Cooler Master is one of the largest and best-known manufacturers of PC parts in virtually all areas. This also includes fans. The regular Cooler Master Mobius 120 fans were able to impress with their high performance and low noise level, which makes them ideal as case fans in particular. However, the Cooler Master Mobius is available in different versions. These include the 120P ARGB. The “P” version has a higher maximum speed and “ARGB” stands for the controllable RGB lighting. We can see how the fans compare to the unlit version in the Cooler Master Mobius 120 ARGB test.
Specifications
| Fan size | 120 x 120 x 25 mm |
| Airflow | 75.2 CFM |
| Static pressure | 3.63 mm H2O |
| Maximum speed | 2400 RPM |
| RGB LEDs | 8 |
| Noise level | max. 30 dB(A) |
| Expected lifetime | 200.000 hours (over 22 years of continuous use) |
| Connections | 4-pin PWM & 3-pin 12V standard ARGB |
| Light weight | 179 g |
| Guarantee | 5 years |
| Price | € 24.99 * |
Packaging and scope of delivery
- Somewhat chaotic packaging design
- Additional protection through cardboard insert
- Screws and RGB plug holder included in the scope of delivery
At first glance, the packaging looks as if someone has gone wild with shapes and colors. As a result, the design is not quite as strikingly clear. At least on the front, because the structure is much clearer on the back and the specifications, compatibilities and other information can be found on a gentle color gradient. Ultimately, however, the packaging design is not important and the inside looks very clean. The fan is housed in another white insert, which covers the accessories and cables. The additional layer of cardboard also provides additional protection during transportation.
A small accessory bag contains screws and a clip that can be pressed onto two connected RGB plugs. This holds them in place and prevents them from pulling apart so easily. This solves one of the typical problems with standard RGB plugs. Thank you – I have never seen anything like this on any other RGB fan.
Design
- Unobtrusive RGB fan design
- 8 LEDs that are directly visible depending on the viewing angle
- Inconspicuous combination with other RGB fans
The Cooler Master Mobius 120P ARGB looks like a typical RGB fan. The frame is dark, but the fan blades are illuminated with 8 RGB LEDs. These features enable an inconspicuous combination with a variety of other RGB fans. However, there are differences to most other fans you come across. For example, the tips of the fan blades are connected to each other. Cooler Master calls this “Ring Blade Design”. This is because a ring runs completely around the impeller.
The RGB lighting works as expected and the colors are quite nice. The light is only minimally scattered in the direction of the fan motor. Overall, I wasn’t really impressed by the lighting in relation to the price range. Depending on the viewing angle, you can also see the LEDs directly from behind, which really stands out. Speaking of the rear: There is a purple accent in the center of the fan. In most cases, this will hardly be noticeable, but it cannot be ruled out that it will disrupt one or the other color concept, especially as the lettering is also typical.
In short, the fan looks quite inconspicuous and is visually unspectacular among the masses of RGB fans available on the market. On the one hand, this is a bit of a shame for a fan in this price range. On the other hand, it makes it easy to combine with other RGB fans without being immediately noticeable.
Build quality
- Good but unobtrusive workmanship
- Complex inner workings for smooth running and a long service life
- Daisy-chaining of RGB plugs possible
At first glance, the Cooler Master Mobius 120P ARGB doesn’t really look spectacular. Only at second glance do you notice that the unspectacularly shaped frame is quite solid. Of course, the rubberized contact surfaces for damping vibrations are not missing. The cable is also sheathed, which also makes a very high-quality impression.
Overall, the fans are well made, but they don’t scream “I’m a premium fan!”, but are rather reserved in their appearance.
However, the inner workings sound very interesting. The fan bearing is a kind of “blade bearing”, which is designed to ensure constant and even lubrication with the oil and is protected from dust to increase longevity. In addition, a magnetic ring keeps the bearing shaft straight to prevent it from wobbling or blocking rotation. So while the fan looks inconspicuous from the outside, the inner workings are highly sophisticated.
The connection of the ARGB plugs, which are usually quite easy to pull apart again, is a cool solution.
These plugs can be securely connected with this small accessory. Speaking of RGB: The fans not only have one connector, but also one male and one female connector. This means you can connect several fans together and save connections on the mainboard or controller thanks to this daisy-chain connection.
Test procedure
- Comparison with other fans
- Test on a radiator, an air cooler and as a housing fan
- Explanation of the test procedure
When you look at the price, you not only expect a stylish design, but also top-class performance. Accordingly, in the Cooler Master Mobius 120P ARGB test, these fans compete against other 120 mm fans. These include models from all price categories, although these Cooler Master models tend to be in the higher price range.
They are tested in three areas: On the water cooling radiator of the Arctic Liquid Freezer II 240, cooling an overclocked AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, then as a case fan in the DeepCool CH510 Mesh Digital and on the DeepCool AK400 tower air cooler, this time on a Ryzen 5 3600X.
For the tests on the radiator and the air cooler, the processors are heated up with Cinebench R23 for a few minutes until the temperature stabilizes. The temperature is then measured for one minute and the average temperature is taken.
For the test as a case fan, the other fans – i.e. on the processor cooler and the graphics card – are set to a fixed speed. This excludes the influence of automatic fans on the measurement result and the only difference is the case fans. As a load, 3DMark NightRaid is used in a continuous loop and after 10 runs, the temperature of the processor and graphics card is measured during the 11th run.
