Thermalright fans have been somewhat overshadowed by great heatsink throughout this company’s history. For a long time, even relatively high minimum speeds were awkward. These have now been tamed for most current models and the X-Silent 120 has a superbly low top speed as well. This is the “slowest” fan we have tested to date. With a price of under five euros, it also ranks among the cheapest you can buy.
Results: Frequency response of sound with a hexagonal grille
Measurements are performed in the TrueRTA application, which records sound in a range of 240 frequencies in the recorded range of 20–20,000 Hz. For the possibility of comparison across articles, we export the dominant frequency from the low (20–200 Hz), medium (201–2,000 Hz) and high (2,001–20,000 Hz) range to standard bar graphs.
However, for an even more detailed analysis of the sound expression, it is important to perceive the overall shape of the graph and the intensity of all frequencies/tones. If you don’t understand something in the graphs or tables below, you’ll find the answers to all your questions in this article. It explains how to read the measured data below correctly.
Noise levels in the tables below -85 dBu (but watch out for the negative sign, -70 dBu is louder than -80 dBu) can be ignored. They are in fact extremely weak and always far below the limit of human perception, and are often defined by the “noise” of the measurement string. Therefore, do not take even the dominant frequencies within the treble band that exceed 12 kHz too much into account.
| Fan | Dominant sound freq. and noise level, hexagonal grille@33 dBA | NF-F12 PWM | NF-A15 PWM | ||||
| Low range | Mid range | High range | |||||
| Frequency [Hz] | Noise level [dBu] | Frequency [Hz] | Noise level [dBu] | Frequency [Hz] | Noise level [dBu] | ||
| Thermalright X-Silent 120 | 50,4 | -77,7 | 339 | -76,0 | 18780,2 | -90,9 | |
| Fractal Design Aspect 12 RGB PWM | 59,9 | -78,7 | 349,0 | -69,8 | 19330,5 | -90,7 | |
| BeQuiet! Silent Wings 3 (BL066) | 49,0 | 79,3 | 329,4 | 78,9 | 19897,0 | -90,8 | |
| Gelid Zodiac | 50,4 | -81,0 | 339,0 | -78,7 | 19330,5 | -90,7 | |
| Fractal Design Dynamic X2 GP-12 PWM | 38,9 | -75,4 | 339,0 | -79,5 | 18780,243 | -90,9 | |
| BeQuiet! Pure Wings 2 (BL039) | 47,6 | -79,7 | 380,5 | -81,2 | 19330,5 | -90,9 | |
| Gigabyte Aorus 120 ARGB | 146,7 | -82,0 | 369,7 | -82,0 | 19330,5 | -90,9 | |
| Arctic BioniX P120 A-RGB | 169,5 | -84,7 | 329,4 | -70,5 | 19330,5 | -90,8 | |
| Akasa OTTO SF12 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Cooler Master SickleFlow 120 ARGB | 47,6 | -82,0 | 1076,3 | -81,9 | 18780,2 | -90,9 | |
| Alphacool SL-15 PWM | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Arctic BioniX F120 | 169,5 | -84,7 | 329,4 | -70,5 | 19330,5 | -90,8 | |
| SilverStone SST-AP123 | SilverStone SST-AP123 | 58,2 | -80,8 | 302,0 | -77,3 | 19897,0 | -90,8 |
| Noctua NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM | 100,8 | -81,6 | 329,4 | -69,8 | 19897,0 | -90,9 | |
| SilentiumPC Fluctus 120 PWM | 100,8 | -82,7 | 369,7 | -79,9 | 19330,5 | -90,8 | |
