Thermaltake TOUGHFAN EX14 Pro 3-Pack

--Update 05.22.2024-- My first out of 6 fans failed. It's been close to 3 years and 6 months, and entire year less than the advertised MTBF and that's IF the computer is on 24/7 which this PC was not! Pretty crappy if you ask me! --Original Review-- Thermaltake doesn't exactly have the best reputation. They are known for ripping off of successful products and putting their own badge on it. Noctua announced they would be releasing a Chromax version of their best fan, the NF-A12x25, in the recent past, I can't point to the exact date. However, there are photos of prototypes being shown at CES, and it looks EXACTLY like this. What Thermaltake CAN'T copy is: 1) The motor used. It will definitely be inferior to Noctua's. 2) The overall design. The toughfan actually does not sit flush on a flat surface because of the anti-vibration pads. This creates a ~1-2mm gap between the fan and radiator that reduces static pressure. It DOES sit flat without the pads. 3) The blade tolerances. Despite them also using some sort of proprietary Liquid Crystal Polymer to manufacture the blades, I'm sure that Noctua's tolerances are way, way higher, which will reduce turbulent noise further. 4) The MTBF. Only 40k hours. That's a joke. However, that's also 4.5 years of continuous operation. Although Noctua is 150k hours which is basically forever. 5) The warranty. 2 year for Toughfan, 6 for Noctua. 6) Accessories. The 2 pack does come with a splitter and screws, but that's it. Noctua comes with anti-vibration mount, anti-vibration cover, an extension cable, a low noise cable, screws, and a splitter. However, at $35 for 2? You can't beat the value. The Noctua's will surely cost that much for ONE. Do I recommend this? HELL YES. They are QUIET. I will give this sentence it's own paragraph because it CANNOT BE UNDERSTATED HOW QUIET THESE ARE. You've read other reviews of quiet fans? NO, THESE ARE IN ANOTHER LEAGUE. They are basically INAUDIBLE below 1200 rpm, and just a minor hum at 1500. They are RIDICULOUSLY quiet. Only the Arctic p12's can be compared honestly, but those have other issues, so I can't recommend those. I'm positive that the Noctua's are just imperceivably better than these because honestly, if there is no noise, then there is no noise. They push a 'decent' amount of air, not the most, but certainly not the least. However, they have excellent directional airflow and will perform very well on heatsinks and radiators. There are other fans that are far superior in moving more air. Consider this fan more of a "sniper rifle" than a "flame thrower". Want a "flame thrower"? Get a Scythe Kaze Flex 2000 rpm. That thing moves so much air, it's ridiculous. However, it's also much much louder. I personally use the Toughfan for ALL my needs, including case fans, as I value low noise more than anything else. The only other fans that might compete in value are the Arctic p12 fans, but those let out a high pitch whine sound as the fan ramps up and down that I couldn't stand, so I returned them. Those were almost perfect. These will certainly sell out as soon as Noctua releases the Chromax version of their fans, as these are nearly identical at a fraction of the cost. They look pretty much the same too!