Arctic P8 Max High-Performance 80mm PWM Fan Review

A Closer Look

The Arctic P8 MAX looks pretty much as you would expect, It’s an 80mm fan, so it’s pretty small. Of course, that’s not much use in most mid-tower or most standard PC builds. However, there are plenty of mini-ITX, slim form factor, small form factor and server-type cases that both support 80mm fans or heavily rely on them in the case of servers.

The fan is PWM controlled with a standard 4-pin PWM header, so it’ll be widely compatible with motherboards and numerous controller hubs.

The fan blades are surprisingly large, with a twisted and overlapping design. They’re configured for a high-pressure which is important in servers or for slim radiators, as the air needs to be pushed right through the case to cool components further back. The fans are heavily reinforced too with lines in the mould that will prevent flexing and warping.

The sides are thick too, with very durable frames that are unlikely to crack or deform under stress. Given these fans can deliver up to 5000 RPM at their full speed, they’ll can under some pretty strong forces for prolonged periods of time.

The back of the fans is seriously robust too, with some of the thickest bracing I’ve ever seen on a fan. There are four spiralled arms that join to the motor mount, they’re thick at the back but thinner at the front to allow air to pass over them more easily. There’s also a curved lip leading out the back of the fan to help promote more airflow and pressure too.