Endorfy Stratus 120 White ARGB: Illuminated, inexpensive, efficient

Efficient ARGB fans are rare—especially when, in addition to a low price, they also offer a less common variant. In this case we mean white materials, from which the illuminated Stratus fans are made. To begin with, here is an analysis of these fans in the physical 120 mm format. Prepare for tests packed with details that this article brings. A serious candidate for selection? Absolutely.

Evaluation

As a white, affordable fan with lighting, it is a good alternative to the Arctic P12 Pro A-RGB (which also exists in a white variant).

Despite the fact that the Endorfy fan (Stratus 120 White PWM ARGB) usually lags behind when it comes to airflow per unit of noise, it may still end up being the cheaper option of the two. Perhaps only slightly—perhaps not at all—depending on the retailer. In any case, in the category of low-budget fans with lighting, the Endorfy Stratus 120 White PWM ARGB is certainly worth attention.

At lower speeds, the Endorfy fan can be aerodynamically on par with the Scythe Grand Tornado 120 or even slightly surpass it. That is an interesting detail which casts the Endorfy fan in a positive light. Compared with the black variant (without lighting), slightly weaker results are often achieved. Although the impeller geometry is comparable, the ARGB LED variant uses a different material, which exhibits different acoustic characteristics during operation. However, the differences are not dramatic and in essence the same conclusion applies—we again note that this is a fan with an attractive price/cooling efficiency (or airflow) ratio. Yes, even in noise-normalized tests.

This fan will never be excessively loud, since it does not exceed “mid-range” speeds of roughly 1500 RPM. In this regard it also offers a certain advantage over the significantly faster (and louder) Arctic P12 Pro A-RGB fan. Endorfy fans will never be outright noisy—even with a non-optimized speed curve on the connector to which they are attached. At the same time, for completeness it should also be stated that such a fan does not achieve top-tier airflow regardless of noise, or, in a broader sense, cooling performance. That will always remain below average—but at lower noise levels than those of competing models including the Gelid Zodiac. It is always a trade-off, and each user must ultimately decide what makes sense within their plans.

Of course, although many more efficient fans exist, this one from Endorfy is available in white and with lighting. And fans with these characteristics that are on the more efficient side (with relatively high cooling efficiency) in the same lower price bracket are fewer—indeed relatively rare. So this is a brief calling card of the Stratus 120 White ARGB.

In the spectrographs, as with the non-illuminated variants, we recorded some tonal peaks (135–230 Hz band) that may disturb some users, and anti-vibration pads would not be out of place either (measurable vibrations are present). But these would also increase manufacturing costs, which naturally affect the final retail price. That price is relatively low for these fans, and many technical shortcomings are at least partially justified by it. These are still inexpensive fans that will also exhibit higher manufacturing tolerances (see the test of fifteen Stratus 120 PWM units), and further dissecting these design details would probably be unfair to Endorfy.

LED brightness is exceptionally high, and its coefficient relative to lighting power consumption is the highest we have so far recorded in charts for 120 mm fans. Energy efficiency (airflow per unit of power consumption) is otherwise average to below average, as we usually see in this price category. Given the low power consumption, however, this is not a major issue even when using multiple such fans. Motor power is rather modest, which also relates to the fact that maximum speeds are lower, resulting in lower operating power consumption.

Relatively inexpensive illuminated fans in white that also offer decent cooling efficiency? The Endorfy Stratus 120 White ARGB certainly can fill those shoes. After weighing all the pros and cons, we will not discourage you from them. On the contrary—it is quite an attractive option worth considering.

English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš

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PC fans are available for purchase at the Datacomp e-store