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5 Best High CFM Case Fans For Efficient Cooling

The simple fact of the matter is that gaming PCs are not easy to put together. A lot of careful thought and consideration goes into choosing the right parts for you. Of course, a number of factors come into play here. With that said, one thing is common between every PC. If you cram a lot of parts inside a case, they generate a lot of heat. Especially when you push the components to their limit. This is why adequate cooling is essential to any build.

High CFM fans are starting to become important for more users these days. Although they can be a bit noisier, they can move a massive amount of air. This is something that many people cherish dearly. These fans do a fantastic job of cooling your valuable hardware. Due to higher RPM, they tend to produce more noise than most stock case fans. Most of these fans are of the dynamic type, as static fans don’t generate excessive airflow like the other fans.

So, now that you are up to speed, we’ll dive right in. Here are some of the best high CFM fans that should be on your radar.

1. Cool Master JetFlo120 PWM fan

The All-Rounder

Pros

  • High quality product
  • Moves a lot of air
  • Affordable
  • Smart jam Protection

Cons

  • Makes noticeably loud noise

Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 25 mm | Fan Speed: 800-2000 RPM | Airflow: 95 CFM | Noise: upto 36 dBA max

CoolerMaster has an excellent track record when it comes to cooling products. They’ve been in the game for a long time and focus on improving the airflow in most of their products. Cooler Master JetFlo120 is an excessive CFM and excessive static strain fan. It comes with Cooler Master’s Proprietary POM (Polyoxymethylene) bearing. This bearing uses a self-lubricating and dust-proof layout.

The fan showcases a fashionable layout and has various color options available. It comes in the LED options of red, white, blue, and a non-LED version available in black. This PWM fan can reach speeds between 800 to 2000 RPM and it is able to generate an airflow of 95 CFM and static strain of 2.72 mm H2O. The fan gets louder as RPM is increased; at its highest RPM, it can generate noise up to 36 dBA.

This product has absorption rubber pads on all 4 corners for minimizing vibration and noise. Two silent mode adapters are included with this fan. As expected these restrict the pace to 1200 RPM and 1600 RPM for silent operation. The Smart Jam Protection function stops the fan from spinning while there’s any obstruction in the path of blades. So, when the path is clear the blades spin an expected. This is a welcome protection function to help you save cables, wires, or whatever may get in the way of the blades. Due to its excessive airflow and static strain, the fan may be used with a heatsink, radiators, and inside the PC case as well. To top it all off this is one of the more affordable and well-priced fans out there as well.

Although it generates a lot of noise at higher speed, it is one of the best high CFM fans and can effectively cool down your PC. Great and efficient cooling along with some extra useful features such as the smart jam function further adds to this fan’s prowess. This is one of our favorites when it comes to PC fans for all sorts of builds. The added ability to choose between different LED options or a non LED variant further solidifies its position as our top pick.

2. Noctua NF-F12 Industrial PPC-2000 PWM fan

The Premium Pick

Pros

  • High performance
  • Relatively quieter
  • Dust and water proof
  • Really efficient

Cons

  • Expensive

Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 25 mm | Fan Speed: 2000RPM | Airflow: 121,8 m³/h | Noise: 29.7 dBA

Noctua has one of the best lines of high CFM fans. They have introduced 8 new industrial PPC fans. This fan however can be used in every situation. Noctua has always been the one to bring new high-quality products to the market and this time they have done just that with their Noctua NF-F12 Industrial PPC-2000 PWM fan.

One thing that is worth mentioning is that the company has left behind its signature color to bring you a black and brown color combination that looks even better in your PC case. This unique style of the fan makes it a decent choice for builds without any RGB or builds where you predominantly employ a dark or stealthy color scheme.

This Amazing Noctua fan is an excellent overall performance fan and packs a lot of features. The Noctua NF-F12 industrial PPC-2000 PWM is a high-performance fan and may be utilized in situations where superior cooling is required. The fan comes with Noctua’s SSO2 bearing that has an extended lifespan, is quieter, and gives a great overall performance. This fan generates a large quantity of static strain at 3.94 mm and airflow of 71.68 CFM.

This is an amazing static strain fan that can be used as a case fan for both exhaust and intake as it pushes large amounts of air. The pace of the fan varies among 450 to 2000 RPM and is fairly quieter at 29.7 dBA. All 4 corners of this fan come ready with Anti-vibration rubber pads for minimizing noise and vibrations. The fan may be utilized in servers for round the clock operation.

As far as pricing goes, this is probably the main area of concern with this product. It is one of the pricier fans on our list. With that said, don’t let it distract you from the fact that this is one of the best ones as well. As such, this is recommended by me for advanced overall performance. Furthermore, Noctua has a very good reputation in the market for making performance-oriented products and this fan is no exception.

3. Corsair ML120 PRO Premium

A Quieter Alternative

Pros

  • Excellent performance in term of cooling
  • Magnetic levitation bearing
  • Long lifespan

Cons

  • Relatively expensive
  • Noisy at higher RPM

Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 25 mm | Fan Speed: 1500 RPM | Airflow: 47.3 CFM | Noise: 25 dBA

Corsair needs no introduction as they have been dominating the market for gaming accessories and hardware. They have an excellent range of PC cases, RGB fans, mice, keyboards, RAM, etc. Among the gaming community, many of their products such as RAM and RBG keyboards are considered among the best out there so it comes as no surprise that they have found a niche in the high CFM fans market. As such, they have introduced a new Magnetic bearing to reduce friction and increase fan speeds.

