Getting the finest PC followers is perhaps the very last thing in your thoughts after sinking a whole lot and even 1000’s into your setup, however don’t underestimate how vital it’s to maintain your gaming PC cool. If even a single element overheats, it throws the entire rig into disarray and may end up in a janky body fee or perhaps a system-wide shutdown.
You possibly can’t simply chuck any previous blowers in your case, both, as even the finest gaming PC falters with out the appropriate PC followers in all the proper locations. It’s tough to go improper with premium manufacturers like Noctua, Be Quiet, Cooler Grasp, or Thermaltake, however you’ll first have to test whether or not they’ll slot in your PC case, you need the good or most silent system potential, and how much followers you want as airflow fashions are totally different from the static strain followers you want for the finest AIO cooler.
When you’re certain every part’s suitable, you’ll want to think about the quantity of air your case takes in versus how a lot it exhausts. Ideally, you’ll need both the identical quantity or extra air coming into your case, however we’ll run by every part it’s good to know all through this information. The most effective PC followers on our listing can cease thermal throttling and assist increase fps, so as to play your favourite PC video games with out a hitch – you don’t wish to sleep on this.
Why you’ll be able to belief our recommendation ✔ At , our consultants spend hours testing {hardware} and reviewing video games and VPNs. We share sincere, unbiased opinions that can assist you purchase the perfect. Discover out how we take a look at.
Greatest PC followers:
Noctua NF-S12B redux-1200 PWM
Greatest PC fan for many
Noctua NF-S12B redux-1200 PWM specs:
Sizes |
120mm |
Airflow (CFM) |
59.2 |
Velocity (RPM) |
400 – 1,200 |
Noise (dBA at max velocity) |
18.1 |
Connector |
4-pin PWM (additionally in three-pin) |
Lighting |
None |
Sort |
Airflow |
Causes to purchase
- Nice at cooling elements
- Quiet
- Very inexpensive
Causes to keep away from
- Shade scheme clashes with most builds
- Doesn’t handle cables with daisy chaining
You may know Noctua as the corporate that douses its followers in beige and brown, however this gray blower packs an enormous punch for its worth. As the proper embodiment of the ‘why not each’ meme, the Noctua NF-S12B redux-1200 PWM refuses to compromise between noise and airflow, delivering a whopping 59.2CFM airflow at simply 18.1dBA.
It’s potential to go even quieter, however the NF-S12B isn’t simply our favourite general fan, it’s among the finest low-cost PC followers. A number of decibels sacrificed are price the associated fee and it’s nonetheless the second quietest fan on this listing – you need to use Noctua’s anti-vibration mounts if you wish to pull out all of the stops.
Noctua is nearly fully operate over type because the two-tone colour will divide loads of PC players, however there’s a answer on the backside of this listing if you wish to add RGB and full the trifecta. Sure, you learn that proper, you’ll be able to add RGB to a fan (particulars on that on the backside of the listing).
be quiet! Mild Wings
Greatest RGB followers
be quiet! Mild Wings specs:
Sizes |
120mm (140mm additionally out there) |
Airflow (CFM) |
41.51 |
Velocity (RPM) |
1,700 |
Noise (dBA at max velocity) |
20.6 |
Connector |
4-pin PWM |
Lighting |
18 ARG8 LEDs |
Sort |
Airflow (high-speed static strain out there) |
Causes to purchase
- Fantastic RGB lighting
- Good RPM to airflow ratio
Causes to keep away from
- Dear
- Not as quiet as Silent Wings
There’s no beating across the bush, be quiet! is all about dwelling as much as its identify and protecting issues hush. Thankfully, its first try at a splash of colour is not any exception, because the Mild Wings are the quietest RGB followers we’ve ever used. The ring mild itself packs 18 LEDs within the 120mm mannequin and 20 LEDs within the 140mm model, every of which is addressable in your motherboard’s software program.
You’re not caught for choice, as be quiet! not solely sells Mild Wings in 120mm and 140mm variations however in each airflow and high-speed fashions so you’ll be able to cater to the perfect AIO cooler. Single followers are on the costly facet, although, so it’s price grabbing the triple-pack that additionally consists of an ARGB hub. For those who do find yourself shopping for one fan at a time, nevertheless, you’ll be able to add it into the loop utilizing a built-in daisy chain system, protecting your cables neat.
Thermaltake Toughfan 12 Turbo
Greatest compact PC followers
Thermaltake Toughfan 12 Turbo specs:
Sizes |
120mm, 140mm |
Airflow (CFM) |
72.69 |
Velocity (RPM) |
500 – 2,500 |
Noise (dBA at max velocity) |
28.1 |
Connector |
4-pin PWM |
Lighting |
None |
Sort |
Static strain |
Causes to purchase
- Incredible radiator fan
- First rate construct high quality
Causes to keep away from
- Noisier than others
- Pricier than others
For those who’re after a fan that’s able to actually spectacular airflow and is good to be used along with your radiator, the Thermaltake Toughfan 12 Turbo is for you. It could not have any flashy RGB lights or something like that, but it surely’s obtained a very excessive construct high quality and it will get the job completed.
