Arctic BioniX P120 A-RGB: The lit specialist for filters and grilles

Evalution

Now that’s what we call a turnaround. Remember how the BioniX F120 failed on obstacles? The newer BioniX P120 (A-RGB) no longer has such a fundamental limitation. On the contrary, it is significantly less stifled by obstacles than many competing fans. Just tame those vibrations, fine-tune the acoustics, where there are some flaws, and it’ll be great. The basis (the rotor) is better in practice than the label parameters suggest.

Evalution

The Artcic cooling components we have tested since the beginning of the year have not been very convincing. The unflattering record is finally improved by the BioniX P120 A-RGB. A fan that scores quite decently under certain conditions. Don’t look at the results without obstacles. Only in such an environment does the BioniX P120 (A-RGB) fall behind the BioniX F120 and the results are average to below average. However, this is a theoretical application, and in practice, except in rare isolated cases, the fan always has to overcome some obstacle, even if it is just a non-restrictive nylon filter, for example. And here the BioniX P120 A-RGB is already like a fish in water.

The drop in airflow with the addition of obstacles is very small in percentage terms and significantly less than with the BioniX F120, where it was literally devastating. With a plastic filter, the BioniX P120 A-RGB even narrowly beats the significantly more expensive MSI Silent Gale P12 at the same, very low noise level. Arctic’s fan combined with dust filters is always nipping at its heels, virtually regardless of the noise level at which you compare the results. Both in the lower noise levels and in the higher ones, even with the use of a nylon filter, which is more common in nicer cases (than a plastic one, after all).

We can safely say that the results with dust filters are always top-notch. However, the BioniX P120 A-RGB is the most effective at very low noise ( represented by 31 and 33 dBA modes in our tests).
Nor does running with a hexagonal grille change any of that.
With a filter and grille (i.e., the life of many intake fans) at the threshold of audibility, few fans will be more effective among the illuminated ones than this particular model.

At higher speeds, however, the grille produces a more rumbling sound at 219 Hz. On the other hand, there isn’t much reason for the fan speed to be set at a level (1350–1400 rpm) at which a more unpleasant sound occurs. On a radiator, where higher speeds are already justified, these frequencies are quieter. Still, the “39 dBA” band is more critical in this regard, and across a number of applications the lower frequencies stand out in it, but it happens at a similar intensity in many other fans, and for example the SilentiumPC Fluctus 120 PWM is worse off here.

On a thinner radiator, the BioniX P120 A-RGB performs slightly above average in terms of performance, on a thicker one slightly below average. And it should also be noted that although this fan has a very wide speed range (500–2350 rpm), the high speed is already quite inefficient – the increase in noise is significantly steeper than the increase in cooling performance.It would therefore be more attractive if the whole range was moved down by 200 rpm. Especially when the BioniX P120 A-RGB stands out above other fans especially in the lower spectrum.

It’s good to see that Arctic lists the specs very accurately. After the BioniX F120 we also measured slightly higher airflow and static pressure with the BioniX P120 A-RGB, but that’s because within the ±10 % speed tolerance the RPMs go into the plus, and all of the test samples maxed out at about 50 rpm over spec. The stated parameters are apparently related to the exact 2300 rpm. However, fans normally have a slightly higher speed than the specifications. This is also due to a kind of headroom for higher resistance environments, which more or less slows the fans down, although it is usually compensated by a partially more aggressive power supply (the speed increases at the cost of higher power draw). Even there, the BioniX P120 A-RGB has support, the power of the motor is high.

The operating power draw and energy efficiency of the fan is average. Although our graphs do suggest below-average, in this case in particular they distort the real situation somewhat, as they are based on airflow and static pressure values without obstructions. And you already know that’s not the setting in which this Arctic fan is at its strongest.LED luminance is also average (in terms of intensity). Most users will be fine, though, as it’s not a flashlight, and the brightness floor is also pleasantly low.

Vibrations. At maximum power they are quite high, which is natural given the 2350 rpm, but they are the highest of the fans measured so far, even in 45 dBA mode. As the airflow decreases, the vibration decreases rapidly, but it is flawless (with zero vibration) only at very low speeds. But it is here that the BioniX P120 A-RGB establishes itself as a great system fan for cases. There are more efficient fans for coolers, but then again, at this price with ARGB LED lighting there won’t be that many of them.

English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš

• Contents
• Arctic BioniX P120 A-RGB in detail
• The basis of the methodology, the wind tunnel
• Mounting and vibration measurement
• Initial warm-up and speed recording
• Base 7 equal noise levels…
• .. and sound color (frequency characteristic)
• Static pressure measurement…
• … and airflow
• Everything changes with obstacles
• How we measure power draw and motor power
• Measuring the intensity (and power draw) of lighting
• Results: Speed
• Results: Airlow w/o obstacles
• Results: Airflow through a nylon filter
• Results: Airflow through a plastic filter
• Results: Airflow through a hexagonal grille
• Results: Airflow through a thinner radiator
• Results: Airflow through a thicker radiator
• Results: Static pressure w/o obstacles
• Results: Static pressure through a nylon filter
• Results: Static pressure through a plastic filter
• Results: Static pressure through a hexagonal grille
• Results: Static pressure through a thinner radiator
• Results: Static pressure through a thicker radiator
• Results: Static pressure, efficiency by orientation
• Reality vs. specifications
• Results: Frequency response of sound w/o obstacles
• Results: Frequency response of sound with a dust filter
• Results: Frequency response of sound with a hexagonal grille
• Results: Frequency response of sound with a radiator
• Results: Vibration, in total (3D vector length)
• Results: Vibration, X-axis
• Results: Vibration, Y-axis
• Results: Vibration, Z-axis
• Results: Power draw (and motor power)
• Results: Cooling performance per watt, airflow
• Results: Cooling performance per watt, static pressure
• Airflow per euro
• Static pressure per euro
• Results: Lighting – LED luminance and power draw
• Results: LED to motor power draw ratio
• Evalution