Thursday, October 13th 2022

Thermaltake Launches ToughFAN 12 and ToughFAN 14 RGB High Static Pressure Fans

Thermaltake, the leading PC DIY premium brand for Case, Power, Cooling, Gaming peripherals, and enthusiast Memory solutions, announces their high-end high static pressure radiator fan, the TOUGHFAN 12/ 14 RGB. Thermaltake's TOUGHFAN lineup has long been exceptional in terms of cooling capability, and their newest TOUGHFAN 12/ 14 RGB takes things even further with its unique design, and RGB lighting effects.

Built upon the fundamentals of an already high-performing TOUGHFAN 12/ 14 high static pressure fan, now we've introduced magnificent RGB lighting into the series to make the TOUGHFAN 12/14 RGB pop. Let's start from its look, boasting its luminous fan frame design with 24 addressable 16.8 million color LEDs, TOUGHFAN 12/ 14 RGB empowers users to explore the possibilities of ultimate personalization from the ground up. The design encourages users to get creative with their builds and colors in a variety of ways, which is exhilarating. Besides, it is worth mentioning that TOUGHFAN 12/ 14 RGB natively works withthe all-new 4th generation software controller, so that you will experience a more stable connection across TT RGB PLUS products and perky RGB lighting effects.
On the other hand, cooling performance is the last thing you should be worried about since the TOUGHFAN 12/ 14 RGB is a PWM-controlled fan, which has a fan speed of up to 2000RPM, allowing it to push respectable airflow while retaining a low perceivable noise levels. For those who are in search of a quiet, well-cooled, and comprehensive system, TOUGHFAN 12/ 14 RGB is undoubtedly a fantastic, well-rounded option.

Regarding its build quality, TOUGHFAN 12/ 14 RGB shares the same full steel motor hub that the previous TOUGHFAN series utilizes, offering proven stability and durability for years to come. On top of that, paired with 2nd generation hydraulic bearing, which highlights a new shaft design within etches, it allows TOUGHFAN 12/ 14 RGB to stay lubricated for an extended period of time while significantly decreasing unwanted fan noise. Moreover, the liquid crystal polymer (LCP) fan blade is the icing on the cake, bringing down the in-operation vibration by an impressive margin. Last but not least, the transparent rubber pads around the corners of the fan frame make it more engaging with your RGB lighting shining through the entire chassis.

Cooling performance, aesthetic presentation, and build quality can never be understated and must not be compromised. Hence, we created the TOUGHFAN 12/ 14 RGB, which checks all the boxes, and we would like to invite you to unveil more creative ideas in your build while keeping it cool at all times. The way we see it, the TOUGHFAN 12/ 14 RGB high static fan is exactly what you need to level up your next build.

TOUGHFAN 12/ 14 RGB High Static Pressure Fan Features:
Unique Glowing Design
TOUGHFAN RGB is specially designed with a unique luminous fan frame with 24 addressable 16.8 million color LEDs evenly distributed within its frame. TOUGHFAN RGB adds more personality to the TOUGHFAN series and brings more lighting personalization options into your build.

Unparalleled Cooling Performance
TOUGHFAN 12 RGB high static pressure fan can perform at a maximum operating speed of up to 2000 RPM, producing a consistent airflow of 53.75 CFM with 2.4 mm-H2O static pressure and maintaining a low audio noise level of 21.2 dB-A.

Better Experience and Greater Lighting Effects
TOUGHFAN RGB adopts an all-new 4th generation software controller that can increase connection stability while syncing up TT RGB Plus supported products, allowing 16.8M RGB color lighting effects to match with any theme you wish.

Caution: Due to voltage limitation, it is recommended not to connect more than 3 TOUGHFAN RGB/ SWAFAN/Riing Quad/Riing Trio fans to a single controller. You can only add a maximum of 6 TOUGHFAN RGB/ SWAFAN/Riing Quad/Riing Trio fans with two controllers by a single 4pin Molex cable.

Exceptional Blade Design
To minimize the fans operation noise, the fan blades are constructed using Liquid crystal polymer (LCP), a high tensile strength and low thermal expansion coefficient material.