As high-static strain followers, they’re properly suited to pushing air by compact setups or by the grills of a radiator. For those who’re working with restricted area, they’re a wonderful alternative – although they’re somewhat dearer than a variety of your normal airflow followers.
This is without doubt one of the strongest followers on this listing, so we really feel prefer it justifies its worth properly. Nonetheless, this additional energy does deliver with it a barely increased stage of noise, even on decrease settings. It’s by no means actually obnoxious, however we admire that everybody has a special tolerance to noise air pollution, so should you’re delicate to sound, it won’t be for you.
Cooler Grasp MF120 Halo
Greatest price range RGB followers
Cooler Grasp MF120 Halo specs:
Sizes |
120mm |
Airflow (CFM) |
47.2 |
Velocity (RPM) |
600 – 1,800 |
Noise (dBA at max velocity) |
30 |
Connector |
4-pin PWM |
Lighting |
24 ARGB LEDs |
Sort |
Airflow |
Causes to purchase
- RGB with worth
- Nice construct high quality
Causes to keep away from
- Not nice with AIO coolers
- Greatest purchased as a bundle
Addressable RGB is within the DNA of the Cooler Grasp MF120 Halo, with two lighting rings that shine irrespective of whether or not you place it as an consumption or exhaust. It cleverly makes use of white fan blades to raised replicate the RGB throughout all the face of the fan, which you’ll customise utilizing Asus Aura Sync, MSI Mystic Mild, ASRock Polychrome, or Gigabyte RGB Fusion.
Probably the most spectacular factor right here is that Cooler Grasp undercuts the price of most different premium followers should you don’t thoughts some additional noise. The triple pack serves up a good low cost than should you purchase every fan individually and consists of Cooler Grasp’s controller, however this isn’t obligatory. MF 120 Halos are additionally suitable with any addressable Gen 2 RGB header on suitable motherboards. In addition to, $30 (£20) per RGB fan is fairly affordable, and also you’ll commonly discover them lowered.
be quiet! Silent Wings Professional 4
Greatest silent PC followers
be quiet! Silent Wings Professional 4 specs:
Sizes |
140mm |
Airflow |
83.9 |
Velocity |
3,000 |
Noise (dBA at max velocity) |
36.9 |
Connector |
4-pin PWM |
Lighting |
None |
Sort |
Airflow |
Causes to purchase
- Extremely quiet
- Higher airflow than older fashions
- PWM management
Causes to keep away from
- Barely dearer than others
- Extra highly effective than some individuals will want
The Silent Wings line from be quiet! has been among the finest choices for anyone who needs the quietest potential setup. The Professional 4 is the most recent iteration of this fan, and it’s additionally the perfect one but – though it does carry a better price ticket than others.
The fluid dynamic bearing helps to bolster this fan for a protracted life, and the person mounting programs make it straightforward so that you can set it up nevertheless you please (e.g. as a case fan or with a radiator). In the meantime, it’s a product with a really excessive constructed high quality and one which comes with a five-year guarantee. This all combines to make it among the finest choices all-round and we strongly advocate it.
Thermaltake Toughfan 14 Professional
Greatest AIO followers
Thermaltake Toughfan 14 Professional specs:
Sizes |
120mm (140mm additionally out there) |
Airflow (CFM) |
119.6 |
Velocity (RPM) |
2,000 |
Noise (dBA at max velocity) |
31.6 |
Connector |
4-pin PWM |
Lighting |
None |
Sort |
Static strain |
Causes to purchase
- Spectacular efficiency
- Not too noisy
One other highly effective, however costly choice right here. For those who’re after an all-in-one (AIO) cooling system, then that is the one to go for. You may get some actually highly effective speeds from this fan with out the noise stage ever rising too excessive. It’s designed to be a cooling answer that you simply set up after which by no means take into consideration once more.
It is a static strain fan, which implies that it shunts air by the grills of a radiator on an AIO cooler. Due to its elevated ranges of airflow, it’s ultimate for small issue setups. Bought no room for a number of followers? Sneak this little rascal in and it’ll preserve every part good and funky. Admittedly, it’s greater than lots of people are going to want, however should you’re in want of an particularly highly effective cooler, that is the one to get.
