Performance Testing

Please refer to the dedicated test setup page as it applies to this review as well and I did not want to go over it separately to save on review space.


The Lian Li UNI FAN P28 offers three operating modes, although the controller needed to change between them is only included with the triple pack—I don't see it available for purchase separately at this time. I would have rather seen a switch on the back similar to what Phanteks did with the T30-120, and this would have also reduced the need for a separate cable while also allowing different fans to be at different fan speeds just in case you have two groups connected together. Regardless, seen above is the fan RPM profile for the UNI FAN P28 in the three modes—L (silent), M (normal), and H (performance). The data is the average taken for each fan tested separately since the group of three is seen as one fan collectively as far as RPM goes. I will also point out that, if your fan header can't provide enough current, the fans may turn off at lower PWM duty cycle rather than idling at ~200 RPM. This can be especially true in the group setting so you may end up with an unadvertised zero-RPM modes. These fans default to the performance mode without the controller, giving you a max rated speed of 2600 RPM compared to the 2591 RPM I measured with these three samples. Likewise, the 2205 and 1285 RPM numbers are close enough to the rated 2200 and 1200 RPM in normal and silent modes even though I'd have liked things to be closer in the latter operation. The fan profiles are quite linear and I had a long 12-100% PWM duty cycle in each mode on top of minimal sample variation to where I am very happy with the results achieved. In practice, you could just set the controller to L and call it a day if you are happy with the noise level. If not, simply choose the RPM range of control required, set it to the respective mode, and then assign a custom fan curve accordingly.


I chose to test these fans in the M (normal) mode since it already goes up to a max of 2200 RPM which is plenty for pretty much everyone reading this review. At each point I measured the noise level and airflow through the radiator and the graph above shows the average values for the three fans. There is a small standard deviation here accounting for sample variation in the produced noise levels especially but otherwise we see a similar trend as with the fan RPM itself and more context is needed to put these numbers into perspective.


The charts above help compare the Lian Li UNI FAN P28 against other such fans tested and at specifically chosen RPM values reflecting usage scenarios most popular with watercooling, although some fans go higher as is the case here. The charts are to be considered for comparison within this result set only and are not to be compared with results from another test elsewhere, owing to different testing conditions. Note that these are average values for all samples of each fan and do not reflect any sample variation either but overall it's quite evident that Lian Li has a high performance fan on its hands here. Indeed, the UNI FAN P28 trades blows with the excellent Phanteks T30-120 when it comes to pushing air through my chosen point of airflow restriction—a radiator—and actually seems to perform better the faster it spins. I would say these fans in the M or H mode might well be overkill for air cooling, but your mileage may vary as the results do indicate potential for high speed server rack cooling too. It's also not as loud relatively so things are shaping up quite well for Lian Li here.


Instead of having CFM/dBA charts that can potentially be taken for more than they really offer, I am going to show three other fans as a comparison for further context. These include the subject of this review—the Lian Li UNI FAN P28 PWM—in addition to three other high performance fans that also use LCP rotors in the form of the Phanteks T30-120, the Noctua NF-A12x25, and the Thermaltake TOUGHFAN 12. We see the UNI FAN P28 holds its own in this well regarded group and is a top contender for those prioritizing performance foremost. There are also other fans such as the be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 which land similarly from a performance/noise basis but do so by optimizing noise over performance to give you a different option depending on your needs.