Seasonic Magflow ARGB 120mm PWM case fan review

Seasonic is a well established brand in the PC industry with over 48 years of experience manufacturing PC parts including power supplies, cases, and fans. This review will cover their latest fan, the Seasonic Magflow ARGB 120mm PWM.

Pros

• Daisy chain connection, eliminating cable clutter
• Moderate noise levels
• Sturdy construction paired with 100,000+ hour rating
• Minimalist ARGB accents

Cons

• None apparent

Features of the Magflow ARGB 120mm

Packaging

The single fan SKU of this fan arrives in a small box. Opening the box reveals two smaller boxes. One box holds the fan and the other holds the cables, screws, and installation manual.

In addition to the cardboard box, the fan is protected by a soft covering.

Specifications

Modular Daisy Chain Design for less cable clutter

The Magflow 120 ARGB has pin contacts on the sides to enable installation of the fans without cables connecting each individual unit, resulting in less cable clutter.

Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB)

The fans are powered by FDB bearings, advertised as having low vibration levels and long life expectancy. Seasonic rates these fans for 100,000+ hours, indicating their confidence in the quality of their fans.

9 Bladed fan, etched metal top, rubber corner pads

The fan has 9 slim blades to move air. Seasonic doesn't list the material used to make the blades, but they feel well made and of sturdy. The middle of the fan has an etched metal top with Seasonic's logo in white.

Minimalist ARGB accents

The fans have minimalist ARGB accents, giving basic illumination without being too flashy.

System Specifications and Testing Methodology

There are a lot of different ways you can test fans, but ultimately I'm interested in real world results. I've decided to test fans by using them with a CPU cooler and recording how well the cooler performs when paired with fan. I've set the system in a SFF case, Silverstone's SUGO 14, which has a single rear fan which operates at low speeds. Each model of fan was tested with a single unit placed in the middle of Thermalright's Phantom Spirit 120 EVO CPU cooler at maximum fan speeds and noise normalized to a quiet 36.4 dBA. Thermal results are given in the average CPU power dissipated, measured in watts.

Thermal and Noise Results - 100% PWM

With an average of 123W cooled during the course of testing, Seasonic's Magflow ARGB tied with Iceberg Thermal's IceGale for the 2nd strongest overall performance of the seven fans tested here.

It achieves this level of thermal cooling performance with a noise level of 39.6 dBA. This is a moderately audible noise level, but shouldn't bother most users. Amongst the seven fans tested, this noise level is right in the middle of the road.

Noise Normalized Performance - 36.4 dBA

For folks who want to know how the fan performs when running quietly, I've set the fans speeds so that noise levels don't exceed 36.4 dBA. This is an extremely quiet noise level, barely discernible to many. With 116W cooled during the course of testing, these results are right in the middle of the seven fans I've tested here.

Conclusion

Seasonic's Magflow ARGB 120mm is a high quality, durable fan that provides strong thermal dissipation paired with moderate maximum noise levels. The cordless daisychain design makes installation simpler and eliminates cable clutter at the same time. If you're interested in a fan like this, the non-RGB version is currently available on Amazon for $39.99 for a single fan unit or $112.99 for a 3-fan kit that also includes a ARGB controller.

8

Wccftech Rating

High quality construction, good thermal performance, and daisy chain connections which eliminate cable clutter

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