120mm Vs 140mm Fans- The Ultimate Case Fan Comparison

Your PC case has to go through a lot thanks to all those high-end hardware filling. In a regular scenario, it will produce a lot of heat. And so, if you don’t consider managing a cooling solution for it, there’s a high chance the PC will fall apart from proper functioning sooner or later.

Also, your PC case deserves to have the finest case fan available. Now with so many varieties, sizes, noise level variation, and airflow dissimilarities, it’s quite difficult for an individual to figure out the right one.

So, let’s talk about a much-needed comparison of two case fan categories that usually clash inside a consumer’s mind. We are pointing to a 120mm Vs 140mm Fans battle. Let’s find out which one would serve you better and at the same time, we will shout out to some of the finest models available. Here We Go!

Main Difference Between the 120mm Vs 140mm Fans

Comparing Spin Speed

When it comes to contrast between the leading fans of 120mm and 140mm sizes, we do find some differences. Yet, one has a better spinning speed than another.

Starting from the 120mm case fans, they have more than 1200 Rpm spinning speed for making your PC faster when doing any serious tasks. You see, the better the spin speed occurs on a fan, your PC will get more strength to respond and even output faster.

With a huge Rpm spinning speed, the 120mm fans tend to help the PC to get rid of the dust and other debris by creating positive pressure throughout the spinning speed. And that is one very notable feature you want to have in a decent case fan.

In the 120mm vs 140mm fans, many people find the 140mm fans good for their brilliant spinning speed. Yet, the 120mm fans have a higher spinning speed which makes sure your PC is working fine under heavy loads with no heat snag.

On the other hand, the 140mm fans appear with 1000 Rpm spinning speed that makes sure good cooling speed when your PC is multitasking. Even though 1000 Rpm is enough for most PC cases to easily get cooler, still the 140mm fans work slowly compared to the 120mm(Get Popular 120mm Fans)

And for that reason, we would say the 120mm case fans are the winner when it comes to spin speed for their brilliant speed and workability. The 120mm fans also allow your PC to perform better.

Overall, the uphere 3-Pack Long Life 120mm Cooling Case Fan is one of the best 120mm case fan options for its brilliant consent power and performance. It’s a capable option to try that includes other notable features too.

Best Recommended for Fan Spin: Noctua NF-P12 120mm Cas Fan– Award-Winning High-Performing CPU Cooler

This CPU cooler has been awarded more than 100 awards and is recommended by international computer hardware websites. The optimal pressure optimized blade design features superior performance both in high speed and low noise. It is 120mm size but can provide up to 1700 rpm of fan speed.

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Sound Frequency

The difference between 120mm and 140mm fans is huge when it comes to sound frequency. However, we have found one clear frontrunner with no biased.

Most 120mm fans come with low dBA sound frequency support for users to enjoy smooth and noiseless PC browsing. On top of that, they are designed to run with smaller spins to rotate faster without making any significant noise. Also, the 120mm fans don’t spin roughly which creates less sound pressure.

The 120mm fans on top make sure no loud tone is roaming while the fan is rotating for peaceful processing. It covers most areas with probabilities to cause less noise and sound issues.

Quite the opposite, the 140mm fans come with higher sound frequency for their spinning power and huge dBA. Also, they usually have higher dBA noise levels which result in more noise while multitasking or doing higher workloads. However, there are some models that don’t really make a huge noise problem while functioning.

The 140mm fans actually create whisper-like sound noise which only occurs when doing heavy workload. Yet, if we are talking about 3 120mm fans vs 2 140mm fans, then the 140mm fans have a lower sound frequency which allows you to work noiselessly.

If we have to say the winner, it should be 120mm fans for their quiet operation under a good workload. They also allow your PC to minimize noise individually. But if you can find a model of 140mm fan that ensures quiet operation, the battle would not really exist.

Among all 120mm fans, we love the Enermax Marathon 120mm Silent PC Case Fan for its 17dBA noise level to run silently. It does a phenomenon cooling job while maintaining the less sound-making probabilities for user comfort.

Best for Quiet Operation- Noctua NF-A14 140 mm Fan: Premium Quite Fan with Low Noise Adaptor

This is another award-winning series from Noctua and gives excellent performance with noise-free running.  Its noise level is 24.6 dB optimized for quiet operation with the noise adaptor. And the 4-pin PWM fan header is here to assist it with the automatic fan speed control for proper ventilation.

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Airflow CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute)

If talking about Noctua 120 vs 140 fans, both fans come with similar airflow and static pressure. But, not all 120mm and 140mm fans are similar. Both fans are dissimilar when it comes to the CFM power of airflow. However, we have found one that has better CFM to cool the PC faster.

The 120mm case fans come with low CFM power to turn your overloaded PC cool. They on top make sure your PC is cycling though better when doing the multitasking ability. But wait, that is not all. The 120mm case fans also allow you to get rid of the heat snag when using big sized files.

On top of that, the lower CFM of airflow actually makes the 120mm case fans to give good static pressure. And so, there’s no reason we would consider the 120mm a bad choice just because of airflow.

But, the 140mm case fans come with higher CFM power of airflow for your PC to turn cooler even under huge pressure and heavy workload. They on top make sure better air to flow on the other parts to turn them cool to access better with no chances of burn.

Among both fans, we would say the 140mm case fans are the ones to beat for their brilliant exhaust pressure and cooling power. And so, we are slightly fonder of it.

On the whole, the Corsair CO-9050044-WW ML140 140mm Case Fan is one of the best 140mm case fan options for operating flawlessly in the most challenging environment.

