Best Radiator Fans For Liquid Cooling – Buyer’s Guide and Reviews

by Apr 20, 2018

Best Radiator Fans For Liquid Cooling

We rated, reviewed, & compared the best radiator fans across various budgets. These fans are perfect for liquid cooling.

Best High Static pressure Fans For Radiators

 NameSizeStatic Pressure (mm H₂) 
best static pressure quiet case fansNoctua NF-F Chromax120mm, 140mm2.61

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best static pressure fans 120mmBe quiet! Silent wings 3120mm, 140mm1.80

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best 140mm radiator fansCorsair ML PRO120mm, 140mm4.20

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best fans for radiator 140mmCorsair SP - Static Pressure120mm, 140mm1.45

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Noctua NF-F Chromax

best static pressure quiet case fans

What We Loved

  • Silent Operation
  • High static pressure

What We Didn’t Like

  • Expensive

Be quiet! Silent wings 3

best static pressure fans 120mm

What We Loved

  • High static pressure
  • Silent Operation
  • Great Airflow

What We Didn’t Like

  •  Expensive

Corsair ML PRO – Magnetic Levitation series

best 140mm radiator fans

What We Loved

  • RGB lighting
  • High static pressure
  • Magnetic Levitation Bearings (Low Noise)

What We Didn’t Like

  • Expensive
  • Requires Lighting controller

Corsair SP120 and SP140

best fans for radiator 140mm

What We Loved

  • Inexpensive
  • High static pressure
  • Visual customizability

What We Didn’t Like

  • None

No matter the kind of build, Static pressure fans always come in handy. These fans are designed to provide optimal static pressure, Sometimes suffering airflow.

Why use Static pressure fans with radiators?

Standard airflow fans are capable of providing optimal performance, These fans are usually very affordable and run at high RPM. Then why not use them for liquid cooling?

Airflow fans function best when there is no impedance on its way. A case fan optimized for airflow Would perform phenomenally as a chassis fan, but if factors that resist the flow are added, The performance is likely to drop down significantly.

Static pressure fans are capable of creating pressure while in operation. When obstacles like dust filters or radiators fins are added, These fans are capable of providing optimal cooling without losing their performance potential. Radiators are not the only application of these fans; They can also be used as standard case fans, These can help create an optimal case pressure.

High static pressure fans are capable of pulling air at a much higher pressure, Which results in an overall positive case pressure. A setup like this can prevent entrance of any dust in your case and significantly extend its lifespan.

Factors To Consider

Looking for a radiator fan, the Static pressure is an important factor, but it would be stupidity to ignore other factors like airflow, PWM functionality, and noise production. A good case fan has to maintain a balance between all of the above.

3-Pin or 4-Pin fan which is better for radiators?

3pin vs 4 pin case fansIt is highly recommended to use a PWM fan (4-Pin) for any operation related to CPU cooling. CPU temperatures are constantly switching, and it's better to have PWM control so that your motherboard can take care of fan speeds. PWM controls will also allow creating a performance curve via your motherboard BIOS, Having multiple configurations can help keep the fans silent while working and performed to their fullest while doing a performance-oriented task (Like gaming.)

We sure can tell if a fan is static pressure oriented but is it possible to recognize them by just looking?

The fan blade is the component that is meant to rotate and push air in and out. By looking at the way there are designed, it's possible to spot a static pressure fan. If the fins of these fans are short and upright, It's likely an airflow fan, This design will allow more air to pass through in short amount of time but these might lack the pressure that is required to work efficiently when obstacles such as radiator fins are added.

While a fan blade which is wide and flat, It will likely have a much higher static pressure. This kind of design prevents backflow of air. It is also true that having a design that is just made to optimize one factor will suffer the other one.