ARCTIC S4028-6K - 40 x 40 x 28 mm Fan, 250-6000 RPM, PWM-Regulated
Bottom line: The ARCTIC S4028-6K ($8.99 on Amazon as of 2026-10-06): Dual ball bearings resist heat and dust for long 1U duty cycles; main trade-off: 6000 RPM top end is audible in a desk-side or living-room build.
As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure →
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-06. Price and availability subject to change.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ Dual ball bearings resist heat and dust for long 1U duty cycles
- ✓ 250-6000 RPM PWM range covers near-silent idle to full server airflow
- ✓ 4.2 mm/H2O static pressure pushes air through dense radiators and filters
- ✓ 4-pin connector also works on 2-pin and 3-pin headers
- ✓ 40 cm cable reaches distant headers in NAS, DVR, and HTPC builds
Cons
- ✗ 6000 RPM top end is audible in a desk-side or living-room build
- ✗ 12.06 m3/h airflow is modest next to larger 80 mm or 120 mm fans
- ✗ 40x40x28 mm thickness will not fit slim 40x40x10 mm fan cutouts
- ✗ No RGB or aesthetic finish beyond plain black
SpecPicks Verdict
SpecPicks scored ARCTIC S4028-6K using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the cooling & fans category. ARCTIC's cooling & fans lineup sits within the broader category mid-tier; price and specs are the deciding factors over brand loyalty here. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.
Common buyer scenarios for cooling & fans of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.
Key Features
- The S4028-6K's impeller is held in place by two ball bearings, making it both especially durable as well as less sensitive to external influences such as heat and dust
- The S4028-6K has a particularly wide speed range that can be regulated via PWM and voltage. With its 6000 rpm max it offers a well-balanced ratio between cooling power and noise
- With a static pressure of 4.2 mmH₂O and a maximum airflow of 12.06 m³/h, the S4028-6K is a true all-rounder and is suitable as both radiator and case fan
- The S4028-6K fits in 1U server cases as a replacement fan for routers, switches, and NAS. It can also be used for other products such as DVRs, Mini PCs, HTPCs, hard disk enclosures and 3D printers
- The fan has a standard 4-pin fan connector and can also be connected and controlled on 2-pin or 3-pin headers, while its 40 cm cable allows enough flexibility in positioning
Full Specifications
| Brand | ARCTIC |
|---|---|
| Model | ACFAN00185A |
| Voltage | 12 volts |
| Wattage | 1.2 watts |
| Material | Plastic |
| Dimensions | 40 x 40 x 28 mm |
| Unit Count | 1 Count |
| Part Number | ACFAN00185A |
| Material Type | Plastic |
| Cooling Method | Air |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Air Flow Capacity | 185 cfm |
| Compatible Devices | Desktop |
| Power Connector Type | 2510 4-Pin Fan-Connector |
| Warranty Description | 6 years |
| Maximum Rotational Speed | 6000 rpm |
| Item Dimensions L x W x H | 1.1"L x 1.57"W x 1.57"H |
Ready to buy?
ARCTIC S4028-6K - 40 x 40 x 28 mm Fan, 250-6000 RPM, PWM-Regulated is listed on Amazon. Price, availability, shipping and returns are set by Amazon and its sellers — check the listing for current terms. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-06. Price and availability subject to change.
Related Cooling & Fans
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 ($800 on Sale)
- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- How to run Qwen 3 32B on Apple M4 Pro
- Best SSD for Steam Deck and Handheld Emulation in 2026
- Best Raspberry Pi 5 Projects and Kits for 2026
- Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs Core i7-14700K: The DDR4 Gaming Faceoff for 2026 Builders
- GLM-5.2 Review: The Most Powerful Open-Weights LLM You Can Self-Host in 2026
- GPT-5.6 Sol at One-Third the Cost: When Local Inference Still Wins
- Windows NT Now Boots on the Nintendo GameCube: What the Homebrew Port Actually Runs
- Handheld Gaming PCs Ranked: 2025's Best, Compared
- Best Quiet CPU Cooler for Silent Workstation and Office Builds 2026
- Best Wireless Gaming Controller for PC and Console (2026)
- IPEX-LLM + Ollama on Intel Arc: Setup, tok/s, and the RTX 3060 Reality Check
- Best Streaming Microphone for Twitch and YouTube in 2026
- Best CPU Cooler for Ryzen 7 5800X Overclocking (2026)
- retrorecs.com: A New Retro Game Recommendation Engine
- Best AMD GPU for 4K Gaming in 2026
- Moonshot Pauses Kimi K3 Signups After GPU Demand Maxes Out
- Build a Self-Updating 24/7 FM Radio Station on a Raspberry Pi Zero W
- Best Controller for Steam Deck Docked Mode in 2026
- Asus Prime Z890-P WiFi Review: Built for Core Ultra 200S
- Gemini 3.6 Flash Shipped: Why Local Builders Still Reach for a 12GB GPU
- Best Gaming Webcam and Microphone Bundle for Streamers in 2026
- Intel Arc B390 Handhelds vs Steam Deck: The Predator Atlas 8
- Raspberry Pi 5 Specs: Full 2025 Breakdown
- Best Budget Gaming Headset Under $60: Turtle Beach Recon 50 vs BERIBES vs TAGRY
Earliest SpecPicks reviews
Browse full archive →- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 8B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 14B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 70B (2026)
- Best GPU for DeepSeek-R1 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 405B (2026)
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 70B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run DeepSeek-R1 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090