Review on Phanteks PH F120T30_BG T30 120 Premium High Performance by Jonathan Self

TL;DR: only makes sense in situations where the Noctua NF-A12x25 just won't do (e.g. a high TDP CPU in a Computer case where there is not enough room for a full size cooler) and where there is an extra 5mm of room for a 30mm thick wall. I bought this fan as a replacement fan for an AIO (ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 120) cooler AMD Ryzen 7 5800X. The PC case is too small for a full-size cooler and the 5800X has a TDP of 105W. The AIO heatsink is 38mm thick and could benefit from increased airflow. Having two fans is inconvenient and very noisy. All existing 38mm fans are very noisy and perform poorly. In that context, the T30 is very tempting indeed. Overall, the T30 is very similar to the Noctua NF-A12x25 - one of the best 25mm fans - just in a different color and with fewer blades. Under normal conditions, the T30 can run at very low revs and is almost silent. I haven't measured, but I think it's quieter than the NF-A12 due to the lower speed. The volume remains acceptable under load, but unfortunately has an unpleasant hissing. The heat output is impressive. When using the full mixer set, the temperature is 3°C lower than when using the same setting with the NF-A12. Not only does the extra thickness create more airflow, but the T30 has a slightly more powerful motor and a slightly higher top speed when mounted in front of the radiator than the NF-A12. However, at higher revs it is slightly, but noticeably, louder than the NF-A12. The T30 has 3 different modes: Hybrid (lower top speed and on/off mode), Performance (up to 2000 rpm) and Advanced (up to 3000 rpm). Enhanced mode should not be considered for a home computer as it is too noisy. The fan comes with three sets of screws: short screws for attaching the case fan, long screws for attaching to the heatsink, and slightly longer screws for the grille in front of the fan. An additional cable length is also available for larger enclosures. The cable has a detachable connector, which comes in handy when using a second fan. Cable management is easy in small cases: there is enough space between the screws and the fan for cable routing.