Of course, they might not be. This is theory (and marketing), and we’ll only be wiser after some tests are done.
However, we won’t be able to make a direct comparison (for example, with the FC120 or even the FK120), because the FL12 fans have a different geometry. While the blades are similarly significantly curved at their core, their thickness and length differ. The blade dimensions are also largely shaped by the properties of the frame, into which an ARGB light-conductive panel is embedded. This panel is relatively thicker, leaving less space for the impeller. For this reason, the maximum airflow at higher speeds is reported to be lower than that of the FC120 fans.
Of course, we’ll be interested in the airflow at comparable noise levels, or under comparable acoustic profiles, and under such conditions, the airflow of the FL12 fans could very well be higher. But it might not be—we’ll see in the tests. In a detailed analysis, we’ll also focus on the construction of the new 8-wire cable, which is said to offer more elegant cable management when installing multiple fans side by side, typically on radiators or within system cooling cases.
In addition to the “standard” variant, there are also reverse FL12R fans. These have a modified rotor designed so that, in the “pull” orientation, the stator struts aren’t visible (they’re on the other, atypical side). This is primarily an aesthetic adjustment that you might appreciate on case exhausts or, in some situations, even on liquid cooler radiators.
The DeepCool FL12(R) fans are available in both black and white variants (with WH in the designation), as triple-packs or single units. The suggested retail price for the FL12 (WH) models is 22 EUR for a single unit or 63 EUR for a triple-pack. The reverse FL12R (WH) models are more expensive, at 30 EUR for a single unit or 80 EUR for a triple-pack. Availability in stores is expected from February 25, 2024 (FL12/WH), and from March 25, 2025 (FL12R/WH).
English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš
