If you are in the market to buy fans, you will be faced with a lot of options. Keeping the classic RGB or no RGB battle aside, the next big dilemma is which fan size is right. There are a lot of sizes available in the market. These range from 120mm, which is the most popular option today, all the way up to 200mm fans. Corsair even launched a 500mm fan, and the company itself is confused with them. So, in this article, we will help you to choose the correct fan size that will be best for your system.
What is the Difference Between 120mm and 140mm Fans?
Fans are tasked with a simple work: move air. No matter their size, fans are composed of three parts: a motor, blades, and encasement. The motor type and the type of bearings vary from fan to fan.
Types of Blades
Fan blades are mainly of two types. Flat and scythe-shaped. Flat-bladed fans maximize the speed of air, thereby making them suitable for installation in radiators. Radiators tend to slow down air, thus the higher the initial speed, the faster the air moves out of the radiator.
Scythe-shaped blades maximize the volume of air moving through them. Their blades curve out like a katana that helps them slice the air backwards, thereby increasing airflow.
Although there is a bit of difference between the ways these operate, getting the other type for the particular job you are assigning them to isn’t a complete deal-breaker. If you already bought the wrong type of fans, don’t freak out. The performance difference is almost negligible.
Types of Bearings
The bearing is used to reduce friction due to the fan’s operation. The type of bearing included in a fan determines its lifetime. Fans can come with sleeve bearings, to fluid bearings. However, the best type of bearing, that we recommended to everyone, is a ball bearing. Ball bearings are cost-effective, and they last a very long time without failing.
We have seen some higher-end stuff like magnetic levitation fans from companies like Corsair. However, the prices these fans ask for is not justifiable.
Now that we know about the basic parts that make a fan work, let us see what difference the sizes create.
The 120mm fans, being smaller, need to spin much faster to move the same amount of air as a 140mm fan. The 140mm fans have the diameter advantage, and thus, can spin much slower to achieve the same air movement rates,
As the 140mm fans have to spin slower, they consume lesser power and are quieter than 120mm fans. Thus, people suggest 140mm fans if your case supports them.
Can you Mix 120mm and 140mm Fans?
Fans work by creating negative pressure zones in front of them. Air moves into these negative pressure zones and then is carried in or out of your system (depending on what they are configured as). Thus, you can always mix fans of any diameter. All types of fans are compatible with each other as they are dealing with air. Air will move in the direction the fans are configured as.
Thus, both 120mm and 140mm fans will get your job done. But, the 140mm fans are much quieter in their job. Also, fans contribute a lot to the aesthetics of your case. So, choose the right size depending on the looks and noise levels you are targeting.