Our Verdict
Pros
- Aluminum frame
- LCP Blades
- ARGB lighting
- Daisy-chained connections
Cons
- Availability for the 140mm version
- Not a ton of airflow
- Limited ARGB displayed
Should you buy it?
Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing
Even though we just looked at the MasterFan A series, Cooler Master has something up their sleeve for those looking for something a bit more mainstream. That is not to say they delivered a low-flow fan with silence as the key trait, but rather that this is more of a twist on what we just saw. Unlike the bold silver, all-aluminum construction, this time things are more subdued but still dressed to impress.
Cooler Master sticks with aluminum frames, uses liquid crystal polymer blades, and adds a thin ring on the fan hub for a bit of extra lighting. Compared to the A-series, these are lighter, and while they're intended as chassis fans or radiator fans, they are light enough that we would stick them on an air cooler too. The M-series fans are close in performance on paper to the A-series, so you can pick between silver and beastly, or black with a bit of ARGB and a little less power overall.
If you need high flow and static pressure but aren't into the all-aluminum bright silver design, you can opt for something that looks a bit more typical to add to a chassis. While we got shipped the MasterFan M140 ARGB fans, there are 120mm models, and as in the A-series, there are FC models to take a fan like this even further than what you will see here. Those with deep pockets can get fans rated for the longest MTTF we have seen, while adding a bit of normalcy and ARGB to their build.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Model | MZF-P2DM-20NP2-R1 |
| Street Name | MasterFan M120 ARGB |
| MSRP | $34.99 |
| Color | Black |
| Material | Aluminum & LCP |
| Dimensions | 120 x 120 x 30mm |
| LED Profile | Addressable RGB Gen.2 |
| Speed | 0 - 2300 RPM ±10% |
| Air Flow | 75.2 CFM |
| Air Pressure | 5.4 mmH2O |
| MTTF | > 200,000 Hours |
| Noise Level | 27 dB(A) |
| Bearing Type | Magnetic Dynamic |
| Connector | 4-Pin PWM |
| Rated Voltage | 12 VDC |
| Rated Current | 0.1A |
| Power Consumption | 1.2W |
| Weight | 3165g per fan |
| Warranty | 5 Years |
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Model | MFZ-P4DM-16NP2-R1 |
| Street Name | MasterFan M140 ARGB |
| MSRP | Unknown |
| Color | Black |
| Material | Aluminum & LCP |
| Dimensions | 140 x 140 x 30mm |
| LED Profile | Addressable RGB Gen.2 |
| Speed | 0 - 1600 RPM ±10% |
| Air Flow | 81 CFM |
| Air Pressure | 2.39 mmH2O |
| MTTF | > 200,000 Hours |
| Noise Level | 25.9 dB(A) |
| Bearing Type | Magnetic Dynamic |
| Connector | 4-Pin PWM |
| Rated Voltage | 12 VDC |
| Rated Current | 0.1A |
| Power Consumption | 1.2W |
| Weight | 338g per fan |
| Warranty | 5 Years |
As we did for the A-series, we again show both spec tables for the 120mm and 140mm versions Cooler Master offers in this lineup. The MasterFan M120 ARGB is still 30mm thick, sports a black-coated aluminum frame, and uses LCP fan blades to strengthen the assembly. This series does come with Gen.2 ARGB, but it is limited to a thin ring in the fan hub.
The M120 ARGB delivers up to 2300 RPM with 75.2 CFM and 5.4 mmH2O of pressure. There is a typo online that shows 20,000 hours to failure, but we believe it is 200,000 hours, as the 140mm is specified to deliver, and the A-series shows the same across all sizes. Noise is said to be 27 dB(A), but these hubs use magnetic dynamic bearings, reducing friction and improving power and reducing drag.
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The MasterFan M140 ARGB that we have in hand is also 30mm thick. They are black like the 120mm versions, made of the same materials, and uses the same bearings. Speed is reduced to 1600 RPM, yet they still deliver 81 CFM and 2.39 mmH2O. They're rated for 200,000 hours, run at 25.9 dB(A), and weigh a touch more at 338 grams, while the 120mm weighs 315 grams.
