Best PC Fans 2024: Keep Your Computer Cool With These Case Fans

The greatest graphics playing cards, RAM, CPU, and different important gaming PC parts might be rendered ineffective in the event that they overheat. That’s why equipping your setup with top-notch PC followers able to preserve every thing cool underneath strain is a should. Our favourite for the job is the highly effective, quiet, and well-priced Noctua NF-S12B redux-1200, however we’ve discovered every thing from giant, flashy RGB choices to low-profile, minimalistic followers able to squeeze into the greatest mini ITX instances.

TL;DR – These are the Best PC Fans:

When deciding on the very best PC fan to your gaming PC, dimension, energy, noise, and extras like gorgeous RGB lighting, a speed-adjustable PWM motor, and noise-reducing brackets must be considered. The selection is yours, however to assist make the search just a little simpler, we’ve discovered ten nice PC followers able to stay contained in the greatest PC instances for gaming.

The Best PC Fans

1. Noctua NF-S12B redux-1200

Best General PC Fan

Professionals:

• Low noise stage
• Adjustable voltage

Cons:

• Easy design could also be boring for some

This Noctua fan is a stability of simplicity and high quality. It’s a reinvention of a traditional Noctua fan that may present vital airflow and impressively low noise ranges. At a quiet 18.1 dBA (even whereas placing out virtually 60 cubic ft of air each minute) your PC will run quietly, decreasing ambient noise in your work or play space.

The 2-tone grey shade means this one will mix proper in with many PC setups, which is ideal for many who favor substance over type. It’s also possible to make this fan even quieter by slowing it down (by reducing the voltage or utilizing an non-obligatory low-noise adapter). The lower-voltage mode means the fan received’t spin over 1200 RPM, and should you actually must be as quiet as potential, you may decide up some non-obligatory Noctua anti-vibration mounts to place between the fan and your case.

2. Corsair QL Sequence QL120

Best RGB PC Fan

Professionals:

• 34 flashy RGB lights per fan
• Controller included in three fan package

Cons:

• Not probably the most highly effective airflow

These QL120 followers characteristic a whopping 34 RGB LEDs per fan, they usually’re designed with semi-transparent fan blades and 4 lighting zones. The sunshine shines on either side of the fan, so each consumption and exhaust mountings will get the RGB love. The three-fan package consists of the Lighting Node Core controller you want, which merely requires a USB 2.0 and SATA connection, conserving your PC’s wiring easy inside.

Whereas the airflow isn’t as highly effective, and the noise stage isn’t as low, as a number of the different choices on our checklist, these are in all probability the flashiest, making them excellent for these trying to gentle up their rigs.

3. Arctic F12-120

Best Price range Fan

Professionals:

• Tremendous cheap
• Prime quality construct

Cons:

For the overwhelming majority of PC customers, notably those that don’t do video modifying or efficiency gaming, high-end followers are full overkill. If you’re simply trying to get the job performed, save money for recreation offers, and nonetheless get a high quality fan, the Arctic F12-120 has you lined. It has a low worth and an excellent decrease noise stage.

These 120mm followers run at 1,350 RPM, pushing 53 CFM whereas staying pretty quiet because of fluid dynamic bearings that preserve the fan motion good and easy. These followers have a pleasant black and white aesthetic, no LED lights are included. Arctic is assured within the high quality of their merchandise, too, as these followers include a six-year restricted guarantee.

4. Cooler Grasp MF200R ARGB

Best 200mm PC Fan

Professionals:

• Highly effective 90.3 CFM airflow
• Translucent fan blades permit gorgeous ARGBs to shine

Cons:

• 200mm dimension received’t slot in all PC instances

In order for you followers that create a ton of airflow whereas staying quiet, 200mm followers are a good way to go (assuming they suit your PC case). The Cooler Grasp MasterFan MF200R ARGB delivers highly effective air motion (90 cubic ft per minute) and low noise (28dBA), with a facet serving to of flashy ARGB gentle.

The fan blades are translucent, that means the sunshine will shine by and illuminate superbly, and the package features a good sensor to detect jams, that means you received’t have to fret about your PC cables getting caught.

