Thermaltake Thoughfan 12

While this is usually where we end our regular reviews and dive into benchmarking, Thermaltake has also provided us with two of their newest Toughfan 12 PWM fans. As the name implies, these are sturdy, heavy 120 mm units intended for radiators, but there is no reason why we could not install them into the S100 TG. Lacking LEDs, these should fit in nicely. Rated at 500–2000 RPM, these can push up to 58.35 CFM at 22.3 dBA each. However, you may reduce that further with an included adapter, which has each fan max out at 1500 RPM instead.


The fans ship in a fully colored box with a clear image of the unit on front and all the specifications on the rear. I like the level of detail, with an additional image of the fans inside a chassis so you can see what your build should end up looking like.


You will get two sets of mounting screws to install the Toughfan 12 directly to the chassis or attach it to a radiator. On top of that, there is the low-noise adapter and a basic warranty pamphlet.


The fan is true to its name, with quite the weight to it. With various shades of gray and black, it also comes across as quite utilitarian. While the front does not look out of the ordinary in terms of fan-blade designs at first sight, the rear does sport an interesting frame to hold the impeller in place on six points instead of four. Thermaltake also likes to sleeve the cables of their fans, with the Thoughfan 12 being no exception.


The impeller hub on the Toughfan, which is quite large compared to many other fans, is laid bare in all its metallic glory to further underline that utility comes before design; that said, it looks great. Each of the nine blades on the fan is thick and sturdy as well, further adding to the heft and weight.


Thermaltake has also placed gray rubber linings on the corners of the fans as an anti-vibration measure, and small arrows on the frame will let you know which way the unit will spin, and in which direction the airflow will be pushed.


Installing the fans within the Thermaltake S100 TG is quite straightforward. We placed them as far up as possible to push air through the front and across the components of the system. That said, the benchmarks on the following page are with the case's out-of-the-box configuration to keep it aligned with our testing methodology.