Colorful and quiet budget: Arctic P12 PWM PST A-RGB 0dB in the test – that’s how it has to be!
We recently had the Arctic P12 PWM in the test, with surprisingly good results. And because many readers have urged us to test the RGB version as well, we are doing just that today. And even now I didn’t want to spoil anything, but the RGB variant in the form of the Arctic P12 PWM PST A-RGB 0dB is even better. Because apart from the RGB, the fans are not really identical, which is why we of course also made separate measurements.
What goes for less than 12 euros can be quite a surprise. It has to be measured again on the significantly more expensive, non-illuminated NF-12A PWM as our quasi-reference. The result in this form may not shock you, but it will surprise you. Of course, the bearings, controls and frames are kept much simpler and you don’t get the big Noctua feel-good package including the competent service hotline, but this is for everyone who wants to (or has to) calculate the price and can make compromises in this regard Offer in fact almost unbeatable.
Reading tip: The budget king: Arctic P12 PWM case fan in the test – Inexpensive beats expensive (almost)!
On the next page you can see how and what we test and why. Understanding the details is extremely important in order to be able to classify the results objectively later. The differences between many models are more in the details and there can hardly be THE best fan for all situations. There is a certain optimum in every situation and of course there are also good all-rounders. But they usually have their price. If you are planning specifically with 60 mm radiators, for example, you can perhaps save money by choosing the best model for your application, which might not do so well as a case fan. And vise versa, of course. Well, and then came the Arctic P12 PWM …
The black frame is quite simple, but has a simple decoupling in the form of a rubber pad in the area of the mounting holes. The rotor is now closed on the outside by a circumferential ring and the LEDs are located in the hub. The fan relies on a hydrodynamic slide bearing (FDB), which made a pretty decent impression and can hardly be bettered in the price range of around 12 euros. With a 10-year guarantee, you can also present a good deal, which is by no means a given.
Form factor | 120 mm |
Strength | 25 mm |
PWM | And |
RGB | And |
Decoupled | And |
Farbe Frame | Schwarz |
Accent color | no |
Color rotor | Transparent |
Weight in g | 131 |
min. speed | 0 (Semi-Passiv-Mode) |
max.speed | 2000 |
Volume flow m3 / h | 82.91 |
Volume flow CFM | 48.8 |
static pressure mmH2O | 1.85 |
Sound pressure dBA | n/a (0.3 Sone) |
Life Time hrs | n/a |
For your curiosity, I also have the original data sheet at hand as a PDF:
Spec_Sheet_P12_PWM_PST_A-RGB_0dB_DE
Arctic P12 PWM PST A-RGB 0dB schwarz, 120mm (ACFAN00231A)
Central warehouse: 5 items in stock, delivery 1-3 working days Branch Wilhelmshaven: 5 items in stockStand: 06.05.21 09:31 | 11,82 €*Stand: 06.05.21 09:24 | |
Immediately available, delivery time 1-2 working days | 12,32 €*Stand: 06.05.21 09:25 | |
In stock – delivery time 1-3 working days | 12,83 €*Stand: 06.05.21 09:22 |
- 1 – Introduction, test samples and specifications
- 2 – Test setup, measuring chamber and equipment
- 3 – Starting voltage and speeds
- 4 – Volumenstrom (Airflow)
- 5 – Static pressure
- 6 – Noise emission (volume)
- 7 – Summary and Conclusion