Closer Examination

A closer look at both fans shows how well built these are, and both the TOUGHFAN 12 and TOUGHFAN 12 Turbo adopt a reinforced liquid crystal polymer (LCP) framework we have seen put to good use on industrial fans, as well as by the likes of Noctua with the NF-A12x25. The Phanteks T30-120 does similar, but did come to market after these two from Thermaltake. LCP allows for a few things depending on the product composition, which understandably is not made public. But in general, there is the potential for high mechanical strength and stability, longevity in terms of blade distortion even at high fan speeds, and increased production uniformity—all relative to more commonly used materials, such as ABS and PBT plastic. The materials are denser to where the fans will look and feel extremely solid to begin with, weighing ~215 g each with the denser, rougher rotor and PBT plastic frame.

As with Noctua and Phanteks, Thermaltake is making a big deal about placing the impeller blades really close to the inside of the frame for maximum airflow at the edges of the highly curved blades. There are nine blades on the impeller, and they end up relatively average-to-short in length owing to the big hub in the middle that will still be a dead zone if using the fans in push on a radiator. Note that the TOUGHFAN 12 goes with a darker finish to the rotor compared to the grayer color on the TOUGHFAN 12 Turbo, which I can understand since the non-Turbo variant will likely be the more popular of the two and the stealth aesthetic has more appeal than the somewhat OEM-like color scheme of the TOUGHFAN 12 Turbo that will draw comparisons to the likes of the Nidec Servo Gentle Typhoon, and no doubt someone will bring up similarities to the NF-A12x25, too.

Both the TOUGHFAN 12 and TOUGHFAN 12 Turbo are standard 120 x 120 x 25 mm fans using a squared-off frame, which already bodes well for radiator use compared to, say, the recently announced Razer Kunai. Branding comes in the form of two Tt truncated logos in the middle on the front, and there is more on the sides, too, with no arrows to depict the direction of blade rotation and airflow through the fan. The corners have rubber pads for vibration dampening and are open to allow for potentially different-colored rubber pads and easier cable management.


A look at the back shows a fairly different stator vane configuration from pretty much everything else I have tested, with six used here to guide the airflow through the fan. Surprisingly, both the TOUGHFAN 12 and TOUGHFAN 12 Turbo have the same certification sticker on the back, down the same model number and current-draw rating. Thermaltake clarified this by stating that they submit for a single UL testing and number for the same model fans with different RPM. Underneath is the fan motor that gets a steel hub reinforcement all around, which Thermaltake says provides "enhanced stability and durability." No mention on the actual motor design, and the label would lead you to believe each fan motor is rated for a maximum of 0.7 A (8.4 W) on the 12 VDC rail, which is nowhere near what is listed on the product pages (1.44 W and 2.76 W respectively for the two). This once again down to the maximum numbers as provided under the UL certification criteria, and even those numbers are accounting for peak draw with start-up boost, so much so that you can easily power 3–4 of these over a single 1 A fan header for a whole radiator configuration.

Thermaltake is also claiming a second-generation hydraulic bearing, at least compared to the first-generation model in previous Thermaltake fans, such as the Riing Quad RGB series. Fluid dynamic bearings are generally a safe bet for consumer retail fans in the PC DIY industry, but won't get you the benefits of the magnetic bearings used by those contemporaries Tt is aiming at. These bearings are rated for 40,000 hours, but I do not know the metrics behind that number. If calculated as MTBF, it is on the lower side of average. The 2-year warranty doesn't add confidence either, but nothing here outright screams bad to me. Thermaltake confirms the number is unchanged from what is provided by the bearing manufacturer, and also that the second-generation bearing here comes from the inner shaft being etched to allow the lubricant to work through both sides well, reducing bearing noise and increasing longevity.


Four individually insulated wires in black are combined into a ribbon-style cable, which then comes out of the fan hub on the back, sleeved in a heatshrink shortly after it exits the frame. A black fabric sleeving is used, and the execution is better than most overall. The cable is ~50 cm long and terminates in a standard 4-pin PWM connector for power and control over a compatible header. If you do use the LNC, it adds an additional ~10 cm.


You know it's been a while since these fans launched given Thermaltake introduced two new editions since! The TOUGHFAN 12 now comes in a racing green or turquoise color to choose from, allowing you to pair these fans with matching Thermaltake cases and memory. I do like these bolder colors and always support companies bringing out multiple color options of fans without changing anything inside. These special color editions cost $1 more than the black TOUGHFAN 12, and there are no equivalent options for the TOUGHFAN 12 Turbo.