I’m currently planning airflow for a Lian Li V3000 Plus and I’m trying to decide between a few 140mm fans.
I’ve been looking at the HWBusters charts and it’s clear that many high-end 140mm fans (LX140, RS140 MAX, Arctic P14 Max, Silent Wings Pro, Noctua, etc.) perform very close to each other when normalized to similar noise levels (30–35 dBA).
One thing I noticed though is that ML140 RGB Elite doesn’t appear in these specific charts, so comparisons there are indirect rather than measured side-by-side.
My planned layout is:
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3 front intake
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3 bottom intake
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2 top exhaust
(no custom loop, just a 420mm AIO later on)
What I’m trying to understand is this:
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In a large, high-airflow case like the V3000 Plus, is there any meaningful real-world temperature difference between these top-tier fans when used as case fans?
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Or is the choice mostly about features / ecosystem / cabling (iCUE LINK vs classic PWM/RGB) rather than actual cooling performance?
I’m aiming for:
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good airflow
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low noise
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no need to replace fans later when GPU/CPU is upgraded
From your experience, would you prioritize chart performance, or does it mostly even out in a setup like this?
Also, based on your testing and experience, which 140mm fans would you personally recommend today for case airflow (not custom loop), balancing performance, noise and reliability?
I’m mainly looking at options like Corsair LX140 / RS140 MAX / Arctic P14 (Max) / be quiet! Silent Wings Pro / Noctua NF-A14, but I’m open to suggestions if there’s something I’m missing.
Thanks in advance.
Hi! High airflow and low noise output typically do not mix. What you could do is install an increased number of 140mm fans, to push enough air while keeping noise output low.
All the fans you mention are of high quality and to be frank, do not expect any noticeable differences at lower speeds so buy accordingly to your badget.
@crmaris That’s exactly my approach. Since the V3000 Plus is a very large case, I’m aiming for airflow at low RPM rather than pushing a lot of air with a few fast fans.
The layout I’m planning is: 3×140mm intake at the front, 3×140mm intake at the bottom, a 420mm AIO on top with 3×140mm fans as exhaust, and 1×140mm rear exhaust.
This way the GPU gets fresh air from the bottom, the motherboard/VRMs get steady airflow from the front, and the CPU heat is exhausted directly through the top radiator.
More 140mm fans running slowly gives me better balance, lower noise, and more predictable airflow, which is what I’m after.”
“I’m going with multiple 140mm fans at low RPM. Front and bottom as intake, top (AIO) and rear as exhaust. In a case this big, that gives better airflow balance and lower noise.”
also the Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 PWM Case Fans 140mm are very good? is it worth to buy them?
They are top! But you need many fans, buying several of them will cost you more than the case, which is insane!
@crmaris I agree the cost can add up fast, especially with premium fans.
Just to confirm, does the airflow layout itself make sense to you?
My plan is:
- 3x front intake
- 3x bottom intake
- 420mm AIO on top (3x 140mm exhaust)
- 1x rear exhaust
Goal is low noise by running more 140mm fans at low RPM, with a clean airflow path for a future high-power GPU/CPU.
Would you change anything in the fan positions/directions?
it looks ok to me. Just to double confirm, the bottom fans will move air to the top side.
@crmaris Thanks for confirming.
Just to be 100% clear: do you approve this airflow layout as correct?
3x front intake
3x bottom intake (pushing air upward)
420mm AIO on top as exhaust
1x rear exhaust
Ignoring price completely, which fan would you personally consider better overall for a large case like the V3000 Plus: the Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 or the Arctic P14 Max?
I’m mainly interested in real-world airflow, noise behavior at normalized levels, and long-term reliability as case fans.
Noctua NF-A14x25 G2
Just to be 100% clear: do you approve this airflow layout as correct?
3x front intake
3x bottom intake (pushing air upward)
420mm AIO on top as exhaust
1x rear exhaust
it is ok, but it will be bloody expensive.
@crmaris Aris, do you think it’s worth waiting for 2026/2027 for a “new generation” of PC fans, or should I just buy now? From what I’ve seen, fan improvements year-to-year are usually small (often just RGB refreshes), and the Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 is already top-tier for airflow/static pressure per dB. If I’m building now, I don’t really see a reason to wait 1–2 years “just in case.”
