TLDR; A solid ventilation fan, almost completely silent at low power, though not a top choice for high static pressure situations like radiators or coolers. Some of the best LED lighting in a fan I've seen, but control over the lighting requires extra, somewhat expensive and complex, parts not included with the fan.
I purchased one fan to go with a 3-pack and Node Pro I'd purchased earlier to finish out my case.
The fan itself is solidly built. The body is sturdy, the corners are covered with a slightly softer plastic (not sound-dampening rubber, despite how it looks in pictures). The blades are a thick, transparent plastic and the central hub has a solid feel.
Each fan has two cords (4-pin PWM power cord and a 3-pin RGB cord), The fan cord runs from the central hub through a channel, leaving the backplane of the fan unobstructed. At the corner, the second LED cord joins the fan cord. Each is sheathed in black plastic, the wires individually separated.
The fans kick out a lot of air, though the actual static pressure feels a little low (I wouldn't necessarily recommend these for radiators/air coolers if you place a premium on high performance over aesthetics). Even on low power, near-silent running, the amount of air they move is impressive. At high speeds the noise does pick up, and, as I'm running four in my case, at maximum power, they are roughly as loud as my desk fan, but throw a lot more air by comparison (two fans on top for exhaust can blow letter-filled envelopes off the top of the case).
But where they really shine is the lighting. There are 12 LEDs around the edge of the fan; hidden just enough that from the front you don't see glaring points of light, but the diffused color through the blades. The LEDs have an amazing spectrum and range, and even at slow speeds, transition between colors and/or brightness smoother than most case LED kits I've seen in the past.
The transparent blades and position of the LEDs means the fans look almost as good from the rear (the fan cable is visible, but unobtrusive), making these some of the few RGB fans that work for both case intake and exhaust ventilation. They also look good through case windows, and throw enough light to fill even a large full tower case.
My only complaint, and the reason for only four stars, is the fact that, as stand alone fans, they don't have the best interface. To control the fans requires you buy a separate hub (or a bundled pack that includes the hub). If you're looking for only fans, there is a hub that can control up to six fans (the RGB cords run to the hub; you'll have to provide motor power separately through the motherboard or another fan speed controller). The remote is nice, and is good for cycling through options (though you can't manage the fans individually, but there are a few "Chain" effects - transitions that move through the fans one at a time), colors, speed, and brightness. The hub requires its own power, through a SATA-type power cord.
If you want to control the fans via software, this requires a second controller (the Node Pro). The Node Pro has two ports that lead to either LED strips (each port can apparently handle four strips, though I haven't tested this) or one fan hub (which can have up to six fans). The Node hub connects to the motherboard through a USB2.0 header, and requires another SATA-type power cord for power.
This isn't, in my opinion, explained well in documentation. There are two hubs - the fan hub, which connects up to six fans together to a remote, or to a second, different, Node Pro hub, which allows software control over the lighting (Corsair Link software does not offer control over fan speed unless you also have a Corsair fan controller providing motor power to the fans). The software allows for control over individual fans, as well as cascading effects.I do like the software - its simple to understand, and includes lots of temperature and speed information, and can also control other Corsair products if you have them (RGB Vengeance RAM, water coolers, cases, etc).
Despite the cost, I prefer the Node Pro control over the remote, because I also have RGB keyboard, mouse, keypad controller, and headphones, and together I can quickly change the color palette of my system on a whim without having to dig around for the wired controller.
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From the manufacturer
Quiet Performance, Vivid Illumination
The Corsair HD120 RGB LED PC case fans combine 12 independent frame mounted RGB LEDs and excellent air delivery, bringing a stunning element to your rig.
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High Static PressureProvides improved performance over standard case fans. |
Quiet PerformanceUltra-thin fan blades ensure less vibration, noise and turbulence. |
Easy-Access 3-Button ControllerAllows you to cycle through lighting effects, effect speeds, and individual RGB LED colors. |
PWM Control800 -1725 PWM control range. |
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Control Your Look - And Your CoolProvides improved performance over standard case fans. Under control of an easy-access 3-button controller, set your fans to stun with fading, breathing, blinking and other LED modes. The HD120 RGB LED fans are tailor-made for those seeking to make their rigs outshine all others. |
Individually Controlled RGB LED LightingEach of the 12 RGB LEDs, built directly into the fan frame, are fully customizable, unlocking nearly endless customization and lighting effects. |
Take Control of the SpectrumWith 12 independent LEDs and 7 unique lighting modes, the HD120 presents a myriad of lighting combinations, all waiting to be discovered. Choose a theme that matches your build or have it stand out, it’s up to you. |
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Customer Review: Bought four fans, two more on the way
Derek
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Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2017
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2020
The plain stock fans in my case just had to go, so I picked these up.