Best Recommended for High Airflow- Corsair AF 140 LED Fan: Higher Airflow CFM with Lower Noise

It is best for featuring its optimized static pressure providing a high airflow of 66.4 CFM. The 140mm fan finely accelerates the graphics. The fan’s thin-sleeved bearing promotes quiet operation and just perfect for those building a custom PC. Also, it comes with a combo pin connector. If you are a gamer, the LED look with cooling criteria will amaze you.

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Dimensions

Another thing that makes the 120mm and 140mm case fans different from each other is their dimension. Yet, we find one better depending on portability and space adjustments.

The 120mm case fans have a 120x120x25 mm dimension that makes sure to take up less space from your PC. Also, they are really light in weight for their small size to use fewer places. The 120mm case fans as well as make sure your PC has huge space left even after installing one fan.

With the upper hand, they are also lightweight that allows you to easily install them if you are a DIY person. The 120mm case fans on top have a 105mm distance between screw holes. This feature also makes sure more air flow on the case easily.

On the contrary, the 140mm case fans come with a 140x140x25 mm dimension which is a negative point of both weight and space adjustments.

They on top have a bigger distance between screw holes up to 124.5mm that need for installing in the PC hardware. But the big dimension allows air to flow hardly throughout all parts.

If comparing fairly, the frontrunner is the 120mm case fan for its great freedom of space and stand-in small space. It makes the usage user-friendly and convenient

In general, we like the Cooler Master Sleeve Bearing 120mm Fan among all for its beautiful room management to put more fans for better airflow.

Best Recommended for the Gamer-Pccooler 120mm RGB LED Case Fan: Quiet Fan with Dual Light Loop of Dashing Look

The nightowl gamers love this 120mm size case fan with a high-tech fan speed controller and RGB LED light loop. There is a Silicon pad that offers a shockproof and anti-vibration design. You can enjoy rough and tough gaming without noise and gaming mode. On top, you can use it both as the water and air cooler.

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Number of Required Slots

The number of required slots of the 120mm and 140mm case fans is dissimilar. Even though both fans are different, they are good for a different reason.

Begin with, the 120mm fans need 3 slots on the front or top panel of your PC case. They on top have 4 or 3 pins to easily connect to the PC for providing cool air when accessing. Yet, they need 3 fans to give decent airflow.

The 120mm case fans slots can be installed in either horizontal or vertical form. You can use 2 slots but they would not give decent airflow.

Then again, the 140mm case fans need 2 slots to give decent airflow to cool down the whole PC hardware. They as well as make sure your PC is getting superior airflow ability and fit in the space. That part is pretty important for proper functioning.

Also, you can use one fan to provide airflow but it will not be effective compare to dual support. The 2 slots of 140mm fans also help enhance the cooling performance of your PC.

After reading both sides, we find the 140mm fans as the winner for their fewer slots requirement to give higher airflow on your PC case.

Out of all models, we find the Corsair AF140 LEDLow Noise 140mm RGB Fan decent for giving you dual slots in one pack.

Best Recommended- Be quiet Pure Wings 2 140mm Fan: PWM Version Fan with 4-Pin Connector Module

You can use this noise-reduced fan as your case fan or heat sinking radiator fan. 4 pin connector module lets you connect both with the 3 pins and 4 pins set up. Moreover, its design features high-quality operation up to 80,000 hours of lifetime. And the noise-free operation makes people buy it again and again.

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Price Range

When talking about the price range of the 120mm and 140mm case fans, we do find some differences.

Most 120mm case fans appear at a reasonable price range based on airflow ability and quality. They do have good lasting value that won’t cause you to repair or restore quickly. On top of that, the 120mm fans should come not more than 10-30 dollars.

While, on the other hand, the 140mm case fans come at an expensive price which is logical for their brilliant airflow ability and less requirement for long-term usage.

They tend to make sure good airflow and improve the PC’s performance for doing productive work with no slowdown or lag.

The 140mm case fans make sure to reduce the processing failure and burn out snags too. On top, they should cost you not more than 10-35 dollars.

By and large, we find both fans good for a good reason. For the finest performance and airflow benefits, the 140mm case fan is ideal. If you prefer a budget-friendly good cooling fan for your PC case, then the 120mm case fans are your best bet.

From 120mm fans, we find the Arctic P12 PWM 120 mm Case Fan good pick for the money. And, from 140mm fans, the Fractal Design Silent Series R2 140mm Case Fan has the best price.

Best for Budget- Kingwin 120mm Case Fan: Simple Design with Noise-Free operation

For those looking for a budget-friendly pack with the optimum quality operation,the Kingwin case fan is ideal for excellent noise-free performance. Oh, the blade design ensures an average of 1000,000 hours lifetime running. The simple and sleek look with proper ventilation makes it a high choice.

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Our Favorite Top 5 Products from Both Case Fans

Which One Surpasses the Other?

The 120mm VS 140mm Fans battle is one of those clashes that would be very unfair to conclude a winner. Both of the varieties have some of the most promising and also a few disturbing models to talk about. From that point of view, it’s quite not practical for us to utter a winner. However, here’s something we want you to consider for your case.

The default 120mm fan case is surely the standard for most PC case fans with seemingly quiet operation and manageable slots to work just right. However, the raw performance of 140mm is a bit outperforming the 120mm fans in most aspects. With more air moving ability to a decent noise reduction providing, the 140mm is surely a better choice to go for if your slots are willing to accept it.
Now if you are even specific about the three 120mm fans versus the two 140mm fans, then here are some suggestions to help. The two 120mm fans would be able to provide more air pushing through the system however the margin is very slight. It would definitely cost you more while being loud as well. Not to forget it would draw more power too.
However, with two 140mm fans, the marginally less air pushing is still not very significant to worry about, especially considering the cost. Also, it would not draw as much power as the rival while functioning quietly too. Now, it’s up to the finder to look for a certain model that will work absolutely fine for his or her PC performance.

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