Corsair RS Series RS120 Max, 120mm, 3er-Pack

Corsair is trying hard to take over my entire review calendar for this year with so many products being launched in the first half of 2024 and more undoubtedly coming up. A lot of these are tied to Corsair's iCUE Link ecosystem, although we still get standalone products in various categories. One such example was the XC7 RGB Elite LCD CPU block, and then there are various peripherals too. iCUE is still common to all of these, and RGB lighting has become a default expectation from a new Corsair product. This brings with it a divided audience with some absolutely loving the lit-up objects on their desk that can be controlled via software and others wanting nothing to do with RGB. When it comes to fans, there's also the part where having RGB LEDs can no doubt be a strong selling point, but is also a compromise on pure performance owing to precious space taken up by the LEDs. We've reviewed multiple Corsair RGB fans this year already, so let's give some love to the no-RGB side with the new RS MAX series.

Unlike its big brother, the RS120 MAX left an excellent impression on me since it performed very well in the normalized noise tests, especially in static pressure. The increased thickness seems to work better in the 120mm form factor. Despite the ineffective noise-suppression design and bearings, the RS120 MAX takes the lead in static pressure on all noise levels I measured while keeping a high airflow. This is not as easy as it sounds, with few fans simultaneously achieving high airflow and static pressure. Its thickness is increased to 30mm so that you will need more space in your chassis. If you install these fans on a 38mm thick radiator, you will need at least 68mm of clearance. And given the high static pressure, the most suitable use for the RS120 MAX is for cooling solutions. The high price will be a huge let-down factor for most buyers, and the lack of a daisy-chain option is a big miss in this price category. I am not sure why Corsair didn’t include a daisy-chain option. It probably did so to avoid creating internal competition with its iCUE Link products, which are even more expensive! The fact is that users want more affordable prices and easier-to-implement solutions. Not everyone has the money to invest in iCUE Link devices.