A New Era of PC Cooling: The Lian Li UNI FAN SL-120 V2
The art of building a high-performance PC is often a meticulous balancing act. Builders strive for peak cooling efficiency, a clean and clutter-free aesthetic, and a visually stunning presentation. However, these goals often come into conflict, with standard cooling fans creating a frustrating mess of cables that ruins the visual harmony of a carefully constructed system.
The solution to this age-old problem has arrived, and it’s more refined and powerful than ever. Lian Li, a brand celebrated for its innovation and commitment to quality, has once again raised the bar with the Lian Li UNI FAN SL-120 V2.
This is not just a simple fan; it’s a revolutionary cooling solution that redefines how you approach cable management, performance, and lighting. The SL-120 V2 builds upon the success of its groundbreaking predecessor, introducing key upgrades that make it even more efficient, quieter, and aesthetically pleasing.
This single pack in a pristine white finish is the perfect way to expand your existing UNI FAN setup or to begin a new build with the promise of a clean, high-performance foundation. This in-depth product description will explore the technical details, key benefits, and design innovations that make the Lian Li UNI FAN SL-120 V2 the definitive choice for modern PC builders.
The Evolution of a Legend: Upgrades in the V2
The original UNI FAN SL-120 was a game-changer, but the V2 iteration is a masterclass in refinement. Lian Li listened to community feedback and made a series of thoughtful enhancements that elevate the user experience.
One of the most significant upgrades is the improved daisy-chaining system. While the original fans could link together, the V2 features a redesigned interlocking mechanism that allows for a larger, more stable cluster. You can now bridge up to two clusters of fans, totaling six fans, to a single controller port. This new system further reduces cable clutter and simplifies the installation process.
The fan frame itself has been made slightly thicker, increasing from the standard 25mm to 28mm. This subtle yet impactful change results in a significant performance boost, delivering up to 10% improved airflow compared to the V1 model. It’s a testament to Lian Li’s engineering philosophy: small, intelligent changes can lead to major performance gains.
Aesthetic improvements are also a core part of the V2’s design. The light gap between interlocked fans has been reduced from 5.6mm to a mere 3mm, creating a more continuous and seamless lighting effect across a fan cluster. The rubber anti-vibration pads have also been refined with a straighter edge, creating a cleaner, more modern look.
Technical Deep Dive: Uncompromising Performance
At the heart of the Lian Li UNI FAN SL-120 V2 is a focus on delivering top-tier cooling performance. The fan is meticulously engineered to provide a powerful balance of high airflow and static pressure, making it ideal for a variety of cooling applications.
The fan boasts a maximum airflow of 64.5 CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute). This high rating ensures that the fan can move a substantial volume of air through your case, effectively pulling in cool air or expelling hot air to maintain low system temperatures.
For situations where air must be pushed against resistance, such as on a radiator or through a dense dust filter, the fan provides a maximum static pressure of 2.59 mmHâ‚‚O. This high static pressure rating is crucial for liquid-cooling enthusiasts, as it ensures that the fan can effectively dissipate heat from the radiator fins.
Performance doesn’t come at the expense of acoustics. The SL-120 V2 is built with a high-quality Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB). This bearing type uses a thin layer of fluid to support the fan’s axis, significantly reducing friction and noise. The result is a remarkably low acoustic noise level of just 29.2 dBA at its maximum speed of 2000 RPM.
The fan also supports a “start/stop” mode, where it can completely cease spinning when the system is under a low thermal load, providing a completely silent computing experience. The fan is controlled via Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM), allowing for precise, dynamic speed adjustments. This means your motherboard or controller can automatically adjust the fan speed based on your CPU or GPU temperatures, ensuring a perfect balance between performance and quietness.
Beyond the Fan: The UNI FAN Ecosystem
The real genius of the Lian Li UNI FAN SL-120 V2 lies in its ecosystem. The product is designed to be part of a larger, seamless system that simplifies building and elevates control.
The daisy-chaining mechanism is the cornerstone of this system. Instead of a mess of individual fan cables, you connect fans together with a simple physical and electronic interlock. A single cable from the entire cluster then connects to the controller, reducing cable count from multiple wires to just one. This dramatically improves the aesthetics of your build and makes the installation process faster and less intimidating.
Controlling the fan’s performance and dazzling ARGB lighting is made effortless with the intuitive L-Connect 3 software. This powerful application provides a unified control hub for all your compatible Lian Li devices. Within the software, you can customize the fan’s lighting with a vast array of effects, or choose to sync the lighting with your motherboard for a cohesive look.
L-Connect 3 also gives you full control over the fan’s performance. You can create custom fan curves, set fixed fan speeds, or enable the silent start/stop mode. The software’s user-friendly interface allows you to monitor system temperatures, define the order of your fans, and even merge lighting effects across multiple fan clusters for a truly spectacular visual display.
The single pack of the white SL-120 V2 is perfect for a builder who already owns the triple pack and its controller. It allows for seamless expansion, enabling you to add more fans without having to purchase another controller.
Key Benefits for the User
Choosing the Lian Li UNI FAN SL-120 V2 for your build offers a multitude of tangible benefits that go beyond simple cooling.
Simplified Installation and Cable Management: The revolutionary daisy-chaining system makes the once-dreaded task of cable management a breeze. It reduces the number of cables, leading to a much cleaner and more professional-looking build.
Aesthetic Excellence: The elegant white finish, combined with the brilliant ARGB lighting and the seamless, refined infinity mirror effect, ensures your PC will be a showpiece. The improved design of the V2 fans makes them even more visually appealing.
Superior Performance with Low Noise: The combination of high airflow and static pressure, along with the whisper-quiet FDB bearing, provides a best-in-class cooling solution that maintains low system temperatures without the distracting noise of traditional fans.
Total Control and Customization: The L-Connect 3 software puts the power in your hands, allowing you to fine-tune every aspect of your fans, from performance to lighting, all from a single, easy-to-use interface.
Conclusion
The Lian Li UNI FAN SL-120 V2 represents the pinnacle of modern PC fan design. It is a product born from innovation and refined through meticulous engineering. It perfectly addresses the core challenges of cable management and aesthetic integration, while simultaneously delivering uncompromising cooling performance.
The single pack in white is an excellent choice for a builder looking to expand their setup or begin a new project with a focus on both beauty and power. By choosing the Lian Li UNI FAN SL-120 V2, you are not just buying a fan; you are investing in an elegant, high-performance ecosystem that will elevate your custom PC to an entirely new level. It is, without question, the definitive choice for builders who refuse to compromise on quality, aesthetics, or performance.
