Corsair Air Series AF120 Performance Edition Fan Review
Introduction
Corsair is a name that many enthusiasts know for making high quality products, from cases, to PSUs, to cooling products and much more. Today we'll be taking a look at the Corsair Air Series AF120 Performance Edition fan.
There are three variations of these fans, Quiet, Performance, and Static Pressure fans. Corsair has also released Twin Pack Edition for each different iteration of the fans. Some new features that Corsair has incorporated into their fans are the rubberized corners which help reduce fan vibrations from spreading to the case. This is a great technique to reducing rattling and overall noise and can improve the airflow of your case.
The different coloured rings that you see around the fan frame can easily be changed. Corsair supplies you with three different colors, Red, Blue and White. Being able to customize your fan with different colors makes this product stand out from the competition. You can customize the fans in your case to match the color scheme of your entire system.
The Performance Edition model runs at a maximum of 1650 RPM with an airflow rating of 63.47 CFM. When choosing a fan, you have the option of going with either a ball bearing or sleeve bearing fan. Sleeve bearing fans are usually quieter while ball bearing fans tend to have longer lifespans but are not as quiet. The AF120 Performance Edition fan is a sleeve bearing sealed with fluid which Corsair calls this the hydraulic bearing system. This provides the primary benefit of a sleeve bearing type which is low noise while increasing the lifespan of the fan.
Technical Specifications & Packaging
| AF120 Performance Edition Fan Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Brand: | Corsair | Series: | Air Series AF120 Performance Edition | Size: | 120mm x 25mm | Connector: | 3-pin Fan Connector |
| Bearing: | Hydraulic |
| RPM: | 1650 RPM |
| AirFlow: | 63.47 CFM |
| Operating Voltage: | 7V – 12V |
| Power Draw: | 0.13 A |
| Static Pressure: | 1.1 mm/H20 |
| Noise Level: | 30 dBA |
| Warranty: | 2 Years |
The packaging is pretty straight forward. The fan comes in a nice sleek package and on the back you have a list of some the features of
the product. The overall packaging has a matte finish and feels very well in hand.
The accessories inside are well organized and here's what you can expect to find inside the box.
What's included in the box:
* AF120 Performance Edition Airflow Fan
* Three colored rings in red, blue, and white
* Voltage step-down adapter for lower speed operation
* Mounting Screws
Test Setup & Methodology
| Test Setup | |
|---|---|
| Processor: | Intel i7 3770K @ 4.6GHz 1.30v |
| CPU Cooler: | Noctua NH-U14S |
| Thermal Compound: | Noctua NT-H1 |
| Motherboard: | Asus Maximus V Gene |
| RAM: | Kingston HyperX 8GB @ 1866Mhz |
| Graphics Card: | EVGA GTX 680 |
| Storage: | Samsung 840 Pro 256GB |
| Power Supply: | Antec Earth Watts 650W |
| Case: | Corsair Obsidian 350D |
| OS: | Windows 7 64Bit |
| Fans: | Corsair AF120 Performance Noctua NF-S12A PWM Noctua NF-S12A ULN Noctua NF-S12A FLX Corsair SP120 Performance NZXT RF-FZ120 Scythe S-Flex SFF21D SilverStone AP123 |
All of the fans listed above will be tested inside the Corsair 350D. Five of each fan type were installed into the case which is the maximum amount of fans the case can take. Two in the front (in-taking), one in the rear exhausting and two in the top exhausting.
The 3770K will be overclocked to 4.6Ghz with using around 1.30 volts so we can get a lot of heat generated. The CPU cooler that we will be using is the Noctua NH-U14S because it's a great single tower cooler. This will be a good way to test how efficient each fan is at moving the air out of the case. All the fans were tested at 12 volts straight from the power supply and at maximum fan speed.
All of the testing is done with an ambient temperature of ~19C. RealTemp will be used to monitor the temperature of the CPU and Prime95 (Large FFTs) will be used to deliver the full load to the CPU for 20 minutes. After each testing, we let the temperature inside the case to stabilize for 10 minutes to ensure that the temperature inside the case is back to normal.
Idle temperatures will be measured after leaving the computer idle for 20 minutes. CPU-Z will be used to verify the CPU speed and the voltage being used in Windows 7.
One thing that I have to say before the test is that I'm using 1.30 volts for the overclock but you clearly don't need 1.30 volts to get the 3770K stable at 4.6Ghz but I'm doing this to stress test the cooler to its limits. You can easily get it stable with using ~1.25 volts and you will probably get much better temperatures than I did so keep that in mind.
Results
The Corsair AF120 Performance fan delivered more than acceptable idle temperatures, same goes to the SP120. We tested all the fans at maximum speed and the majority of them did fine as you can see from the results above.
Looking at the full load temperatures, both the Corsair SP120 and AF120 Performance fans managed to pull ahead by a few Celsius compared to other fans. We can see that other fans reached temperatures of above 80 Celsius which is very dangerous.
Conclusion
Corsair has been making high quality cooling components for a long time now and the AF120 Performance fan is an impressive fan that delivers low temperatures while being whisper quiet. The AF120 Performance fan offers a nice upgrade over stock fans that come with most cases by decreasing noise and increasing cooling performance. Not only that but the AF120 looks very sleek and sturdy which is a must for people who are into modding and customization like myself.
Pros:
+ Sturdy
+ Whisper Quiet Fan
+ Customization
+ Great Air-Flow
+ Hydraulic Bearing
Cons:
- Pricey
- Not 4-Pin PWM Connector
Overall, the Air Series AF120 Performance fan is a premium product that comes with a premium price tag but that is to
be expected from a company such as Corsair that is specialized in creating high quality cooling components.
Corsair's fans are crafted with high quality materials built to last a long time and you can clearly see that when holding the fan.
Corsair offers a 2 year warranty on their fans which is not much if you compare it to Noctua's 6 year warranty. Both Corsair's AF120 and Noctua's NF-S12A PWM fans were quiet under full load during our testing but Noctua's NF-S12A PWM was a little bit quieter. The NF-S12A PWM uses a 4-Pin PWM connector while the AF120 uses a 3-Pin connector.
The AF120 Performance fan retails for $14.99 on Amazon which can be a little bit pricey for some people but the build quality of the fan is top notch and comes with different coloured rings for people who are into customization. Corsair makes great cooling components and having a lineup of a few different types of fans to choose from (Performance, Quiet, Static Pressure) is really great for consumers. The AF120 Performance fan offers great performance and is dead silent even when running at full speed and I highly recommend them to anyone who wants whisper quiet fans.
Final Score 8.6
