REVIEW: Boost your system cooling with Corsair’s fans

Cooling is super important. The cooler you can keep your tech—a battery, machine part, computer component—the more energy efficient it is. This means you get more power for the amount of power spent. There are many different cooling types when it comes to keeping the parts in your computer at a good temperature.

There’s cooling that’s built into the components themselves, and then there’s secondary cooling; cooling the component from the outside. That’s what fans are and they play an important part in ensuring you get the most out of your PC. Corsair recently released a new wave of computer fans. We got our hands on the RS120 and RX120 fans, so let’s take a look.

REVIEW: Boost your system cooling with Corsair’s fans – techAU — We got the RS120 and RX120 starter kits to try out (Photo: TechAU)

Corsair RS120 fans

The Corsair RS120 fans are your standard 4-pinned PWM connector fans. They come in two sizes, RS120 and the RS140 for 120mm and 140mm fans respectively. These are super easy to install, and function as a basic fan. They are sleek and connect directly to the motherboard so you don’t have to worry about extra fan hubs or cables. This, however means there’s no way to control the fans. For players wanting a little more control, the RX series fans come complete with iCUE link.

Three RS120 fans packed snuggly in their box. You can see the 4-pin PWM connector. — Don’t they just fit so snugly in the box (Photo: TechAU)

Corsair RX120 fans

These new RX fans are interconnected and come with a Corsair iCUE hub so you can connect and control them from your PC. These were the fans of choice for us when we were deciding to replace some old fans with fancy new ones. The box comes complete with everything you’ll need to put these fans in your PC. Here, we have the starter kit, which includes the iCUE controller, and three fans.

Three black fans, iCUE controller, USB and power connectors, two cable options for connecting the fans, screws, and inter-fan connectors. All black. — Out of the box. Three fans, iCUE controller, USB and power connectors, two cable options for connecting the fans, screws, and inter-fan connectors (Photo: TechAU)

The RX120 fans are interconnected, meaning there’s no additional cables. Snap the connectors together and you can quickly make a series of fans. We decided to have one set of three fans for the front of the PC:

Three fans are snapped together in a line. All black. — RX120 set of three configuration (Photo: TechAU)

And here, we have another set of two fans for the top of the PC:

Two fans are snapped together next to one another — RX120 set of two configuration (Photo: TechAU)

I love that the fans come with a little arrow, giving you quick information on airflow direction. It’s important to have the correct airflow direction so you can dispel the heat from your components.

The side of the fan with the arrows and connector holes. — Arrows on the side of the fan showing the direction of airflow. The left connector is for power flowthrough and the right connector is for stabilisation. These were very easy to snap together (Photo: TechAU)

Installing the fans

Getting these installed in the PC was relatively straightforward. Once we decided on our configuration, we screwed the fans in easily with the included Corsair QuikTurn screws. Next was the cabling. I love some good cable management as much as any PC builder, and Corsair made this super easy. There was already no cables between fans, and each set of fans could be daisy chained.

Inside of a PC. You can see the Motherboard, ram sticks, and three fans. Everything is black. — Inside of the PC showing one fan at the rear, and two fans on top (Photo: TechAU)

We connected the three fans on the front directly to the iCUE controller. Next we connected the set of two fans on top to the top fan on the front. The rear fan was a little further away from the rest, so we connected this directly to the iCUE controller. The controller was then connected to the motherboard with the included USB cable, and also to the power supply. I love that this Corsair iCUE hub is magnetic. No need to find tape or something to hold it down, it magnetically attaches anywhere on the PC case.

iCUE controller showing the power cable (left) and USD controller cable (right) (Photo: TechAU).

This whole process took about 20 minutes, and we had perfect cable management.

Turning it all on

Once we turned the computer on, I was surprised at how quiet the fans were. We had a total of six fans in the computer and I could barely hear it. Installing the Corsair iCUE software is relatively simple. After installing, the iCUE controller will appear with the number of fans connected. Here, you can control the speed of the fans.

The computer is now much quieter, much cooler, and everyone is happy. Except the one thing I really missed was RGB lighting. Those who have read some of my previous articles know I love RGBs. Luckily, if this is something you’re likely to miss, Corsair have a range of fans just for you.

More fans in the Corsair range

Corsair’s new range includes lots of different options for various purposes. The fan reviewed above, the RX120, also comes in an RX140 for 140mm fans. You can also choose to buy a 120mm starter kit ($149.00 AUD or $89.99 USD) or a single fan ($59.00 AUD or $34.99 USD). They are also available as dual kits and are a little more pricey if you are wanting a 140mm fan.

If you want some RGB, you can opt for the iCUE Link RX120 RGB edition. These are available as a set of three with the iCUE hub ($169.99 AUD or $99.99 USD) or a purchase a single fan to expand your set. The RX RGB fans can be purchase in 120mm and 140mm sizes.

This is the Corsair LX RGB fan series, another option for PC builders (Image: Supplied).

If you’re on a bit of a budget and don’t mind using the direct to motherboard fans, you can purchase the RS120 ARGB fans. The RS ARGB is available in both 120mm and 140mm and can be purchased in a single ($24.99 USD), double ($44.99 USD), or triple pack ($54.99 USD). The fans are again a little priceier if you wanting the 140mm size. If lighting isn’t your style, go minimalist with the RS120 triple pack for $39.99 USD. All fans are available in either white or black.

Check out the Corsair website for a full list of fans and prices. What will you choose?

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