Page 4 - Conclusion
Reflecting back onto the predecessor of the Thermaltake SWAFAN EX12 RGB, it had two purposes: One was to make your system look good, and the other was to move air. Starting on that first point, the Thermaltake SWAFAN EX12 RGB retains the good looks, utilizing its RGB LED lighting to its fullest potential all while creating innovative ways to reduce cable clutter. The general appearance uses a ring design is something that looks good and has been used repetitively by many other fan manufacturers for a good reason. The LED lights were quite bright on these fans. Thermaltake places a big emphasis on the appearance, giving the user the ability to swap the fan blade to a reverse fan to avoid showing the fan's arms on the output side. The magnetic connection between the cable and fan is a great addition to help manage cables and reduce clutter. Fans can be daisy-chained to each other by connecting the pins on the side of each fan to one another. On the previous rendition of in the SWAFAN line, the Thermaltake SWAFAN 12 RGB, I observed some performance issues. This updated model solves this issue, providing adequate performance with both the regular and reverse fan. While not performing as well as other models I have tried, the SWAFAN EX12 RGB is completely reasonable. Everything about the SWAFAN EX12 RGB seems good to this extent, but when digging deeper, you find some issues in the software once again. While TT RGB PLUS was functioning and I was able to adjust my fan speed and the RGB LED settings, my main issue was the software itself had to be restarted on a regular basis to apply the chosen effects. All in all, software remains to be a significant issue. Currently, the Thermaltake SWAFAN EX12 RGB sells at an MSRP of $110 USD for three fans, which is a bit pricey even for RGB LED lighting-enabled fans, given some of the cost went to making the reverse blades. If you are looking for aesthetic looking fans with decent performance, the Thermaltake SWAFAN EX12 RGB is an innovative choice that will save on cable clutter.
Thermaltake provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Networks Review Focus Summary:
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks, but should be considered before purchasing.
6/10 means A product with its advantages, but drawbacks should not be ignored before purchasing.
-- Final APH Networks Numeric Rating is 6.8/10
Please note that the APH Networks Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other publications.
The Thermaltake SWAFAN EX12 RGB is an upgrade to its predecessor, having improved performance while retaining its heavy focus on appearance.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware; Installation
3. Test Results
4. Conclusion