2nd Generation Hydraulic Bearing
The TOUGHFAN RGB is also made with the 2nd generation hydraulic bearing, which incorporates a new shaft design with inside etches, allowing preservation of lubricant on both sides while reducing noise during operation—lowering audible levels and extending the lifespan for the fans.

Metal-Reinforced Motor Hub
The TOUGHFAN RGB's center is constructed with the same full steel motor hub as any other TOUGHFAN series product, providing enhanced stability and durability.

Anti-Vibration Mounting System
To best express the RGB lighting of TOUGHFAN RGB, we especially developed a transparent anti-vibration rubber pad that can dampen the fan's vibration, allowing the fan to spin at higher levels without compromising noise levels to show off RGB lighting at all angles. The fan is designed to cover a large surface of all corners, maintaining low noise levels when in operation.

For more information, visit the product pages of the TOUGHFAN 12 RGB and TOUGHFAN 14 RGB .
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21 Comments on Thermaltake Launches ToughFAN 12 and ToughFAN 14 RGB High Static Pressure Fans

#1
Chaitanya
@VSG can you get them in for review? that claim about frame is quite interesting, also want to know real power consumption figures.
Posted on Reply
#2
AnarchoPrimitiv
I really like the design, and would like to try them out, but knowing Thermaltake, it'll be $120+ for a set of three, will have proprietary connectors and require their proprietary controller....and I just can't bring myself to pay $360+ for the nine fans my Chassis needs when my CPU and GPU never get above 70°C with cheap montech fans that cost $90 for all nine of them. ***BTW, I looked it up and Thermaltake wants $120 for a three pack of the 120mm and $130 for the 140mm....deal of the century...

....I seriously want to know why the PC industry decided to create that weird 4 minus 1 equals 3 pin connector for 5v addressable LEDs instead of just using the same 3pin JST connector that every single generic addressable LED strip uses...does anyone know which Brand developed that weird connector/header and why?

Just for clarification, the first picture below shows the PC industry addressable header/connector and the second picture below shows the "LED industry's" generic connector that the PC industry should use
Posted on Reply
#3
zlobby
Jeesus, these things can induce seizures even in NASA astronauts...
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#4
P4-630
Another Noctua wannebe.....
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#5
zlobby
P4-630Another Noctua wannebe.....
Nobody can mimic a fraction of Noctua's color scheme!
Posted on Reply
#6
P4-630
zlobbyNobody can mimic a fraction of Noctua's color scheme!
Noctua would sue them haha...
Posted on Reply
#7
zlobby
P4-630Noctua would sue them haha...
Meh. They can never get the exact brown color. Maybe come close to it but never get it right. That's the real Noctua power.
Posted on Reply
#8
kapone32
zlobbyMeh. They can never get the exact brown color. Maybe come close to it but never get it right. That's the real Noctua power.
The thing about Noctua fans is once you buy one you appreciate all the positive reviews of Noctua. RGB on the frame was already done by Phanteks (it was an actual frame) and I also swear by those. Thermaltake have decided that only rich or people as the prices they charge for all of their products now is absolutely crazy.
Posted on Reply
#9
VSG
Editor, Reviews & News
Chaitanya@VSG can you get them in for review? that claim about frame is quite interesting, also want to know real power consumption figures.
The anechoic chamber at work is undergoing maintenance and has already delayed a few fan reviews, so I'd rather get those done first before taking more on. But I'll keep this in mind, thanks for asking.
Posted on Reply
#10
thegnome
What a way to make one ugly fan. Propietary connectors and the absurd price doesn't help. Really wonder how TT doesn't go down under like this..
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#11
TechLurker
thegnomeWhat a way to make one ugly fan. Propietary connectors and the absurd price doesn't help. Really wonder how TT doesn't go down under like this..
By supposedly copying and threatening legal action against the original designers, as was supposedly the case behind the fall of Caselabs. And by copying and mass-producing successful ideas elsewhere, as they've done copying Noctua, who also somewhat copied EK (Vardars), who also copied Nidec (Gentle Typhoons).

