Page 2 - A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
Taking a closer look, Thermaltake CT120 EX ARGB Sync has a black plastic frame, like many PC case fans we have reviewed in the past. On the edges, darker circular black pads can be seen around each of the mounting holes. These pads function as dampeners designed to reduce vibration and noise generated by the fan when mounted. The whole impeller, including the fan blades, is translucent to disperse the RGB LED lighting. The plastic loop is smooth and clear. This makes the fan look clean and polished, even without the lighting. The Thermaltake name and logo are seen in the center.
Internally, the Thermaltake CT120 EX ARGB Sync uses hydraulic bearings. A thin layer of rapidly moving pressurized liquid moves between bearing surfaces to support the load. There is no sliding friction due to there being no contact between moving parts, so these bearing types have lower wear and vibration. These fans should last about 40,000 hours, which is just over four and a half years.
The distinctive feature of these fans is the MagForce 2.0 headers that allow the fans to be daisy-chained together without any cables. We have seen this in the past with the Thermaltake SWAFAN EX14 ARGB Sync. There are magnetic pads on each side of the fans for connecting the fans to one another. These pads are also used for connecting the fans to their cables to the motherboard, which will be discussed in more detail later this page. Connecting the fans together is very straightforward with eight extending pins on one side of the fan and eight pogo pins on the other. It is just a matter of aligning the pins with the pads. Since it is a magnetic force that holds everything together, you will either feel an attraction for a proper attachment or a repulsion for an improper one. If it does repel, you can flip the fan around to correct it.
Taking a closer look at the fan blades of the Thermaltake CT120 EX ARGB Sync, we can see that the fins are similar in design to other fans we have reviewed in the past, with the angle of the blades becoming more curved near the edges. All the fins have a decently-sized gap between them such that none of them overlap with each other. In reference to the rotating middle, the angle of each blade is 44 degrees. There are a total of nine blades on the impeller of the CT120 EX ARGB Sync, all without any bumps or abnormalities.
Looking at the output side, we can see four arms that hold the impeller in place. While these arms do block some of the air from passing through, they are thin. We can see the black dampening pads again on the backside mounting holes. In the center, we can see the Thermaltake name and logo at the top with some specifications below. This includes the operating voltage and current, some certifications, and the origin of where it was manufactured. These fans were made in China.
On the topics of sound, airflow, and static pressure, the following lesson on these issues have been borrowed from my colleague Jonathan Kwan's review of the Noctua NF-F12 PWM and NF-P12 PWM fans. Noise and CFM relates to the challenge when designing fans, which is to provide the best airflow to noise ratio. One would want the best amount of airflow while keeping it as quiet as possible. Even with the best ratio, it is quite difficult to always measure objectively. The most common unit of objective measurement is CFM, or cubic feet per minute, of air for airflow, and dB noise, respectively. We will go over how application and CFM is related with regards to its standard measurements, but let us discuss the perceived noise first.
dB, or Decibels, is a logarithmic unit of sound intensity. While it is an objective measurement unit, it should be noted that perceived noise levels to the human ear and actual sound intensity could result in very different things. Human ears are more sensitive to particular frequencies, and when those particular frequencies are emitted from its source, it may appear louder than its numbers suggest. That same can be said vice-versa -- frequencies that human ears are less sensitive to can actually have louder dB measurements from a sound meter, yet the human ears do not perceive it to be as loud as the numbers suggest. Other factors such as turbulence noise are often not measured correctly, therefore, while it usually provides a good reference, it does not necessarily reflect real life performance all the time.
With regards to the application and CFM, it is generally optimal to have a fan to have a high air volume flow rate. However, pure CFM values are limited to an extent with regards to its indication on fan performance. It is not completely about how much air in can move per minute quantitatively, but equally as important is how it is executed in reality. Airflow-to-noise ratio is an essential factor as mentioned earlier. Static pressure is also very important depending on application. High resistance applications such as dense fins on a large heatsink require high static pressure, while case fans need less static pressure and faster airflow. There are times where case fans will require higher static pressure too, such as the front intake fans where a mesh grille would create some resistance. Some fans are simply designed for different purposes, so choose one appropriate for your needs.
With the Thermaltake CT120 EX ARGB Sync, we have a volumetric airflow rate of 68 CFM, static air pressure of 2.95 mmH2O, and maximum noise level of 28.5 dB spinning at a maximum rotational speed of 2000 RPM. These numbers are quite capable in theory in terms of airflow and static pressure. Even at maximum speed, the CT120 EX ARGB Sync manages to stay under 30dBA. You can use these as radiator fans, but it will also work as case fans.
The cable on the Thermaltake CT120 EX ARGB Sync is a little different than your usual fan connectors. While it does include your 4-pin PWM and 3-pin ARGB connector, the connection method to the fan is purely magnetic using the MagForce 2.0 design. I appreciate this design, as it is unique while still respecting the use of proprietary cable headers, making it possible to integrate with components from other manufacturers.
The length of this cable is about 90cm, which is more than enough length to route around your PC. This is due to the fact these fans connect using a Thermaltake controller, which can also be seen in the photo above. The lengths of these cables are 143cm. These are more than enough length to route around your PC, maybe even on the excessive side. 90cm would have sufficed for pretty much all mid-tower ATX cases.
If you are a fan of rainbow lights on your PC fans, then the Thermaltake CT120 EX ARGB Sync is a good choice for you. The lighting on this fan looks great thanks to the nine addressable RGB LEDs placed on the central fan hub. If you are purchasing the CT120 EX ARGB Sync to solely add great looking fans to your case, then you will be very happy with your purchase. On top of all it all, you can customize the lighting modes using your motherboard lighting software.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
