Best Case Fans – Editor’s Choice 2021

Temperature of PC is a really important thing and if you think it isn’t, you are living in a big lie. Components can get hot pretty easy after long gaming sessions and that’s when they become slower and you lose performances in gaming. That’s why it is important to have nice only the best case fans in your case!

It is also important to have a good case and nice components, but you should really consider upgrading your fans and get something ‘cooler’. Because of that, I created a list of the best case fans on the market right now, and you can’t really go wrong with these. So if you want to boost performances of your PC, stay with me because I will help you to choose the right option for you!

I will start with Vortex HDB from Cougar. I really love the design of this thing. It is all black with a big orange fan in the middle, so if you have a system in this color scheme, you should consider buying this fan. It is really aggressive and I think this is one of the sickest looking fans on this list. However, the design isn’t everything, but it is a big plus for Cougar. Build quality is great and everything is sitting tight, so there is zero flexing and breaking. You can also get a 140mm fan if that’s what you need. If you look at the blades, you can see the little lines on them and that’s because of better intake. You can also notice orange anti-vibration pads on the corners, and that’s always nice to see because they minimize the noise and vibrations of the fan.

I will start with Vortex HDB from Cougar. I really love the design of this thing. It is all black with a big orange fan in the middle, so if you have a system in this color scheme, you should consider buying this fan. It is really aggressive and I think this is one of the sickest looking fans on this list. However, the design isn’t everything, but it is a big plus for Cougar. Build quality is great and everything is sitting tight, so there is zero flexing and breaking. You can also get a 140mm fan if that’s what you need. If you look at the blades, you can see the little lines on them and that’s because of better intake. You can also notice orange anti-vibration pads on the corners, and that’s always nice to see because they minimize the noise and vibrations of the fan.

• Black and orange color theme is nice
• It is very quiet
• RPM between 800 and 1200
  
  
• Orange won't fit in most cases

I mentioned that I would like to see more fans with LED lights and that’s what Luna 12 comes with. You can choose between red, blue and white color theme, so it is a perfect fan if you want bright and colorful PC. The only thing that I don’t like about this fan is that every single option has red details. I don’t see the logic with putting red details with a blue LED fan. They are well-made with almost no flexing and you can get it in 140mm version if you want something bigger than this. It is a 7-blade system with Thermaltake logo in the middle. Of course, there are 4 anti-vibrational pads on all 4 corners and the frame of the fan for minimized vibrations and noises.

Like with Vortex HDB there is hydraulic bearing technology for lower noise while cooling and longer lifespan. It self-lubricates with a substance which lowers the mentioned and improves efficiency. On top of that, there is seal cap that prevents lubricant from leaking. Maximum fan speed is 1200 RPM, with the maximum noise of 20.7 dB-A, which is a standard in the world of fans. I prefer to run fans on lower voltage, and there is an option to choose from 9 to 12V for maximum customization. After all, this is a great-looking fan with nice LED lights. My favorite color is red, especially when you pair it up with Asus Maximus motherboard. It is also pretty quiet, so you won’t have any problems with noise or vibrations.

• 7-blade system
• Hydraulic bearing technology
• Maximum fan speed of 1200 RPM
• 
  Blue design and red LED aren't really nice

I love to see cool products from Cooler Master and this is one of them. This is really great and thin 120mm fan with a nice look. However, it is pretty durable and there is zero flexing, so don’t worry about build quality. You can get it in a couple of colors, red, blue, with LEDs or without. I respect Cooler Master for putting so many variants on the market, so you can choose and pick the one that best suits you. I think this is great design because it is normal circle fan with small corners, so full attention is on the blades. There are 7 of them and all of them are clear, with nice CM logo in the middle. Like on the other fans on this list, this also has rubber pads with steel threads for less noise and vibrations.

This is the first fan on this list with bearing based on POM (polyoxymethylene). It is a great bearing, with a long lifespan of 160,000 hours (18 years). You can change the RPM from 800 to 2000, with an output of 95 CFM. There are also 2 silent mode adapters to fix the fan speed at 1200 RPM (19 dBA) or 1600 RPM (28 dBA). This is a great feature made for silence while gaming. All in all, this is a great fan with a lot of amazing features like bearing based on POM or 2 silent modes. I also love the design and the option to choose if you want LEDs or not. I really recommend this fan, and you won’t regret buying it. However, read the whole article to be sure when buying. But I will tell you right now, this is definitely one of the best case fans.