In order to reduce the influence of the outside temperature, the difference between the room temperature and the measured temperature is calculated and specified as a delta. If the result of the temperature difference is 30 K, the room temperature of 22°C, for example, would have to be added, resulting in a practical temperature of approx. 52°C.
Radiator insert
- Proper maximum speed
- Gain efficiency at higher speeds
- Only a few RGB fans are more efficient at a low noise level
First of all, I set all the fans in the comparison so that they all rotate at 1100 RPM. In this setting, the Cooler Master Mobius 120P ARGB fans are rather mediocre performers, but are very quiet. This means that they have an advantage if you take a low noise level as a reference.
Accordingly, the relative performance increases significantly if the fans are used at a low volume. The Cooler Master Mobius 120P ARGB fans do not quite come close to the RGB-free version of the fans, but are not far behind either. This puts them on a par with the Corsair iCue SP120 RGB Elite, the Lian Li Uni Fan AL120 V2 and the Noctua NF-F12. Solid performance. Sure – there are a few that perform even better, but most of them don’t have RGB lighting to offer. The Arctic P12 PWM PST A-RGB is an exception.
If the noise level is not relevant and you simply want the best performance, then things look even better for the Cooler Master Mobius 120P ARGB, because the P in the name refers to the high maximum speed and this has a direct effect on performance. At almost 2400 RPM, there are only a few fans at the top end that are more powerful, and only a few of them are illuminated. The Arctic fans are left behind here and the closest competitors are the ENDORFY Fluctus 120 PWM ARGB.
Overall, the Cooler Master Mobius 120P ARGB are very solid fans on the radiator, as long as you give them a certain speed, which they can achieve without sounding too conspicuous thanks to their low volume.
Cooler Master Mobius 120P ARGB test as a case fan
- Very high performance as a case fan
- One of the most powerful RGB fans in this application area
Where the use on the radiator was good, but not yet outstanding, the picture in this test turns in favor of the Cooler Master 120P ARGB. Even at a uniform speed, the unlit version of the fans climbed to first place in the large case fan test. And the RGB version is almost on a par in the tolerance range, together with the black MSI Silent Gale P12.
Interestingly, the integration of the RGB lighting seems to have a minimal effect on the volume, meaning that the speed has to be reduced slightly at a uniform volume. This means that a few other silent fans, such as the Noiseblocker NB-eLoop X, can narrowly miss out when testing the uniform volume. However, this is no drama: the performance is still very high and the measurement results were outside of realistic relevance and could also vary depending on the case. The Cooler Master Mobius 120P ARGB are still excellent silent case fans.
The Cooler Master Mobius 120P ARGB struggles back to maximum performance and only a few even faster fans are stronger. These are mostly fans in the speed range around 3000 RPM. Apart from the DeepCool FC120. In this test, the Mobius fans were also the most powerful fans below the 50 dB(A) limit. The ENDORFY Fluctus 120 PWM ARGB again demonstrated similar performance.
Performance on air coolers
- Good performance at low noise levels
- Strong maximum performance due to high speed
At a uniform speed of 1100 RPM, the Cooler Master Mobius 120P ARGB is in the midfield in terms of performance. However, as in the previous tests, they benefit from their quiet running and can be turned up considerably further until they reach the limits of audibility.
If you take this low volume limit as a reference, they make it to the top of the list. At least almost – only the Noctua NF-A12x25 performs a touch better and, as we all know, they are not to everyone’s visual taste. The unlit version of the Cooler Master Mobius and the ENDORFY Fluctus 120 PWM ARGB are also in the same league in terms of measurement tolerance.
If you give the fans free rein, the high-performance fans pass by again with a maximum speed of around 3000 RPM. Apart from that, the Cooler Master Mobius 120P ARGB achieves the same performance as the Noctua NF-A12x25 – albeit slightly louder than the latter. Apart from the Noctua fans, all other more powerful fans are also much louder in some cases. All in all, a very respectable result here too!
Conclusion
Even if the unlit Cooler Master Mobius fans are just ahead in many cases, in most cases the difference is too small to be relevant in everyday use. Otherwise, the Cooler Master Mobius 120P ARGB are extremely powerful fans when used as case fans and on air coolers. But they also feel reasonably comfortable on radiators. Overall, a low operating volume, high performance and RGB lighting come together here. This puts these 120 mm fans in a very good light.
At most, you have to look at the price: A full configuration is definitely an upscale investment, which can also be achieved with other premium fans, but you should be sure. In terms of performance, I can definitely recommend the Cooler Master Mobius 120P ARGB after this test. In the entry-level range, the Arctic P12 PWM PST A-RGB and the ENDORFY Fluctus 120 ARGB in the mid-price range offer performance that is not too far behind for less money. However, if you want to use the fans in the long term, possibly also want to incorporate them into future computers and otherwise already use upper-class components that deserve equally high-quality cooling without any real compromises, you can definitely consider the Cooler Master Mobius 120P ARGB. The investment is also justified as a replacement fan for an air cooler.
Cooler Master Mobius 120P ARGB
Workmanship
Features
Noise level
Performance
91/100
The Cooler Master Mobius 120P ARGB are powerful RGB fans that shine particularly well as case fans or on tower coolers.
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