The Corsair RS MAX fans are the latest offering from the peripheral and component giant, and seek to take on industry leaders like Noctua in the quiet, yet high-performance, non-RGB fan space. These fans are extra thick and extra juicy (in terms of the static air pressure they put out), and are ideal for use as case fans in a high-performance PC, or for use in a radiator in a liquid-cooled setup thanks to the force with which they can push air over obstacles and dense components.

Static pressure vs higher speeds

There are two main ways that fans can increase the level of cooling within a PC case: by pushing the air at a higher velocity (meaning more air passing over the components in the same amount of time) or at a higher static pressure. Static pressure fans essentially move the same amount of air but with greater force, and have advantages over higher velocity fans in a couple of ways: the higher pressure makes them better at pushing air through more enclosed spaces or denser obstructions, making them ideal radiator fans for liquid-cooled systems, plus where higher velocity usually means fans have to spin faster, typically making them louder, static pressure fans tend to be quieter.

Both fan sizes also have the option for Zero RPM mode, meaning that when they’re not needed in low-usage scenarios, they can stop spinning entirely even with the computer switched on, meaning they’re perfectly silent.

Thicker means better?

The main way that the RS MAX series generates this higher static pressure is through their thicker construction. Compared to the standard RS fan and most other 25mm PC cooling fans out there, the RS MAX are 20% thicker: measuring 30mm. Thicker fans mean bigger fan blades, which are capable of shifting more air at a higher force, and the shape of the blades has been optimised to maximise their effectiveness. Additional features like ‘Anti-vortex stator vanes’ which are located behind the fan blade further help to focus the airflow and increase static pressure.

Build quality

The RS MAX series incorporate top-quality materials and construction techniques to ensure they have great durability and longevity. The fan blades are made from glass fiber-reinforced Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) making them rigid (reducing vibration noise) and sturdy (improving their durability), despite the high levels of static pressure they must endure.

The bearings are Corsair’s custom Magnetic Dome design, which reduce friction as the fans spin, leading to quiet performance as well as further improving longevity.

5 Year Warranty

As with many of the newer, more premium fans in the Corsair roster, you get a nice 5 year warranty when you buy either the Corsair RS120 MAX or Corsair RS140 MAX. You can read more about the terms of the warranty here.

The Corsair RS120 Max 120mm fan

The Corsair RS120 Max is capable of PWM-controlled fan speeds of between 425-2,000 RPM, and of pushing up to 72 CFM of air (at 4.2mm-H2O of static pressure). These fans can be bought either as single fans or in triple packs with three included.

CORSAIR RS120 MAX (triple fan kit)

Specifications

Fan size: 120mm
Airflow: 16.5 – 72 CFM per fan
Static Pressure: 0.22 – 4.2 mm-H2O of static pressure per fan
Max speed: 2,000 RPM
Sound Level: 29.5 dBa

The Corsair RS140 Max 140mm fan

The Corsair RS140 Max is able to reach PWM-controlled fan speeds of 400-1,600 RPM, pushing up to 104 CFM of air (at 2.4mm-H2O of static pressure). This larger variant comes either in a single pack or a dual pack with two fans included.

CORSAIR RS140 MAX (twin fan kit)

Specifications

Fan size: 140mm
Airflow: 27.5 – 104 CFM per fan
Static Pressure: 0.2 – 2.4 mm-H2O of static pressure per fan
Max speed: 1,600 RPM
Sound Level: 31 dBa

The wider Corsair fan lineup

If you want to know how the RS MAX series compares with the other options available from the company (and there are a lot) have a read below. You can read more about this on the Corsair site.

iCUE Link Fans series: iCUE QX RGB, RX RGB, LX RGB

Corsair iCUE is a holistic RGB control software that also monitors other diagnostic aspects of your PC. Not only is it compatible with newer RGB-capable Corsair products: from case fans to headsets, mice, and mousepads, it’s also now compatible with many products from ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, plus Govee lights and Phillips Hue compatible products.

Most of the RGB fans below are compatible with iCUE, but iCUE Link fans are something else altogether. These fans all use a single unified cable that combines RGB control with the main power supply: all these cables are interchangeable and allow you to daisy chain your fans, AIO radiators, and other compatible products with ease into one central System Hub. We tested out these iCUE Link components in our first back-connect PC build and found them to be an absolute pleasure to use.

