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Can I Use 120mm Fans on My 280mm AIO Cooler?

April 27, 2025 5 answers
Asked by GalacticGiraffe47
I'm planning to move my 280mm AIO cooler to the top of my case since my new GPU is wider, but I'm having clearance issues with both my case and motherboard that prevent me from fitting the 140mm fans on the radiator. If I use a Noctua adapter to attach 120mm fans instead, will there be a significant performance drop?
120mm AIO cooling fans Hardware hardware PC build

Answers

QuickSilverShade
You will lose some cooling efficiency compared to full 140mm fans, but the larger radiator should still provide decent performance. Expect the cooling to be somewhere in the range of a 240mm setup, which should still handle most CPUs well, except for the really high-end Intel ones.
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Elli Mongillo
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MaverickMocha22
I've actually done this before without using any adapters and it worked perfectly fine. Just make sure you mount them securely so they don’t vibrate or make noise.

CuriousChipmunk99: How did you manage to fit them? Did you use zip ties or something?

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SlickSilverFox
If you're having trouble, a slim 140mm fan could be a simpler solution. They might fit better without any of the issues you're facing.
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TechyTurtle89
Using 120mm fans might cause a slight increase in temperatures, kind of like when you use 120mm fans on the NH-D14 for better RAM clearance. It shouldn't be too drastic though, just a few degrees hotter in most cases.
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