DeepCool FL12/R Review: The Fan that slays both in cooling and in looks

Introduction

An industry leader in PC cooling solutions since its founding in 1996, DeepCool is a brand that is synonymous with performance and innovation. Dedicated to providing state-of-the-art products that meet the demands of both PC enthusiasts and gamers, DeepCool is back with another banger for budget-conscious people like me. We will take a look at the DeepCool FL12R in this review. The FL12R ARGB (which will be referred to as FL12 in the article) is the newest addition to the DeepCool family of cooling products. The fan itself looks and feels premium, but as we know, looks aren't all that matters; at the end of the day, how the fan performs has a bigger weightage than the looks. We will take a look at most of the parameters that include the design, performance, pricing, etc. further in the review.

Design & Overview

The DeepCool FL12R Reverse Blade Fan is the brand's most recent addition to their lineup. This model has a similar design philosophy to DeepCool's FK120 and FC120, but with an enhanced fan blade and housing, as well as an updated fan bearing, it produces less noise and has a longer lifespan. We have previously tested the FK120 here, and it exceeded our expectations. There were unconfirmed reports of the FK120's bearing jamming up from some users, but our fan is still running strong in our test bench. We are confident that the quality will be much better considering Deepcool has updated the bearings in this model. This fan uses their new 3-Phase 6-Slot 4-Pole Closed Loop FOC Motor.

The fan's design is static pressure oriented with the curved 9-blade reverse impeller (normal impeller in the FL12 version). The advertised RPM is 500-2150 along with 55 CFM of airflow at a static pressure of 2.59 mmAq. The fan is based on the tried and tested looks of the OG DeepCool FK120 and includes the same square frame for zero air leakage when mounted on a radiator, the corner rubber plugs that dampen the vibrations, and the added bonus of daisy chaining introduced in the FC120 series. The fan uses a single daisy-chainable cable with standard 4-pin PWM and 3-pin ARGB connectors with separate cables in case you want to install a single fan. This is a very thoughtful move, as most companies just bundle a single cable for the fans and call it a day. 

Now coming to the looks, the fan looks refreshing among the vast majority of competitors in the market thanks to the design department of DeepCool. The FL12 has just the perfect amount of RGB in it. With 36 LEDs under the hood, the fan looks quite brilliant, and RGB doesn't light up your entire room. It's very well diffused and soothing to look at thanks to the massively diffused windows and rings on the fan. I thought that with 36 LEDs the RGB would blind me, but on the contrary, I was quite surprised when it first booted up.

Packaging and Accessories

The FL12 comes in a pack of one or three neatly arranged in a white cardboard box. The front of the box highlights the design of the fan along with some branding; the back side highlights the specifications along with the regulatory information. Upon opening the box, we are presented with the accessories box, which contains the screws for mounting the fans along with the necessary cables. Beneath that sits the FL12 in all its glory, waiting to be installed. The fan doesn't come with any ARGB controllers, but considering it's 2025, most motherboards and cases will have an option for an ARGB port, so there's no point in adding another cable and occupying another SATA power connector.

Testing

Just like with my previous review, I used the same audio meter app on my phone to evaluate the noise level of the fans as a single unit outside my case with the power supply that is connected without any load to make sure its fan doesn't turn on. I used five more fans like before to compare the acoustics. 

All the fans were tested at full speed in the vertical position. The audio is captured from the side of the fan so that the airflow doesn't hit the mic mesh and cause pop sounds, which might contaminate the results. The testing results are below. The DeepCool FL12, while not the quietest of the bunch, with its high RPM, has a better sound profile than the rest. The RPM to noise ratio is quite respectable. Also, while testing, we felt that the FL12R was overdelivering on its airflow numbers. We will test this out in the future and update the review with the findings.

Conclusion

Pro's

• Priced just right.

• Good quality materials leading to a solid build quality.

• Can work as both case and radiator/air cooling fans.

• Uses PBT so no yellowing in the white models unlike ABS fans. 

• No blade wobbling and whining thanks to the updated 3 Phase motor and the Fluid dynamic bearing.

Con's

• No pre tapped screw holes so they are pretty tough to screw in the first time (Trick: Apply some petroleum jelly on the screws).

• The wire length in the 3in1 cable is a bit small and causes the connector to pull against one another.

Bottom Line

DeepCool has undergone constant transformation over the years, going from a budget focused brand with a small line-up of products to a well-known one who prioritizes high-quality products that strike a balance between cost and functionality. That is still true with the DeepCool FL12 Series of fans. The fans have a expected pricing of ₹4000 and at that price I can't seem to find another fan that offers same build quality and performance. 

The Halo Ring design enhances the PC's appearance, and overall, I am pleased with the performance they provide.  Together with reversible features and Daisy Chainable fans, they provide an absolutely amazing performance.  I'll award the fans the Tech Reprise Gold Badge of Honor and give them a perfect score of 10/10. 

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ABOUT DEEPCOOL

Established in 1996, DeepCool is a global brand in designing and manufacturing high-performance computer components for enthusiasts worldwide that includes CPU coolers, PC cases, Power Supplies, Peripherals, and more. With a strong background in independent research and development, DeepCool continues to provide high-quality products, premium customer service, and incredible value to our dedicated customers.