RX120 MAX vs QX120 Lighting Comparison by RJohnson

We asked one of our Insiders, RJohnson, to compare our new iCUE LINK RX120 MAX RGB fans with the iCUE LINK QX120 RGB fan and write up his thoughts. The following is entirely his own words. Enjoy.

I’ve been building PCs for more than twenty-five years. My new 9000D CORSAIR build originally had the iCUE LINK QX 120 RGB fans. I decided to try the iCUE LINK RX MAX 120 RGB fans. Due to their thicker frame, the RX MAX fans perform a little better than the QX fans. That said, the QX and RX Max fans both have optimum airflow for general PC setups.

The RX Max RGB fans have a slightly subtle RGB compared to the QX120. If you want to tone down your fan RGB, the RX120 MAX fans are a very good choice. The box contains three fans, one iCUE Link hub per box, and two cables.

I removed my QX 120 RGB fans in front of the 9000D. There were eight fans installed there. I then installed the RX120 MAX fans

The picture above is what the QX120 RGB fans look like so you can make a comparison. In this picture, look at the fans on the AIO. These fans are RX MAX fans. Notice the RGB is not as bright as the QX120 fans. I prefer the more subtle RGB from the RX Max fans. Some people might prefer the brighter QX fans, though. A PC modder/builder will have to decide what’s best for their setup, as each builder will have their preference in terms of the picture above, which is what the QX120 RGB fans look like, so you can make a comparison. In this picture, look at the fans on the AIO. These fans are RX Max fans. Notice that the RGB is not as bright as the QX120 fans. I prefer the more subtle RGB from the RX Max fans. Some people might prefer the brighter QX fans, though. A PC modder/builder will have to decide what’s best for their setup, as each builder will have their preference in terms of how they want their overall lighting in their PC.

My first impression of the RX Max fans is that they have a very good RGB output that is less bright than the CORSAIR QX RGB fans. The RX MAX RGB fans perform slightly better than the QX fans because of their 30mm frame compared to the QX’s 25mm, and they are very quiet. I have 17x fans installed in my 9000D, so I have set the cooling in CORSAIR iCUE for 40 percent fan speed to keep the noise level down.

For reference, here is a quick comparison between the QX120 fans and the RX120 MAX fans:

As you can see from the table above, the reason the QX fans are more vibrant in color compared to the RX MAX fans is the number of LEDs embedded in each fan. The 34 individually addressable LEDs will surely produce more intense color inside your build. QX fans will likely resonate with those who prefer more in-your-face type of lighting, especially those who are into creating custom lighting profiles via iCUE. That said, the RX MAX will edge out the QX fans with its high static pressure and airflow, especially in areas of your PC build where airflow is restricted, such as radiators and panels with dust filters. This is not to say that the RX MAX is a slouch when it comes to lighting; its 8 LEDs, in fact, do the job for most PC builders who prefer toned-down, subtle lighting, allowing many PC builders to create an amazing-looking setup without having very pronounced RGB lighting.

Here are two pictures of the 9000D in red and green on an iCUE holiday profile.

I’m sure some of you will want to know if I will swap out the remainder of my QX fans for RX Max fans in the future. Well, that will depend on my budget.