| MSI MEG Silent Gale P12 | 100,8 | -81,2 | 369,7 | -80,3 | 19330,5 | -91,0 | |
| Asus ROG Strix XF120 | 38,9 | -79,7 | 349,0 | -72,4 | 19897,0 | -90,9 | |
| Akasa Vegas X7 | 100,8 | -85,3 | 359,2 | -80,3 | 19330,5 | -90,9 | |
| Reeven Coldwing 12 | 92,4 | -79,8 | 369,7 | -79,7 | 19897,0 | -90,9 | |
| Reeven Kiran | 97,9 | -84,4 | 391,7 | -77,8 | 19897,0 | -90,8 | |
| SilentiumPC Sigma Pro 120 PWM | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| SilentiumPC Sigma Pro Corona RGB 120 | 92,4 | -83,0 | 369,7 | -77,9 | 18780,2 | -90,8 | |
| SilverStone SST-AP121 | 113,1 | -80,9 | 246,8 | -84,0 | 19330,5 | -90,9 | |
| SilverStone SST-FQ121 | 38,9 | -76,9 | 1522,2 | -81,7 | 18780,2 | -90,9 | |
| Xigmatek XLF-F1256 | 63,5 | -83,3 | 380,5 | -78,8 | 19897,0 | -90,9 |
| Fan | Dominant sound freq. and noise level, hexagonal grille@39 dBA | NF-F12 PWM | NF-A15 PWM | ||||
| Low range | Mid range | High range | |||||
| Frequency [Hz] | Noise level [dBu] | Frequency [Hz] | Noise level [dBu] | Frequency [Hz] | Noise level [dBu] | ||
| Thermalright X-Silent | 89,8 | -77,8 | 359,2 | -68,8 | 18780,2 | -91,0 | |
| Fractal Design Aspect 12 RGB PWM | 50,4 | -82,7 | 380,5 | -68,7 | 19330,5 | -90,8 | |
| BeQuiet! Silent Wings 3 (BL066) | BeQuiet! Silent Wings 3 (BL066) | 58,2 | -78,5 | 339,0 | -73,2 | 18780,2 | -90,9 |
| Gelid Zodiac | 50,4 | -80,5 | 380,5 | -73,2 | 19330,5 | -91,0 | |
| Fractal Design Dynamic X2 GP-12 PWM | 50,4 | -80,4 | 320,0 | -65,3 | 19330,5 | -90,8 | |
| BeQuiet! Pure Wings 2 (BL039) | 59,9 | -79,0 | 369,7 | -73,3 | 18780,2 | -90,8 | |
| Gigabyte Aorus 120 ARGB | 138,5 | -81,5 | 369,7 | -73,2 | 18780,2 | -90,9 | |
| Arctic BioniX P120 A-RGB | 151,0 | -82,0 | 219,8 | -62,2 | 19330,5 | -90,9 | |
| Akasa OTTO SF12 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Cooler Master SickleFlow 120 ARGB | 130,7 | -81,8 | 369,7 | -75,4 | 2152,7 | -90,4 | |
| Alphacool SL-15 PWM | 146,7 | -76,8 | 369,7 | -73,2 | 18780,2 | -91,0 | |
| Arctic BioniX F120 | 47,6 | -82,0 | 369,7 | -72,0 | 19330,5 | -90,9 | |
| SilverStone SST-AP123 | SilverStone SST-AP123 | 100,8 | -80,7 | 339,0 | -73,4 | 18780,2 | -90,9 |
| Noctua NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM | 116,5 | -76,8 | 339,0 | -69,4 | 19330,5 | -90,8 | |
| SilentiumPC Fluctus 120 PWM | 146,7 | -78,0 | 586,9 | -72,7 | 18780,2 | -91,0 | |
| MSI MEG Silent Gale P12 | 164,7 | -80,6 | 339,0 | -71,1 | 19330,5 | -91,0 | |
| Asus ROG Strix XF120 | Asus ROG Strix XF120 | 92,4 | -77,5 | 369,7 | -70,1 | 19330,5 | -91,2 |
| Akasa Vegas X7 | 31,3 | -84,3 | 369,7 | -74,3 | 18780,2 | -90,8 | |
| Reeven Coldwing 12 | 123,4 | -71,2 | 380,5 | -71,3 | 18780,2 | -90,9 | |
| Reeven Kiran | 127,0 | -77,7 | 380,5 | -73,4 | 19330,5 | -90,8 | |
| SilentiumPC Sigma Pro 120 PWM | 63,5 | -83,4 | 380,5 | -74,0 | 2347,5 | -83,8 | |
| SilentiumPC Sigma Pro Corona RGB 120 | 134,5 | -72,0 | 369,7 | -75,1 | 19897,0 | -90,8 | |
| SilverStone SST-AP121 | 53,4 | -81,9 | 380,5 | -70,8 | 19330,5 | -91,0 | |
| SilverStone SST-FQ121 | 41,8 | -78,9 | 369,7 | -75,0 | 19330,5 | -91,1 | |
