By: Jonah Chow
November 8, 2024
What concerts have left an impression on you? For me, three concerts come straight to my mind. The first is an 88rising artist Niki, who I had the delight of seeing in Los Angeles. I love how Niki not only sang all her songs by herself, but I was also impressed with how natural and articulate she sounded live, regardless of if it was her energetic or slower tracks. The second was from Coldplay, one of the most well-known artists, whose performance was an amazing experience. Even though they were performing for a new album, they played classic after classic on a grand scale. What made it special was the LED bracelets provided that would change colors throughout the show, adding to the atmosphere and vibe. While Coldplay was the best concert I have seen, my personal favorite to date is Porter Robinson, who I also saw in Los Angeles. Like Coldplay, Porter Robinson was doing this tour to promote his new album, but he spent a good portion of the concert playing his older hits. As someone who really enjoys the EDM scene, I love the live renditions of his older electronic songs on acoustic instruments like guitars, drums, and pianos. He performed a two-hour journey of his last three albums with a light show, live band, and vocals for an amazing performance all-around. After all three of these concerts, I found myself listening to these artists non-stop. To me, that is my way of measuring if a concert has left a good impression on me. Similarly, I have not reviewed a Thermaltake fan since 2021 with the Riing Trio 12 RGB White, but that changes today with the three-pack CT120 EX ARGB Sync fans, which connects to each other via magnets. Can these leave an impression on users for the right reasons? Read on to find out!
Our review unit of the Thermaltake CT120 EX ARGB Sync arrived via UPS Standard from City of Industry, California, USA. The shipping package arrived to our APH Networks location here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The shipping box has seen better days as the right side is quite bent, scrunching the shipping label. UPS should have taken better care of this box, but let us take a look at what is inside.
Taking a closer look at the retail box, the colors are primarily a mix of gray and black with the only vibrant colors being emitted from the picture of the fan itself. As seen in the photo above, the front side is packed with information. The product name can be seen on the bottom left side with the text “PC Cooling Fan” below. The number of fans and cables are listed just beside it to the right along with the maximum air pressure, noise, and PWM RPM range below. A scaled-down image of the fan is seen at the front and center of the retail package. Additional information can be found on the sides and back of the box.
Before we move on, here are the manufacturers’ specifications from their website:
P/N: CL-F181-PL12SW-A
Dimension: 120 x 120 x 25 mm
Started Voltage: 5 V
Rated Voltage: 12 V & 5V
Rated Current: 0.19 A & 0.32A (one fan)
Power Input: 2.28 W & 1.6W (one fan)
Fan Speed: PWM 500~2000 R.P.M
Max Air Pressure: 2.95 mm-H2O
Max Air Flow: 68 CFM
Noise: 28.5 dB-A
Bearing Type: Hydraulic Bearing
Life Expectation: 40,000 hrs,25℃
Connector: 2510 - 4 PIN PWM, 5V ARGB header - 3 PIN
Other: Fan x 3, Cable x 3
The fans arrived in good condition, showing that the retail box served its purpose. The Thermaltake CT120 EX ARGB Sync also comes with a user manual and warranty information. A smaller black box is included, and it carries its associated cables and mounting screws. The CT120 EX ARGB Sync comes with a standard two years of warranty like all other Thermaltake fans.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