Pricing isn't that bad either. Locating the MasterFan M120 ARGB was easy enough, and if you want the best deal, visit Newegg; we found them at $34.99. What sucks, or blows, depending on your outlook, is that the 140mm versions are still just an idea in the wild. We couldn't find a single listing for the MasterFan M140 ARGB, and we looked everywhere. We hope Cooler Master's 140mm fans hit the market soon, as they could be losing a lot of cash while people choose something else because of stock shortages. However, the wait might be worth it: these M-series fans come with a five-year warranty, and with that MTTF rating, you get a lot of time for the investment.
Our Latest Cooling Fans Review Coverage
Packaging
Using the same boxes as the A-series helps keep costs down, since you can apply these stickers instead of the ones shown previously. MasterFan M140 ARGB tops the sticker, while an illuminated look at the fan inside is front and center. That leaves the Cooler Master logo at the bottom, and it's what Cooler Master wants you to notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Open a question for an answer from TweakTown's coverage of this review, or ask your own below.
What are the RPM, airflow (CFM), and static pressure specifications for the MasterFan M140 ARGB and M120 ARGB?
What connectors and cabling come in the box for powering the fan and controlling Gen.2 ARGB?
Are the MasterFan M140 ARGB frames and blades metal or plastic, and what materials are used?
What warranty and MTTF rating does Cooler Master provide for the M‑series fans?
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The bottom of the box confirms there isn't an odd sticker swap, as Cooler Master tells us this is a "fan 140mm" in twenty-two different languages.
One long side of the box lists Cooler Master addresses for each region, along with their web address, and then moves into the iconography we see everywhere. It also reminds you to recycle these fans, and with all that aluminum, they could be worth some cash when they inevitably fail.
Around the back, we see a lot of open space at the top left of the logo. The chart below has all the specifications, though we wish they used a larger font. To the right are codes to get you to the product page and the main landing page for Cooler master, while the model, serial number, and "made in China" all reside.
At the top of each box, you will find the accessories laid out on a cardboard flap. Each bag contains four washers, four square nuts, and four long screws to secure the MasterFan M-series to a chassis. The cable is a bit more involved: a 4-pin and a daisy-chain 3-pin ARGB cable connect to the motherboard, then turn into a proprietary connector for the M-series.
Cooler Master MasterFan M140 ARGB
Fresh from the box, we can see three 140mm MasterFans in their all-black attire. The hub sports a logo sticker, with a fine line around the outside to let ARGB poke through. The seven blades are made of LCP and have an almost fiberglass-like look. The frames around them are aluminum, with large rubber isolation pads at each corner.
From this view, we can see the frames are identical to the A-series, just black this time, and instead of 4-pin fan connectors that daisy-chain from one fan to another, this time we get 6-pin connectors that deliver ARGB and fan power in one click. It also simplifies installation and keeps the wiring mess from becoming an issue.
Again, like the A-series, the M-series frames are smooth, embossed with the Cooler Master logo on two sides, while the other two sides are bare and smooth. No directionality arrows, but if you do not know that the hub side sucks in and the frame side blows out, maybe ordering fans isn't the first step of your journey.
Spinning one of the fans shows the product sticker on the back of the frame, which features thinner supports shaped to improve airflow. The sticker shows us the speed range and power needed for the MasterFan M140 ARGB.
When powered and illuminated, this is what can flood the back of the fans, or whatever you attach them to, with ARGB lighting. Since the hub is backlit, the gap between it and the frame lets out more light than the front side.
In a dimly lit office, we plugged the fans into a controllable fan header and made sure the 3-pin ARGB cable was connected, and this is what you get for all the effort - a super-thin line of ARGB around the logo on the hub sticker. The office has more lighting from the be quiet fans in the chassis, which are a foot behind the Cooler Master submission.
