Lian Li Uni Fan SL120 RGB Review – Hype or Reality?

The current Uni Fan SL120 RGB from Lian Li have now triggered a certain hype in the community thanks to the daisy chain used, so that we have been asked repeatedly for a test. If Caseking hadn’t made the test samples available to us in an uncomplicated manner on request, I would have bought them, because the community’s wish is our command, as always. Either way, the test today will, as always, provide objective and fair information as to whether the hype is justified, or whether there was simply terrific marketing at work here.

With a little over 24 euros for a single fan and almost 80 euros for the three-pack (with a suitable controller / hub), the price is already in the upper class and practically on the level of a Noiseblocker BP12x-PS-BL PWM ARGB from Blacknoise, which is for Throughput and smoothness is known. The price is already a self-confident announcement, whereby the fact that no cables are required when mounting on a radiator through the daisy chain is of course also a strong visual argument. Click and done, it couldn’t be nicer.

The black frame is quite simple, but has a useful decoupling and a neatly inserted, translucent RGB ring for the aRGB for the optics. The rotor is kept neutral black and not illuminated. The fan relies on a hydrodynamic plain bearing (FDB), which you can expect in this price range and which did not leave a bad impression. Later on, I will have various comments on the engine noises that arise independently of the bearing.

The weight of at least 232 grams is not bad, but should also come at the expense of a built-in magnetic ring. With the specified 2-year guarantee, the legislator is certainly satisfied, but unfortunately not more, especially since after 6 months the burden of proof is reversed anyway. Other providers are now much more accommodating here.

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.

For your curiosity, I also have the original data sheet at hand as a PDF:

sl120-140_manual