5. be quiet! Silent Wings 4

Best Silent PC Fan

Professionals:

• Extremely low 13.6 dBA noise stage
• A number of dimension and pin choices

Cons:

Silence is golden, and in terms of PC followers, be quiet!’s Silent Wings 4 is about as quiet as they arrive. Utilizing a three-phase, six-pole motor, fluid dynamic bearings, and particular mounts, you get fewer vibrations and decrease energy consumption for much less noisy operation. The fan clocks in at 13.6 dBA in its quietest operation, touchdown between a whisper and somebody calmly respiration, which makes it just about inaudible.

The Silent Wings 4 could also be quiet, but it surely’s nonetheless highly effective. The 140mm choice delivers airflow as much as 87.16 CFM because of the funnel-shaped air retailers on the fan body, so this fan pairs completely with the very best PC instances for airflow. You additionally aren’t restricted to the 3-pin 140mm fan, because it additionally is available in a 120mm dimension or with a 4-pin PWM, making certain you discover the very best match to your construct.

6. Cooler Grasp MasterFan MF120 Halo

Best Addressable RGB PC Fan

Professionals:

• Beautiful addressable RGB lights
• Translucent fan blades

Cons:

Perhaps you simply scored a killer PC deal and also you’re trying to package it out with addressable ARGB followers, the Cooler Grasp MasterFan MF120 Halo is our favourite. They transfer vital quantities of air, and you may go for successfully silent operation at simply 6 dBA or go for most cooling at 30dBA, which remains to be comparatively quiet.

On the ARGB entrance, every fan consists of 24 LEDs, divided into two rings across the fan. Furthermore, the fan blades are translucent, so the colour pops considerably greater than on conventional followers.

7. Phanteks SK140 DRGB PWM

Best 140mm PC Fan

Professionals:

• Fan velocity adjustability between 500-1,500 RPM
• DRGB LEDS with daisy chain connectors

Cons:

• Not the quietest fan out there

Phanteks knew what they have been doing with the SK140 DRGB PWM fan. Exact adjustability, because of a PWM controller, helps you to select between 500 and 1,500 RPM. So, you may go for prime speeds to maintain issues additional frosty or drop right down to 500 RPM for quieter operation. Rubber dampeners and the inflexible body additionally assist decrease noise ranges and guarantee secure operation.

With this package, you’ll get three 140mm followers for a funds worth underneath $30. Phanteks doesn’t overlook lighting, equipping every fan with 12 D-RGB LEDs and 9 translucent blades that permit the lights shine by. Connecting the three followers is easy because of daisy chain connectors, and that’ll additionally assist with cable administration to maintain your case additional tidy for optimum airflow.

8. Lian Li Uni Fan SL Infinity 120

Best PC Fan 3-Pack

Professionals:

• Three fan package consists of controller and {hardware} wanted for straightforward set up
• Beautiful infinity mirror design surrounded by ARGB lights

Cons:

It’s all in regards to the RGBs with this 3-fan set from Lian Li. Sucking you into one other dimension, the infinity mirror on the heart is surrounded by vibrant ARGB lights for a very fascinating expertise.

Straightforward to daisy chain, the Lian Li Uni Fan SL Infinity 120 case followers characteristic a pin-to-pad contact level to energy the followers effortlessly. And, in comparison with the SL120 mannequin, airflow is elevated by 10% with a wider vary of fan speeds. So, it’s straightforward to attain efficient cooling whereas working whisper-quiet.

Utilizing L-Join 3 software program, you may configure the lighting results throughout your followers, with personalised colours, brightness, and speeds.

9. Phanteks T30-120

Best Excessive Airflow Fan

Professionals:

• Produces excessive static strain
• Three completely different working modes

Cons:

If you happen to’re constructing a gaming PC with water cooling, you’ll want a fan that may ship a excessive static strain so it doesn’t wrestle to push air by a constricting radiator fin array, liquid CPU coolers, or grills. The Phanteks T30-120 120mm fan can ship 3.3 mmH2O of static strain and 67 CFM airflow, which is nice for this. A swap additionally lets you choose three completely different working modes with out downloading any software program.

NOTE: the Phanteks T30-120 is barely larger than normal followers, so ensure you have sufficient room for its 30mm width earlier than choosing this one up.

