Thermaltake is well known for their radiator fan kits with the SWANFAN and TOUGHFAN range, and for a short time now I’ve been saying that they need to complement these with airflow fans that you can use as a case fan. Today they’ve answered my prayers with the CT120 & CT140 ARGB (and non-ARGB) dual fan kits. Let’s take a look…
Thermaltake CT120/CT140 ARGB Sync PC Cooling Fan Pack(s) Review: Specifications
CT120 ARGB
| P/N | CL-F149-PL12SW-A |
|---|---|
| FAN DIMENSION | 120 x 120 x 25 mm |
| STARTED VOLTAGE | 5 V |
| RATED CURRENT | 0.11 A & 0.31A (one fan) |
| RATED VOLTAGE | 12 V & 5V |
| POWER INPUT | 1.32 W & 1.55W (one fan) |
| FAN SPEED | PWM 500~2000 R.P.M |
| MAX. AIR PRESSURE | 2.23 mm-H2O |
| MAX AIR FLOW | 57.05 CFM |
| NOISE LEVEL | 25.8 dB-A |
| BEARING TYPE | Hydraulic Bearing |
| LIFE EXPECTATION | 40,000 hrs,25℃ |
| CONNECTOR | 4 PIN PWM 3 PIN-ARGB |
| OTHER | PWM Cable x 2 ARGB Cable x2 ARGB Cable Clip x 2 |
CT140 ARGB
| P/N | CL-F150-PL14SW-A |
|---|---|
| FAN DIMENSION | 140 x 140 x 25 mm |
| STARTED VOLTAGE | 5 V |
| RATED CURRENT | 0.17 A & 0.31A (one fan) |
| RATED VOLTAGE | 12 V & 5V |
| POWER INPUT | 2.04 W & 1.55W (one fan) |
| FAN SPEED | PWM 500~1500 R.P.M |
| MAX. AIR PRESSURE | 2.3 mm-H2O |
| MAX AIR FLOW | 77.37 CFM |
| NOISE LEVEL | 30.5 dB-A |
| BEARING TYPE | Hydraulic Bearing |
| LIFE EXPECTATION | 40,000 hrs,25℃ |
| CONNECTOR | 4 PIN PWM 3 PIN-ARGB |
| OTHER | PWM Cable x 2 ARGB Cable x2 ARGB Cable Clip x 2 |
Thermaltake CT120/CT140 ARGB Sync PC Cooling Fan Pack(s) Review: Closer Look
In the “typical” Tt fashion, they have packaged up the CT120 and CT140 kits in their usual black box with a good photo of the product and highlighted selling points. Overall the box does a great job of product promotion and looks premium. More importantly, it does a great job of ensuring the product arrives safe and sound.
Internally, the fans and all other accessories are packaged neatly.
Unboxing the accessories: we find two sets of screws – case screws and 30mm radiator mounting screws (individually bagged), with a pair of 4-pin PWM fan extension cables and a pair of 3-pin 5v ARGB LED extension cables. Finally, a pair of ARGB connector clips which holds the connectors in place.
Taking a closer look at the fans themselves (a pair of CT140s in this case) we can see the colour options Thermaltake provide, naming them black and snow, which is a typical naming scheme Thermaltake use across the case and fan range.
The CT120 and CT140 fans are housed in a square fan frame which is based on the TOUGHFAN and feature a specially tuned fan with 7 blades which are quoted to provide 2.0mm H2O air pressure and 57 & 77 CFM airflow.
The corners are hollowed out to reduce weight and are filled with an anti-vibration rubber pad.
The centre hub features 9 addressable LEDs which shine into the frosted fan blades for light coverage, and support ASUS, MSI, GIGABYTE, BIOSTAR, and ASROCK sync software.
The CT120 & CT140 fans are also unique with their connectors, as typically Thermaltake give all their fans a 90cm long cable. The CT ARGB fans come with short 16cm daisy-chained 4-pin PWM and 3-pin ARGB connectors which make it easy to connect multiple fans to a single connector, which can then be connected to the motherboard, hence the need for the extension cables provided.
Thermaltake CT120/CT140 ARGB Sync PC Cooling Fan Pack(s) Review: Installation
Our test bench case, the Ceres 500 TG ARGB, that we reviewed recently, comes with four pre-installed CT140 fans. So I removed them and re-installed them to show you how easy it is to do so.
The cable management was easy and straightforward forward as I was able to easily route the short cables to the rear panel and daisy-chain them together.
Here, the three CT140 fans at the front of the case meet the rear CT140 fan and connect to the longer extension cable which goes to the motherboard.
Finally, it’s satisfying to connect a single 3-pin 5v ARGB and 4-pin PWM fan connector directly to the motherboard.
Thermaltake CT120/CT140 ARGB Sync PC Cooling Fan Pack(s) Review: The Verdict
Having used the CT120 & CT140 fans in our test bench for a short time now we’re pleased to report they work fantastically well. Our test bench was kept surprisingly cool but at 2000rpm, the fans can get quite loud if not kept under check with motherboard fan control.
The build quality is solid, with a choice of black and snow (white) plastic on the housing that contrasts the LED-illuminated frosted fan blades perfectly. The LEDs are nice and bright and really do look nice illuminated in the case.
These fans excel in the cooling/airflow department too, even when ramped up under load. They are certainly audible at the full 2000rpm, so I’d recommend making use of motherboard fan control settings to keep the speeds lower below maximum speed if noise is a concern for you.
Finally, the fans can be mounted to the case as case fans or on a radiator thanks to the solid fan frame which is ideal for radiator cooling as it mitigates air leakage.
Clearly, the fans are a cut-down version of the typical TOUGHFAN and SWAFAN offerings, but at a much more cost-effective price, with the ARGB fan kits priced at £29.99 for a pair of CT120 fans and £34.99 for a pair of CT140 fans.
Non-ARGB variants of the CT120 & CT140 fans are also available for £17.99 and £21.98 for those of you who’d prefer those options.
It’s pleasing to also have an airflow-orientated PC case fan offering from Thermaltake, which offers more than a typical standard case fan, and this fully fits the bill!
Big thanks to Thermaltake for sending the CT120 and CT140 ARGB fans in for review!
What’s hot:
- Excellent LED illumination/diffusion on the fan blades.
- Motherboard fan and ARGB control that works with ASUS, MSI, GIGABYTE, BIOSTAR, and ASROCK motherboards.
- No annoying controllers and software to deal with.
What’s not:
- Loud at 2000rpm.
Related Reading:
