Reading Antec's "Fan Noise Level" row
It gives noise in dB(A), usually as a span that tracks the "Fan Speed" row above it, slowest to fastest, with no distance or test standard printed.
The Tranquil 120 ARGB is typical. "400±100~2000±150 RPM" sits above "18.8~26.9 dB(A)", so 18.8 goes with 400 RPM and 26.9 with 2000. A few fans print one figure, such as the fixed-speed N12 at 22.3 dB(A). Others add a tolerance, like the Orbit's "18-31±5% dB(A)".
AIO tables carry a separate pump row, always written with "≤". A ceiling only tells you the pump should not exceed it, so those rows stay out of the order. The Infinity Matrix fans print "db" with no A and are kept apart for a similar reason.
Which Antec 120mm fan is quietest?
The N12, at 22.3 dB(A), though it only ever runs at 1200 RPM.
Here is every current Antec 120mm fan with a dB(A) figure, lowest top figure first.
| Fan | dB(A) at top speed | Top speed |
|---|
| N12 | 22.3 | 1200 RPM, fixed |
| Neon 120 ARGB | 25.6 | 1600 RPM |
| P12 ARGB | 18.8 to 26.5 | 1500 RPM |
| Tranquil 120 ARGB | 18.8 to 26.9 | 2000 RPM |
| Connect 120 Reverse ARGB | 27.2 | 1800 RPM |
| Vision 120R ARGB | 27.5 | 1500 RPM |
| Connect 120 ARGB | 28 | 1500 RPM |
| F12 Racing ARGB | 28 | 1500 RPM |
| Tranquil 120 | 18.7 to 28.6 | 2000 RPM |
| Vision 120 ARGB | 29 | 1800 RPM |
| P12R ARGB | 14.2 to 29.5 | 1500 RPM |
| Orbit 120 ARGB | 18 to 31, ±5% | 2000 RPM |
| Prizm 120 ARGB 5+C | 32.6 max. | 2000 RPM |
| P12 PWM | 12.1 to 34.49, ±10% | 1400 RPM |
| Storm 120 | 11.4 to 34.9 | 2000 RPM |
| Storm T3 120 | 36.99 | 2200 RPM |
| Nova 120 | 38.7 on H mode | 3200 RPM |
Speed explains most of that order. The Tranquil 120 ARGB is the exception worth noticing: it reaches 2000 RPM and still reads 26.9, and that is how it ends up leading the fans you can actually buy. The Nova's three modes, for their part, are set on its controller, not by the motherboard.
The P12 ARGB rates low, the older P12 PWM does not
Antec's lit P12 ARGB is one of its lowest-rated fans at 18.8~26.5 dB(A). The P12R ARGB reads 29.5 and the P14 ARGB 29.9.
The older P12 PWM is the odd one. It is a hydraulic-bearing fan whose range opens at 12.1 dB(A) and closes at 34.49, with a ±10% tolerance, against a 1400 RPM ceiling. The P14 ARGB, the only 140mm P fan, slows to 240 RPM. On November 9 none of these was a new Amazon listing under its exact name, so no P fan made the picks, even though the Tranquil 120 ARGB sits 0.4 dB above the P12 ARGB.
Antec's 140mm fans top out between 27.5 and 33.69 dB(A)
| Fan | dB(A), slowest to fastest | Top speed |
|---|
| Tranquil 140 | 18.6 to 27.5, with 85.96 CFM | 1500 RPM |
| Tranquil 140 ARGB | 18.6 to 27.5 | 1500 RPM |
| P14 ARGB | 14.2 to 29.9 | 1350 RPM |
| Storm T3 140 | 33.69 | 1500 RPM |
None turned up new on Amazon under its exact name. For how they stack up against other brands' 140mm models, see our 140mm fan rankings.
How loud are Antec AIO coolers?
Fan rows run from 28.6 dB(A) to 33.05. Pump rows fall between ≤23 and ≤29 dB(A), and every one is a ceiling.
| AIO | Fan row, dB(A) | Pump row, dB(A) |
|---|
| Vortex View 360 | 28.6 per fan | ≤27 |
| Omni Matrix 360 ARGB | 28.6 | ≤29 |
| Omni Matrix 240 ARGB | 28.6 | ≤26.9 |
| Omni 360 ARGB | 29.5 | ≤29 |
| Omni 240 ARGB | 29.5 | ≤26.9 |
| Luna 360 ARGB | 33.05 | ≤23 |
| Ultra 360 and 240 ARGB | 33.05 | ≤23 |
| Phantom 360 and S360 | ≤33.05 | ≤23 |
| Skeleton family | ≤32 or ≤32.13 | ≤28 |
The Phantom and Skeleton coolers print even their fan rows as ceilings, so neither family is ranked. Other makers' AIOs are in our AIO cooler guide.
The Vortex View's "sub-14 dBA" pump
Two numbers for one pump, on one page. The feature copy promises "sub-14 dBA acoustics at 2800 RPM", and the spec table lists "≤27 dB(A)". Both are ceilings. The copy also calls the pump "Up to 30% quieter than previous-generation models", which measures it against an older Antec rather than giving a level, and since neither line names a distance, both are quoted here and neither is ranked.
The fan row is simpler.
It is a plain 28.6 dB(A), with the same 400 to 2000 RPM span and 59.23 CFM as the unlit Tranquil 120, whose top figure is also 28.6.
Air coolers list 21 to 27.6 dB(A)
| Cooler | Fan noise, dB(A) | TDP |
|---|
| A35 FRGB | 21 max., at 1800 RPM | 95W |
| F400 ARGB | 14 to 26, ±10% | 205W |
| F600 ARGB | 14 to 26, ±10% | 220W |
| F620 Digital Pro | 14 to 27.6, ±10% | 255W |
The A35's low figure comes with the smallest cooler of the four, two heat pipes and a 95W TDP, which suits only light CPUs. None of the four was new on Amazon on November 9. Towers by other makers get their own ranking in the CPU cooler guide.
Discontinued Antec coolers and fans
The SYMPHONY 240 and 360 ARGB AIOs, the older Vortex 240 and 360 ARGB, the Vortex LUM AIOs and the A30 and A400 air cooler families all sit on Antec's discontinued products page. So do the older Prizm 120 ARGB and Prizm 140 ARGB fans, though the Prizm 120 ARGB 5+C kit still appears in the fan menu. The Vortex View 360 is a newer model with a current page.
Are Antec fans quiet?
At full speed, Antec's lowest-rated fans are the N12, Neon 120 ARGB, P12 ARGB and Tranquil 120 ARGB, at 22.3 to 26.9 dB(A). The thick Storm fans and the Nova's faster modes sit well above 30.
Those are full-speed values, though. Most ranges begin under 20 dB(A), and a moderate fan curve keeps any of these fans far below its printed maximum. Curve settings and rubber mounts are covered in how to make PC fans quieter.
