Introduction

If you are reading the title of this review and thinking that sounds familiar, perhaps that is because we recently published a review of the CORSAIR AF120 ELITE fan. I had mentioned in that review how every CORSAIR fan reviewed on TechPowerUp—until then—had been an RGB fan, given that's simply where the market is these days. Having RGB fans also helps complete CORSAIR's ecosystem comprising of hardware and software coming together for a light show that now extends not only from the PC tower and desk but also to your living room. The AF120 ELITE was a departure from that in being hybrid use case fans, that arguably would be better suited as case fans or on air coolers rather than more restrictive PC DIY watercooling radiators, without any LEDs on them at all! I suppose I should have known it was only a matter of time before an RGB version came out.


As the name states, the new CORSAIR AF120 RGB ELITE is effectively an RGB version of the older AF120 ELITE fans. But there's a bit more beyond just having added RGB LEDs here. CORSAIR mentioned that the performance deficit between the two versions should be minimal owing to the use of LEDs only in the fan hub area. This has the potential to leave the actual rotor unaffected should the product team have managed to squeeze in those LEDs without taking up much room. This just makes me want to ask CORSAIR whatever happened to its Capellix LEDs that it was planning on incorporating everywhere? Either way, these newer fans also come in black or white color options as well as boast a higher max RPM to where they might well outperform the non-RGB version for those who prioritize pure performance! Thanks to CORSAIR for providing review samples to TechPowerUp as we test these fans in this article which begins with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

CORSAIR sent over a triple-pack SKU of the AF120 RGB ELITE fan which understandably comes in a larger, single product box with a plastic wrap over it. The packaging design adopts a predominantly yellow color with the company logo and product name on the front to go with a render of the specific fan color inside. The presence of three such fans along with the "3x" marking at the bottom also leaves no doubt there are three fans inside, and this version includes CORSAIR's Lighting Node CORE too. Salient features and fan specs are also seen here and on the back, in multiple languages. A tech specs table and certification labels help round things off, with the use of a double flap as well as seals on the sides to help secure the contents in place on their way to you.


Opening the box, we see that the items inside are packaged separately, with the three fans at the bottom (or top, depending on how you opened it) and the accessories in their own yellow box above (or underneath). Interestingly we see CORSAIR ditching a printed quick-start guide in favor of a QR code leading you to the uploaded version on the product page which is not up yet as of the time I write this review given the product has yet to be officially launched. We do get legal paperwork in the form of an FCC compliance sheet and more documentation on safety and disposal. Assuming you want to use these as case fans, three sets of four self-tapping metal screws are also included.


Now we get to the included CORSAIR Lighting Node CORE, which combines the company's previous set of RGB fan LED hubs and the Lighting Node PRO into a single unit that provides space savings but ends up also only providing you a single LED channel input. This means you will still need another compatible controller if you have different CORSAIR RGB-lit products, or simply another controller with more channels for use with these fans. The Lighting Node CORE has six headers for up to six AF120 RGB ELITE fans (or any other CORSAIR dRGB fan with eight centrally located LEDs) and requires an internal USB 2.0 header for connection and a full-size SATA connector for power.


The fans come in individual cardboard blister inlay packaging that will further protect them during shipping and handling. The cables are tucked into a side compartment as seen above, and this itself is similar to what we saw on the AF120 ELITE fans. As such, I am led to believe that single fan boxes will simply have the paperwork on top and the pack of metal screws in that same side compartment.