With a wide variety of PC fans out there, how can you know which ones will keep your system nice and cool? Are you fed up with the inside of your desktop PC being so hot it may as well have opened a summoning portal to the very depths of fiery hell itself? Keep cool and carry on quietly with our best computer fans.
Keep cool under pressure
Noctua SNF-S12B Redux
Staff Pick
This budget offering from Noctua sports an optimised airflow blade that has been specifically designed to reduce noise and shift as much air as possible in any given space. These fans are quiet; I can't state that enough. They will only ever reach a maximum of 18 decibels while under load. To put this in perspective, leaves rustle at around 30 decibels - under no circumstances will you think that your desktop is about to fly away.
Unleash the rainbow!
Corsair CO-9050072-WW LL120
The ultimate in RGB fans, these fans can be configured individually through Corsair's customisation software. Any setup that you can imagine can be configured, from the standard rainbow configuration to your favourite sports team's colours. If you can think of it, you can do it with these fans. They are also reasonably quiet and proficient in cooling any case as well as being very, very bright so much so that you may want to use sunglasses!
Cost-effective
Thermaltake Riing 12 Series
These budget LED fans from Thermaltake are guaranteed to put some colour into your case and still leave your bank balance feeling relatively healthy. Available in both 120mm and 140mm versions, they come in some unusual colours such as yellow and orange, which are not common. The airflow is decent, and they come with anti-vibration mounting pads built-in.
Premium
Noctua NF-A12 Series
Unlike the cheaper Noctua fans, this premium fan comes with a ton of accessories. You get integrated anti-vibration pads, fan screws, extension cables, a radiator gasket and a y-cable which can be used to run two fans on the same motherboard header. As expected, it also runs incredibly quietly. It's capable of creating a mini typhoon in terms of airflow.
Ultra-Quiet
ARCTIC F12 Silent - Ultra-Quiet 120 mm Fan
Enjoy quiet yet efficient airflow with the ARCTIC F12 silent fan. This fan features an innovative alloy-lubricant arrangement that minimises noise and friction. The fan's fluid dynamic bearing comes with an oil capsule to prevent lubricant leakage.
Amazing value
be quiet! Pure Wings BL046 3-Pin 120 mm Fan
Looking for a fan with outstanding performance, but you're on a budget? Go for the be quiet! Pure Wings fan. It has nine blades optimised for increased airflow while minimising any turbulence that could generate noise. The fan's rifle bearing has an operating life of 80,000 hours.
Powerful airflow
NZXT AER RGB 2 140mm
In comparison with the Corsair RGB fans which are without a doubt the brightest RGB fans on the market, these fans offer a similar but far more subtle effect which is not likely to blind you in the middle of a gaming session. These fans are beautiful and will lend a refined look to any case out there. The downside is that they are not particularly on the quiet side.
Go big or stay hot
Cooler Master Mega Flow 200 Case
Are you looking for something on the bigger side? Then take a look at these massive fans from Cooler Master - even though they operate at a relatively low RPM, the size of these beasts means that they can shift a lot more air than a smaller sized fan and subsequently do not need to run so fast - this also helps to keep the fan's operating noise to a minimum.
Our top picks
Most computer fans are like ninjas, so stealthy and silent, you'll never know they are even there. That said, they still pack quite a powerful punch in the airflow department. The best computer fan overall is the Noctua SNF-S12B Redux due to its sheer power and almost inaudible operation when it comes to cooling in any scenario. The aerodynamically designed blades will not let you down no matter wherever you choose to put them to use.
The Corsair CO-9050072-WW LL120 gives you total control over low noise and maximum performance. It uses magnetic levitation technology and custom rotor design to generate both increased airflow and high static pressure.
Having a big fan like the Cooler Master Mega Flow 200 Blue Case Fan ensures that you get increased airflow for a maximum cooling experience. It operates quietly and includes extra cooling for graphics cards when installed on side panels.