I think everyone here is aware of ARCTIC and almost everyone has some inkling of the ARCTIC P12, whether it's the older 3-pin version, the newer PWM version, the PWM PST I have here, or the even faster P12 Max that goes up to 3000 RPM. There's also RGB and ARGB versions, a CO (continuous operation) version, and even a Slim version now to where ARCTIC has more P12 fans than many brands have products in totality. Obviously I can't test everything, although I have an idea to try and do an overview of sorts with some of them, maybe even the airflow-optimized F12. Either way, the reason I'm dawdling here is that there's really not a lot to say. The ARCTIC P12 PWM PST costs $10, but obviously get a 5-pack when on sale and it's now closer to half the price. You can get the non-PST version for basically $5 each thus, and just get the standalone ARCTIC PWM sharing cable accessory that will do a better job daisy-chaining the fans together. At this price, unless these fans are actively working against you—there are some reverse blade fans you could install incorrectly and end up sucking air out of the case—you really can't go wrong.

The ARCTIC P12 PWM is not the best performing fan on a radiator, and here too I don't think anyone is surprised. It's a fairly basic design with a rotor that feels more optimized for a balance of airflow and static pressure, no doubt faring better on an air cooler or case filter relative to some of the top performers in the list. This is also complemented by the part where the fan performs relatively better at lower fan speeds than higher ones, meaning scaling with the higher airflow restriction is holding it back. What did surprise me though was that the differences were smaller than I expected, and obviously the lower airflow also means a quieter fan owing to less airflow noise. The P12 PWM PST still gets bested from a performance/noise basis though, yet I should point out those fans cost significantly more. I also appreciate ARCTIC providing a six-year warranty, and I've personally seen their customer service to be top-notch.

There are still some things here and there which keep me from giving our top award though. For one, these fans obviously are not <11 dB loud. Second, the attempt to justify the lack of anti-vibration pads with an unfamiliar motor magnetization term feels like it's either a language barrier at play, or trying to just confuse the customers. Lastly, and this is something which is harder to say over words or even with recordings since what you play the audio files back on will matter a lot, these fans are less pleasant to listen to than many of the more premium fans. There's a distinct high pitch and emphasis in the lower treble which is described as a "brighter" sound in audiophile terms. This happens predominantly at lower fan speeds, and of course is less likely to be an issue inside a closed case. I do wish the daisy-chaining was better implemented, but I'll happily recommend the ARCTIC P12 PWM PST fans and acknowledge the great value proposition too.