That said, it's a shame that Thermaltake went from an innovative company with a number of novelty cases and parts to a mostly copy-cat maker. What little creativity they have left is mostly in their case division. I did like when they were pushing novel hybrid air-water cooling solutions via their Big Water series, and their attempt at early Phase Change and Tec-based PC cases. My favorite cases from them are still the old SwordM and Taichi, which I'd love to see back in a modernized format with proper mounting for a massive radiator on the side panel (instead of a glass/acrylic panel) and a vented/filtered front (removing most/all of the old 5.25 bays).

Back on the topic, the ToughFAN trades favorably with the AF12x25 and the old guard Vardars and GTs, but while they gave up longevity, they did offer more color options than the others.
Posted on Reply
#12
Chrispy_
AnarchoPrimitivI just can't bring myself to pay $360+ for the nine fans my Chassis needs when my CPU and GPU never get above 70°C with cheap montech fans that cost $90 for all nine of them.
www.arctic.de/en/P12-PWM-PST/ACFAN00137A

€6.40 a fan, for something that is/has
  • quiet
  • versatile balance of blade design that can handle heatsinks, radiators, and case intakes alike
  • fluid-dynamic bearings
  • a 6-year warranty
  • daisy-chainable PWM cables
  • positive reviews all over the 'net
  • from a company that isn't morally-dubious, rips off other companies, or extremely litigative when called out on this by the competitors they ripped off.
You can literally run a full compliment off pissy-weak 1A motherboard fan headers using BIOS fan control so that it's super-clean, spaghetti-free wiring and is fully controllable without any shitty PWM hubs or nasty software rubbish.
Posted on Reply
#13
cellar door
Chaitanya@VSG can you get them in for review? that claim about frame is quite interesting, also want to know real power consumption figures.
The power consumption will be negligible, comparable to pretty much any other RGB fan within a small margin.
Posted on Reply
#14
robertson
Chrispy_www.arctic.de/en/P12-PWM-PST/ACFAN00137A

€6.40 a fan, for something that is/has
  • quiet
  • versatile balance of blade design that can handle heatsinks, radiators, and case intakes alike
  • fluid-dynamic bearings
  • a 6-year warranty
  • daisy-chainable PWM cables
  • positive reviews all over the 'net
  • from a company that isn't morally-dubious, rips off other companies, or extremely litigative when called out on this by the competitors they ripped off.
You can literally run a full compliment off pissy-weak 1A motherboard fan headers using BIOS fan control so that it's super-clean, spaghetti-free wiring and is fully controllable without any shitty PWM hubs or nasty software rubbish.
Quality fan for its price but has an awful whine at 1000RPM. Even at other RPM it whines although not as badly. I had 6 of them and all started whining eventually. I didn't bother RMAing them, just gave them to someone who doesn't care. Testing the Phanteks T30, no such whine.

You are 100% right about Thermaltake though, they're very scummy. I pity Thermalright because they're pretty cool and people often confuse them.
Posted on Reply
#15
Chaitanya
cellar doorThe power consumption will be negligible, comparable to pretty much any other RGB fan within a small margin.
Sticker on back of fan(14cm) says .7A @12V while specs say .29A @12V(for fan alone) so if remaining ~.4A draw is for LEDs alone then its absurdly high power consumption for a fan.
Posted on Reply
#16
Chrispy_
robertsonQuality fan for its price but has an awful whine at 1000RPM. Even at other RPM it whines although not as badly. I had 6 of them and all started whining eventually. I didn't bother RMAing them, just gave them to someone who doesn't care. Testing the Phanteks T30, no such whine.

You are 100% right about Thermaltake though, they're very scummy. I pity Thermalright because they're pretty cool and people often confuse them.
The resonant PWM whine is true of many other fans from Corsair, NZXT, Fractal, Silverstone, CoolerMaster, Antec, to name just a few. The included fans on the Deepcool AK620 are the worst I've heard for this; Great cooler, but resonance is a deal-breaker so I'm going back to the ID-Cooling 226-XT for work builds.

