Fractal Design Prisma AL-12 RGB Fan Review
Fractal has been absent from the RGB game as of late. Their latest cases don't feature any RGB lighting. A bit ago, Fractal announced their Prisma Series of fans. The series features both 120 and 140 mm versions as well as PWM and non-PWM. There are also two lines in the Prisma series, the AL (Addressable LED) and SL (Single Color). With RGB lighting becoming a thing on almost every PC component, I can see why Fractal took their time releasing the fans. Fans serve a critical purpose and still need to perform. Manufacturers have been adding LED lights to fans for years, addressable LEDs is just the next logical step. The review sample we received is the Prisma AL-12 non-PWM. Packaging The front of the Prisma AL-12 box features a large graphic of the fan in all its RGB glory. The tag on the box lets you know if the fans are 120 or 140mm as well as if it is the PWM version. The back fo the box dives into more details on the fans specification and features. There is a front flap that can be opened to take a look at the fans housed within. Like the back of the box, the features of the Prisma AL-12 fans are listed here.
Specifications Size 120 x 120 x 25 mm Blade color Semi-opaque white Frame color Black LED type Single color Screw hole pattern 105 x 105 mm Power connector 3-pin Bearing LLS Number of blades 7 Rotational speed 1200 RPM Noise level 19.5 dB(A) Airflow (CFM) 50.63 CFM Airflow (m3/h) 86.02 m3/h Static pressure 1.27 mmH2O Fan input power 3.0W Fan max input current 0.25A Fan input voltage 12V Fan starting voltage 6V LED input power 1.80W LED max input current 0.15A LED input voltage 12V MTBF 100,000 hrs. Fan weight 138 g Package weight 162 g Cable length 500 mm ±10 mm Cable type Black ribbon cable Packaging dimensions (Including hanging tab) 182 x 122 x 26 mm Packaging dimensions (Excluding hanging tab) 147 x 122 x 26 mm A Closer Look at the Fractal Design Prisma AL-12 RGB Fan The fans can be ordered in singles or in a pack of 3. We received the 3 pack. There's not really much included with fans and there shouldn't be. Fractal does include four screws for each of the fans.
The fans feature a black frame with translucent or semi-opaque white fan blades. The ring around the blades is translucent as well. At each of the four corners both front and back, there are rubber pads that are used to isolate the fans from the case. This helps reduce noise caused by the vibrations in the fans. On the back, you can see the stator struts are not flat and have an angled edge to them. They've been engineered to be aerodynamic and incorporate the wiring to the hub in order to reduce noise. The fan blades have what Fractal calls "Trip Wire" Near the leading edge of the fan, there is a small raised line. This line is designed to introduce a turbulence layer and help improve performance.
The fans can also be daisy-chained together. This means less long cable runs back and forth to the RGB controller or the motherboard. The RGB cables feature both a male and female end. Both the power and RGB cables are sleeved with heat-shrink at either end.
Conclusion and Final Thoughts Fractal has long been one to keep noise emanating from the case at bay. The Prisma fans do as well. I set the VLIKE SPL meter 6 inches from one fan and let it run at the max RPM which is 1200. The ambient noise read 33.7 dB without the fan and 39.5 dB with the fan running outside the case. During the test, I stood about 18 inches away and couldn't hear the fans. Even as I moved closer and closer, the fan noise was inaudiable. Take note this was outside the case.
As far as airflow testing, I have no way to test it at this point except to install them and see if there is a rise in component temperature and I did just that. I installed the fans in my Fractal Design Meshify S2. The stock fans for this case are 140mm, I replaced them with 120mm fans. I am such an information junkie on my PC and I always have a dashboard with CPU, motherboard, and GPU temperatures running. I didn't see a difference in component temperatures between the two sets of fans. I tested lighting on a few aRGB controllers from Silverstone, CoolerMaster and Enermax and all worked fine. The fans are compatible will all major motherboard RGB controls such as Aura Sync, Mystic Light, RGB Fusion, and Polychrome Sync. One thing to note, for those using some Gigabyte motherboards, you may need an adapter to go from Gigabyte's aRGB connector to the 3-pin connector. The requirement for the adapater vaires with the motherboard line. My x299 Designare EX motherboard needed it whereas the Aorus X390 Master did not.
Aesthetically, I really like the evenness of the lighting on the Prisma AL-12 fans. The pictures really don't really do them justice. These are probably the most evenly lit fans I've seen and the colors really pop. There are 6 LEDs around the hub and the hot spots from the LEDs are hidden from view when viewed straight on. Even viewing from the side, the hot spots are barely noticeable. The single fan retails for an MSRP of $21.99 and the 3-pack running $59.99. The PWM versions are going to run you 24.99 and 65.99 respectively. When it's all said and done, I am extremely impressed with the Prisma AL-12s. I can no longer hear the front of my case from about 2 feet away but I can see the fans running behind the angular mesh panel with a minimal (if any) performance impact. Read the full article