When reading enthusiasts talk about PC building, much of the conversation revolves around cooling solutions. Whether it is CPU Coolers, GPU Coolers, custom water loops, or airflow, enthusiasts want to get the most out of their components. And to get the most out of your components, you need to keep them cool.
Aside from the CPU cooler and the GPU cooler, the most important part of your cooling will be your case fans. While having 10 case fans may not be necessary, most cases really benefit from having somewhere between 3-5 case fans with a combination of intake and exhaust. The exact configuration will depend on your case mainly, so make sure to look up reviews on how to set up your fans once you pick your chassis. Within the case fan area, there are really two main sizes: 120mm and 140mm. 120mm will fit in almost all cases, but 140mm fans offer better airflow (usually measured in CFM) at lower RPMs, meaning quieter. Check your compatibility, but if possible, 140mm case fans are a good way to go. And finally, when we evaluate case fans, we are essentially talking about two things: performance & noise, and aesthetics (RGB). So keep those two criteria in mind when looking at the categories and deciding which is more important to you.
And because of how great 140mm case fans are, there are plenty of options on the market. It can be confusing to choose, so based on your priority, this is our guide to the best 140mm case fan in each category.
While we recommend not skimping on the cooling budget, we know that some of these options are expensive and there are some cheaper alternatives, so each category will have our overall recommendation, and our low-budget choice.
With all that in mind, our recommendations for best 140mm case fans in 2020 are:
Best 140mm Case Fans – Our Recommendations
| Best 140mm Case Fans | Design | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Best Overall (Performance/Noise) 140mm Case Fans |  | Noctua NF-A14 PWM |
| Best Budget Noise/Performance 140mm Case Fan |  | Arctic F14 Standard |
| Best Looking RGB 140mm Case Fan |  | Corsair LL140 |
| Best Budget Aesthetic 140mm Case Fan |  | Cooler Master MasterFan Pro |
| Best 2-Way 140mm Case Fan |  | Thermaltake RIING 140mm Premium Edition |
| Best Budget 2-Way 140mm Case Fans |  | UpHere 140mm RGB Wireless |
Best Overall (Performance/Noise) 140mm Case Fan
If your priority is simply getting the best performance possible out of your case fans, there really only is one manufacturer to consider: Noctua. The Austrian-based maker is legendary in the PC Building community for making the absolute best fans possible. They move more air, at a quieter noise level, than just about any other maker on the market. The build quality is stellar, the warranty/customer service is top-notch, and the performance you get from any of their fans is as good as it gets.
In terms of 140mm case fans, we are somewhat spoiled for choices from Noctua. The classic recommendation is the Noctua NF-A14 PWM. It’s their standard 140mm case fan and is reliable and performant. However, as you’ll notice if you click on the link or are familiar, the color scheme of the classic Noctua fan is…..controversial. The brown and beige is not everyone’s favorite. Luckily, there are some other options available, including the slightly less performant (but much better colored) Noctua Redux NF-P14s. And if you have a bit more cash and want to keep the performance of the original, the Noctua Chromax anti-vibration add-on is a great option that offers some very cool color choices.
These fans aren’t cheap, but they are also much less expensive than some of the options with a ton of RGB. The classic hovers around $22, the Redux comes in around $15, and the Chromax option is around $25. All-in-all, for the performance you are getting, the Noctua fans are a very fair price that are hard to beat.
Best Budget Noise/Performance 140mm Case Fan
The Noctua fans are reasonable for the performance they give, but if you find yourself short on budget and still want to get a no-frills high-performing fan, the Arctic F14 Standard is a good choice. Arctic is known for making good budget fans, and while it won’t move as much air as quietly as the Noctua fans, the F14 will still provide some nice airflow to help keep your case cool. And if you don’t mind sacrificing some pure performance for a lower noise level, the Arctic F14 Silent is a great option.
Best Looking RGB 140mm Case Fan
If the Noctua fans are a bit too plain for you, you might be looking for a case fan that brings some RGB to your rig. Typically, aside from adding in LED light strips or motherboard RGB, case fans are the best way to bring some lighting and customization to your rig. While searching “RGB 140mm case fan” will give you a ton of options, not all RGB is created equal! Some case fans might look nice, but be difficult to control. Others have great software, but not very catchy lighting. Luckily, one of our big-name trusted manufacturers decided to develop not only the most reliable (although still not perfect) software, but also created some brilliant looking 140mm case fans. Our choice for best aesthetic RGB case fan is the Corsair LL140.