I mostly build with Arctic P12/F12 and Bequiet PW2 fans. The F12s don't hum in isolation but you can get a little bit of resonance with three side-by-side as front intakes. The PW2s don't hum at all. You can work around hum by tuning your fan curve so that it doesn't sit all the time at exactly the resonant frequency. If it was a specific problem with just the P12 PWM fans, I'd worry about it but it's something I've been dealing with for decades before the P12 was even released to market so I don't even think twice about.

It's probably no coincidence that the (short) list of whine-free fans either have corrugated blades for structural stiffness, or they use LCP for the blade material (Noctua A12x25, Phanteks T30). I refuse to support Thermaltake so can't comment on the Toughfan 12 with LCP blades too, but perhaps someone who's used one can comment.
Posted on Reply
#17
zlobby
kapone32The thing about Noctua fans is once you buy one you appreciate all the positive reviews of Noctua. RGB on the frame was already done by Phanteks (it was an actual frame) and I also swear by those. Thermaltake have decided that only rich or people as the prices they charge for all of their products now is absolutely crazy.
I rock Noctua from NVRs to servers.

And their industrial ones? Boy, I have some of them in some preeeety fucked up locations, zero maintenance, yet they work 24/7 without dropping a single RPM. I trully admire such engineering.

Pretty happy, apart from the price.

How should I put it, I'd pay for their OnlyFans.
Posted on Reply
#18
TheDeeGee
zlobbyNobody can mimic a fraction of Noctua's color scheme!
I guess you've been living under a rock the past 5 years, as Noctua has Black fans as well.
Posted on Reply
#19
Chrispy_
ChaitanyaSticker on back of fan(14cm) says .7A @12V while specs say .29A @12V(for fan alone) so if remaining ~.4A draw is for LEDs alone then its absurdly high power consumption for a fan.
The thing the PC fan market needs is screw-on ARGBLED rings that mount the same way fan grilles used to mount.

That way we can separate the functionality of a fan from the ARGBLED and also mix and match the fan we want with the ARGBLED ring/grille/anime frame/whatever. There are many good fans, and there are many ARGBLED fans. There really aren't very many good ARGBLED fans though...
Posted on Reply
#20
Chaitanya
Chrispy_The thing the PC fan market needs is screw-on ARGBLED rings that mount the same way fan grilles used to mount.

That way we can separate the functionality of a fan from the ARGBLED and also mix and match the fan we want with the ARGBLED ring/grille/anime frame/whatever. There are many good fans, and there are many ARGBLED fans. There really aren't very many good ARGBLED fans though...
Phanteks and Silverstone do make such grills with ARGB/RGB LEDs to attach to fans of your choice. Issue with such add-ons is that in order to look right fan blades need to be either white or transparent/transluscent else effects are quite dull. Seems like those grills arent selling as well as these led fans else we would have seen a flood of those on market.
Posted on Reply
#21
kapone32
ChaitanyaPhanteks and Silverstone do make such grills with ARGB/RGB LEDs to attach to fans of your choice. Issue with such add-ons is that in order to look right fan blades need to be either white or transparent/transluscent else effects are quite dull. Seems like those grills arent selling as well as these led fans else we would have seen a flood of those on market.
This. The only thing is the stupid lack of a standard means that you may get a strip the is incompatible with the rest of your kit. Then there is also the cost as a Phanteks SK140s ARGB are $40 for 3 which is about the same as ordering 3 ARGB frames them. There is also the fact that most of them are reserved to 120mm fans.
Chrispy_The thing the PC fan market needs is screw-on ARGBLED rings that mount the same way fan grilles used to mount.

That way we can separate the functionality of a fan from the ARGBLED and also mix and match the fan we want with the ARGBLED ring/grille/anime frame/whatever. There are many good fans, and there are many ARGBLED fans. There really aren't very many good ARGBLED fans though...
Phanteks SK120 and 140, Cooler Master Sickle Flow ARGB and Inwin Jupiter ARGB fans are all excellent for noise/performance, lighting quality and price.
Posted on Reply
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