Best 120mm Case Fans

If you are in the market looking for a good 120mm case fan, there are going to be numerous choices for you to go with based on your preferences.

Fan manufacturers are constantly trying to improve upon the formal of case fans my making them more and more attractive in terms of features as well as in terms of performance.

Since they have been in demand for some time, we have decided to shed some light on some of the best 120mm case fans available in the market. Obviously, the goal is to make sure that our readers are facilitated as much as possible and they can make the proper decision.

Best 120mm Case Fans 2019 Round-up

• Corsair ML120 Pro
• Thermaltake Riing 12
• NZXT RF-FZ120j
• Cooler Master JetFlo 120
• Corsair Air Series AF120
• ARCTIC F12
• Noctua NF-F12 (Best 120mm Case Fan 2019)

Why You Should Choose a 120mm Case Fan

Now that we have taken a look at the basics, the next part is to look at some of the reasons why you should choose a 120mm case fan.

Honestly, there are several reasons for anyone to do this. Not just because these fans are universally supported but also becomes when it comes to raw performance, these fans are often unrivaled.

Below are the reasons why you should go with a 120mm case fan.

Wider Support

One of the biggest reason why anyone should go with a 120mm case fan is because it provides a wider support. The fan itself is not too big, and not too small, fitting just in.

With that said, you can put this fan in most of the cases with ease, and the best part is that in most cases, you will not have to worry about the size of the case as this case fan is much more common than the 140mm fans.

Needless to say, if it is wide range of support you are looking for, it cannot get better than the 120mm case fans.

Wide Range of Options

Another benefit of going with this case fan size is that there is a wide range of selection available that you can choose from.

Do you want to go all in with the lighting? There is nothing to worry about. Do you want to keep things simple and opt for a stealthier look? That can be done, as well.

What I am trying to say here is that you really do not have to worry about options as long as you are shopping for a case fan of this size.

Easily Available

I still remember the time I was looking for good 140mm fans for my radiator and the availability of those fans was not as easy as I would have preferred.

Granted, I did find the fans later down the road but it took me a significantly higher time finding those fans. It was then when I realized that when it comes to fans for your radiator, or for your case in general, you can easily find the 120mm fans available in the market for a great price

Higher Airflow

Another reason for you or anyone else to go with 120mm fans is that they offer a higher airflow then the counterparts.

It might sound strange at first but it is partly due to the fact that these fans are smaller in size, and their small size actually allows them to spin faster, and move air through them a lot faster than some of the other options available in the market.

Now the downside of that is that if you are using a cheaper 120mm fan, then you are going to run into some noise issues if the case is mostly open. However, most modern fans do not have that problem plaguing them so you are good to go.

Best 120mm Case Fans 2019 Buying Guide

Corsair ML120 Pro: Check Price On Amazon

 

Corsair changed the PC case fan game when they released their ML series fans. The ML stands for magnetic levitation, and instead of your usual bearing system, the fans would levitate and spin.

This would result in a much quieter performance, and allowed the fans to achieve a lot of air flow as well. Needless to say, the ML series was a hit on arrival and Corsair did revamp it a few times in the shape of ML Pro RGB fans, as well as cheaper ML fans as well.

Keeping that in mind, for anyone who is looking for an excellent balance between performance and the generated noise, then going for these fans is great.

Thanks to no bearings involved, there is absolutely no issues with the noise whatsoever. You can buy the fans in colour LEDs, RGB, or completely without any lighting based on your preference. The build quality is solid, and the 5 year Corsair warranty is backing these puppies, too.

On the flipside, there are some minor concerns. The fans, for example, are a tad bit expensive when compared to the case fans in general.

In conclusion, the Corsair ML120 Pro are great fans and will definitely give you the performance you are looking for provided you have the money for that.

Pros

• Great overall performance.
• Looks solid.
• One of the best noise to performance ratios.
• No bearing noise.
• Solid build quality.
• Available with RGB, static colours, or without any lighting.
• Backed by Corsair’s amazing warranty.

Cons

• Can be a bit expensive when compared to other fans.

Thermaltake Riing 12: Check Price On Amazon

 

Back when ThermalTake announced the Riing 12 fans, the company took everyone by surprise because of how good the fans looked.

Sure, the company has evolved the fans ever since they originally debuted, but the core values, concept, and looks are largely the same with minor tweaks across the board, making the Riing 12 an interesting buy for those who are looking for both looks and performance.

Keeping that in mind, there are a lot of good things about the fans, for starters, the illumination is one of the best when it comes to the looks.

The fans run quiet and without any issues. They are easy to cable manage, and the cables themselves are fairly wrong and easy to work with. If you buy the RGB version, you do get a built-in fan controller making your overall experience a lot easier.

Speaking of the downsides, we really do not think there are any glaring issues with how Thermaltake has worked in these fans.

For the price you are paying for them, these fans are more than enough for any build. They are available in both 120 and 140mm flavors, so you do not have to worry about being out of choice or not having any choice at all.

Pros

• Great value for money.
• The illumination looks great.
• The fans run quiet.
• They are easy to cable manage thanks to longer cable.

Cons

• We could not think of any.

NZXT RF-FZ120j: Check Price On Amazon

 

NZXT has always prided itself for making some great cooling solutions that have been serving the customers faithfully for a long time.

Today, we look at the NZXT RF-FZ120, one of the best 120mm case fan from NZXT that aims to deliver solid performance through and through and most importantly, not cost a lot of money either.

One of the best things about this fan is that it offers one of the best looks available out of any fans in the market.

The design language seamlessly blends through the entirety of the fan. Whether you are using the fan as radiator option or you are looking to use this as a fan for pushing or pulling air, the performance is going to remain solid.

