Arctic P12 PWM PST Fan Review – The best budget (and not only) fan!

Epilogue

What if I told you that there is a fan costing less than 10 dollars, offering performance levels at low and moderate speeds that put 2-3x more expensive fans to shame? On top of that, the Arctic P12 PWM PST is supported with an extra-long warranty and remains quiet even at full speed! Arctic is well known for its budget yet good-performance products, and the P12 PWM PST is a clear example. Although it doesn’t score top performance in raw comparison with other way more expensive fans, it achieves very good results in the noise normalized tests, which matter the most. It is impressive to see a 9-dollar fan scoring third in airflow at 25 dBA behind the super expensive Noctua NF-A12x25 that costs 3.7x more and leaves behind the Corsair ML120 RGB Elite! While in static pressure at 25 dBA again, it achieves fifth place, taking the lead from far more expensive fans!

[Update 15 December 2023: I ran the noise normalized tests again for all 120mm fans, following a different methodology, so there are some changes in the respective graphs).

You don’t need to spend a fortune if you need a fan that remains below 30 dBA even at full speed, and you are not after raw performance, but you care most for performance at low and mid speeds, where noise output is low. The Arctic P12 PWM PST is an ideal choice, and it also comes with an extra-long warranty, showing the brand’s faith in this product. I will try to find more Arctic products to review shortly!

 

To check all alternative fan offerings, read my Best Cooling Fans article before investing in new cooling solutions. You help me a lot by using my affiliate links, which don’t increase the product’s price. I get a commission from Amazon every time you do it, which can make a difference for me, especially now that I am on my own, working exclusively for my media and not for someone else.