The LL140 is bright. It has 16 LED’s in a double ring design that we know from experience offers plenty of customization options and flash for your gaming rig. The LL140 is no slouch on performance either, generating plenty of airflow even with all of its brightness. On top of that, while not perfect, the software used to control the fan speed and lighting of the LL140 is the unified Corsair software, iCue. It may not be 100% reliable, but compared to the hot garbage we see from other manufacturers, it’s pretty great.
This type of beauty comes at a price however. A two pack of the fans along with the RGB Lightning hub (but not including the Commander Pro if you want even more control through iCue) runs around $85. At 40-ish dollars a fan, that isn’t cheap. But the quality is great, the lightning is the best, and the fans suck lots of air (sucking is a good thing for fans!). To put it short, if you want good performance, but really want something that will make your case positively glow, the LL140 is the fan for you.
Best Budget Aesthetic 140mm Case Fan
As we said, the LL140’s aren’t cheap, so if you are looking for a less expensive option, the Cooler Master MasterFan Pro 140mm is another strong choice. The three-pack comes with an RGB LED Controller and everything you need to mount them. At $45 for the three-pack and the hub, you’re talking about a fan almost 40% as expensive as the LL140. The LED’s might not be quite as pretty, but if you are on a budget, they will get the job done for cooling while still keeping your rig looking fly.
Best 2-Way 140mm Case Fan
One of the only issues with the RGB on the LL140 is that they are directional, meaning that the front of the fan looks much better than the back of the fan. The back is still plenty bright, but you lose the dual ring definition that makes the front look so nice. Corsair is yet to release a ‘two-way’ fan that looks equally good front the front (when used as exhaust) and from the back (when used as intake). So if you are looking for a fan that goes both ways and looks equally good to give you full flexibility when setting up the fans in your build, we recommend the Thermaltake RIING 140mm Premium Edition.
Not only does Thermaltake produce really good fans that move plenty of air without being overly noisy, but the Riing Premium Edition fans are extra special. These fans hook-up with just about any major software, including Alexa! That might be a gimmick, but it’s a pretty cool one. In terms of aesthetics, as we described above, the major advantage is the fact that both sides of the fan have an LED ring, ensuring you get all that flashy goodness no matter which direction your fans are facing.
The only downside: two-way RGB comes at a price. We said the LL140’s weren’t cheap at around $40 each, not including the RGB Node. Well the three pack of Riing 140mm fans is even more expensive. At $150 for the pack (including the hub), these fans come in at $50 a piece. They perform well, but nowhere near the Noctua fans, so you really are paying a premium to get good looks and great lighting on BOTH sides of the fan. If you aren’t ready for the best version but still want the two-way facing Riing design, there is a non-Premium Edition that comes in at a more reasonable $110 for a three pack, but the lighting is really not the same quality, so make sure you double check which version you are getting before you buy.
Best Budget 2-Way 140mm Case Fans
While the Thermaltake Riing might be the best implementation of the two-way fan design, a few of the more ‘budget’ implementers have begun experimenting with similar designs. Of these, UpHere has come up with the UpHere 140mm RGB Wireless fan that is similar in that it offers two-way lighting. Unfortunately, customization is much reduced since lighting is set with the included remote, but UpHere is a relatively reliable brand and at $40 for a five-pack (or $8 a fan), it is hard to complain.
Conclusion
| Best 140mm Case Fans | Design | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Best Overall (Performance/Noise) 140mm Case Fans | | Noctua NF-A14 PWM |
| Best Budget Noise/Performance 140mm Case Fan | | Arctic F14 Standard |
| Best Looking RGB 140mm Case Fan | | Corsair LL140 |
| Best Budget Aesthetic 140mm Case Fan | | Cooler Master MasterFan Pro |
| Best 2-Way 140mm Case Fan | | Thermaltake RIING 140mm Premium Edition |
| Best Budget 2-Way 140mm Case Fans | | UpHere 140mm RGB Wireless |
Case fans are important. They keep your computer cool and working at peak performance, and add important flair to your PC. Depending on the fan you choose, you can customize to fit your favorite color scheme, have perfect silent performance, flexibility in direction, or a mixture of all of the above. 140mm case fans are even better, on average they move more air and are quieter than their 120mm smaller cousins, but that often comes at an increased price. While some people think of case fans as add-ons, we recommend always including somewhere between 3-5 in your build, depending on your case and set-up.
So next time you’re putting together a build and looking for either the most performant fan, the best looking RGB, or the most flexible with two-way lighting, follow our recommendations for the high-end or budget options to help your PC look good and work well with great lighting and airflow.