Best 140mm PC Case Fans in 2020

Every desktop PC enthusiast has definitely come across overheating issues once or twice. Whether it is while gaming or running high-end editing software, having thermal issues is common. To fix this issue, the simple run-of-the-mill solution would be to invest in a GPU, CPU cooler or a good Airflow PC Case.

But cooling one or two components isn’t the total solution. Apart from the GPU and CPU, a few other components soar the temperature inside your computer. And just so you know, case fans are the only plausible solution to maintain the temperature of these components. Yet, we often overlook the importance of case fans in regulating temperatures inside the cabinet.

But you know the importance of case fans, after all, you’re here to find out the best 140mm fans you can buy in 2020. Nonetheless, before diving straight into it, we’d like to point out a few things.

There are different types of fans out there, all based on varying needs. Apart from just listing them out, we’ll also try to find the best fan catering to your personal need. Be it to increase airflow or have silent operation, we’ve got you covered.

Well, without further ado, let’s get right into it!

Best 140mm PC Fans in 2020: A Quick Preview

Best Overall 140mm PC in the market

Noctua NF-A14 PWM

Hands down the best 140mm you can buy right now. Surely, you’ve come across the name, Noctua.

The Austrian company is renowned for manufacturing CPU coolers and computer fans, targeting only the true enthusiast. Currently, their NF-A14 lineup absolutely dominates the 140mm fan market.

NF-A14 is the direct successor of the NF-P14 but like ten times the performance. Featuring Noctua exclusive Flow Acceleration Channels, it outperforms P14 in every way, especially in the cooling department. The award-wining NF-A14 fan cools your system with ease and that too with little to no noise.

The square shape design of the fan complies with Noctua’s AAO (Advanced Acoustic Optimization). The shape also makes it perfect for mounting on water cooling radiators.

Unlike the regular variant, Noctua packs the PWM version with its custom-designed NE-FD1 IC for seamless fan speed control. Likewise, the packaging also includes its famous Low-Noise adaptor. This adaptor decreases the maximum RPM from 1500 to 1200 for better noise reduction.

But wait, we haven’t told you about the aesthetic feature of NF-A14!

You see, Noctua are about the only manufacturers who never really focused on the aesthetics. This is why few of its potential customers eventually settle for something more pleasing to the eye. The reason being, ‘at least it looks good.’

However, here’s the good news fellow PC master race members. Noctua has gone out of their way and released the shinier version of this high-performance case fan, the Noctua NF-A14 PWM chromax.Black.swap

Yeah, the name does sound a bit handful, but let’s not be all selective about it. With literally no dip in performance, this version is an excellent choice for those who never liked the old-school khaki-and-mud color scheme. Although you need to shell out a few more bucks to get your hands on these babies.

Who should buy it?

• Looking for no-compromise cooling.
• Wants an alternative for expensive and loud industrial grade fans.
• Don’t really want RGB.

Who shouldn’t buy it?

• Wants aesthetics over performance.
• Isn’t looking for over the top cooling solution.

Pros:

• The price to performance ratio is relatively higher than the competition.
• Pushes out a ton of air without generating a lot of noise.
• Build with premium material.
• Vibration Pad dampens the noise even at high speed.

Cons:

• A little expensive for a case fan.
• No RGB option.

The Best 140mm RGB PC Fan in 2020

Corsair LL Series LL140

Over the last few years, the RGB market has grown so much it made people wonder if it even contributed to the gaming performance as well. There’s literally a search query in Google saying, “does rgb increase fps?”

These days RGB computer components have become a new norm, and case fans are no exception. Who doesn’t want to make their desktop aesthetically appealing, right?

Speaking of which, at this point, the crown for “The Best RGB Fan,” unquestionably goes to Corsair LL140. The main highlight is obviously the Two RGB Light Loops that have 16 independent RGB LEDs split between them. This allows for limitless customization.

Also, the included CORSAIR’s Lighting Node Pro helps you sync their iCUE supported devices and create immersive lighting effects, as per your choosing.

But wait, let’s be real here, you’re not going to buy or instead you shouldn’t buy a fan on the basis of how shiny it is. Ultimately, it boils down to how much it improves your performance.