All of these fans come with Magnetic Dome bearings and anti-vibration pads to give you as quiet an experience as possible. They also all have ‘Zero RPM mode’ which completely stops the fans from whirring when they’re not needed, thereby remaining completely silent in these scenarios.

	iCUE LINK QX RGB	iCUE LINK LX RGB	iCUE LINK RX RGB
Size(s)	120mm / 140mm x 25mm	120mm / 140mm x 25mm	120mm / 140mm x 25mm
Speed (RPM ±10%)	480 – 2,400 / 400 – 2,000	480 – 2,400 / 350 – 2,000	400 – 2100 / 300 – 1700
Airflow (CFM)	16.4 – 63.1 / 12.1 – 82.5	9.75 – 69.9 / 10.74 – 84.7	10.5 – 74.2 / 18.1 – 95.7
Static Pressure (mm-H2O)	0.17 – 3.8 / 0.19 – 3.5	0.13 – 5.22 / 0.11 – 4.86	0.12 – 4.38 / 0.15 – 3.79
Noise Level (dBA)	10 – 37 / 10 – 37	10 – 36 / 10 – 36	10 – 36 / 10 – 36
AirGuide Technology	No	Yes	Yes
Other features	Time Warp Lighting Mode, Quad Light Loops, Side Lighting	Time Warp Lighting Mode, Dual Light Loops, Side Lighting	Swappable Side panels
Warranty	5 Years	5 Years	5 Years

Non-iCUE Link RGB Fans series: AR RGB, SP RGB ELITE, AF RGB ELITE, AF RGB SLIM, LL RGB, QL RGB

The range of RGB-capable fans outside of the iCUE-Link range goes back a long time, and below is the list of those you’re still likely to find available on the market today. As you can see there’s quite a bit of variety in terms of the construction and technology used for each of these, but they all use Pulse-width modulation (PWM) tech to carry across the RGB control signal. All the below should be compatible with iCUE software.

	AR RGB	SP RGB ELITE	AF RGB ELITE	AF RGB SLIM	LL RGB	QL RGB
Size(s)	120mm x 25mm	120mm / 140mm x 25mm	120mm / 140mm x 25mm	120 x 15mm	120mm / 140mm x 25mm	120mm / 140mm x 25mm
Fan Bearing	Hydraulic	Hydraulic	Fluid Dynamic	Fluid Dynamic	Hydraulic	Hydraulic
Speed (RPM ±10%)	400 – 1,850	1,500 / 1,200	550 – 2,100 / 500 – 1,700	600 – 2,000	600 – 1,500 / 550 – 1,250	525 – 1,500 / 400 – 2,000
Airflow (CFM)	10.7 – 59	16.91 – 47.73 / 23.07 – 68.11	13.8 – 65.7 / 19.5 – 89.0	13.4 – 56.3	43.25 / 50.2	41.8 / 12.1 – 82.5
Static Pressure (mm-H2O)	0.13 – 2.8	0.28 – 1.46 / 0.26 – 1.66	0.17 – 2.68 / 0.16 – 2.0	0.2 – 1.9	1.61 / 1.4	1.55 / 0.19 – 3.5
Noise Level (dBA)	10 – 27.3	5 – 22.6 / 18 – 26.8	5 – 34.1 / 5 – 33.8	27.5	24.8 / 26	26 / 10 -37
RGB	iCUE / ARGB	iCUE	iCUE	iCUE	iCUE	iCUE
Anti vibration Pads	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
AirGuide Technology	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Zero RPM Mode	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Additional Features	ARGB Compatible	N/A	N/A	Low Profile, 15mm Thickness	Dual Light Loops	Quad Light Loops
Warranty	2 Years	2 Years	5 Years	3 Years	2 Years	2 Years

Non-RGB Fans series: SP ELITE, AF ELITE, AF SLIM, iCUE LINK RX, RS MAX

If you’re not fussed about RGB and/or are after a more stealthy look on your build, then below you can see the range of non-RGB Corsair case fans, including the latest RS Max series.

	SP ELITE	AF ELITE	AF SLIM	iCUE LINK RX	RS MAX
Size(s)	120mm x 25mm	120mm / 140mm x 25mm	120mm x 15mm	120mm / 140mm x 25mm	120mm / 140mm x 30mm
Fan Bearing	Hydraulic	Fluid Dynamic	Fluid Dynamic	Magnetic Dome	Magnetic Dome
Speed (RPM ±10%)	300 – 1,300	400 – 1,850 / 400 – 1,600	600 – 2,000	400 – 2100 / 300 – 1700	425 – 2000 / 400 – 1600
Airflow (CFM)	6.37 – 45.4	10.9 – 59.1 / 15.3 – 84.5	13.4 – 56.3	10.5 – 74.2 / 18.1 – 95.7	16.5 – 72 / 27.5 – 104
Static Pressure (mm-H2O)	0.07 – 1.23	0.09 – 1.93 / 0.1 – 1.73	0.2 – 1.9	0.12 – 4.38 / 0.15 – 3.79	0.22 – 4.2 / 0.2 – 2.4
Noise Level (dBA)	5 – 20.6	5 – 28.9 / 5 – 33.9	5 – 25.6	10 – 36 / 10 – 36	10 – 29.5 / 10 – 31
Interface	PWM	PWM	PWM	PWM via iCUE LINK	PWM
Anti-vibration Pads	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
AirGuide Technology	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Zero RPM Mode	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Additional Features	None	None	Low Profile, 15mm Thickness	None	30mm Thickness
Warranty	2 Years	5 Years	3 Years	5 Years	5 Years

Corsair RS120 MAX & RS140 MAX: extra thick, superior cooling

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Corsair RS MAX Fan features