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The Gamdias Notus M1 ARGB is positioned as a budget option. We last saw them on Amazon UK priced at £12.99 each, which is low for an ARGB fan, but this was a Black Friday deal. Currently, though, the Notus M1-1201 buy link isn’t available on Amazon UK, but the 3-pack 1203 is available from Amazon US for £33.75 at the time of writing this article. So the three-pack represents good value for money, especially since it comes with forward and reverse blades in the pack.
Build quality is very much in line with what you’d expect at this level – it’s functional, but there’s nothing premium about it. The plastic frame and fan blades have excessive flex in them, the finish isn’t great, the blades have a distinct wobble when rotating, wiring is messy and overall it just doesn’t give the same sense of sturdiness you get from a Noctua or Phanteks fan, but these are half the price of premium models.
Performance is modest, too. Maximum speed is lower than most of the fans we tested, which keeps noise down at 100% duty cycle but also limits cooling potential a little. When normalised to 1400 RPM, the Notus M1 actually becomes quite loud compared to other fans, which highlights that these aren’t designed to compete at the top end of the market. Thermals are okay and within a safe range all round, but in some test scenarios performance trails the other fans. There is a noticeable performance gap in some situations between the premium models.
Installation and usability leave a lot to be desired. The warranty-void sticker on the cable is baffling — it’s easy to accidentally break it off when routing cables through tight case cut-outs, which could theoretically invalidate your warranty. The RGB setup isn’t much better: the effects are basic, the PCB and LEDs are visible when viewing the fans at an angle and even though the fans can be daisy-chained together, the wiring is messy and fiddly to manage, which makes achieving a clean build tricky.
Taken as a whole, the Notus M1 ARGB is very much a budget option for someone who wants basic ARGB without spending a lot. It’s not particularly quiet compared to other fans when speed is normalised, the performance is OK but not topping any charts, and the build quality is typical of budget fans – functional, but not nothing more. That said, for £12–13 a fan with swappable blades and ARGB it will do the job for budget builds or enthusiasts who aren’t chasing ultra-low noise, chart-topping thermals, or fancy RGB effects… just don’t expect it to compete with the more premium fans in a higher price range.
The Gamdias Notus M1 ARGB is available to purchase now from Amazon US in three pack (1203 model number) priced at £33.75 HERE.
Pros:
- Pretty good value for money.
- OK thermal performance for the price.
- Swappable forward and reverse blades included.
Cons:
- Strange warranty void label on the wiring.
- Cabling is messy.
- RGB effects are basic
- Build quality isn't great.
- Noise is higher than that of other fans at normalised speed.
KitGuru says: For budget-conscious PC builders the Notus M1 ARGB might be a decent choice with swappable fans blades and ARGB lighting. However, if you are looking for a quiet premium fan with a solid build, you'll be disappointed.