• Amazing design
• POM bearing
• 2 silent modes
  
  
• I can't find any major downsides

Oh man, I really love this one. It is one of the best 120mm case fans on the market for quite some time. They are super stylish and you can get them in 3 different color options: blue, purple and red. I really love the purple one, but the red is also sick. You can get them in 140mm version if you need something like that. They all have LEDs, and that is a big plus for Corsair. I don’t love fans without LEDs, they are just boring. However, the design isn’t the most important thing, so let’s see how it performs. They have 9 thin custom-made blades for optimal airflow at low noise. They will definitely outperform your standard case fans, and you will notice a big difference in temperatures. Of course, there are 4 anti-vibration pads on corners for less vibration between the fan and the chassis.

AF120 comes with the sleeved bearing system for less vibration while running. This is a great bearing system, and you can expect a long lifespan of the fans. You also get a 2-year warranty, so if anything goes wrong, you can change them and get new ones. They are also known as ‘quiet edition’ Corsair fans, so they are great for building silent gaming PCs. The maximum speed of the fan is 1500 RPM which is more than enough for any kind of the system. After all, if you put 4-5 of these, you can expect to get really quiet PC with low component temperatures. Also, you are getting really sick looking PC. Can it be one of the best case fans on this list?

• You can get it in multiple color variants
• Sleeved bearing system
• 9 thin blades
   
• They are a little bit expensive

I needed to include a budget option on this list and that’s what a point is with this fan. It is really cheap and for this price tag, it is great. It is 120mm fan, but if you want and need larger, you can get it. It looks pretty standard, and there aren’t any special features or LED lights. It is all black with a plastic body and DEEPCOOL logo in the middle. Build quality isn’t the best, but it doesn’t flex too much and it won’t break under pressure. Also, it is great if you have budget gaming PCs where you just want to add something for more cooling while gaming. However, it has a hydro bearing which is a big plus for this fan. This means that it won’t produce heavy noise or vibrations. It also has a big lifespan, so you won’t need to change it after a year or two.

Maximum RPM is 1300 (23.7 dBA), with a maximum airflow of 43.5 CFM. These are great specifications for something that costs a few dollars. As I mentioned before, it isn’t the highest quality fan with all unique features, but it is good for budget PCs. If you are skeptical, my advice is to order one fan and test it. Then decide if it is worth to spend money on more units. But I really think that if you have a good case with decent space for airflow and you put 5 or 6 of these, your PC will run pretty cool. Maybe it will produce some noise, but it isn’t that noticeable.

• I don't know why, but I love the look of it
• Very cheap fan
• Great for budget gaming systems
• If you have money, skip it

This is another fan from Thermaltake, and that means that this company knows their business. They really know how to build high-quality and full-of-features fans. Let’s start with design. It is all black with nice colored corners. You can pick Riing 12 in a couple different variants like yellow, orange, red, green, blue or black. Except for black, all of them have nice LED strip around the fan. I think this is really nice from Thermaltake because you can choose almost any color you want that will match up with your PC. Build quality is great and this is because all parts are made from high-quality materials so there is zero chance of breaking or flexing. Of course, there are anti-vibration pads on the corners to reduce vibration between fan and chassis.

There is a total of 7 blades and there is pretty nice wind blocker frame for improved airflow. It helps because it directs airflow towards the middle section of the blade so there is no noise or vibration. There is hydraulic bearing with the low-noise design so this fan is quiet and it has a long lifespan. It also has LNC (low-noise cable) and it can reduce the noise level by 21% from 28.1 dBA to 22.1 dBA. At the end of the day, this is a great fan and if you have high-end PC I really recommend getting something like this. The design is phenomenal and you can always pick the color you want. Also, it has tons of unique features, for minimized noise and vibrations. You will love this fan!

• Build quality is very good
• Total of 7 blades
• It has LNC (low-noise-adapter)
  
  
• I can't find any reasons to skip this one

These are the best-looking fans on the market right now without any doubt. They are really looking and they will match any kind of system. You can get them in a couple of colors like white, red, blue or black. Except for black, all of them are equipped with 8 LED lights, and my favorite is the red one. The build quality is also on a high level, they are heavy and rock solid. Everything is well-built and there isn’t any flexing or breaking under pressure. However, they are pretty expensive, so this is more for high-end PC builds and for guys with a big budget. You can get them in a pack of 2 for less money. I love the complete new bearing system with ML120, and that is magnetic levitation technology, so it is providing lower noise at higher speeds. Also, lifespan is pretty long, and you won’t have any problems with this part.

