Introduction

Thermaltake went from being that brand with all the RGB LEDs that can be fit onto fans to offering well-performing fans too, enough to even win a recommendation from me for the TOUGHFAN 12 and TOUGHFAN 12 Turbo. In fact, I continue to refer to these fans when comparing other performance-focused PC fans released since. It helps too that those fans came in a clean aesthetic while also having special versions in blue and green, and then there was the part where the fan rotor was made of liquid crystalline polymer (LCP). The use of LCP for fan blades helps manufacturers make longer blades that get very close to the fan frame without hitting it over time through expansion of the material. I’d give Noctua credit to making LCP popular in the PC DIY cooling space before the likes of Thermaltake, Phanteks, and Lian Li came on board. You will notice that the Phanteks and Lian Li offerings are thicker than the standard 25 mm and some argue that perhaps that is the only reason those fans perform better.

When Thermaltake launched the new TOUGHFAN Pro series in late June, I half-expected to see 28-30 mm thick fans again, given that’s the easiest way to get more airflow within the constraint of the 120 x 120 mm spacing. Instead, the company decided to stick to the standard 25 mm while going with newly developed fan frames, blades, motors, and bearings alike. The product page also promises significant improvements in performance, but those claims need to be put to the test. Let’s thank Thermaltake for providing review samples to TechPowerUp as we begin our coverage with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Specifications