EK Vardar X3M 120 mm D-RGB case fan in the test – very good performance and a bit thicker than the rest

The EK Vardar X3M is still relatively new as a 120 mm case fan and has also been requested several times by the community. That is exactly why we have this fan from EK Waterblocks from Slovenia in the test today, which is manufactured by one of the recommended OEMs in China and whose genes can therefore also be found in other good case fans. Of course, every proper provider like EK also individualizes or optimizes its products itself, and so it happens that very similar products with almost identical drives still perform quite differently.

This of course arouses curiosity, because the 27.5 mm thick fan, which costs almost 25 euros, is exactly in the middle between the usual 25 mm fans and the big ships like the Phanteks T30. The 2.5 mm more installation depth enables a slightly more extensive rotor design, which brings the rotor blades to more throughput and pressure at the same speed. However, this is not entirely unproblematic if you place a radiator in the top of the case and then this fan may already collide with the VRM cooler of the mainboard. Here you really have to recalculate and measure something before buying so that it doesn’t get too tight.

But the additional 2.5 mm didn’t do any harm to the fan because it performs really well. First of all as a small spoiler, because we prefer to present recommended products, because the added value for the reader is only given if you can recommend a product with a clear conscience (or, conversely, have to issue a purchase warning). Seen in this way, we are in the test field of usable fans, that is in advance. Of course there is also DRGB aka ARGB and so there is one more light disc on the market, but one that has its qualities, as I will show in a moment. And don’t get confused – DRGB is normal, digital 5V ARGB, it’s just called differently. For whatever reason.

The bearing is based on a classic double ball bearing, a black, simple frame and a white, translucent rotor with 7 blades, which at first glance does not hide any secrets, but instead places all of the LEDs in the hub. The PWM-controlled fan creates a speed range from 500 to 2200 rpm and offers a semi-passive mode (i.e. a fan stop). The decoupling with the extensively attached and also exchangeable rubber corners (different colors of the vibration damper can be selected) is well solved, as it does not twist when the screw is tightened. The gaps and surface finish are very good. The power consumption is pleasantly low at under 2.2 watts at full speed.

But first of all the data sheet again for better comparability with the later measurement results:

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 the best fan for all situations can hardly exist. 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 vice versa, of course.