120mm Radiator Fan Roundup Part 2: Fan Harder
by Dustin Sklavos on October 22, 2012 12:01 AM ESTScythe Slipstream ST1225SL12L
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| Airflow (in CFM) | Static Pressure (in mm/H2O) | RPM | Rated dBA |
| 40.17 | none given | 800 | 10.7 |
This fan in particular was one I picked up some time ago on a recommendation from Silent PC Review. I was looking for a fan that delivered a good blend of performance and acoustics, and this looked to be it. As it turns out, the Slipstream has served me well for a fairly long time. It's barely inaudible but it does move a decent amount of air (I used a pair on a CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ heatsink). With my history on hand, I was curious to see if it really was as good as I thought.
Thermaltake TT-1225
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| Airflow (in CFM) | Static Pressure (in mm/H2O) | RPM | Rated dBA |
| 41.6 | none given | 1400 | 21 |
This one's kind of an oddball. It's ratings are lowish and you can't find it in retail anymore, but it saw inclusion in a lot of different cases over the years. It wouldn't be surprising if some enthusiasts had one or two laying around. Since I had one, I figured I'd test it too.
NOT AVAILABLE
Antec TwoCool 120
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| Airflow (in CFM) | Static Pressure (in mm/H2O) | RPM | Rated dBA |
| 21.3/42.6 | 0.24/0.96 | 600/1200 | 17/23.7 |
Antec's TwoCool 120 isn't readily available in retail on its own, but is included with the popular P280 enclosure as well as a few other models. I was actually using a pair of these briefly to cool a 240mm radiator. If you have an Antec case that uses these, it may be worth seeing if they're a decent alternative to the stock fans that come with your radiator or cooler.
NOT AVAILABLE
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landerf - Monday, October 22, 2012 - link
Look at enermax 120mm fans on newegg. Plenty of batwing fans and some pwm options. I'd look too at the non-batwing TB fans. Their noise-performance ratio seems even better. I replaced my gentle typhoons with them because I've decided I can't take the ball bearing noise.Speaking of still no GTs? Surprised you don't have them laying around. Seems like everybody has one by now.
Udit - Monday, October 22, 2012 - link
Could you add the Gentle Typhoon 1850rpm to the test please?Naviblue - Monday, October 22, 2012 - link
I second this, where is the REAL King of the hill at on the charts? At least let us make a comparison to these other fans... Everyone knows Gentle Typhoons are benchmark!Earthmonger - Monday, October 22, 2012 - link
You two are kidding, right? That wouldn't be fair at all. This article is intended for tourists, not enthusiasts. Including an enthusiast fan like the GTs in this.. test.. would be plain silly. If you want real testing, this isn't the place for it. Hell, this test doesn't even mention bearing types.DarkStryke - Monday, October 22, 2012 - link
Yeah, don't include one of the best performers when you can hawk a load of mediocre overpriced junk instead!Good reasoning there bud.
lbeyak - Monday, October 22, 2012 - link
I must third this. From my research the Gentle Typhoons are basically the best 120 mm fans on the market. They are the ones I bought for my personal build.Sea Shadow - Monday, October 22, 2012 - link
Amateurs, the Gentle Typhoon is child's play. If you want to see a real enthusiast fan go look up Delta or Panaflo. 100-250CFM+ with pressures ranging from 10-30mm+. I use a set of 3 Delta AFB 1212VHE fans for my watercooling loop (which readily double the specs of the "best" gentle typhoon). At 5 volts they are livable and have no trouble forcing the air through the entirety of my case, heatercore and all! Ahh, makes me miss the old days of overclocking my opty 165....Anyways, I enjoyed the review. It is nice to see what the rest of the market is doing.
iamkyle - Tuesday, October 23, 2012 - link
This man speaks the truth.Panasonic and Delta Electronics have been putting fans in computers since all before most of you were born.
If they're good enough for IBM XT's, YOU CAN BET they are good enough for a modern rig.
Earthmonger - Tuesday, October 23, 2012 - link
When I think of the "best balance between thermal performance and acoustics", neither Panasonic nor Delta come to mind. Those are fans with an exclusive focus on performance, and a blatant disregard for acoustics.This test may lack a lot of relevant data, but at least the GTs are in proper context here.
lyeoh - Tuesday, October 23, 2012 - link
Whaaat? Sorry I can't hear you!