Why are 12v (4 pin) cheap/Good RGB fans so hard to find?

[TVwazhere]

"Cheap, Performance, RGB - You can only Pick two" I know, I know, but I'm still trying to balance the triangle as much as I can.

 

Requirements:

• RGB: Specifically, no ARGB, Digital RGB or RGB controlled via remote / controller. Looking for Motherboard controlled 12V (4 pin header) RGB. Motherboard in use is a B450 tomahawk MAX which has no ARGB header, only two RGB headers. Bonus if it matches the Hyper 212 RGB but even the MasterFans I bought for RGB Build 2019 didnt fully match on the greens so I'm not putting weight on this
• Use: Case fans in a P300A. CFM is the primary stat, static pressure is unimportant (air cooled system) cooling an R5 3600 with the recently purchased 1660TI Gaming X (dont get me started on why it's a bad deal, I'm already over it)
• Number: 3 fans total; 2 front 1 rear. 
• Fan header; 4 pin PWM would be ideal but 3 pin dc/dc would be fine. F%$& Molex.

Edit:

• Size: 120mm (to fit in the 120mm fan slot in the rear, while all being the same fan)
• Budget: Preferably under $40
• Location: USA

 

So far the best I've found is Cooler Master SickleFlow 120 V2 RGB  which at $13 is listed 62cfm @1800rpm/27dba (this would likely be reduced down to 1000rpm, meaning I'd estimate 40cfm, Unknown dba) Their Masterfan series are either out of stock or $100 due to basically no stock, which is what I used on RGB Build 2019 Build log in my signature, so sadly I cant use those. 

 

Deepcool has the RF120 3 Pack which are 56CFM @1500RPM/27dBa, but that's the only alternative I could truthfully find. 

 

I've used upHere fans in the past and been satisfied with them, but they only make ARGB fans that work with motherboards. Their RGB models all work via remote, or are like this version which just have a pre programed RGB setting in them. 

 

Antec has their F12 series which is good for $30 but at 1000rpm, they report only 30cfm which is pitiful. Digging deeper, they have an either older or newer version with 37cfm which is more promising. 

 

Any other sleuths out there that know of any good options?

[Enzo1001]

There is a 12v to 5v convertor, its called: Deepcool RGB convertor

[Tristerin]

Unfortunately I do not RGB, I think I have like 3 blue LED fans and 1 red LED fan in the parts pile lol

 

 

[Stahlmann]

I know the struggle, but for me it was with the higher-end fans. I wanted NF-F12 equivalent fans that had RGB, but after trying about 5 different reccomendations i finally accepted there is no such thing as a really good fan with RGB.

[Enzo1001]

7 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

"Cheap, Performance, RGB - You can only Pick two" I know, I know, but I'm still trying to balance the triangle as much as I can.

 

Requirements:

• RGB: Specifically, no ARGB, Digital RGB or RGB controlled via remote / controller. Looking for Motherboard controlled 12V (4 pin header) RGB. Motherboard in use is a B450 tomahawk MAX which has no ARGB header, only two RGB headers. Bonus if it matches the Hyper 212 RGB but even the MasterFans I bought for RGB Build 2019 didnt fully match on the greens so I'm not putting weight on this
• Use: Case fans in a P300A. CFM is the primary stat, static pressure is unimportant (air cooled system) cooling an R5 3600 with the recently purchased 1660TI Gaming X (dont get me started on why it's a bad deal, I'm already over it)
• Number: 3 fans total; 2 front 1 rear. 
• Fan header; 4 pin PWM would be ideal but 3 pin dc/dc would be fine. F%$& Molex.

 

So far the best I've found is Cooler Master SickleFlow 120 V2 RGB  which at $13 is listed 62cfm @1800rpm/27dba (this would likely be reduced down to 1000rpm, meaning I'd estimate 40cfm, Unknown dba) Their Masterfan series are either out of stock or $100 due to basically no stock, which is what I used on RGB Build 2019 Build log in my signature, so sadly I cant use those. 

 

Deepcool has the RF120 3 Pack which are 56CFM @1500RPM/27dBa, but that's the only alternative I could truthfully find. 

 

I've used upHere fans in the past and been satisfied with them, but they only make ARGB fans that work with motherboards. Their RGB models all work via remote, or are like this version which just have a pre programed RGB setting in them. 

 

Antec has their F12 series which is good for $30 but at 1000rpm, they report only 30cfm which is pitiful. Digging deeper, they have an either older or newer version with 37cfm which is more promising. 

 

Any other sleuths out there that know of any good options?

Do you have any peferance in size?

[SavageNeo]

 

 

you can also use this

Deepcool RGB Convertor i use this myself

 

[For Science!]

28 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

"Cheap, Performance, RGB - You can only Pick two" I know, I know, but I'm still trying to balance the triangle as much as I can.