Also, another great feature is new custom rotor design. It delivers the perfect balance between high static pressure and high airflow for maximum performances. This is why this fan has this price tag. It has so many different features for maximizing the usage of it. You can select RPM from 400 to 2400 if you really need this much to keep your PC cool. I don’t need to mention that it has removable anti-vibration pads on every corner for minimizing noise and vibration level. It has LNA or low-noise adapter if you want to build really silent PC. Airflow is more than good (12-75 CFM), so if you have a good case to pair it up, your PC will run cool and performances while gaming won’t drop. All in all, this is a great option for everyone that has a big budget or already has high-end gaming PC. There are zero things that I would change with this fan, and if you want great-looking and powerful fan, get it. Man, this is one of the best case fans in 201.

• The design is phenomenal
• RPM range from 400 to 2400
• Very quiet while running
  
  
• Man, these are expensive

After Corsair ML120, I needed to add a cheaper option with good performances. F12 from Arctic is a great choice for everyone that wants cool and stable budget PC. These are pretty cheap, and if you are suspicious, my advice is to order 1 unit to check it out. You can also get them in a bigger size, like 140mm. The design is pretty straightforward, black case with a white fan. I typically don’t care about the color of the cable, but this one is really ugly. At least they could make a black cable with black connector, but it is what it is. The fan has a fluid dynamic bearing, and it comes with an oil capsule that avoids lubricant leakage. This bearing is pretty standard and it will keep the noise low and expand the lifespan of the fan.

This is ‘PMW’ fan and this function allows the motherboard to run the fan precisely at its necessary speed. For this price tag, I love F12 because it has a ton of features for a budget option. The Arctic claims that fan blades are improved and that air flow is great. This is really true because even on the higher RPMs, the fan stays pretty quiet. There is an option called ‘Two Way Installation’ which mean that you can set the fan on both sides, one for blowing warm air out of the case and the other for drawing cool air into the case. For this price, you can’t expect more, and it even has a 6-year warranty, so if you are on the budget, you should consider F12.

• Very cheap
• PMW case fan
• Good for budget builds
  
  
• There are better options for a little more

The first on the list of the best 140mm fans is Corsair ML140. I already mentioned with 120mm version that I really love this fan and that it is one of my all-time favorites. However, it is the best looking fan on the market without any further questions. I love the design because there are still 7 custom-made blades. On a lot of big fans, there are a lot more than 7 blades, more like 10 or 11. You can get these in a couple different variants: black non-LED, right, blue or white (all with LED lights). They even have anti-vibration pads colored so if you have big window and want to show off your sick system, you shouldn’t look further. The design is really important for most people, but you should also look at performances of this fan.

It is based on magnetic levitation technology to provide lower noise, higher performance, and a longer lifespan. This is all you need, isn’t it? We all need something that will last forever, and that will keep our PC cool and quite, and that’s the case with ML140. It also has custom rotor design, for the perfect balance between high static pressure and high airflow, so it can operate flawlessly in most environments. PWM gives you maximum abilities for customization because you can decide between low noises (400 RPM) and high performances (2000 RPM). I won’t lie to you and say that it is absolutely quite at 2000 RPM because it isn’t. You will be able to hear it, but I think nobody needs this speed to keep his PC cool. If you ask me, 1500 RPM is optimal speed in most cases. This is one of the best case fans here!

• 7 custom blades
• Magnetic levitation technology
• Low noise and very good looking
  
  
• As ML120, it is expensive

We all know about Noctua. They aren’t new brand or anything like that because they are building fans for more than 10 years now. However, most people choose to buy something else because of the design. I don’t see this as a big problem because you can always buy the case without the window if you really think that they are ugly. I won’t lie, I also think that they aren’t the prettiest fans on the market, but however, I love them. They are all well-built with very rock-solid structure. All parts are high quality and there is no chance of breaking or flexing. They are also very durable, and you are getting a 6-year warranty with them, so if you don’t care about the look, this is definitely the best 140mm fan on the market.

As I said, they perform great and that is true. I love the SSO2 bearing because there are zero vibrations or noises produced. There are also anti-vibration pads on every corner to minimize vibrations even further. The FLX version provides 1200/ 1050/ 900 RPM speed settings via LNA (low-noise adapters) for more silence. These are great for building silent gaming PCs because Noctua really knows how to make quiet fans. If your main problem is overheating, my advice is to go with something that can run on higher RPMs like ML140 form Corsair, but if you are looking for silent fans, don’t go any further. I know that these aren’t cheap, but they are worth the price point. For high-end gaming PCs, I truly recommend Noctua NF A14 FLX. As always, Noctua only makes the best case fans.

