Overview
The Phanteks PH-F140TS has blue fan blades, which when spun up create a very nice looking blue blurred wheel. It’s a 140mm fan, yet it has its corners cut off and it has holes for 120mm mounting points.
On the left and right side of the fan is the Phanteks logo stamped into the plastic. The motor is supported by 3 struts breaching out across the housing.
The fan cable is sleeved with a white textured rubber tubing.
Testing
We’ve established that the Phanteks PH-F140TS has a unique and stylish aesthetic, but what matters most, of course, is how it performs. Here is the system we will be using for our testing.
CPU: Intel Core i5 3570k @ 4.5ghz
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme6
RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 1600mhz (2x 4GB)
GPU: Sparkle Calibre GTX x480
HDD: Plextor M3 128GB SSD
First, I ran Prime95 on my 3570k; overclocked to 4.5ghz, it can get pretty hot – especially in the middle of the summer like it is at the moment. I used a WATER2.0 Performer with the Thermaltake fans that come with the unit to cool the CPU. The fans are set to draw cool air from outside the case, through the radiator, and then blow into the chassis.
The Thermaltake fans are rated for 81.32 CFM @ 2000 RPM, with a noise rating of 27.36 dB (A).
Room temperature: 76F/24.4C.
To test the PH-F140TS, I mounted the fan onto my WATER2.0 Performer closed-loop CPU cooler as the push fan, removing the stock Thermaltake fan. A second Thermaltake fan remains on the underside of the 120mm Radiator as a pull fan.
Room temperature: 76F/24.4C
As you can see, there is not much of a difference at all in the performance of the Thermaltake fans compared to the PH-F140TS, however it is worth noting that the Thermaltake fans run at 2000 RPM, and the Phanteks fan at 1200RPM. To achieve the same performance at 800 less RPM is pretty decent.
Due to the size of the F140TS, it would not be possible to mount the fan on the underside of the radiator, as the tubing gets in the way. The WATER2.0 Performer’s radiator is 120mm, and I was only able to mount the fan due to its 120mm mounting hole locations. If you were to attempt to use the F140TS on a 240mm radiator, you wouldn’t be able to put two side-by-side as the size of the fan housing would prevent the second fan lining up with the mounting holes.
On that note, the fan won’t mount onto native 140mm radiators, as these radiators do not have 120mm mounting holes. With that in mind, the PH-F140TS is probably not the best candidate for water cooling. Phanteks do offer a 120mm version of the PH-F140TS, the PH-F120S, though it isn’t as strong a performer as the PH-F140TS.
In terms of noise levels, the Phanteks fan, when running at its full speed, is incredibly quiet. Mine is mounted in the top of my NZXT Switch 810, and with the venting open on the top I have to put my ear right against the chassis to hear any noise that can be attributed to the PH-F140TS.
With cheaper fans, you often get air spreading out over a wider area than intended, rather than actually blowing in the direction you want the airflow to go. The Phanteks fan does not suffer from this affliction, and air blows in a conical shape in your chosen direction. This is excellent if you choose to mount the fan as a case fan as opposed to on your CPU cooler.