Asus is replicating Noctua's and Phanteks' high-end fans
The Proart fan PF120 uses particularly rigid LCP plastic for small gaps. It is visibly inspired by Noctua's NF-A12x25 and Phanteks' T30-120.
(Image: Asus)
For the first time in years, Asus is introducing a fan without colorful LEDs. The manufacturer explicitly advertises the Proart PF120 for "minimalist" desktop PCs without ARGB. It is Asus's first fan with a rotor made of liquid crystal polymer (LCP).
This plastic is particularly rigid. Because it warps very little, it allows for particularly small gaps between the fan blades and the frame. Asus claims 0.5 mm. This maximizes airflow and static pressure.
Noctua was the first manufacturer with LCP and this design. The Proart PF120 strongly resembles Noctua's NF-A12x25. However, Asus takes a different approach than its competitor: the fan is designed for high throughput with up to 3000 revolutions per minute (rpm). Noctua, on the other hand, focuses on quiet operation with the NF-A12x25 and its successor NF-A12x25 G2 (starting from 34,90 €). They run at a maximum of 1800 rpm.
Asus Proart PF120 im Vergleich zu Noctua und Phanteks (4 Bilder)
Asus Proart PF120
Asus
)
Unusual Thickness
At 28 instead of 25 mm, the Proart PF120 is slightly thicker than most fans. This places it between the Noctua models and the similarly designed Phanteks T30-120. The latter also uses LCP with a small gap but is 30 mm thick. The T30-120 is likely the unnamed competitor that Asus compares itself to in its announcement. According to its own statements, the Proart PF120 is supposed to be quieter.
| Fan model | Asus Proart PF120 | Phanteks T30 | Noctua A12x25 G2 |
| Thickness [mm] | 28 | 30 | 25 |
| Max. speed [rpm] | 3000 | 3000 | 1800 |
| Max. airflow [CFM] | 104.8 | 100,9 | 63,2 |
| Max. static pressure [mmH2O] | 7.3 | 7,37 | 3,14 |
| Max. noise level [dB(A)] | 39 | 39,7 | 22,5 |
| Price [€] | unknown | 30 | 35 |
Asus and Phanteks have one thing in common: daisy-chain connectors on the fan frame, allowing multiple units to be connected to each other. The 4-pin connectors transmit both power and PWM fan signals without having to connect each one individually to a motherboard or fan controller. Asus's connections are even shorter than Phanteks'.
The Proart PF120 is available in black and white. The two variants are not yet available in Germany; Asus has not yet announced a price. At least 30 euros seem realistic given the competition.
Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt
Mit Ihrer Zustimmung wird hier ein externer Preisvergleich (heise Preisvergleich) geladen.
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (heise Preisvergleich) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
(mma)
