CORSAIR iCUE SP120 RGB ELITE Fan

[VSG]

CORSAIR adds to their ever-growing fan family with the much-requested SP RGB ELITE fans. Previously only sold with RGB variants of their cases, these new fans offer excellent PWM control over a relatively long RPM range for case fans, coupled with low noise, directed-airflow performance, and the now-customary RGB lighting with iCUE software control.

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[Dave65]

I don't know if the software has changed, but I gave up on Corsair AIO's because the software was just to bloated for me.

 

[VSG]

I don't know if the software has changed, but I gave up on Corsair AIO's because the software was just to bloated for me.

Might be a good time for you to try again, it's a pretty nice improvement with the new version.

 

[Haile Selassie]

No thermals? It is well known stator vane fans are superior due to narrower exhaust cone, how could one assume stator vane fan has poor performance? This is like at least 20 year old knowledge?

Yes, using stator will net some pressure loss but will more than make up for more uniform volumetric flow rate through cooler fin array.

 

[dgianstefani]

Literally. Just put an rgb ring on some noctua NF-A12x25 and call it a day. Spray paint the frame black if it really bothers you that much.

1cfm difference to ek vardar but 7db quieter lmfao.

 

[Dave65]

Might be a good time for you to try again, it's a pretty nice improvement with the new version.

May do that, but right now I want to see how long i can get out of my Enermax LiqMax 360. Got it when they first came out over a year now and 24/4 use still going strong. Maybe they fixed the clogging issue..

 

[MDWiley]

No thermals? It is well known stator vane fans are superior due to narrower exhaust cone, how could one assume stator vane fan has poor performance? This is like at least 20 year old knowledge?

Yes, using stator will net some pressure loss but will more than make up for more uniform volumetric flow rate through cooler fin array.

I don’t have a deep understanding of aerodynamics or fluid dynamics. Could you elaborate on why the stator vane design is superior? I thought thermals are generally better (for liquid cooling) with static pressure fans, no?

 

[bogami]

I really like them. And for the pier I find lowering the maximum RPM fan at the expense of profit, and then hiding it in the excuse that it is quieter. The price is enormous and we have speed controllers, and until they raise the max revs to at least 2400 RPM on the 120mm model and 2000 RPM on the 140mm, I can just go elsewhere to purchase. Where they understand that preformens is the first and main function of this product. Too bad the PVMs are so embarrassed on these fens . they kill the interest in me .

 

[Haile Selassie]

I don’t have a deep understanding of aerodynamics or fluid dynamics. Could you elaborate on why the stator vane design is superior? I thought thermals are generally better (for liquid cooling) with static pressure fans, no?

Stator vane fan has narrower exhaust cone. Contrary to the popular belief, most non-SVF blow air in a ~ 150-170° cone with majority of air being blown out to the sides with a great depression area right beneath what most people think it is exhaust. This means a non-SVF fan mostly cools sides of the radiator and not so much the core.

 

[MxPhenom 216]

For a SP fan, its not very static pressure-y....

And unless Corsair goes the way that Lian Li has done, just too many cables to deal with. Plus the Lian Li UNI have much more usable RPM range, more static pressure, and airflow.

 

[Chrispy_]

Unimpressive as a radiator fan, tbh. RGBLED-focus and who gives and damn how well it works, eh?

NF-A12x25, ML-120, BeQuiet SW3 are all significantly better fans, period. Two of them are significantly cheaper at the same time.

 

[Gmr_Chick]

Another alternative for rad fans would be to buy a couple of (insert reputable brand here) fans and slap a couple of Phanteks Halo shrouds on em

I did Though I did so to the fans (which I hate) that came with my Corsair AIO

 

[Mussels]

One fun tip is that you can modify the cable from the RGB hub into a standard 3 pin ARGB, and then connect these fans to any ARGB controller you want

Corsair need to sell these adaptors so we can mix and match technology and stop being so locked in - corsair ARGB hubs would sell fast if we could use their superior software to control generic fans and strips

 

[John Naylor]

Corsair Fans have long been known in the water cooling community to lose their low speed control at low rpm when ganged on a single channel (geberally referred to as Corsair Syndrome) .... it shouldn't be a problem w/ most MoBo / Fan combination with up to even 12 fans ... however, with Corsair PWM fans, at least back in the day, it gets to be an issue with about 5 fans. I have not seen this issue addressed however in many years, Would be a good test to include in future reviews. Would love to learn whether Corsair has designed out the "Corsair Syndrome Flaw" over the last 7-8 years

See post 27

The best PWM rad fans (going to be very exact spec needs)

www.overclock.net

Would also be great to have a 140mm DB as we have many test reults for 120mm and 140m versions of fans do not align very well with each other.

 

[VSG]

Corsair Fans have long been known in the water cooling community to lose their low speed control at low rpm when ganged on a single channel (geberally referred to as Corsair Syndrome) .... it shouldn't be a problem w/ most MoBo / Fan combination with up to even 12 fans ... however, with Corsair PWM fans, at least back in the day, it gets to be an issue with about 5 fans. I have not seen this issue addressed however in many years, Would be a good test to include in future reviews. Would love to learn whether Corsair has designed out the "Corsair Syndrome Flaw" over the last 7-8 years

See post 27

The best PWM rad fans (going to be very exact spec needs)

www.overclock.net

Would also be great to have a 140mm DB as we have many test reults for 120mm and 140m versions of fans do not align very well with each other.

