MSI has just announced a new range of PC fans that can clip together and pass on power and fan/RGB control without the need for extra cables. The new MSI MPG EZ120 ARGB fan series aren’t the first daisy-chainable fans, of course, but they have a unique connection system and a very cool design.
That cable-free connection is cool, but our favorite aspect of these fans is their dazzling lighting. These new MSI contenders for a spot on our best PC fan guide each pack in a whopping total of 33 individually addressable LEDs, spread across the fans’ front, sides, and blades.
As a result, these spinners are perhaps the best-looking case fans we’ve seen – it’s certainly a tight race between these and the Lian Li Uni fans. Stack a few trios of these fans in your dual-chamber, dual-glass panel case – such as the Hyte Y70 Touch – and it will create quite the look.
As with other daisy-chainable fan systems, such as the Corsair iCUE Link fans or the Phanteks D30 range, the new MSI EZ120 fans use a dedicated hub to power and control the fans, but unlike fan hubs of old, just one small hub will be needed to control most systems.
The MSI hub can support 18 devices connected to it, via its four connections, with of course just one actual cable being needed to connect to the hub – all the other connections can either run directly between fans or with a cable running from one set of fans to the next.
The fans fit together using an external clip system – rather than the fans interlocking with each other, which gets around patents behind some competing versions of these types of fans. The imaginatively named Magnetic Connector Blocks used to achieve this connection just clip into place on either side of a fan joint, providing a secure fitting and connecting power and data.
The fans use a nine-blade design that can provide a maximum static air pressure of 2.56mmH2O with a maximum airflow rate of 73.82 CFM, though MSI doesn’t mention a noise rating for the fans. They also include a “new type” of fluid dynamic bearing, which adds an extra fixing nut over previous designs. MSI claims this “reduces vibration, decreases noise, and enhances durability.”
We got hands on with the new fans a few months ago at CES 2024 (where the MSI Claw was also announced), and were impressed with the ease of assembly, robust-feeling build, and dazzling design. It’s only today, though, that MSI has finally announced the fans as available (though stock isn’t available anywhere yet, with only its more conventional F120 RGB fans currently available and linked below).
The MSI MPG EZ120 price is $119 for three fans or $39 for a single fan, so like other similar fan systems, they’re quite pricey. However, with each triple pack you get a hub, four Magnetic Connector Blocks, and several cables, making them better value than the single fans that come with two cables and a connector block cover, but without a hub or Magnetic Connector Blocks.
If you’re tempted by these fans, but aren’t confident in how to fit them, check out our how to build a gaming PC guide, where we explain every step needed to build and customize your PC.