Noctua NF-A12x15
Greatest slim fan
Noctua NF-A12x15 specs:
Sizes |
120mm |
Airflow (CFM) |
55.4 |
Velocity (RPM) |
450 – 1,850 |
Noise (dBA at max velocity) |
23.9 |
Connector |
4-pin PWM (three-pin additionally out there) |
Lighting |
None |
Sort |
Airflow |
Causes to purchase
- Tiny sufficient to slot in SFF PCs
- Constructed-in anti-vibration pads
Causes to keep away from
- Dear
- Brown and beige colorway
The Noctua NF-A12x15 seems as if somebody by accident sat on an NF-A12x25, flattening it to provide it a low profile. No matter the way it obtained so slim, being simply 15mm thick makes it ultimate for small type issue (SFF) circumstances and CPU coolers when there isn’t a variety of clearance.
For its dimension, it’s fairly speedy at 1,850 RPM. The 23.9dBA noise stage actually isn’t something to scoff at, however you could have the selection to decrease this to a near-inaudible 16.8dBA should you use the low noise adapter it comes bundled with – simply be ready to sacrifice some airflow within the course of. And, as with all Noctua tools, you’ll get anti-vibration mounts to cement its silence.
How to decide on the perfect PC fan
Struggling to determine which fan is best for you? We have now a number of pointers so that you can think about which ought to assist make the method simpler. To begin with, we advocate not spending lower than $20 (£15) as a result of whereas there are followers that value lower than that, they’re greater than seemingly going to be of doubtful high quality.
One other vital consideration is a fan’s noise stage. Each fan on this listing has its most dBA listed in opposition to it. This could assist offer you an concept of how noisy will probably be should you push it to the max, however needless to say except you’re overclocking your PC, you in all probability received’t have it pushed to the max always anyway. Take into consideration the kind of video games you play and the extent to which they tax your PC and this can make it easier to decide how noisy your followers will probably be. If you’re operating a variety of high-end video games, then it’d be pertinent to go for a quieter fan (except you’re not bothered by sound).
For those who’re opting to go for a fan that isn’t included on this listing, we advocate sticking to the massive, trusted manufacturers. Thermaltake, be quiet!, Noctua, and Cooler Grasp are all fairly protected bets. Going for an unknown will increase the chance of you getting a sub-par product.
Some players aren’t going to want overly highly effective followers, and going for them will simply up occupying pointless area in your motherboard. For those who’ve obtained a small type issue setup, you’ll have to be particularly aware of the true property you could have out there for followers. For those who don’t push your gadget to its limits, it is smart to go for 120mm followers, quite than bigger 140mm fashions.
The very last thing we advocate looking for is every fan’s RPM. Typically talking, the upper that is, the higher job a fan can do of cooling your PC, but it surely’s not at all times true. For instance, the supplies used to make a fan have a huge impact on its cooling functionality, and an inferior assemble might not cool as properly, regardless of the excessive RPM. Be sure to’re taking a holistic view of every fan and guaranteeing you think about all these factors when making your determination.
FAQs
What’s the finest fan configuration for PC?
You need a configuration that’s going to facilitate a gentle circulation of air. To attain this, it’s finest to have a fan on the entrance of the case, which is there to attract in contemporary air, and one other on the again, which is there to blow heat air out.
Do you could have vents on the highest of your PC case? In that case, the followers that you simply place there are higher used for exhaust. It’s because warmth rises, in order that will probably be a perfect place for it to launch a little bit of sizzling air.
Is an excessive amount of airflow unhealthy on your PC?
Completely not. The better the airflow, the higher. All this implies is that each element of gaming PC is well-ventilated, that means that the chance of overheating is as little as potential.
Do you have to preserve your PC followers at 100%?
That is fully as much as you. Holding them at 100% is superb for the well being of your PC, however additionally it is when followers are at their loudest. Past this, having them continually operating at 100% additionally implies that you is perhaps pushing them tougher than is strictly mandatory and doubtlessly shortening their lifespan.
Does it matter what kind of fan you employ?
It is a massively subjective query as a result of what issues will range from individual to individual. Some followers have been designed with aesthetics in thoughts, and a few haven’t. This may matter to those that need their gaming area to look good. Some followers will make extra noise than others, and this can matter to individuals who discover the sound of followers irritating. No matter fan you get, be it an airflow or static strain fan, it is going to preserve your PC cool and that’s a very powerful factor. Past that, all of it comes down to private choice.
What’s the distinction between airflow and static strain followers?
An airflow fan is nice for facilitating the circulation of contemporary air. That is ultimate if in case you have a PC positioned in a well-ventilated location and never sandwiched between issues, as a result of there’s already air out there to it.
A static strain fan is healthier in circumstances the place there isn’t a variety of airflow out there to your PC. If it’s saved in a decent location (or its a small type issue), then a robust static strain fan will assist preserve it cool regardless of the shortage of airflow. It isn’t superb at protecting the airflow going if it does have entry to a superb provide of contemporary air although
Think about your setup when shopping for a fan, and select the suitable kind accordingly.
We hope that helps you discover the appropriate PC fan. If you wish to discover different choices, learn our information on the perfect CPU cooler the place we’ve a great deal of additional suggestions.