• Build quality is insane
• SS02 bearing is phenomenal
• You won't hear it ever
  
  
• Maybe you don't love brown gaming essentials

I wanted to include one cheaper option for all you other there that have a lower budget. You can get FN V2 for less than $10, and that’s why I recommend them. But don’t let the price fool you because this is the great fan and it has all the features you will need. I need to mention that I love this classic design. It doesn’t look cheap like most fans look with black body and white fan. It is minimalistic, like every other product in NZXT family. All in all, this is one good-looking fan that will fit into any kind of system environment. There are 8 anti-vibration pads on corners, and they are great for minimizing noise and vibration between the case and the fan. This is one simple, but the powerful detail that should be on any kind of fan.

If you want or need, you can get FN N2 in smaller size version, 120mm. Sleeved cable is also a plus because these little details are required for better performances. Blades are redesigned and they are now thicker for more reliable operation and longevity. This is a pretty quiet fan, and you can tell that because on at the maximum performance, the noise level is just under 21 dBA. It comes with a rifle bearing for better and greater performances while running at top speeds. Fan airflow is pretty good, around 45 CFM. At the top of this, you will get 2-year warranty in case that something goes wrong.

• It is cheap
• 8 anti-vibration pads
• Nice airflow, around 45 CFM
• If you have more money, go for Noctua 140mm one

These are the smallest fans on this list. Antec is a well-known brand name, and you shouldn’t have any problems with this fan. It is made from good materials, and it won’t flex or break under the pressure. TriCool is a great small fan for everyone that needs something at this size. You can buy the black or clear version without LED lights, but they are boring. If you ask me, the best options are blue or red, both with great and vibrant LEDs. You can pair them up with bigger, 120mm version, and get the sick looking gaming PC.

It has double ball-bearing design for longer lifespan and maximum cooling with low noise. Of course, this isn’t the perfect fan and it will make some noise if you decide to go with full speed option. However, if you choose to go with normal RPMs, it can get pretty quiet. One feature that I like is 3-speed switch and it lets you balance quiet performance with maximum cooling. After all, this is a great small case fan for everyone that needs something like this. It is well-made and it doesn’t cost much. Also, I need to add that LEDs on this thing are amazing.

• Very bright LED lights
• 3-speed switch
  
  
• Looks cheap

Another great pick on this list, this time from Cooler Master. I don’t like the design, but it is what it is. We can’t complain because this is really a budget fan and you can’t expect everything to be perfect. It has a glossy black look, with 11 blades. I also don’t like the cable, because it is colorful, instead of black. You can get it in 92, 120 or 140mm option and it is recommended for CM 690/ 590/690 II. However, let’s talk about a more important thing than design, performances.

It has 11 thin blades for increased cooling at lower speeds. Airflow is good (24.2 CFM), and your PC will stay cool and run under normal temperatures. It is also pretty silent, with a noise level of 20dBA. It isn’t the quietest option out there, but you can’t get that with $6 case fan. You can order and test it, and if you don’t like it, you won’t lose so much money. After all, this is a good fan for everyone that want’s to lower their temperatures a little more.

• 11 small and tiny blades
• Airflow is really good for small fan
• Cheap
  
  
• Not very quiet

And the best 80mm case fan is here. Noctua really knows how to make the perfect fan for everyone with high-end PCs. I already said that they aren’t the prettiest, but they definitely have best overall performances. You probably don’t have brown PC system, but if you don’t have window, you shouldn’t really care about matching the colors of it. The most important thing of any PC component is how it performs, and everything else is less important. That’s why Noctua is my favorite case fan brand in the world. NF-A8 is well-built with high-quality parts. There is zero flexing or breaking, and that is one big factor of every premium case fan. It has anti-vibrational pads, so there won’t be any vibrations between chassis and fan.

I love the fact that almost every Noctua fan has LNA or low-noise adapter for even quieter results. Minimum rotational speed is 450 RPM, and on this speed, you won’t be able to hear anything. The maximum is 2200 RPM, and it is still quite on this much. If you choose to go with LN, the maximum is 1750 RPM, which is a balance between no-noise and great performances. They are using SSO2 bearing, which is great for the long lifespan of the fan. If you don’t believe in this, you should because with this fan you are getting 6-year warranty in case that anything stops working. This is one of the best case fans in small category.

• Noctua is Noctua
• Very quiet fan
• SSO2 bearing is one of the best
   
• Again, for me nice, Noctua brown design

As I mentioned multiple times in this text, fans are an important part of any PC build. It doesn’t need to be high-end because every component, cheap or expensive, can overheat. The most common are 120mm fans, and that’s why I listed 10 of them. If you ask me, one of the best case fans are Noctua NF-F12 PWM or Cooler Master ML120 PRO LED. If you don’t care about design and you want the more silent option, my advice is to go with NF-F12. However, if you want something that will give you great performance with good-looking design, don’t overthink and go with Cooler Master. I hope you learned something new and I hope you picked the best case fan for you!