Antec 120mm SmartCool Fan Unit Double Ball Bearing (Variable Speed)

by Antec

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.7 x 1 x 4.7 inches ; 6.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00009KH0C
• Item model number: 120mm Smart Cool
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 8, 2005

Product Description

The thermally-controlled Antec 120mm SmartCool case fan is up to 80% quieter than other fans. Its RPM increases as the temperature rises inside of the case. It features a double ball-bearing design for extended life. This fan comes with a 4-pin power connector and a separate signal connector for the motherboard.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Works well, October 19, 2009

By 

Wayne (Union City, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Antec 120mm SmartCool Fan Unit Double Ball Bearing (Variable Speed) (Electronics)

I bought this fan to replace an older Antec fan that became noisy. Replacing this fan was not easy for me because this fan does not come with silicone grommets. My original fan was installed that way, and it's in an Antec case. Zalman includes the grommets even with their $8 fans. Reusing the old grommets was not easy because they are not designed for that. The fan came with mounting screws, but they did not fit the holes in my case where the grommets were.

As for the fan itself, it's quiet and works well. The temperature causes the fan's speed to vary, and the fan seems to be doing exactly what it's supposed to do. The package shows a chart with examples of speed, air flow, noise, etc. at various temperatures. When I installed it, my case had been open. The fan started out at about 1100 RPM, which would be appropriate for a temperature of somewhere between 25 and 30 degrees C. I used software to monitor the fan speed as well as temperatures such as my motherboard's. I can't tell the exact temperature of the air flowing, but when the motherboard got to 35 C, the fan was hovering between 1310-1312. The package says it should be at 1310 when the air is 35 C. The air flow is 46 CFM at that speed.

My computer has four HDDs with an internal Zalman fan blowing air away from them, toward the back of the case. I'm using this Antec as the rear exhaust fan, and the only case exhaust fan, unless you count the power supply fan. Air passes through my HDDs, out an internal fan, past the motherboard area, and out the back. I tried some tasks with heavier HDD activity, and the fan sped up, but not by a lot. At the same time, my motherboard temperature dropped.

The fan hasn't needed to go past 1350 so far, despite two older HDDs that are less efficient than current ones. So there's plenty of air flow without speeding up enough to be noisy.

Somebody commented that the fan seems to be staying around the same speed. It should. If it tries to keep the air at a constant temperature, it would speed up to do so. But that would keep the temperature where it should be, so the fan should slow down. It's normal to see the speed increase by a few RPM, drop by a few RPM, and continue doing so within a relatively limited range. The range may increase as necessary, but with a fan that can replace all the air in your computer in about a second when at top speed, it should have no need to ever get there.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seems pretty good, March 15, 2008

By 

Jermaine Stewart "stewy_gt" (Tallahassee, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Antec 120mm SmartCool Fan Unit Double Ball Bearing (Variable Speed) (Electronics)

I bought this fan for my heatsink (Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme). I hear a little noise coming from my case, but I know that some of that noise is due to the one 80mm fan that's mounted to the top of the case. For this fan, I'd most likely have to open up the case and listen to find out if its contributing to whatever, little noise I hear (could be the sound of the air going through the fins of the heatsink). Either way, my PC remains rather quiet in a room that is pretty much dead silent most of the time.

4.0 out of 5 stars Works as advertise, February 6, 2012

By 

todelaro - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Antec 120mm SmartCool Fan Unit Double Ball Bearing (Variable Speed) (Electronics)

Unlike traditional fans where the speed is set manually, these fans automatically adjust the speeds as the system temperature changes. The fans are quiet but there should still be a setting to adjust temperature sensitivity. My system temperature is around 55 degrees Celsius whereas before it was a couple of degrees cooler.