Corsair ML120 RGB Pro Series Magnetic Levitation Fan Review

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Quick test: Corsair ML120 RGB Pro Magnetic Levitation Fan
“Words are wind.” 

In this quick test, we look at the all-new ML120 RGB Pro series fans from Corsair, with the ML short for Magnetic levitation.

Last year Corsair introduced what probably are among the best fans in the business, the ML series, short for Magnetic Levitation. At very RPM levels these fans are not just silent, they offer very savvy airflow. From the day they have been released, they have been hit.

Thiong is though, you've been restricted to the LED Fan color you picked. That now changes, the ML series goes pro with fully configurable RGB LEDs. Next to that. among kits offered you can opt the ML Pro, which included a very snazzy Commander Pro controller, so you can link up these fans towards Corsair Cue software, and synchronize everything and anything RGB in styles, colors, and animations. Which is pretty sweet really. It is however all about the fans. Seem you have quality fans and the cheaper models that come with compromises. Spend more = better, spend less often is means more noise or lower airflow. That pretty much sums up any review right? Corsair, however, has a bit of an exclusive in their hands with the new maglev based fans and they want to get the word out hence this quick 'n short article. No more ball bearings or bearings whatsoever, magnetic levitation is what it is about my man, this puppy nearly floats. As an end-result Corsair now outs a fan series that has very little wear, can be really silent and at low RPM offer really impressive airflow.


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Quite a bit of R&D went into the ML fan series, and we have to acknowledge, there's an awful lot of science behind fans these days. Next, to design they even took these puppies off the dev grid and included wind tunnel testing. Now there's a bunch of science behind these fans that personally I am not that interested in, not even the slightest bit. But do they perform really well at silent levels as I have learned, and that is the answer to the much-asked question .. do they perform well? Yep!

The ML Pro fan series 

Corsair is announcing 120 and 140mm fans with Magnetic Levitation Bearing and a custom rotor design, the ML-Series is designed to deliver higher airflow, lower noise and better cooling and does so by doing that with the almost friction-less operation. And all that can be achieved at fairly low RPM levels. The MP Pro series get a full configurable RGB treatment and even come with their own commander controller, allowing you to configure the fans in speed, RGB colors and animation with the help of Corsair LINK software.
 

 For those who do not know what Magnetic levitation is, it is short for maglev, or magnetic suspension and is a method by which an object is suspended with no support other than magnetic fields. The magnetic force is used to counteract the effects of the gravitational acceleration and any other accelerations. That means no more ball bearings and thus less friction. That reduction in friction in comparison to all conventional physical bearings allows the ML-Series to offer lower noise at higher RPMs.The ML, ML PRO, and ML PRO LED models will be available in both 120mm and 140mm sizes. All ML fans offer a huge PWM range (300~1600 RPM, giving users total control over how their fans perform.  If you treasure silence above anything (that would be me) then at 400 RPM, the ML-Series will push more airflow at near silent 16 dBA (decibel A-weighting).If you want to levitate that PC of yours you could push up to 47 CFM (cubic feet per minute) of air for today's tested 120mm version. The ML Pro RGB Series also allows for some customization as the PRO models feature removable color corners fitted to the fan’s vibration dampening rubber grommets, allowing you to match your PC colors towards the fans and thus the overall build. The ML PRO LED SKUs have four LEDs mounted into the central fan hub.

Specs

  • Magnetic Levitation Bearing: Harnesses Magnetic Levitation technology to provide lower noise, higher performance, and a longer lifespan.
  • Custom Rotor Design: Delivers the perfect balance between high static pressure and high airflow, operating flawlessly in the most challenging environments.
  • Extensive Control Range: A 1,600 RPM control range gives you total control between low noise and absolute performance. At 400 RPM ML-Series 120mm fans provide 12 CFM of airflow at just 16 dBA for near silent running. At 1,600 RPM, the same fans offer a 43 CFM of airflow, at a proclaimed 25 dBa. You choose the balance between silence and performance, and the ML Series delivers.
  • Color Customization: Replaceable corners mounted to anti-vibration rubber dampers allow you to match your fans with the rest of your build while delivering quiet operation at higher speeds.

The ML-Series fans are backed by a five-year warranty and are available immediately from the CORSAIR worldwide network of authorized retailers. ML Pro RGB Series fans are available in ten different variants in both 120mm and 140mm sizes. 

Some photos


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So we received a 120mm kit with included Commander module, all PRO versions with the customizable corners, so yeah basically you can swap out the corners for ones with another color. 

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The package contains the ML fan of your choice, you'll receive four screws and two tie wraps. If you want to customize or change these corners, you'll need to purchase them separately. 
 

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You'll receive two modules with the kit, before you can see the Commande controller. This can address two strips, but you guessed it. With three fans .. what to do? Well, look at the photo below. 

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You'll also receive an RGB splitter, you hook this unit up to the LED 1 connector of the commanded and on this unit you can hook up to 6 fans or RGB strips. Do that in the right order though, starts at 1, then 2 and upwards.


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Here I simply connected the fans PWM to the motherboard and loaded the fans with varying RPM levels to quickly test them out and find an RPM level that I find silent, yet optimal enough in airflow. The photo is for aesthetic purposes only as it shows the LEDs a bit better.  

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