Scythe Grand Tornado 120mm Fan Review

Epilogue

The Scythe Grand Tornado promises high speed, as its naming scheme denotes, and indeed, I measure high airflow and static pressure readings, while the fan’s performance is good in the noise normalized noise tests. The only downside I noticed in these tests is the increased power consumption. In general, the build quality looks good, and according to Scythe, the bearing is highly reliable, with a 370,000h MTTF period. This period translates to 42.24 years! This is a crazy long lifetime period, although Scythe doesn’t specify the operating temperature at which this MTTF applies. Given the long life expectancy, the provided warranty could be longer than three years, which is the provided one.

The build quality is good, but the lack of a daisy chain option will disappoint many users. Despite the fan’s high power consumption, a daisy chain option could be provided with a special adapter that draws power from a SATA connector. Providing a daisy chain option with the connector mentioned above would be better than the low-speed adapter Scythe includes in the bundle. Given that the fan is PWM-controlled, I believe there is no reason for low-speed cables.

At 25 dBA normalized noise output, low enough not to annoy most users but still provides high speeds to offer decent performance, the Grand Tornado offers high enough airflow but mid-level static pressure. The Phanteks T30-120 is the big winner here, followed by the XPG Nidec Vento Pro in airflow and the Arctic P12 Max fans in static pressure. If you don’t want to spend much and need a fan for use in a cooling solution where high static pressure is required, the best choice is the P12 Max. The advantage of the Scythe Grand Tornado is that its price is lower than that of other fans with similar specs. For reference, at the time of the review, the following prices applied:

Phanteks T30-120: $32
XPG Vento Pro 120mm: $26
Thermaltake Toughfan Pro 12: $25
Scythe Grand Tornado 120mm: $20
Arctic P12 Max: $10

The Arctic P12 Max is an unbeatable value, although several users report bearing noises in some specific speed ranges. The Scythe Grand Tornado is the second most affordable fan, with double the price of the Arctic P12 Max, but it promises a super-extended lifetime. Both lack a daisy chain option!

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.

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