Thermaltake CT120 EX ARGB Sync PC Cooling Fan 3 Pack (CL-F216-PL12GS-A)
Bottom line: The Thermaltake CT120 EX ARGB Sync PC Cooling Fan 3 Pack: 3-pack of 120mm ARGB fans keeps per-fan cost low for a full case build; main trade-off: 2.95mm-H2O static pressure is modest for thick or dense radiators.
As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure →
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ 3-pack of 120mm ARGB fans keeps per-fan cost low for a full case build
- ✓ MagForce 2.0 magnetic fan-to-fan links and daisy-chain cables cut cable clutter
- ✓ PWM 500-2000 RPM range balances quiet idle and 68 CFM airflow under load
- ✓ 9 addressable LEDs, 16.8M colors via 5V 3-pin ARGB motherboard sync
- ✓ Hydraulic bearing rated for long life and quieter operation at low RPM
Cons
- ✗ 2.95mm-H2O static pressure is modest for thick or dense radiators
- ✗ 5V 3-pin ARGB sync needs a compatible motherboard header to control lighting
- ✗ Fixed gravel-sand colorway may not match every build's aesthetic
- ✗ Tops out at 2000 RPM, below high-static-pressure fans for heavy cooling
Manufacturer description
Introducing the Thermaltake CT EX ARGB lineup of fan, sharing the same benefits of matching the stock case fans and aesthetics as the original CT fans the new EX line up has some added tricks to make them even better. Using our new MagForce 2.0 tech the CT fan lineup has been upgraded to magnetic fan to fan connections as well as a magnetic daisy chain cable to provide quick and easy installation and maintenance.
SpecPicks Verdict
SpecPicks scored Thermaltake CT120 EX ARGB Sync PC Cooling Fan 3 Pack using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the cooling & fans category. Thermaltake'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
- 【MagForce 2.0】 Improving on our original MagForce design we have retained all the same great features like fan to fan magnetic connections and magnetic daisy chain cables to make linking multiple fans together easy. However, this time around we drastically increased the surface area of the pin to pad contacts allowing for much better connection and preventing issues like signal drop out from misalignment.
- 【Complete Your Build】 Our CT line up was designed to perform and compliment the look of existing case fans for a full matching experience.
- 【Optimal Airflow】 Our CT lineup utilizes 9 optimized fan blades to deliver up to 68 CFM of airflow and 2.95mm-H20 of static pressure at 2000 RPMs.
- 【ARGB Synced】 Powered by a 3-Pin 5V ARGB Connector for simple set up, each fan has 9 LEDs capable of 16.8 million colors easily customized and controlled via motherboard software.
- 【Hydraulic Bearing】 Great for silent and reliable operation while still being able to provide performance when necessary the CT hydraulic bearings were a great pairing allowing them to reach up to 2000 RPMs and maintaining a high life expectancy.
Full Specifications
| Brand | Thermaltake |
|---|---|
| Model | CL-F216-PL12GS-A |
| Wattage | 9 watts |
| Material | Plastic |
| Noise Level | 28.5 db |
| Part Number | CL-F216-PL12GS-A |
| Compatibility | PC |
| Material Type | Plastic |
| Cooling Method | Fan |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Air Flow Capacity | 68 cfm |
| Compatible Devices | Desktop |
| Included Components | Fan, Cable |
| Power Connector Type | 3-Pin |
| Warranty Description | 2 Year Manufacturer |
| Maximum Rotational Speed | 2000 rpm |
| Item Dimensions L x W x H | 4.72"L x 4.72"W x 0.98"H |
| Full listing title | Thermaltake CT120 EX ARGB Sync PC Cooling Fan 3 Pack, PWM 500~2000 RPM, 5V Motherboard Sync, 16.8 Million Colors 9 LEDs, MagForce 2.0 Connectors, Hydraulic Bearing, Gravel Sand, CL-F216-PL12GS-A |
Ready to buy?
Thermaltake CT120 EX ARGB Sync PC Cooling Fan 3 Pack, PWM 500~2000 RPM, 5V Motherboard Sync, 16.8 Million Colors 9 LEDs, MagForce 2.0 Connectors, Hydraulic Bearing, Gravel Sand, CL-F216-PL12GS-A 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.
Related Cooling & Fans
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 ($800 on Sale)
- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- Ah Yes, 'Gaming' Laptops: The Hype vs. Reality
- RTX 4090 vs RX 7900 XTX
- GLM-5.2 With CPU Offload: Ryzen 7 5800X + RTX 3060 12GB Tested
- MacBook Neo Benchmarks 2026: Apple Silicon vs AMD
- Best Budget SSD for Gaming in 2026: 5 Tested Picks Ranked
- Building a period-correct Windows 98 gaming rig in 2026
- Best CPU for a Local-LLM Homelab Under $300 in 2026
- Best Gaming Headset for PlayStation 5 Under $80 (2026)
- Raspberry Pi OS Gets a Desktop Refresh: What Changes for Pi 4 Users
- Best NVMe SSD for Gaming PCs in 2026
- PiKVM Hardware Guide 2026: Boards, Kits & Storage
- GLM-5.2 vs Qwen3 on a 12GB GPU: Best Open-Weights LLM for an RTX 3060
- How to run DeepSeek-R1 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080
- Best Controllers for Retro Gaming and Emulation in 2026
- Apple Sues OpenAI Over Alleged Trade-Secret Theft: What It Means
- Best GPU for gpt-oss 20B in 2026
- RTX 5090 vs RTX 5080: Which Should You Buy in 2026?
- Prime Big Deal Days Prebuilt PCs: RTX 5060 vs 5060 Ti vs 5070
- RTX 4090 AIO Kit 2025: Pricing, Cooling & Buying Guide
- Best Handheld Gaming PC Under $300 in 2026
- Best Internal SSDs for PC Gaming Builds (2026)
- AVX-512 Lifts Linux RAID Up to 41% on AMD Ryzen Chips
- Best Filming Kit for a PC Hardware YouTube Channel in 2026
- Best Plug-and-Play Retro Console and Handheld to Buy in 2026: 5 Ranked Picks
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