Phanteks M25 Gen2 120mm Fan Review - Budget Airflow - Page 10 of 10

Epilogue

The Phanteks M25 Gen2 120mm is not as good as the legendary T30-120, far from it; however, it is also significantly more affordable, and it features a better daisy-chain system. To give you an idea of the prices we’re discussing, the triple pack of the “plain” black M25 G2 fans costs $20, while three T30-120 fans cost $115. As you can see, the price gap is enormous.

Another prominent feature of the M25 G2 is that its advertised performance (in terms of airflow and static pressure) is lower than the actual performance I measured using specialized equipment. Usually, it is the other way around. Kudos to Phanteks for using real performance data in their marketing efforts and not relying on overly optimistic data. Most brands should follow this pattern and refrain from providing unrealistically high-performance data to future buyers. So far, there haven’t been enough fan reviews with accurate data; however, this changes with the introduction of instruments like the Longwin fan testing apparatus, which we utilize for this review.

Let’s now look at 25 dBA noise normalized performance. I chose 25 dBA because it is low enough not to annoy most users and high enough to allow for speeds that offer decent airflow and static pressure performance.

At 25 dBA, the fan’s airflow is high, comparable to top-performance 120mm fans with a 25mm thickness. Only the thicker T30-120 (30mm) gets away. On the contrary, its static pressure is low, so I wouldn’t recommend this fan for use in dense radiators and heat sinks, where airflow is restricted.

For reference, at the time of the review, the following prices applied in the US market (Amazon):

Thermalright TL-C12C: $12.9 – 3x fans combo
ARCTIC P12 Pro A-RGB: $12.5
Arctic P12 Max: $16
be quiet! Silent Wings 4 120mm High-Speed: $27
Endorfy Fluctus 120 PWM: $15
Thermaltake Toughfan Pro 12: $25
Scythe Grand Tornado 120mm: $20
XPG Vento Pro 120mm: $23

Below, you will find several 120mm fan reviews to get more insights about this product category.

Before investing in new cooling solutions, read my Best Cooling Fans article to check all alternative fan offerings. You help me a lot by using my affiliate links, which don’t increase the price of the product. I receive a commission from Amazon every time you do it, which can make a significant difference for me, especially now that I am working independently, exclusively for my media, rather than for someone else.

Pros: