By: Jonah Chow
May 14, 2021
What makes for a good ski hill? Many skiers out there, including myself, would agree that long, well-maintained ski runs are why we come back for more. A prime example of this is the Lake Louise ski resort just outside of Calgary, Alberta. The Lake Louise ski resort has a plethora of runs that many skiers and snowboarders enjoy traveling down as most of the hills are well maintained, making for a smooth ride throughout. The runs are also very long, which is another good quality. This makes it so skiers and snowboarders can make the most of their time at the hill rather than just going up on the chairlift. There are also enough runs with different difficulties so both learners and pros can find runs that accurately meet their skill level. All these aspects are important, but one detail I have not mentioned yet is the view. Now, this might sound strange because no one goes skiing or snowboard just to see the surrounding mountains. After my recent visit to the Lake Louise, I realized I found myself staring at the snow-covered Rockies often before going down. Obviously, long, well-maintained runs are still what matters most for making a good ski hill, but I think the surrounding views of the mountains are also a memorable aspect, even if it something most people would not think of right away. Similarly, RGB lighting on case fans is something most PC users do not immediately think of when looking for a quality fan. Today, Cooler Master hopes to prove this thought process wrong with their MasterFan MF120 Prismatic and SF120M ARGB. Are these fans all style or do they have substance to back it up? Let us read on to find out!
Today's review unit of the Cooler Master MasterFan MF120 Prismatic and the MasterFan SF120M ARGB arrived from Cooler Master's offices in Brea, California. This large box arrived at our APH Networks offices in Calgary, Alberta, and traveled with FedEx and their standard Ground service. The shipping box arrived in great condition with no scratches or scrapes. Along with the MasterFan MF120 Prismatic and the MasterFan SF120M ARGB, Cooler Master sent us several other cooling-related products, including the Cooler Master MasterAir MA624 Stealth and the MasterAir MA610P ARGB, which are reviewed by my fellow colleagues.
We can see the multitude of products Cooler Master sent to us for review, with the MasterFan MF120 Prismatic and the MasterFan SF120M ARGB being located on the left side. We can see the Cooler Master logo at the top left and all the compatible motherboard lighting software on the right. Both case fans are displayed front and center of their respective boxes. The names of each fan are located at the bottom along with descriptors being shown below. The text on the MasterFan MF120 Prismatic box reads "with Radiant Crystalline Lighting Effect", while the text on the MasterFan SF120M ARGB reads "with Patented Square Damping Fan Frames". More information can be found on the sides and back of the retail box in various languages. The Cooler Master MasterFan SF120M ARGB retail box also has a flap that opens up on the front side, revealing more information and a look at the physical fan.
Before we move on, here are the manufacturer's specifications from the Cooler Master website for each fan:
Cooler Master MasterFan MF120 Prismatic
PRODUCT NUMBER: MFY-B2DN-20NPA-R1
FAN PROFILE: Addressable RGB
FAN BEARING TYPE: Rifle Bearing
FAN SPEED: 650-2000 RPM ± 5%
FAN AIRFLOW: 55 CFM (Max)
FAN AIR PRESSURE: 2.91 mmH2O (Max)
FAN NOISE LEVEL: 8 - 27 dBA
FAN DIMENSIONS (L X W X H): 120 x 120 x 25 mm / 4.7 x 4.7 x 1 inch
FAN MTTF: 160,000 Hours
RGB CONNECTOR: 3-Pin ARGB
RGB RATED VOLTAGE: 5V DC
RGB RATED CURRENT: 0.65A
FAN RATED VOLTAGE: 12VDC
FAN RATED CURRENT: 0.12A
FAN SAFETY CURRENT: 0.37A
FAN POWER CONSUMPTION: 1.44W
FAN POWER CONNECTOR: 4-Pin (PWM)
FAN WEIGHT: 153g / 0.34 lbs
WARRANTY: 2 years
SERIES: MasterFan
COOLER TYPE: Case Fan
Cooler Master MasterFan SF120M ARGB
PRODUCT NUMBER: MFZ-B2NN-20NPK-R1
DIMENSIONS (L X W X H): 120 x 120 x 25 mm / 4.7 x 4.7 x 1 inch
FAN BEARING TYPE: Dual Ball Bearing
FAN PROFILE: Addressable RGB
FAN MTTF: 280,000 Hours
FAN POWER CONNECTOR: 4-Pin (PWM)
FAN RATED VOLTAGE: 12VDC
FAN RATED CURRENT: 0.12A
FAN SAFETY CURRENT: 0.3A
FAN POWER CONSUMPTION: 1.44W
FAN SPEED: H: 650-2000 RPM ± 10%, M: 650-1600 RPM ± 10%, L: 650-1200 RPM ± 10%
FAN AIRFLOW: H: 62 CFM (Max), M: 46 CFM (Max), L: 35 CFM (Max)
FAN AIR PRESSURE: H: 2.40 mmH2O (Max), M: 1.63 mmH2O (Max), L: 0.93 mmH2O (Max)
FAN NOISE LEVEL: H: 5.5-22 dBA, M: 5.5-20 dBA, L: 5.5-12 dBA
FAN WEIGHT: 205g / 0.45lbs
WARRANTY: 5 years
EAN CODE: 4719512088975
UPC CODE: 884102061424
SERIES: MasterFan
COOLER TYPE: Case Fan
FAN SIZE: 120
As a quick note, the Cooler Master MasterFan SF120M ARGB is currently unavailable on the Cooler Master website at the time of writing this review. The specifications from above were taken directly from the retail box of the MasterFan SF120M ARGB.
Each fan arrived in a plastic packaging tray that contains some mounting screws, cable clips, and additional pins. The MasterFan SF120M ARGB also comes with a user manual, anti-vibration mounts, and a plastic shell cover for an added layer of protection. Both fans arrived in great condition, so the packaging did its job. The Cooler Master MasterFan MF120 Prismatic comes with standard 2 years of warranty, while the Cooler Master MasterFan SF120M ARGB comes with a whopping 5 years of warranty.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware
3. Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