Surprisingly, the LL140 does a great job in the technical aspect too. Not only do they dissipate heat efficiently, but they are also dead silence at full speed. The fans are custom engineered for producing low-noise without shelling a lot of performance. Though the noise is a tad bit louder in mid-range.

This catchphrase really depicts all of its features in a single sentence. “Vivid RGB lighting, Quite low noise operation, and great Airflow.”

Who should buy it?

• Want silent fans with effective cooling and RGB.
• Willing to pay a substantial amount of money for a fan.

Who shouldn’t buy it?

• You’re on the market for a high-performance fan.
• Don’t want to compromise on the silence.
• Don’t want to spend $100 for a pack of three fans.

Pros:

• Sixteen RGB LEDs aids in bright & maximum customization
• Fans are dead silent on low RPMs.
• Pack of Three fans comes with Lighting Node PRO controller.

Cons:

• Poor Performance as a radiator fan.
• Poor price to performance ratio.
• Cannot be controlled with iCUE software without buying Lightning Node Pro

Best Silent 140mm PC Fan 2020

Be Quiet! Silent Wings 3 140mm PWM

The name speaks for itself!

Be Quiet takes great pride in being the world’s quietest PC fan manufacturers. Despite the name, their fans are not just build to stay quiet but to perform as well.

To begin with, the company’s motto has always been on keeping every radio silent. However, since the past few years, they’ve focused on the performance as well. Presently, their Silent Wings 3 line-up is the perfect mixture of both silence and performance.

Therefore, the Silent Wings 3 140mm is, honestly, the only one befitting of the crown, “Best Silent Fan in 2020.” And why wouldn’t it? Big Tech YouTubers like Hardware Canucks recommends it, and the overall consensus touts Silent Wings 3 as the undisputed champion in the silent fan category.

The fascinating part about this marvel is its 6-pole fan motor. In laymen’s terms, this feature helps in less power consumption and drastically reduces the vibrations. The fan has seven blades for enhanced airflow.

The fan utilizes the Fluid – Dynamic bearing (FDB), which adds to the longevity and noise reduction. On the intake side, the fan’s corner has funnel-shaped air inlets. In simple words, the corner shaping helps against static pressure.

Who should buy it?

• Those who want to build a silent pc.
• Willing to trade-off performance with low noise.
• Who wants to buy a premium class fan at a cheaper price.

Who shouldn’t buy it?

• Don’t buy if you are looking to move air quickly out of the system.
• If you’re looking for a visually impressive fan

Pros:

• Mounts perfectly with radiators.
• Works fine in ITX cases as well.
• Pin drop silent at low RPMs
• Low price despite having premium features.

Cons:

• With high-end features like PWM Control, FDB, and Six Pole Motor it became moderately expensive.
• Too many little mounting parts makes installation a bit tricky.

Best 140mm Case Fan with RGB Option in 2020

CORSAIR ML140 Pro PWM

There are a plethora of powerful fans in the market but none does it better than CORSAIR’ ML140 Pro PWM. Aside from its ridiculous technical specs, it also has an RGB variant for the aesthetics freaks.

Yeah, yeah, you might be saying RGB shouldn’t be an important reason to consider. Well, despite having no impact on the total performance, it still improves the overall appearance of your build. And that is something we should consider, isn’t it?

Nevertheless, the RGB model does have a significant speed downgrade from 1600 to 1200 the ML140 RGB still works better than any powerful fans.

In addition, ML140 boasts magnetic levitation bearing technology and CORSAIR’ custom rotors that helps in moving air in-out efficiently. The high speed doesn’t bother the noise profile either thanks to anti-vibration rubber dampers.

Above all, it boasts magnetic levitation bearing technology and CORSAIR’ custom rotors. This, in turn, helps in providing top-class performance and silent operation.

The majority of the consumer reviews are all talking about how silent this fan was despite going full speed. Certainly, you can’t go wrong with this one!

Who should buy Corsair ML140 Pro?

• Overclocking enthusiast who demands more heat dissipation in less time.
• Someone who prefers performance over the noise level.
• If you can overlook the hefty price tag.