10. Noctua NF-A12x15

Best Low-Profile PC Fan

Professionals:

• Retains compact dimension with out compromising efficiency
• Anti-vibration mounts included to assist with noise

Cons:

• Colour scheme isn’t for everybody

The Noctua NF-A12x15 fan is sort of half as thick as lots of the different followers on this checklist, making it splendid for instances which are tight on area. It is successfully the slimmer sibling of the Noctua NF-A12x25.

Even higher, it doesn’t sacrifice efficiency for its small dimension. You continue to get a strong 55 CFM of airflow and, at that stage, it solely produces 23.9dBA of noise. Despite the fact that 23.9 could be very quiet, you should use the included Low-Noise Adapter, which sacrifices some airflow to convey the noise right down to an extremely quiet 16.8dBA. Anti-vibration mounts are additionally included and may stop rattle for even quieter operation.

The place to Get the Best PC Fan within the UK

PC Fans FAQ

Which followers are most essential in a PC?

To forestall your {hardware} from throttling and overheating, a entrance consumption fan and a rear exhaust fan are probably the most detrimental. A entrance consumption fan ensures that recent cool air flows over your PC’s parts, and it may be useful to have multiple should you’ve acquired the area. A rear exhaust helps to expel warmth out of the case, whereas one other exhaust fan on the prime of the case, if it has air flow and is away from consumption followers, is beneficial for eradicating the rising scorching air. It’s additionally potential to put in side-mounted followers, which ought to normally be in an consumption place, however as a normal rule of thumb, it’s greatest to have air flowing entrance to again.

What to Search for in a PC Fan

There are some things it’s best to search for when choosing out PC followers.

First, ensure you measure your PC case to verify the fan you need will match within the mounts your case has. Normal sizes vary from 80mm to 250mm, and also you’ll usually want bigger followers for bigger PC instances, since they’ll want to maneuver extra air. 120mm and 140mm additionally (usually) have the identical mount dimension, and bigger followers are usually quieter and transfer extra air.

Talking of shifting air, the stat you wish to preserve your eyes out for is “CFM,” which stands for “cubic ft per minute.” The upper the quantity, the extra air the fan can transfer, the higher. That stated, followers with the best CFM additionally are usually loudest.

Fan noise (like every thing else) is measured in decibels (or dBA), and the smaller the quantity, the quieter the fan. If noise is essential, prioritize a fan with a low decibel stage, or one with a number of modes you may swap between, so that you’ll have quiet choices with out sacrificing efficiency once you want it. Additionally, as we stated earlier than, bigger followers can spin extra slowly, and subsequently extra quietly, whereas nonetheless shifting a number of air, so it’s in all probability a good suggestion to get the most important followers your case can maintain.

You’ll additionally have to examine your pins and connector kinds. 4-pin connectors on PWM (pulse width modulation) motors are speed-adjustable and subsequently, extra energy-efficient, whereas three-pin connectors usually management DC motors (though adapters can be found).

One other factor to remember is that followers are usually specialised for considered one of two issues. Both they’re optimized to maneuver a excessive quantity of air (usually with giant blades and excessive RPM) or generate excessive static strain. Excessive-airflow followers can run into issues when utilized in a case with restricted airflow – that’s what excessive static strain followers are for.

Though nicer followers nonetheless aren’t that costly (relative to different PC parts), you continue to get what you pay for. Ball bearings, usually discovered within the least costly followers, are likely to fail extra usually, whereas sleeve bearings are a step up in high quality and longevity, and fluid bearings are usually probably the most dependable, with the longest lifespans. Not like most PC parts, followers are mechanical techniques meant to run repeatedly for years, so get good ones!

RGB gentle is all the fashion, whether or not you’re looking at space lighting, LED strips, graphics playing cards, case lights, and extra. Fans aren’t any completely different, and since they naturally transfer throughout operation, many followers are incorporating gentle techniques. Whether or not you desire a single shade, a small number of colours to select from, or a 16.7 million-color LED system that may even show shifting photographs like GIFs, there are decisions on the market for you. Take pleasure in and keep cool!

Brian “Ribnax” Barnett is a video games trade freelancer, writing evaluations & previews, guides, offers, gameplay seize, information, & extra for IGN, GameSpot, & Nintendeal/Amiibo Alerts. He has frolicked working full-time on the IGN Guides crew & has been the showrunner for The Platformers online game podcast since 2016, which can be streamed on Twitch each Monday evening. You could find him on Twitter and Backloggd at @Ribnax.