The fan is also moderately priced so you really do not have to worry about spending a lot of money. The operations are mostly quiet despite the fan using bearings. The fan comes with sleeved cable as well so you really will not have to worry about anything coming in the way of aesthetics.

As far as the downsides are concerned, I really do not have many issues with the fan. The overall performance of these fans were great and they even looked the part. I just wish there was a version with black fans blades.

Pros

• Affordable at best.
• Decent performance.
• Looks good.
• They have sleeved cables.
• Works great in all scenarios.

Cons

• We wish there was a version with black fan blades instead of the white ones.

Cooler Master JetFlo 120: Check Price On Amazon

 

When it comes to Cooler Master, the one thing is evident that they know how to produce quality products.

The same is the case with the fan that we are reviewing today. If you have not guessed it already, we are talking about the Cooler Master JetFlo 120. These are relatively new in the market but are making a name for themselves and for all the right reasons.

Today, we are going to be looking at the Cooler Master JetFlo 120, one of the best fans that we have tested and more importantly, one of the best affordable 120mm fans available in the market.

For starters, Cooler Master has done a great job at designing this one as it is one of the more attractive fan designs available in the market. It does offer PWM control for those who are looking for it, and it does not have any clicking issues either.

You can buy it in different LED options as well, and the airflow is great. Whether you are using it for the sake of water-cooling or air cooling, we can assure that you are going to reach the maximum performance without any issues, whatsoever.

With so many good things about this fan, the only thing that I don’t like about this fan is that when you reduce the speed, the fans start rattling, something that is with most of the fans available in the market.

Pros

• These fans look great.
• They have amazing performance on air or on water.
• They run on PWM.
• You have LED variants available in the market, too, but no RGB.

Cons

• The fans rattle a bit at lower RPMs.

Corsair Air Series AF120: ​Check Price On Amazon​

 

If you ask me about the one Corsair fan that I cannot forget, it is going to be the Corsair Air Series AF120 and for all the right reasons.

These fans have been in the market for a long, long time and until this day, are considered the holy grail of fans that are centered towards airflow more than anything else.

They are amazing when it comes to pushing air or pulling air for that matter.

Speaking of the good things, there are a number of them. For starters, these fans happen to be extremely sturdy, so you really do not have to worry about the quality wearing out for at least a few years.

The fans are surprisingly quiet based on the amount of air they can bush. The quietness is achieved through hydraulic bearing that is much better than the standard options available in the market. You can customize the colour by changing the rings, and the overall flow of air is amazing.

With all the good things aside, the only issue I have with the Corsair Air Series AF120 is the fact that they do not come with a 4-pin PWM header. Instead, they are only offered in the 3-pin header, something that can be a deal breaker for a few people in the market.

Pros

• Excellent airflow.
• Surprisingly quiet.
• Hydraulic bearings only mean quality.
• You can customize the fans to some extent.
• The overall build quality is top notch as well.

Cons

• These fans do not offer PWM control.

ARCTIC F12: ​Check Price On Amazon​

 

When it comes to quality cooling hardware, one of the names that are synonymous with performance happens to be Arctic.

For the longest time, they have been dishing out quality products for us to use and the best part is that whether you are looking to spend a lot of money, or you are looking to save money, you are going to get great options available in the market.

With that said, we are looking at the ARCTIC F12, one of the best fans from Arctic, and the best part is that they do offer great value. You have thermal probes available, as well as PWM fan control that works wonder. Arctic has also done a great job by including rubber sound isolation pads to avoid any vibrations.

As far as the downsides are concerned, I can assure you that the fans are going to offer you great performance. However, these might run you just a little bit more expensive than the rest of the options, which can be an issue for many people.

Rest assured, if you are looking for a good set of fans, then the ARCTIC F12 is going to be great for you regardless of the type of build or cooling you are looking to go with

Pros

• Excellent performance on air cooling or water cooling.
• PWM fan control is great for controlling the fans as per your requirements.
• The sound isolation pads are great for controlling vibrations.

Cons

• The fans are just slightly more expensive.

Noctua NF-F12: ​Check Price On Amazon​

Best 120mm Case Fan

 

The last fan on the list is from none other than Noctua. One of the best companies when it comes to quality fans.

If you are looking for top of the line air coolers, then Noctua is the way to go because they offer amazing performance for a great price as well. In this review, we look at the Noctua NF-F12, one of the best fans that we have had the chance to test.

These fans have one of the best motor on them that runs quiet, does not consume a lot of power and even at lower speeds, keeps the fans running. The bearings are great because they offer quieter performance and they do not wear that often.

Another great thing about the Noctua NF-F12 is the fact that if you want to customize them, you can always go with the Chromax variant of these fans and make your experience a lot easier and better in terms of aesthetics.

Last but not the least, you also get 6-year warranty so you really do not have to worry about anything going the wrong way.

There are a few downsides, though. For starters, these fans are great for pushing air, but they are not as good for pressure optimization and hence, they do not do well on the radiators. Additionally, mainly because of their quality, these fans are somewhat expensive as compared to the other options available in the market.

Overall, the Noctua NF-F12 are great fans that will serve you well. However, if you are looking for something that is pressure optimized, you want to look the other way because they do not perform that well on radiators.

Pros

• Great performance.
• Quiet.
• Quality bearings.
• Long warranty.
• Chromax is a blessing

Cons

• Tad bit expensive.
• Not optimized for pressure.

Conclusion

Choosing a good fan can be a difficult process for people who do not know much about the options available in the market. However, the good news is that with the help of this round up, you can easily buy the best possible 120mm case fan.