Who shouldn’t buy Corsair ML140 Pro?

• If you’re looking for a budget-friendly powerful fan.
• Who wants comparable silence alongside high performance.
• Who wants the best price to performance ratio.

Pros:

• Best in class air movement.
• The total noise level is lower at a higher speed.
• Magnetic Levitation Bearing helps in reducing vibration.
• Available in RGB and LEDs.

Cons:

• Comparatively Noisier at low or medium speed.
• RGB variant is ridiculously expensive.

Best Budget 140mm PC Fan in 2020

ARCTIC F14 PWM

ARCTIC is known for its budget orientated computer components. From CPU cases to fans, they have mastered the art of manufacturing components for the consumer who isn’t willing to shell out a lot of money.

So crowning ARCTIC F14 PWM the Best Budget Fan in 2020 will never go wrong in any equation, whatsoever. They might not have the leaf blower trait air as Noctua’s or have those fancy lighting effects like COSAIR’s, but the price to performance ratio is insane.

Costing a mere 11 bucks, F14 boasts some incredible features. The innovative fan blade design helps in efficient ventilation of the case, and the new rotor design focuses on delivering the best airflow without producing loud noise.

Furthermore, F14 has a custom German-made fan controller. The controller drastically reduces the fan speed whenever silence is prioritized above performance. It achieves this feat by going far below the 40% PWM signal limit.

Pros:

• Exceptional Price/Performance Ratio
• Allows two-way installation, Exhaust, and Intake.
• Oil Capsule in the bearing prevents lubricant leakage.

Cons:

• Not the most silent type.
• PWM doesn’t always works smoothly.
• RPM rarely reaches the maximum.

Who should buy ARCTIC F14?

• If you are looking for the best price to performance ratio.
• Beginners PC builders who are just getting into over-clocking.

Who shouldn’t buy ARCTIC F14?

• High-end users.
• Who are looking for a silent fan.

How to pick a PC Fan? Factors to Look Into

The majority of us believe that fans only exist to keep the computer component cool. Although the statement is true, the new age ‘PC Master Race’ has created some fallacies.

The PC Fan market grew exponentially in the past couple of years. At present, there are fans accommodating different consumer needs.

Want to build a silent pc, buy a case fan explicitly designed for quiet performance. How about fans that can vanquish heat as quickly as possible? An industrial-grade fan with an insane amount of CFM will do the trick.

But hold on! Before you jump right into Google and type, ‘Best Case Fans in 2020‘ make sure you become familiar with a few terminologies. These terms sound a bit complex at first but fret not, as we’ve simplified all of them for you.

A.) Types of PC Fans

There are primarily two types:

Firstly, Static Pressure Fans are those which help in dispersing airflow evenly. Components such as radiators or CPU coolers more than often disrupts airflow inside the case. In simple terms, if you’ve filled each one of your PCIe slots or hard drive’s caddies, then passing air evenly becomes a challenge. This subsequently, leads to higher temperatures.

In such a scenario, Static Fans are helpful. These fans have different fin designs and can tackle resistance with high static pressure. So higher the static pressure the better it will be.

Airflow Fans serves a different need. They work better in the case where there is no blockage for the air to move. Given the circumstances, they can move far more air than their counterparts. PC builders tend to use these fans in water cool builds.

These two types of fans are reasonably easy to differentiate. A Static fan has fins closely aligned to each other whereas, an Airflow fan has a lot of distance between each blade.

B.) Fan Airflow: CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute)

CFM determines the volume of air a fan can move in a minute. Not easy to understand in just words, yeah? Allow us to rephrase it in a much simpler form.

An amateur definition of CFM would be the amount of time a fan takes to replace the entire volume of air inside a cabinet. And yes, you guessed it, the higher the CFM, the better the cooling inside your pc cabinet.

Still, buying a fan with higher CFM doesn’t necessarily mean your case will be cooler. It largely depends upon some key factors. Factors like the size and design of the case, total number of fans, overall heat generated by computer components, and the type of CPU or GPU cooler.

