Our database now includes one hundred fans—75 in the 120 mm format and 25 models with a physical size of 140 mm. In this article, we have compiled all data into unified charts. What was once separated for clarity is now brought together again, and the commentary will also include a… look ahead regarding fan testing. But we can already reveal that there is still a lot more to come.
The best fan in its format
There is no such thing as the “best” fan. This statement probably does not come as a surprise. It always depends on which aspect you focus on. From an overall perspective—where aerodynamic design as well as overall structural robustness play a role—Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 PWM fans may face strong competition from Fractal Design Momentum 14 (RGB) or BeQuiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 (or possibly Silent Wings 4, if used as a case fan where the tighter corner mounts of the “Pro” variants are not beneficial).
Fans such as the Thermaltake Toughfan 14 Pro remain more of an unknown, where output quality control does not play as significant a role, but this is reflected in a considerably lower price—meaning the risk of receiving a unit with basic technical imperfections is higher. Phanteks T30-140? We will see in later tests. This fan is not yet included in our results database. Among significantly cheaper models, however, the Arctic P14 Pro (A-RGB), Endorfy Fluctus 140 PWM (ARGB), Stratus 140 PWM, or Thermalright TL-B14 all make strong sense. Given current offerings, we would avoid older fans such as Noctua NF-A14 PWM or Fractal Design Prisma AL-14 PWM. Unless you specifically prefer them for aesthetic reasons, these are long-outdated aerodynamic designs and more attractive alternatives exist in their price category.
Some users might consider the DeepCool FT14 a golden middle ground. Cheaper yet still efficient fans include, for example, BeQuiet! Pure Wings 3. If lighting is essential, then consider BeQuiet! Light Wings. So far, all of this concerns 140 mm fans.
As for 120 mm models, our database is three times larger, meaning we are working with a significantly bigger sample. Leading the field is likely the Noctua NF-A12x25 G2 PWM. There are not many models that surpass it technically. The previous-generation NF-A12x25 “G1” PWM usually lags slightly behind, followed by numerous competing solutions.
It can be noted that the vast majority of fans with LCP impeller materials (including the excellent Fractal Design Momentum 12) are aerodynamically highly efficient, especially at lower speeds. This is partly because the high material rigidity practically eliminates blade vibrations that would otherwise shape the acoustic profile.
However, impeller shape and geometry are, of course, equally important. For example, Silent Wings 4 (Pro) from BeQuiet! are made from less rigid material than liquid crystal polymer yet still achieve top-tier results. Similarly strong performance is delivered by significantly cheaper Arctic fans—P12 Pro (A-RGB). Simply shortening the blades across generations significantly suppresses vibration, and when combined with a ring frame—also present on reverse variants—it works effectively even with older five-blade fan designs. This applies not only to P12 Pro “Reverse” fans but also to non-Pro variants such as Arctic P12 A-RGB, for example. Overall geometry is crucial in achieving the highest possible airflow at the lowest possible noise levels—not only in open-air scenarios but across various obstacles encountered in real-world use, whether radiators, dust filters, case grilles, or other airflow obstacles.
Efficient geometry in the budget segment is also found in Endorfy Stratus 120 PWM models. For these 120 mm variants, we tested 15 units for vibration and the conclusions are already known. For the purposes of this article, a concise statement will suffice: Stratus 120 PWM are among the most efficient low-cost fans you can buy. The charts illustrating price-to-airflow ratios confirm this. Inevitably, we have likely failed to highlight many fans that deserve recognition. For that, you can browse the results chapters and form your own conclusions. Phanteks T30-120 also remains highly relevant.
And the answer to the opening question? No, we are not finishing yet (and there are still topics ahead…), but neither can it be described as a beginning. It is true, however, that with every additional test, the perspective on each new fan added to the database becomes more valuable. We will continue expanding this for as long as it makes sense. 🙂
English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš
PC fans are available for purchase at the Datacomp e-store
Thank you for all the hard work in reviewing and compiling this information!
If it’s not too much effort, would it be possible to maintain a page like this going forward with each new reviewed fan added on? It’ll make a convenient location to be able to reference back to (a one-stop-shop if you would).
Thank you for the comment! 🙂
What exactly do you mean by keeping it the same as in this article?
We separated the 140 mm fans from the 120 mm ones to prevent the charts from becoming too long. Even as they are now—especially in the 120 mm category, where we have more models—the graphs already take up quite a lot of vertical pixels. If combined, navigating them would be rather inconvenient, even on high-resolution monitors
Great job, guys.
Thank you! 🙂