 

Requirements:

• RGB: Specifically, no ARGB, Digital RGB or RGB controlled via remote / controller. Looking for Motherboard controlled 12V (4 pin header) RGB. Motherboard in use is a B450 tomahawk MAX which has no ARGB header, only two RGB headers. Bonus if it matches the Hyper 212 RGB but even the MasterFans I bought for RGB Build 2019 didnt fully match on the greens so I'm not putting weight on this
• Use: Case fans in a P300A. CFM is the primary stat, static pressure is unimportant (air cooled system) cooling an R5 3600 with the recently purchased 1660TI Gaming X (dont get me started on why it's a bad deal, I'm already over it)
• Number: 3 fans total; 2 front 1 rear. 
• Fan header; 4 pin PWM would be ideal but 3 pin dc/dc would be fine. F%$& Molex.

 

So far the best I've found is Cooler Master SickleFlow 120 V2 RGB  which at $13 is listed 62cfm @1800rpm/27dba (this would likely be reduced down to 1000rpm, meaning I'd estimate 40cfm, Unknown dba) Their Masterfan series are either out of stock or $100 due to basically no stock, which is what I used on RGB Build 2019 Build log in my signature, so sadly I cant use those. 

 

Deepcool has the RF120 3 Pack which are 56CFM @1500RPM/27dBa, but that's the only alternative I could truthfully find. 

 

I've used upHere fans in the past and been satisfied with them, but they only make ARGB fans that work with motherboards. Their RGB models all work via remote, or are like this version which just have a pre programed RGB setting in them. 

 

Antec has their F12 series which is good for $30 but at 1000rpm, they report only 30cfm which is pitiful. Digging deeper, they have an either older or newer version with 37cfm which is more promising. 

 

Any other sleuths out there that know of any good options?

Buy any fan, whack on the old school phanteks halos.

[TVwazhere]

23 minutes ago, Enzo1001 said:

Do you have any peferance in size?

120mm (sorry forgot to mention that)

2 minutes ago, For Science! said:

Buy any fan, whack on the old school phanteks halos.

Would put me over budget (wow I'm missing EVERYTHING today huh?)

[Enzo1001]

2 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

Would put me over budget (wow I'm missing EVERYTHING today huh?)

Its okay

[WkdPaul]

22 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

Deepcool has the RF120 3 Pack which are 56CFM @1500RPM/27dBa, but that's the only alternative I could truthfully find. 

They're not the quietest, the 3 pack comes with an RGB controller BTW (that I'm using since Phanteks uses proprietary RGB, at least on my P400A ; one of the color is switched, didn't care to "fix" it, that's why I'm using the fan RGB controller).

 

Here's a video, with the 3 speeds my P400A can do ;

 

They're affordable though, you can wait for a sale, up here, I was able to grab them for $30 CAD ! That's what ? A buck fifty in USD ?

[TVwazhere]

15 minutes ago, wkdpaul said:

They're affordable though, you can wait for a sale, up here, I was able to grab them for $30 CAD ! That's what ? A buck fifty in USD ?

If they're loud but tunable, they would probably be fine. 

 

In American, $30 CAD is about tree fiddy give or take a bald eagle. 

[WkdPaul]

1 minute ago, TVwazhere said:

If they're loud but tunable, they would probably be fine. 

Yeah, it's not that bad at the lowest setting (though since it's a fan controller, I'm not sure what the RPMs are). The loudest fans in my case are the ones on the CPU cooler and the one cheap 120mm I have over the HDD, but as you can see in the video, as soon as they ramp up, you hear them over the other fans.

 

1 minute ago, TVwazhere said:

In American, $30 CAD is about tree fiddy give or take a bald eagle. 

Oh! That means the CAD went up! NOICE!!

[-rascal-]

EKwb Varder EVO 120ER fans (they have both 12v 4-pin RGB, and 5v 3-pin ARGB ones)  

$24.99

https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-vardar-evo-120er-rgb-500-2200-rpm

 

TechPowerUp has a review for them.

They tested it attached to a radiator, though.

https://www.techpowerup.com/review/ekwb-vardar-evo-120er-rgb/

[TVwazhere]

10 hours ago, -rascal- said:

EKwb Varder EVO 120ER fans (they have both 12v 4-pin RGB, and 5v 3-pin ARGB ones)  

$24.99

https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-vardar-evo-120er-rgb-500-2200-rpm

21 hours ago, TVwazhere said:

"Cheap, Performance, RGB - You can only Pick two" I know, I know, but I'm still trying to balance the triangle as much as I can.

If I had to keep my analogy, these are an isosceles triangle of a fan, with the short end being cheap a good option though!

 

I will not poo-poo any outside criteria spec-d fans since this thread could help someone else in the future with looser criteria than myself. 

[TVwazhere]

On 12/8/2020 at 10:46 AM, TVwazhere said:

Deepcool has the RF120 3 Pack which are 56CFM @1500RPM/27dBa, but that's the only alternative I could truthfully find. 

Ended up with these. @wkdpaul I'll likely keep them at low RPM's given the P300A has a low impedance front panel, shouldnt need to spin up too fast. 

[WkdPaul]

Good choice IMO, like I said, they're a bit noisy at mid-high speed, but in my case (pun intended) it might be because of the P400A ...though I have the front mesh now.

 

But then, I'm using the P400A fan controller, I'm sure plugging them on the motherboard might get better results (for exemple, the fans on my Deepcool CPU cooler can go as low as 475 RPM and I can't hear them at all, not sure what's the lowest speed on the P400A fan controller).