| Xigmatek XLF-F1256 | 50,4 | -70,3 | 246,8 | -72,7 | 19897,0 | -90,9 |
| Fan | Dominant sound freq. and noise level, hexagonal grille@45 dBA | NF-F12 PWM | NF-A15 PWM | ||||
| Low range | Mid range | High range | |||||
| Frequency [Hz] | Noise level [dBu] | Frequency [Hz] | Noise level [dBu] | Frequency [Hz] | Noise level [dBu] | ||
| Thermalright X-Silent 120 | 119,9 | -73,4 | 369,7 | -69,5 | 4974,2 | -88,6 | |
| Fractal Design Aspect 12 RGB PWM | 119,9 | -78,5 | 586,9 | -69,3 | 19897,0 | -90,7 | |
| BeQuiet! Silent Wings 3 (BL066) | 127,0 | -68,7 | 391,7 | -67,2 | 19897,0 | -90,9 | |
| Gelid Zodiac | 127,0 | -71,9 | 380,5 | -64,3 | 19330,5 | -91,1 | |
| Fractal Design Dynamic X2 GP-12 PWM | 123,4 | -75,0 | 1566,8 | -76,7 | 2215,8 | -89,6 | |
| BeQuiet! Pure Wings 2 (BL039) | 75,5 | -78,2 | 369,7 | -69,9 | 19330,5 | -90,9 | |
| Gigabyte Aorus 120 ARGB | 164,7 | -78,7 | 678,1 | -66,8 | 19897,0 | -90,7 | |
| Arctic BioniX P120 A-RGB | 130,7 | -70,6 | 219,8 | -62,2 | 18780,2 | -90,7 | |
| Akasa OTTO SF12 | 160,0 | -72,4 | 369,7 | -66,4 | 4431,5 | -88,3 | |
| Cooler Master SickleFlow 120 ARGB | 127,0 | -74,1 | 380,5 | -66,0 | 6267,2 | -90,8 | |
| Alphacool SL-15 PWM | 134,5 | -72,2 | 369,7 | -66,7 | 19330,5 | -90,8 | |
| Arctic BioniX F120 | 58,2 | -78,7 | 369,7 | -68,3 | 18780,2 | -90,7 | |
| SilverStone SST-AP123 | SilverStone SST-AP123 | 130,7 | -79,2 | 339,0 | -69,6 | 18780,2 | -90,9 |
| Noctua NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM | 142,5 | -72,8 | 586,9 | -65,0 | 18780,2 | -90,8 | |
| SilentiumPC Fluctus 120 PWM | 174,5 | -75,1 | 349,0 | -62,1 | 2957,7 | -90,3 | |
| MSI MEG Silent Gale P12 | 130,7 | -72,7 | 415,0 | -67,2 | 2487,1 | -89,3 | |
| Asus ROG Strix XF120 | Asus ROG Strix XF120 | 119,9 | -73,4 | 604,1 | -69,6 | 19330,5 | -90,9 |
| Akasa Vegas X7 | 33,6 | -81,5 | 427,1 | -70,2 | 18780,2 | -90,9 | |
| Reeven Coldwing 12 | 160,0 | -64,7 | 369,7 | -67,7 | 19897,0 | -91,0 | |
| Reeven Kiran | 155,4 | -73,7 | 369,7 | -69,7 | 19330,5 | -90,8 | |
| SilentiumPC Sigma Pro 120 PWM | 130,7 | -77,8 | 369,7 | -68,1 | 4431,5 | -90,1 | |
| SilentiumPC Sigma Pro Corona RGB 120 | 20,3 | -64,8 | 369,7 | -73,0 | 3044,4 | -89,2 | |
| SilverStone SST-AP121 | 130,7 | -78,0 | 570,2 | -64,9 | 18780,2 | -91,2 | |
| SilverStone SST-FQ121 | 169,5 | -64,4 | 246,8 | -77,4 | 19330,5 | -91,0 | |
| Xigmatek XLF-F1256 | 58,2 | -74,2 | 678,0 | -63,8 | 19330,5 | -90,9 |
Why is there a missing value sometimes? There may be more reasons. Usually it is because the fan could not be adjusted to the target noise level. Some have a higher minimum speed (or the speed is low, but the motor is too noisy) or it is a slower fan that will not reach the higher decibels. But the results in the graphs are also missing if the rotor is brushing against the nylon filter mesh. In that case, we evaluate this combination as incompatible. And zero in the graphs is naturally also in situations where we measure 0.00. This is a common occurrence at extremely low speeds with obstructions or within vibration measurements.
