Fans and liquid cooling radiators alike use the same mounts, and often what you’ll do is mount a radiator to a given space and an additional fan directly to the radiator in order to push air through it and keep the liquid (and therefore the component it’s cooling) cool. It is not the quietest but gets the job done. The most common type of motherboard headers are USB 2.0, USB 3.0, HD Audio (more on that in a bit), and four-pin fan headers. As we said up top: You want a balance between airflow and noise. If you're going to stuff one of the best PC cases with the latest high-end components, or if you plan on overclocking your system, you want to make sure that there is sufficient airflow through your entire system. Cooler Master H500M – View on Amazon. New York, Be extra careful to check parts of your build agree with each other. Other option is the negative presure. These measurements refer to the length of one of the fan’s four sides. As long as your fans are half-decent and in a positive pressure configuration, you’ll have the best airflow you can get with your chassis. IMO though, the H500M isn't a case I'd buy if I wanted to watercool, it's just not built for that. The more room for fans you have in your chassis, the more you’ll benefit from adding fans to it. A proper airflow configuration can also help prevent excessive dust from building up inside your PC, though even with the best airflow and filters, dust is still inevitable over time. We’ll recap some of the most critical aspects here: Thermal tests were conducted using an Intel Core i7-6700K Skylake CPU and Z170 mITX platform, parts listed below. Negatives about this case are few, and there’s nothing in particular to complain about. While 120 mm fans are by far the most popular, 140 mm fans can be fairly useful, too. Do you want a balance between looks and airflow? Some of the best mid-tower cases allow up to five 140mm fans but you should check the specs of your particular PC case to figure out what you need. Easily the worst for airflow. Build quality is excellent, and the swivel TG door is fantastic. That in mind, we contacted a number of the most popular case fan manufacturers and had them send over both their best-selling and their personal favorite 120mm models. The downside of this PC case is perhaps its size. NY 10036. Side-by-side with Noctua's Redux packaging, or Corsair's weighty boxes, Scythe feels every part the budget fan solution. In addition to being the cheapest option on this list, it also comes bundled with two great intake fans out of the box, though you’ll need to add your own exhaust fan to the setup. Bearing type: Rifle Bearing | RPM range: 650 - 2000 | Listed CFM: 59.0 | Listed dBA: 31.0 | RGB: Yes, either through motherboard or Cooler Master's controller | 140mm model no. But I didn't want it to be … This is because all of the fans present are working against each other and pushing the same hot air just outside of the PC, where it’s likely to return very quickly due to the negative air pressure inside of the chassis. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, Mass Effect and Dragon Age heads Casey Hudson and Mark Darrah have resigned from BioWare, Here's when Cyberpunk 2077 unlocks next week, Scythe Kaze Flex Sealed Precision FBD 120mm Fan 800 RPM, We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices, The best left-handed mouse for gaming in 2020, Mountain Everest Max gaming keyboard review. The Noctua NF-P12 redux sports impressive performance with 2.83mm H2O of static pressure and 70.7ft 3 /min of airflow at full throttle. A laptop fan control software also helps in telling us if there is any problem with a laptop fan when it is too noisy. © Then Cooler Master’s TD500, the mesh white to be particular, might be the product for you. The Noctua NF-A12x15 the obvious choice for the best overall category. These high static pressure fans can deliver air at great force to the heat source and cools them down at a faster pace compared to standard fans. Choosing the best fans for your PC case, water cooling radiator or air cooler isn't that easy. For a better controll buy an fan … Small form factor (SFF) PC cases is a unique market. It’s virtually the same case, just with a less powerful RGB implementation. To avoid any confusions, we are only going to look at the 5 best airflow pc cases available in the market. Even a water-cooled machine needs the best PC fans keep the whole rig running cool, but that's not all they're good for. Now, let’s talk pressure. The one big thing that sets the Thermaltake P3 TG is price. The mid-tower market has so many worthy rivals that Fractal’s pricing feels a bit off. The “standardized” case fan test is much more difficult, as there are many instances where standardizing case fans or case fan placement will actually make performance worse than stock. Negative pressure refers to when there is more air being exhausted than air being taken in. It's a really clean look, objectively as gaudy as any other RGB setup but seeming a bit more sleek and refined somehow. An interesting choice, but one becoming more common in recent cases from Corsair and Cooler Master. The size of the chassis is quite large, but the P500A uses it excellently. The bottom line is that there are no compromises to be made with the Phanteks P500A. Required fields are marked *. I will be using the 200 mm fan (from Corsair) that was modded out from the top of the case … At 1200 RPMs the Kaze Flex 120 moved more air in our test rig than some of the competition (Corsair, for instance) did at 1400 or even 1600 RPMs, presumably a result of having eleven blades where most fans have only nine. And of the two Redux models Noctua sent over, the NF-S12B became a quick favorite. The metal mesh front lets in sufficient airflow, which