This is a top-notch highly equipped incredible performance fan from Corsair and it may be visible through their excellent AIO liquid cooling Radiators. Corsair ML120 PRO makes use of a Magnetic Bearing that is the first of its type. So, this new bearing improves performance and gives the fan a longer lifespan. This PWM fan can spin at up to 2000 RPM. It is loud at the highest speed and has a noise degree score of 37 dBA at complete RPM. However, this can be overlooked as almost every high RPM fans have a tendency to be extremely loud at higher speeds.

The overall performance of this fan is outstanding as it’s able to produce excessive airflow up to 75 CFM and excessive static pressure up to 4.2mm H2O. It has additional anti-vibration rubber dampers that are replaceable without difficulty. Moving on, the fan may be used as a case fan in both open and closed spaces, and on heatsinks and radiators. So, some people might find the price to be a little expensive; however, you could save yourself your hard-earned money if you invest in a dual-fan pack. So, in case you don’t mind loud noise at higher speed and need a dependable and excessive-overall performance fan, it’s hard to go wrong with this one.

They also have a 140mm version of a fan having an airflow of 97 CFM. This is made available for PC’s that are used very aggressively. Although this may be noisy in some instances, given the full picture, I would definitely recommend you take a look into it. This is because there’s a reason this is one of the most well-reviewed fans on this list.

4. Cougar Vortex PWM fan

Budget Choice

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Relatively quiet operation

Cons

  • Color scheme doesn't always work with most setups
  • Difficulty in installation
  • Need screws when mounting

Dimensions: 120mm | Fan Speed: 800-1500 or 600-1200 | Airflow: 70.5 CFM max | Noise: 17.9/19.2 dBA

You may or may not have heard of Cougar. This is because they are highly underrated by most. Although, their products are definitely high quality and high performance. So, they have the ability to compete with most high-end brands. However, the company is receiving a lot of appreciation from gamers for their High CFM fans that are relatively very quiet in comparison with other high CFM fans.

This is defiantly one of the most silent 120mm fans among the 70 CFM airflow fans list. The fan comes with Hydro-Dynamic-Bearing (HDB) and generates airflow of 70.5 CFM. It comes with a 4-pin PWM connector and spins at speeds between 800 to 1500 RPM. The fan is very quiet and has a max noise level of 17.8dBA only. It has a patented diversion groove blade design for vortex fashioned airflow. It comes ready with anti-vibration pads at the corners to soak up vibrations, which enables it in maintaining noise to minimal levels. Due to its aerodynamic layout, the fan can provide fantastic overall performance in each confined and unrestricted environment, and it could be used as a case fan or on heatsinks & radiators.

It is available in black or orange color, and a 140mm variation of this fan is likewise to be had that still can provide the identical quantity of airflow at 70.5CFM. The choice of color is weird but acceptable seeing Cougar is a brand that employs the color orange in its branding. If you work in a quiet environment where little noise might distract you from your work and are looking for a high CFM fan that makes the least amount of noise then this might be the perfect product for you.

It has a lot of features and has the ability to direct large amounts of air. It definitely serves its purpose as a high CFM without the noise that these fans make. In addition to this, Cougar also delivers value at this price point. It is cheaper than most of the other High CFM fans out there with the same specifications. Hence, we can recommend it to people looking for a quieter and more affordable option.

5. NoctuaNF P-12redux-1700 PWM fan

Incredible Value

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Great fan speeds for the price tag

Cons

  • Comparatively Noisy
  • Colour scheme may not appeal to everyone
  • No vibration damping corner pads

Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 25 mm | Fan Speed: 1700 RPM | Airflow: 120,2 m³/h | Noise: 25.1 dBA

So, it’s easy to say that most of us are big fans of Noctua products. However, fans have been criticizing the company for being relatively expensive. With their Redux product range, they have changed the way they approached the market. Because of this, they have cut down on all the extra costs while retaining the same performance. Redux series offers a more streamlined version of the older product in new colors.

This has made the Noctua product more accessible for consumers that stayed away from the brand because of its prices. So as the name suggests it is a redux version of the very popular Noctua PF-12. This is one of the great budget fans that you may get for your PC case or heat sinks. The NF P-12 redux is a very unique hybrid fan that generates excessive airflow and excessive static stress.

This is a redux collection fan from Noctua, and because of this, it does not come with a hefty price tag and presents nearly identical performance as the alternative high-priced Noctua fans. It is a PWM fan that has a speed of 450 to 1700 RPM. Airflow and Static stress figures for this fan are 70.74 CFM and 2.83 mm H2O respectively.

This fan is not the quietest one on the list as it has the highest noise level of 25 dBA, however, it is also not the loudest fan on this list. It comes with an SSO bearing that gives stability, a longer lifespan, and a quieter operation. It does now no longer include anti-vibration pads out of the package. However, you may purchase those and set them up separately in case you need extra noise reduction and shock absorption. This fan is perfect for CPU coolers, water-cooling radiators, etc.

If you can compromise on the color scheme and design, then this fan absolutely worth considering. Also, Performance-wise it is the same as most of the high-end flagship fans. However, the price is what makes it worthy of consideration. For people that want bang for their buck, this is an excellent option. Hence, this might prove to be a good investment if you’re on a budget.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ace Luke


Ace Luke is a Washington Accord certified computer engineer with a keen interest in gaming and reviewing computer hardware since childhood.