C.) Fan Size

This one’s a no brainer. Fans come in a lot of different shapes and sizes, ranging from 25mm to 230mm. The most commonly used sizes are 120mm and 140mm. As fans get larger and larger, the air they disperse substantially increases. You can take a look at Best 120mm AIO Liquid Coolers also.

Likewise, larger fan sizes like 140mm or 200mm are more advantageous than their smaller brothers when it comes to cooling the components.

D.) Fan Speed (RPM)

Revolutions per minute mean the number of revolutions the fan makes in a minute. Higher RPM helps in moving air in and out of the system swiftly.

Anywho, a large-sized fan like 140mm or 200mm will move more air at the same speed as a 120mm. Thanks to the larger fin size, two 140mm fans, and three 120mm will usually have the same CFM.

E.) Bearing Type

Although there are tons of different types of fan bearings, there exist three major types. Understand the basic concept of these three, and you’re good to go.

i) Sleeve Bearing

Cheapest among the three, these bearings have a work span of about 40,000 hrs under 60°C (140°F). They are low-maintenance and have low operating noise.

As a general rule of thumb, these are to be mounted vertically for quieter function. If you mount it horizontally, the fluid inside the sleeve bearing fans will shift to one of the shaft’s side. This results in failure to provide uniform friction protection. Besides, Sleeve Bearing will make a lot of noise if not mounted as to how they are supposed to be.

ii) Ball Bearing

The double ball bearing is less susceptible to a quick death as opposed to Sleeve Bearing. Ball bearing can continuously run for 60,000 to 75,000 hrs under 60°C (140°F).

Additionally, you can mount them as per your leisure, horizontally or vertically. They don’t suffer from the issue of fluid shifting.

The only cons they have is the noise level. Ball-bearing is noisier than all the bearing types.

iii) Fluid Dynamic Bearing and Hydrodynamic Bearing

Out of the three, Fluid Dynamic Bearing is the best. These are often called premium bearings due to its high price. They can last a staggering 1000,000 to 300,000 hrs at 60°C (140°F).

On top of that, they are the silent of the three making it a perfect fit for your home rigs. Similar to Ball Bearings, you can mount it as per your choosing.

iv) Rifle Bearing-

Similar to Sleeve Bearing but with quieter function and increased longevity.

v) Magnetic Bearing –

It uses magnets to repel the fans from the bearings. This allows for no contact spin. These are relatively expensive but have higher durability and better performance.

F.) Noise (dBA)

While window shopping for fans, you must have come across the term, dBA(A-weighted decibels). To put it plainly, it depicts how loud a particular sound is to the human ear. Many manufacturers display the total noise level in dBA, though some use the term, Sone.

You should always opt for fans with low dBA. Nevertheless, it also depends on what you’re planning to do. For example, if you are buying a fan for your desktop computer at the office or factory, the noise level won’t affect you as much.

Besides, there are a few factors that add to the total noise level.

• The Type of bearing the fan uses.
• Distance between each fin and from the outer ring.
• Blade design.
• RPM.

G.) Power Connectors (PWM and 3 Pin)

Modern computers allow you to customize every component inside your case. For example, you can increase or decrease the clock speed of the CPU or GPU.

Likewise, PC fans these days also come with a customization feature. You can customize its speed, lighting effect, and total voltage. There’s a catch, however! Your fan needs to have a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) controller, otherwise known as a 4-pin connector, to use these features.

The majority of the fans in the market have the 4-pin connector, but you’ll also find 3-pin connectors. Unlike its older brother, a 3-pin connector do not allow for any voltage or speed customization, unless your motherboard allows you to tweak the bios.

Why Trust Our Picks?

Usually, we tend to do a lot of online and offline research before finalizing a product. Similarly, you most certainly have done your fair share of research for the best 140mm PC fan in 2020.

While researching, you must have come across many articles, and surely, your head is full of questions and confusion. And to rid you of this problem, our team has thoroughly researched each product before listing them out.

Besides, we don’t approve products on a wimp, but after stringent checking by our team of experts. We also examine online reviews, benchmarks, etc., before the products make it to the final cut. We’re confident our list will be the last thing you’ll have to consider before investing in a new case fan.

Even so, if you beg to differ, then make sure to leave a COMMENT!