Test System Setup & Findings
Chad's Fan Test System Specifications
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Motherboard | ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E Gaming Wi-Fi (Buy at Amazon) |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (Buy at Amazon) |
| RAM | Patriot Viper Elite 5 32GB @ 7000MT/s (Buy at Amazon) |
| GPU | GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super Windforce OC 16G (Buy at Amazon) |
| SSD | Patriot Viper 2TB VP4300 PCIe m.2 Gen4 x4 (Buy at Amazon) |
| Case | be quiet! Light Base 900 DX (Buy at Amazon) |
| Case Fans | be quiet! Light Wings White 140mm PWM High-Speed ARGB (Buy at Amazon) |
| Power Supply | be quiet! Dark Power Pro 12 1500W (Buy at Amazon) |
| OS | Microsoft Windows 11 Home 64-bit (Buy at Amazon) |
| Software | AIDA64 Engineer 7.60.7300, and CPU-z 2.14.0 x64 |
Findings
After hooking the MasterFan A140 ARGBs together and connecting the extension cable to them, our channel five fan header, and the 3-pin ARGB header, we could see what these fans can do. We used the Channel 5 header on the board and dove into the BIOS to open Q-Fan control. We then applied the four BIOS control options: Silent, Standard, Turbo, and Full Speed.
With Silent mode enabled and the fans allowed to settle, we saw the MasterFan M140 ARGBs spinning at 804 RPM. While dead silent to most users at 25 dB in the open air, the airflow is barely perceptible.
Switching to Standard mode in Q-Fan, the fans increase to 1036 RPM, and airflow finally shows up. At this setting, noise levels hit 27 dB, but these first two options don't let the fans spool enough to take advantage of the specs we saw earlier. They feel more like a $15 chassis fan that comes in any case you'd buy.
When we applied Turbo mode to the MasterFan M140 ARGBs, we saw the fans top out at 1217 RPM. Much closer to the top end of what these fans could do, and the amount of airflow and pressure is finally getting into a useful range. Noise levels have increased quite a bit, though; they're now 39 dB with this option.
To see what the fans can do with the restraints removed, we applied Full Speed to them, and they reached 1612 RPM, well within spec, a bit more than the rated 1600 RPM in the chart. While Cooler Master lists silence as a key feature of these fans, we cannot get behind that, since the noise at full speed hit 51 dB.
Final Thoughts
Usually we tiptoe around a bit in the conclusions and don't really start with the meat and potatoes out of the gate; however, this is one product we are honestly confused about. We get the desire for a black, a more accepted colorway than the A-series, which the M-series totally is. However, the M-series specs took a hit; the A-series were beasts of a fan, and these feel like a sad reminder of what we could have used instead. We get it, different bearing, different outlook, but with silence as a selling point on the product page, and to get near-rated specifications comes with a 51 dB noise level, in no situation do we consider them quiet. Sure, at low speeds they are silent, but what are you going to do at 800 RPM with 15 CFM of airflow? Not much, that's what. Lastly, why even bother with the ARGB addition? We get it here too: you don't want to drill the aluminum or add a tacky light strip, but leaving us with a simple thin ARGB stripe around the hub seems like a joke.
It isn't all bad, though. The fans are beefy, you get plenty of life out of them, and with a custom PWM curve set, you could take advantage of the flow and pressure these offer without blowing out your ears all day long. Sound levels are decent as long as you don't cross 900 RPM, but be prepared if you do. Installation is simple; nuts and bolts keep these fans secure, and even with a proprietary connector, it all works without an additional hub. Lastly, we appreciate the black colorway, as many of you will, because they are decent fans that disappear into your build, while the A-series screams "look at me."
Look, a fan that costs you $35 is not that big of a deal. We have seen $100 three-fan kits before; that really isn't the issue here. Availability is an issue, noise levels are an issue, and the amount of ARGB, or lack thereof, is an issue to us. The frames are excellent; the blades are a cool new way to design them and upgrade from plastics that warp, wobble, and vibrate; connectivity is a breeze; and installation is easy. However, selling the M-series as silent and with ARGB, we feel let down by Cooler Master. As noted, we understand why things are the way they are, but we just do not see the appeal. If we want RGB, most users want as much ARGB as they can get, as seen with the be quiet fan behind Cooler Master's, and many manufacturers make high-speed, high-flow fans at a similar price point. In the end, the real selling point is the 200,000-hour MTTF specification and the five-year warranty.
