Arctic P12 Pro A-RGB: The Benchmark for Illuminated Fans

You already know the impressive features of the new aerodynamic design of Arctic’s 7-blade fans from our earlier tests. Now we add the results for the ARGB LED versions (P12 Pro A-RGB), which are naturally quite similar, but also show certain differences due to a more light-conductive material. That’s why it’s worth taking another look. The title of this review already hints at where things are heading.

The main added value here is the illumination. That is, when comparing different variants of the Arctic P12 Pro fans, and the model with the “A-RGB” designation comes up. The shape of the fan is the same as the non-illuminated variant (P12 Pro), but this model (P12 Pro A-RGB) features vibrant, colorful LEDs that illuminate the impeller. And quite intensely, thanks to the use of a material (for the impeller) with excellent light-conductive properties. It’s transparent, so it transmits light very effectively—as seen not only in the image below (the entire impeller surface is brightly lit), but also in our luminance measurements. The brightness can reach notably high peak levels. At the same time, the minimum brightness can be quite low, so it’s fair to say the fan has a wide brightness range.

In other words, the fan lighting remains prominent even during the day, brightening the PC case interior more noticeably, while at night the LEDs won’t be overly distracting—provided brightness is dialed down in the control app, such as the one from your motherboard.

The fan blades feature noticeably more curved leading edges, but they’re shorter compared to previous designs (like on the P12 A-RGB). This reduces flex at the tips, resulting in lower vibrations during operation, and lower noise caused by torque ripple. To further counteract this undesirable behavior, even with these shorter blades, a reinforcing ring is used. This ring rotates along with the impeller as it’s part of it, linking the blade tips to stiffen the impeller. At the blade level, this results in negligible vibration—confirmed by vibration tests, where the P12 Pro A-RGB often outperforms the P12 Pro model. This is also attributed to the softer material (polycarbonate?) used in the P12 Pro A-RGB’s impeller. A softer material transmits less vibration to the frame, which is beneficial. And we measure vibrations at the frame level, from which any secondary noise may emerge, such as case resonance. Vibrations are also partially absorbed by the fan’s rubber corners.

The P12 Pro A-RGB fans exhibit notably high static pressure, for a variety of reasons. These include small gaps between blades and the aforementioned ring. Besides contributing to acoustics, this ring also plays a role in airflow performance—in both restrictive and non-restrictive environments. Perhaps modestly, but it still offers some benefit.

Achievable speed is significantly higher than before (compared to the P12 A-RGB), reaching up to 3000 RPM. And since the RPM range is exceptionally wide, we can confidently say this is a fan capable of delivering very high airflow, while also being able to operate at extremely low noise levels. And it does so stably. That’s an important note, as many other fans (including older Arctic models) struggle to maintain stability across such a wide speed spectrum—especially at the low end, where the P12 Pro A-RGB transitions smoothly, without speed fluctuations.

Simply put, everything works beautifully, and there’s nothing to complain about. Want quiet operation? That’s fully possible. The P12 Pro A-RGB can be slowed via PWM down to about 420 RPM. Below that threshold of PWM duty cycle, the motor shuts off and switches to a “passive” mode, which the P12 Pro A-RGB supports.

Daisy-chaining is also supported, allowing you to connect another fan directly—both motor and lighting. In addition to its own connectors (4-pin PWM and 3-pin ARGB), the P12 Pro A-RGB includes connectors that could justify a PST designation. However, it does not carry that label, at least not in the initial revision, which is also marked by the product code ACFAN00309A. This is one of the distinctions compared to the earlier-tested P12 Pro fans (P/N ACFAN00305A), which include only standard connectors. PST variants appear only in 5-packs (ACFAN00307A). So that’s roughly a 4 EUR price premium—the amount by which the P12 Pro A-RGB fans are more expensive than the non-illuminated P12 Pro models. We’re basing this on the discounted 12 EUR price (per P12 Pro A-RGB unit), which you’ll likely encounter regularly at retail. The MSRP for Arctic fans (20 EUR in this case) tends to be inflated, and actual market prices are often more favorable.

Please note: The article continues in the following chapters.