No one sends out more than 1-3 fans really, so it is near impossible to test for this unfortunately. I am well aware of what you described, since I and a few others on OCN even developed a makeshift solution to this in 2014 or so.

 

[John Naylor]

Huh ? maybe folks who can sit in a room with 53 ddA AIO fans, but for me ..... I can't sit in that room, if I can tell a system is on with my ears, that is unacceptable ... and that's the way many water coolers from the pre AIO era want. Having a half dozen fans spinning at 2200 rpm is like trying to concentrate while someone is vacuuming the room. Take look at some of Darla's (IT Diva) builds, she wrote that post. I have seen builds on OCN with 3 or 4 (560mm) rads in push / pull. For rouine daily activity ... Sreadheets, AutoCAD, browasing, word processing, etc the fans don't even spin ... if fan curve calls for < 350 rpm, they shut off.

My Box ... right now, no fans spinning, system working in passive cooling mode.... many ole time water coolers use higher numbers of fans at low rpm to create a completely noise free build .... in the build below, fan rpm never breaks 625 rpm and understress testing they don't break 825 or so.

CPU & CPU OPT Header ==> Dual Swiftech 35x2 Pump
CHA_1 Header ==> Hub No. 1 ==> (6) PH-140SP fans on 420 rad in push / pull
CHA_2 Header ==> Hub No. 2 ==> (4) PH-140SP fans on 280 rad in push / pull
CHA_1 Header ==> Hub No. 3 ==> (6) PH-140SP case fans

The reason I have the fans or each rad on separate channels is that:

a) The larger rad is downstream of the GFX cards which produce 580watts of heat
b) The smaller rad is downstream of the CPU which produces 145 watts of heat

And while component order has no effect on heat exchange, its simply a matter of total in total out .... with temperature sensors on the in and out of each rad, I can balance the heat loading to be equal across each 140mm of radiator by having separate fan curves for each rad ... the lower 280 rad reacts 1st to a rise in coolant temp. The 420 comes in only if the 280 is not keeping temps below the curve. So if I am doing something CPU intensive, the 210 rad fans might never go om. But of you have one of those cases with a basement and twin 420's or 560's ... that's going to be 6 or 8 fans. I mean it generally doesn't become an issue because from a performance / noise ratio ... folks aren't picking these fans anyway


My 28 year old son's box has a Swifthech AIO w/ 2 rad fans, (7) case fans .... two on back of storage cage blowing air above and below GFX card area

 

[biopunk]

Thoughts on SP140 Elite vs ML140 RGB (Pro or Elite Capellix fans) as a 16 FPI radiator fan (push)? If I'm going to keep them below 1200 RPM, which one should provide better airflow when noise-normalized?

 

[VSG]

Thoughts on SP140 Elite vs ML140 RGB (Pro or Elite Capellix fans) as a 16 FPI radiator fan (push)? If I'm going to keep them below 1200 RPM, which one should provide better airflow when noise-normalized?

Hardware Labs? If so, these should be better.

 

[Norkris]

nice. I was wondering if you guys could test the fans from the Cm ml240p Mirage the same way?
you guys did a review of the cooler, i hope you still have it.
i think that fan would perform well

 

[VSG]

nice. I was wondering if you guys could test the fans from the Cm ml240p Mirage the same way?
you guys did a review of the cooler, i hope you still have it.
i think that fan would perform well

We have a different editor who reviews CPU coolers, and I only do retail fans. If CM sells those fans separately, that would be an option down the line for sure.

 

[Norkris]

We have a different editor who reviews CPU coolers, and I only do retail fans. If CM sells those fans separately, that would be an option down the line for sure.

Thanks for replay, does that mean that the cooler is in a different location or something since the review is done by another person?

The reason i think the Mirage Fans could be very good is because they share a similar design as the new overpriced CM ML SF120M

 

[VSG]

Thanks for replay, does that mean that the cooler is in a different location or something since the review is done by another person?

The reason i think the Mirage Fans could be very good is because they share a similar design as the new overpriced CM ML SF120M

Yes, the coolers are tested by our CPU cooler editor in the US. I am in the UK now.

 

[Norkris]

Yes, the coolers are tested by our CPU cooler editor in the US. I am in the UK now.

Ouch Rip. So what do you think the chances of him sending you a Fan is?

Any plans to do the big boys/kings of fans soon? Arctic P12, P12 ARGB and P120 ARGB

 

[VSG]

Ouch Rip. So what do you think the chances of him sending you a Fan is?

Any plans to do the big boys/kings of fans soon? Arctic P12, P12 ARGB and P120 ARGB

Maybe if Arctic ever responded to my email

 

[Deleted member 205776]

Any plans to do the big boys/kings of fans soon? Arctic P12, P12 ARGB and P120 ARGB

Lol, for being the """kings of fans""" they sure make the worst motor noise I've ever heard.