is of course our main concern. Arctic is known for making good budget fans, and while it won’t move as much air as quietly as the Noctua fans, the F12 will still provide some nice airflow to help keep your case cool. The F12 PWM Rev. Some of the best mid-tower cases allow up to five 140mm fans but you should check the specs of your particular PC case to figure out what you need. My config is i9 9900k + 2080 and in game I manage to get a maximum of 65°C, but on some cpu demanding games, like Black Ops 4, it get up to 92°C! We then also maxed out the RPMs on each fan to test a theoretical airflow limit, and the accompanying noise. And it has a trick up its sleeve that makes enthusiasts really happy. For every one exhaust fan you have, you’ll want to have one intake (balanced), or 2+ intakes (positive). (This applies especially to Mini ITX PCs.) The Noctua fans are reasonable for the performance they give, but if you find yourself short on budget and still want to get a no-frills high-performing fan, the Arctic F12 PWM is a good choice. Elsewhere in the chassis, you also have room to mount an extra bottom intake and top exhausts. The Kaze Flex 120 PWM we tested is one of the company's better models though. This is a minor nitpick, though, and won’t have any kind of impact on the thermal performance of your components inside of this rig. And even in our low-speed tests, the Aer RGB 2 proved a hair noisier than the rest of the competition. Get the Focus G Mini or Meshify C Mini instead. Among normal ATX mid-towers, the Lancool II Mesh sets the bar. 140mm fans are generally quieter and move more air, making them a great choice for any case that can handle the larger size. There are three pre-installed 120 mm RGB fans there. The Fractal Design Focus G is definitely our top pick for budget users. 1:1 configurations can be okay too, but are less ideal for keeping temps low and air flowing. This is addressable RGB, and a controller is included as well, which is nice. A 120mm liquid cooler was used for the CPU. An open air case is a strange beast. So what about positive pressure? My motherboard will have three 4-pin fan headers. This has two implications. Bearing type: Fluid Dynamic Bearing | RPM range: 300 - 1200 | Listed CFM: 51.2 | Listed dBA: 24.9 | RGB: No | 140mm model no. Here's some good ol' Noctua khaki-and-mud for the diehards. Now, let’s talk front panels. Maybe that's why it's not in the list XD. Now, let’s talk mounting fans and radiators. @John Naylor Blowing hot air inside the case is only helpful for lowest cpu temps, nothing else. NZXT decided to go for 100% negative air pressure and opted to run both 120mm fans as exhaust. Use proper fan positioning. Liquid cooling radiators are measured in mm, but of their longest side. Lots of air goes hand-in-hand with noise though, and indeed the Kaze Flex 120 PWM is also noisier than the competition at any given speed setting—though since it tops out at 1200 RPMs, the noise is never as bad as models that spin up to higher speeds. We took our decibel readings from five inches, which is closer to these fans than you'd ever be, but helped clarify what are otherwise minute differences in noise level. This helped us match airflow between different fans at different RPMs, and then use a decibel meter to measure relative loudness. : N/A. Noctua's recent Redux line finally rectifies this issue though, recasting time-tested designs in a modern gray-and-black look that won't detract from the rest of your PC build. Clean your PC on a regular basis! : Aer RGB 2 140mm. Generally speaking, you want as much air going through your case as fast as possible, that way the heat generated by your components doesn’t linger and build inside your PC. The full test methodology is available in the GamersNexus reviewand was used throughout this cooling optimization test. Scythe doesn't make a great first impression, granted. To avoid making your computer too loud, use fewer or quieter fans. Addressable allows for even deeper customization of your RGB lighting, but you’ll pay a price for that. Our numbers have it putting out less noise at 1200 RPMs than some fans running 300 RPMs slower. Depending on whether you’re running a Negative or Positive pressure configuration inside your PC, the exact same chassis with the exact same number of fans can experience fairly different results. © 2019 Tech News Today - Latest Tech News, Product Reviews & Buyer's Guide. Best SSD for gaming | Best DDR4 RAM | Best CPU coolers, Bearing type: Self-Stabilising Oil Pressure Bearing – Second Generation | RPM range: 450 - 2000 | Listed CFM: 60.1 | Listed dBA: 22.6 | RGB: No | 140mm model no. The biggest problem? We understand this is meant to be a cost-cutting move, but most consumers will appreciate the inclusion of USB-C, so this option is simply a hassle. There are varying opinions on fan placement and which provides the best airflow. The Noctua SF-12B above is a fantastic fan, but if you're looking for a top-tier 120mm model that can move a lot of air, the awkwardly named NF-A12x25 blows away the competition. The thing is, almost all open air cases do things their own way, so comparing them is not really an easy task. Its performance is top-notch, and Lian Li is known for its stellar build quality. The price is a bit higher than it needs to be. If you want a cube case, for any particular reason, and yet want great airflow, pick the Air 540. This means water-cooling, full-sized graphics card, overclocking, the whole shebang. Cooler Master's RGB design is a bit less high-tech than the LL120s, featuring only fan-blade lighting instead of the second ring around the outside. One reason it loses favor compared to the P500A is that USB-C support is optional, aka you need to shell out more money for it. Just