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How do they work? Corsair’s new ML series case fans float on magnetic bearings

ML Series - Powered By Magnetic Levitation
Corsair kicked off the week with a bang by introducing a new family of high-performance cooling fans for desktops, the ML Series. There are ten units in all, sized at 120mm and 140mm, spanning across basic ML (x2), ML Pro (x2), and ML Pro LED (x6) models. They’re based on Corsair’s new Magnetic Levitation Bearing technology and custom rotor design, promising better cooling and lower noise under any load.

According to the company, the bearings used in this new fan series cuts down on friction thanks to magnetic levitation, thus the produced sound is supposedly a lot quieter than similar case fans on the market, no matter the RPM (rotations per minute). In fact, the company shows on the product page that the ML Series offers better static pressure and more airflow at 36 dBA than Corsair’s closest (unnamed) competitor.

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“All ML fans offer a huge PWM range, giving users total control over how their fans perform,” the company said. “Value silence above all else? At their lowest speed of 400 RPM, the ML Series will push more airflow at near silent 16 dBA (decibel A-weighting). Performance junkie? ML Series fans push up to 97 CFM (cubic feet per minute) of air. Be it a low noise case, high density radiator or anywhere in-between, the ML Series delivers best-in-class performance.”

Corsair’s new ML120 FAN features RPMs between 400 and 2,400, airflow between 12 to 75 cubic feet per minute (CFM), between 0.2 and 4.2 of static pressure, and noise ranging between 16dBA and 37dBA. The larger ML140 fan has an RPM between 400 to 2,000, a CFM between 17 and 97, static pressure between 0.2 and 3.0, and the same level of noise.

The vanilla MX fans (120mm and 140mm) are provided as a two-pack costing $35 and $40, respectively. All other fans offered in the ML family are sold as single units, ranging from $25 to $31 a piece. The ML Pro LED fans are served up in three flavors with four ultra-bright LEDs installed on each — White, Red, or Blue — costing $28 each for the 120mm models and $31 each for the 140mm models.

The only difference between the vanilla ML models and the ML Pro versions is that the latter group includes color rubber corners to match the LEDs (or black for the non-LED models). These replaceable corners are mounted to anti-vibration rubber dampers, allowing system builders to match their new fans with the color schemes used throughout the desktop.

Corsair’s new ML Series case fans can be purchased now directly from the company here. They’re backed by a “comprehensive” five-year warranty, and require a motherboard with an open standard 4-pin fan connector. Happy building!

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Kevin Parrish
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…
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