ARCTIC P12 Silent - PC Fan, 120mm Case Fan, Pressure-optimised, Very Quiet Motor, Computer, Fan Speed: 1050 RPM - Black

Update: Since writing my initial review, I purchased 5 more Arctic fans, this time the 4pin PWM PST models. I have had two of those fans develop a tick in the motor and several others have a whirr noise around 1200rpm... all in the PST PWM models. The 3 pin Silent versions are just fine. The price has also doubled since my initial review. Between the price hike and some of these noise issues with the PWM models, I find them much harder to recommend. They are now at Be Quiet Pure Wings and Noctua Redux prices. Both of those are subjectivity better.I was able to review the Arctic P12 Silence version of this fan. It is a 3 pin, fixed rpm of 1050. As someone who has purchased many cooling products based on recommendations only to be disappointed, let me say silence is subjective. I would say my bar is higher than most. I do have quite a collection of Noctua products. While I believe they are the best in the quiet department, their price tag can be a barrier to many. When I saw these Arctic fans, their price, and their reviews, I was curious.What makes a fan quiet? Some people assume it's all about rpm (speed) and any fan can be quiet if you run it slow enough. This is completely false. Bearing noise and motor noise is among the biggest causes of noise. Take the Cooler Master Fan Pro, even at 400 rpm, the bearing noise is offensive. They actually sound better at higher speeds as the air noise masks the bearing buzz. Noctua's secret sauce is their SSO bearing, which is a tuned Fluid Dynamic Bearing. These are among the quietest and usually demands a premium price. This includes both Noctua and Be Quiet! I was surprised to see that Arctic was able to put a Fluid Dynamic Bearing in a fan that cost a third of the price.What's the verdict on the Arctic P12? They are among the quietest I've heard. There is no bearing or motor noise, none! The air noise is also minimal and pleasant. Only noticeable at 10 inches or less to my ears. Matching the rpm to my collection of Noctua fans, Arctic wins in that department. The Arctics also move a comparable amount of air, but I'd give the nod to Noctua.Where does Arctic skimp out? Noctua has a sleeved cable, the P12 does not. The cable is all black, but is not sleeved. This would be a no-no in a premium fan, but is easily forgiven in a fan this price. I would also say the density and weight of the plastic is slightly below Noctua and even Thermalright. It's not poor, it's not cheap looking like OEM fans, just a step down. Most people won't notice, once the fan is installed, you won't be touching it for years anyway. Overall, the solid black scheme is attractive and will fit in most builds.My conclusion is I won't be spending more money on Noctua anytime soon. Sorry Noctua. They are an amazing product and are superior. When Arctic costs so little, paying for that difference is hard to justify. Buy Arctic for sure.Thank you for reading to the end and please help me out by pressing that helpful button.

I had to replace a defective cooling fan on my PCs cabinet/case. The old fan had stopped working after many years. So I needed to replace it with this one! And it works great! It’s quiet, and it was easy to install. It’s been functioning well for the better part of two years. I’m very happy with its function and I was happy with the prize.

Went it perfectly, absolutely quiet to my ears.I am aware of some complaining about lifespan. If something happens, I will update this.

I use a tower case to record and replacing with these brought the fan noise level way down.

This fan doesn't move as much air as some other fans but if Ultra Quiet is what you want- this is your fan.It's so quiet when I first plugged it in- I though it wasn't running.Quieter than a whisper.

Great fans if you prioritize quietness over cooling. They don't push a lot of air and have awful static pressure making them not too great if you use them with a dust filter

To cool laptop with fallen CPU cooling fan.

I would characterize this fan as "silent", meaning that I couldn't hear it from a normal seating distance. This is due to its design and also its low default 1050RPM. This is a great inexpensive alternative to silent Noctua fans.