Best Case Fans 120mm in 2022

Even though 120mm fans aren’t the largest fans on the market, most cases are designed to accept them. They are often deemed to be the best value-for-money ratio.

If your case allows it, install fans on the bottom that push air upward to your GPU. This provides cool air directly to the GPU’s intake fans.

A gaming PC will need at least three case fans to adequately cool it down and regulate heat. For optimal cooling, two case fans are required at minimum, and three are ideal.

In general, the case fans in front of the case should draw air in, while the ones in the rear should blow air out. If your case has top vents, they should be used as exhaust fans, because hot air will rise. For intake, side mounted fans should be used, even if they don’t have air filters.

Yes, even a system with hardware such as an RTX 3070 and a Ryzen 5 5600x can be cooled with 4-6 120mm fans, depending on system requirements.

It’s a common question, and the answer is fairly straight-forward. The short answer is that, on average, the larger 140mm fan is the best option, so long as you can fit it into your PC case.

Air coolers can move heat away from the CPU quite well, but keep in mind that heat is distributed in the case as well, which can raise the overall ambient temperature of the system. By using the fans on the radiator, liquid coolers better transport this heat outside the system.

They are quiet, keep components cool, and should last for a long time when paired with one of NZXT’s AIO coolers. The lighting effects are brilliant, and while they may not be as “flashy” as some of the other RGB fans, they certainly don’t disappoint.

The fans are fine in the sense that they move air and are relatively quiet, but their RGB functionality is at best questionable. They look good when all the lights are on, but that’s not always the case for me.

On lower settings, a high CFM hood can provide excellent ventilation by moving a large amount of air per minute.

For a clean case, I believe two intakes and one exhaust is the best setup, as all intake comes from a single source and is filtered to keep it clean. To direct the airflow through the CPU cooler and out of the case, use one exhaust. But do not use a second fan; it is counter productive.

The louder it is, the higher the RPM and the better for a cool build. A 1000rpm fan is a bit small – most standard case fans run between 1400-1600rpm – and, for a low-intensive work or leisure computer, you would probably want a 1000rpm fan.

Using the 120mm mounting holes, two 140mm fans will not fit next to each other, as the shroud of the 2 fans will rub against each other and not line up. With standard mounting, choose from 2 or 3 120mm or the 2 140mm.

Computer or case fans typically last 5-10 years. I know friends who still use their PC fans from twelve years ago. PC fans are small and tend to break down more quickly with overuse.,

It is likely that exhaust fans for expelling warm air are located on the back or top of a case, so check to see if one of them has stopped. If the fan is connected but still does not spin, it will need to be replaced.

Fan noise is generally audible, but it is not a loud sound by any means. If you hear no movement or dialogue, it might be worthwhile to open the hood and see what is going on.

Although the fans won’t result in significant changes to the system’s performance and capability, they can be worth investing in if you have the system where you want it to be, particularly if you have some really thick radiators or want to run lots of fans.

For most mid-tower cases, two or three fans would be best on the intake on the front side of your PC, and one fan on the exhaust. For a full tower case, three intake fans on the front and one on the exhaust would be a good starting point.

Noctua fans are well worth it for their sheer quietness, durability, and capacity to blow heat. They can be fitted with a variety of accessories and, unlike most fans, they don’t start rattling like a jet when spinning at maximum speed. Since they’re so quiet, noctua fans are absolutely worth it if you want to preserve tranquility.

Because of their superior engineering and construction, Noctua fans are expensive. Features like the Stepped Inlet Design, SSO2 Bearing, Low-Noise Adaptor, and Pulse Width Modulation Control make them the best choice for those who require the quietest cooling fans on the market.

The NF-F12 is one of Noctua’s premium fans, and it boasts a MTTF of more than 150.000 hours, as well as a full 6-year manufacturer’s warranty.