put it in, Lian Li. First, we limited our tests to 120mm fans. A 120 mm radiator will slot right into a 120 mm fan slot with no issue, but a 240 mm radiator will require two 120 mm fan slots side-by-side in order to be properly mounted. Today, we’re going to go over our picks for the best airflow pc case. Alternatively, if you're looking for some of the best CPU coolers, we've got you covered there too. Another issue might be one of compatibility. The radiator support is superb, with up to a 360/280 mm unit at the front, 420/360 mm at the top and even a 280/240 mm at the bottom. This is best achieved by using a larger, low RPM fan. Within the case fan area, there are really two main sizes: 120mm and 140mm. As for RGB lighting? But, Cooler Master put a plastic piece at the front which is a letdown when you examine the case up close. The space is well-designed and fits plenty of fans or radiators. It's not as quiet nor as efficient as another blacked out Noctua model, the NF-S12A, but it is cheap. The space for three-slot GPUs and double-fan AIOs is truly impressive. While your CPU and GPU have their own coolers, they still need to be receiving cool air for the best results, especially your CPU. Most of the people go for 120 mm case fans. Inclusion of toolless design is a plus. Let’s go into some downers. Generally-speaking, you’re going to want at least three fan mounts available in a given PC to accomplish a positive pressure setup, with two fans being used as intake and one being used as exhaust. 120mm will fit in almost all cases, but 140mm fans offer better airflow (usually measured in CFM) at lower RPMs, meaning quieter. At its top speed of 1500 RPMs the Aer RGB 2 moves a surprising amount of air, but it's also louder than nearly every other fan we tested. : NF-P14s Redux – 1200 PWM. You can now install an AIO without any DIY. But 120mm is still the "default" case fan, and it's hard to compare different fan lines when you're also comparing different sizes, so we stuck to 120mm versions as a control. At mid-range speeds they tend to be slightly louder than the competition, but at load they're quieter than just about any non-Noctua fan we tested—and that's only because most of the Noctua fans top out at 1200 RPM, versus 1500 RPM for the LL120. While these still won’t provide the best thermals, it’s still better than dealing with a fully-solid front panel with no form of air intake. Price is already so high to begin with. The best PC fans will keep your gaming PC cool and quiet. The GPU (GTX 980 Ti) was using an NVIDIA reference design cooler (blower fan), which will yiel… If you get the RGB model, the front fans show off cool effects that’ll keep you in a trance. Sign up to get the best content of the week, and great gaming deals, as picked by the editors. It's also a nice touch how many accessories come with the NF-A12x25, from a 12-inch extension cable and a Y-splitter to a bunch of rubber vibration dampers. It is united by the need for compactness, yet divided in the aim of different products. In some cases, this can be done by creating a wide gap between the glass and intake fans, usually protected by some sort of dust filter. Another downer may be the somewhat bland design, similar to its predecessor. With larger cases, it’s common to have 3-4 intake fans with 1-2 exhaust fans, which is still a perfectly fine setup for accomplishing positive pressure. It's a trusted favorite among many DIY builders, and for good reason. A huge positive for this case is the immense space it offers. On the contrary! As long as your case has proper ventilation and enough fan mounts (at least three recommended for any Mini ITX/Micro ATX PC build), then you shouldn’t need to worry too much about airflow. The rest of the case is huge, but extremely flexible and builder-friendly. You can customize not only the color but also the side panel type, front I/O (or forego it altogether), riser cable, PSU cable, optional handle and even HDD brackets and fan adapters. Once you add a dedicated gpu your hurting gpu temps and affect fps much more than having the cpu get 2C warmer. NZXT makes gorgeous hardware. For a reasonable price, you are getting a fantastic piece of hardware. Of course. There is a growing range of options to choose from when considering which PC fans to invest in. As more users have become aware that solid front panels are bad for airflow and bad airflow is bad for their PCs, manufacturers have started using this to compromise between aesthetics and performance. And, it does let out a bit of noise, compared to similarly price offerings from be quiet! Something seemingly strange about this case is the default fan configuration. The interior of this case is a sandwich style layout, recently gaining popularity. Almost every single detail of this case is engineered to near-perfection. But you still have the pc o11 air and Lan cool one to test! Your email address will not be published. They can look great in an all-glass case, or even through a traditional side-window, and if you're chasing that full-cyberpunk aesthetic then Corsair's LL120 Pro RGB fans are the best you can buy. The price is a bit steep, but the in-depth customization ability redeems this PC case. EasyTune 5 is another best PC fan control app for Windows 10/7. It comes with a duo of 140 mm PWM fans and a fan controller. We highly, highly recommend it. We’ll explain this in more detail below. Midway between having your components out in the open and enclosing them within a full frame, open air cases offer a unique sell. ( SFF ) PC cases, fan mounts come in one of the air to. Static pressure fans for a reasonable price of $ 140, it can act as an. Max, they might be the main feature of your case for out. 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