Best PC fans 2025

You might know Noctua as the company that douses its fans in beige and brown, but this grey blower packs a huge punch for its price. As the perfect embodiment of the ‘why not both’ meme, the Noctua NF-S12B redux-1200 PWM refuses to compromise between noise and airflow, delivering a whopping 59.2CFM airflow at just 18.1dBA.

It’s possible to go even quieter, but the NF-S12B isn’t just our favorite overall fan, it’s one of the best cheap PC fans. A few decibels sacrificed are worth the cost and it’s still the second quietest fan on this list – you can use Noctua’s anti-vibration mounts if you want to pull out all the stops.

Noctua is almost entirely function over form as the two-tone color will divide plenty of PC gamers, but there is a solution at the bottom of this list if you want to add RGB and complete the trifecta. Yes, you read that right, you can add RGB to a fan (details on that at the bottom of the list).

There’s no beating around the bush, be quiet! is all about living up to its name and keeping things hush. Fortunately, its first attempt at a splash of color is no exception, as the Light Wings are the quietest RGB fans we’ve ever used. The ring light itself packs 18 LEDs in the 120mm model and 20 LEDs in the 140mm version, each of which is addressable in your motherboard’s software.

You’re not stuck for selection, as be quiet! not only sells Light Wings in 120mm and 140mm versions but in both airflow and high-speed models so you can cater to the best AIO cooler. Single fans are on the expensive side, though, so it’s worth grabbing the triple-pack that also includes an ARGB hub. If you do end up buying one fan at a time, however, you can add it into the loop using a built-in daisy chain system, keeping your cables neat.

If you’re after a fan that is capable of really impressive airflow and is ideal for use with your radiator, the Thermaltake Toughfan 12 Turbo is for you. It may not have any flashy RGB lights or anything like that, but it’s got a really high build quality and it gets the job done.

As high-static pressure fans, they are well suited to pushing air through compact setups or through the grills of a radiator. If you’re working with limited space, they are an excellent choice – though they are a little more expensive than a lot of your standard airflow fans.

This is one of the most powerful fans on this list, so we feel like it justifies its price well. Nonetheless, this extra power does bring with it a slightly higher level of noise, even on lower settings. It’s never really obnoxious, but we appreciate that everyone has a different tolerance to noise pollution, so if you’re sensitive to sound, it might not be for you.

Addressable RGB is in the DNA of the Cooler Master MF120 Halo, with two lighting rings that shine no matter whether you position it as an intake or exhaust. It cleverly uses white fan blades to better reflect the RGB across the entire face of the fan, which you can customize using Asus Aura Sync, MSI Mystic Light, ASRock Polychrome, or Gigabyte RGB Fusion.

The most impressive thing here is that Cooler Master undercuts the cost of most other premium fans if you don’t mind some extra noise. The triple pack serves up a decent discount than if you buy each fan separately and includes Cooler Master’s controller, but this isn’t mandatory. MF 120 Halos are also compatible with any addressable Gen 2 RGB header on compatible motherboards. Besides, $30 (£20) per RGB fan is pretty reasonable, and you’ll regularly find them reduced.

The Silent Wings line from be quiet! has been one of the best options for anybody who wants the quietest possible setup. The Pro 4 is the latest iteration of this fan, and it’s also the best one yet – although it does carry a higher price tag than others.

The fluid dynamic bearing helps to reinforce this fan for a long life, and the individual mounting systems make it easy for you to set it up however you please (e.g. as a case fan or with a radiator). Meanwhile, it’s a product with a very high built quality and one that comes with a five-year warranty. This all combines to make it one of the best options all-round and we strongly recommend it.

Another powerful, but expensive option here. If you’re after an all-in-one (AIO) cooling system, then this is the one to go for. You can get some really powerful speeds from this fan without the noise level ever rising too high. It’s designed to be a cooling solution that you install and then never think about again.

This is a static pressure fan, which means that it shunts air through the grills of a radiator on an AIO cooler. Because of its increased levels of airflow, it’s ideal for small factor setups. Got no room for multiple fans? Sneak this little rascal in and it’ll keep everything nice and cool. Admittedly, it’s more than a lot of people are going to need, but if you’re in need of an especially powerful cooler, this is the one to get.

The Noctua NF-A12x15 looks as though someone accidentally sat on an NF-A12x25, flattening it to give it a low profile. Regardless of how it got so slim, being just 15mm thick makes it ideal for small form factor (SFF) cases and CPU coolers when there isn’t a lot of clearance.

For its size, it’s pretty speedy at 1,850 RPM. The 23.9dBA noise level really isn’t anything to scoff at, but you have the choice to lower this to a near-inaudible 16.8dBA if you use the low noise adapter it comes bundled with – just be prepared to sacrifice some airflow in the process. And, as with all Noctua equipment, you’ll get anti-vibration mounts to cement its silence.