Installation was relatively simple. Sadly, unlike NZXT's offerings these fans can't be daisy chained together, resulting in more cables lying round. It can also be a little difficult at first to screw in the fans as they are not threaded-- the screw chews its way through the plastic to form them.
These fans cannot be controlled with iCUE software out of the box-- they need a Lighting Node Pro or Commander Pro to interface. With that in mind, the presets offered by the physical button controller are rather limiting, so do with that as you will. I got an LNP soon after buying these things, pretty sure it's what Corsair expects you to do.
The lighting is quite bright, and with iCUE control the 12 independently addressable LEDs really shine, not quite as good as the 16 in each LL120, but still quite good and, at the time, much cheaper.
These fans are pretty quiet, not the best, but as long as my GPU remains the greatest noisemaker in my system, I'm happy. Airflow has drastically increased from stock (not that I really cared for airflow anyway with fans like these!!!)
In conclusion, if you're willing to pay the steep price for just three fans, or snag a good discount, these fans are a great aesthetic choice. However, software lighting control is a must if you got these things, so you might want to shell out another 40 bucks or so for a LNP.
Installation was relatively simple. Sadly, unlike NZXT's offerings these fans can't be daisy chained together, resulting in more cables lying round. It can also be a little difficult at first to screw in the fans as they are not threaded-- the screw chews its way through the plastic to form them.
These fans cannot be controlled with iCUE software out of the box-- they need a Lighting Node Pro or Commander Pro to interface. With that in mind, the presets offered by the physical button controller are rather limiting, so do with that as you will. I got an LNP soon after buying these things, pretty sure it's what Corsair expects you to do.
The lighting is quite bright, and with iCUE control the 12 independently addressable LEDs really shine, not quite as good as the 16 in each LL120, but still quite good and, at the time, much cheaper.
These fans are pretty quiet, not the best, but as long as my GPU remains the greatest noisemaker in my system, I'm happy. Airflow has drastically increased from stock (not that I really cared for airflow anyway with fans like these!!!)
In conclusion, if you're willing to pay the steep price for just three fans, or snag a good discount, these fans are a great aesthetic choice. However, software lighting control is a must if you got these things, so you might want to shell out another 40 bucks or so for a LNP.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Adolfo Sánchez
Ecosistema Corsair, Propietario y calidad pésima.
Reviewed in Spain on May 13, 2020
Mergatroid
Good fans nice colour and effects
Reviewed in Canada on January 9, 2020
Mergatroid
Reviewed in Canada on January 9, 2020
The lighting is very bright and pretty much brightens the entire interior of my PC (Corsair 760T with a psu shroud on the bottom)
I already have three blue Corsair 140mm mag-lev fans for my case, a Hue RGB strip, an RGB GPU support and some RGB RAM coolers, but still the case was a little dim inside.
Well, these fans certainly brightened things up.
One bone I would like to pick with corsair. I wanted to use these fans on my 360mm rad. I hooked them up, but even though they are PWM, Corsair did not provide a PWM splitter so they could all be connected to one header.
They did supply a really stupid cable that can connect to the RGB controller, and then connect to your case buttons, but who would even want to control the RGB fans with their power button and reset button? I just can't believe someone actually thought that was a good idea. Dump that useless cable and add a PWM splitter.
Lucky for me, the Thermaltake Water 3.0 cooler I have did come with a PWM splitter. If not for that, I would have had to wait.
And speaking of waiting, this was a Prime purchase, and it took about a week and a half to finally arrive.
Some Prime.
Images in this review
Pascal
Looks absolutely stunning with Commander Pro
Reviewed in Canada on April 3, 2019
Pascal
Reviewed in Canada on April 3, 2019
- The dual/triple packs that come with an RGB hub and Controller (no iCUE support) or;
- You will need a RGB hub paired with a Commander Pro for iCUE control (sold separately for HD fans).
These fans sure can push a lot of air, though they can get very noisy at higher RPM. When maxed out, I personally find them bothersome due to the noise. On lower RPM however, they are surprisingly quiet and still move enough air, I keep mine at around 800 RPM with satisfying results of both airflow and noise-level.
Their looks is where everything is at: The HD fans, paired with a Commander Pro, are simply stunning. The LEDs are bright and colorful, and iCUE provides a wide array of customizable effects that can be applied to the lighting of each fan. This can give you a lot of control over its lighting capabilities.
The bottom line is if you don't care about the lighting and only want performant fans, I'd look elsewhere since there are equally good or better fans for less than half of the HD price. If looks is a focus and you want some flashy rig, then look no further, you won't regret the HD series.
Images in this review
Alberto Scisci
Ottime ventole RGB personalizzabili
Reviewed in Italy on March 4, 2019
